These Instant Pot Ribs are so tender, flavorful, and delicious, it’s really hard to believe they cook in just about 30 minutes! Another great, easy meal made with your pressure cooker.
Cooking tender, bbq ribs at home is one of those dinners that will always, always make me feel like a rock-star for how amazing they turn out, and how little work was required on my part.
My go-to ribs recipe is usually these slow cooker ribs, but the instant pot also makes fantastic ribs, and is perfect for those of us that don’t always plan dinner out early enough to pull the slow cooker out in the morning.
I’m constantly blown away by my pressure cooker and how it can take hefty cuts of meat and cook them to tender in such a short amount of time. It’s amazing! These instant pot ribs do not disappoint!
How to make Instant Pot Ribs:
First, season the ribs all over with a dry spice rub.
Add liquid to the bottom of the instant pot.
Curl the ribs around the instant pot, with the meat side facing out. If your ribs are already cut in sections then stand them up in the same manner, lining them up around the pot.
That’s it! Cook them on high pressure. Cooking times will vary just slightly depending on the type of ribs you use, your elevation, and if you want them tender to the bite, or fall-off-the-bone tender.
When they’re finished cooking you can slather them in your favorite store-bought or homemade bbq sauce.
I like to stick them under the broiler for just a few minutes, to let the bbq sauce caramelize and char a little bit. YUM!
Tips for the perfect instant pot ribs:
What type of ribs to use:
I prefer baby back ribs but you can also use spare ribs. Your cooking time will vary, depending on your altitude and what type of ribs you choose.
Pressure cooking time for different types of ribs:
• Baby Back Ribs: 25-30 Minutes
• Spare Ribs: 30-35 Minutes
For low altitude, use the lower number, and for high altitude cook them a little longer.
Also, the longer you cook them, the more “fall-off-the-bone tender they will be. If you want them tender, without falling off the bone, use a slightly lower cook time.
What size instant pot:
Any 6 quart or larger instant pot will work!
Remove membrane from the back of ribs:
Depending on where you buy your ribs, they may still have the white, shiny membrane connective tissue on the back (bone side) of the ribs. I buy mine from Costco and they already have the membranes removed. You want to make sure this is removed, and it’s really easy to do!
Just flip the ribs so the top (meaty part) is face down. Slide your fingers or a butter knife under the membrane and rip it off. No special skills needed here, just use your fingers to yank it up and off the ribs.
Consider serving with:
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Tender, flavorful, and delicious Instant Pot Ribs, cooked in just about 30 minutes! A great, easy meal made with your pressure cooker.
- 1-2 racks pork ribs (*see note below)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup apple juice , or 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke , optional*
- 1 cup barbecue sauce , homemade or store-bought (*see note)
- Remove membranes from the back of ribs, if needed.
Rubs seasonings over both sides of ribs.
- Place wire trivet rack in the bottom of the instant pot.
- Add water, apple juice (or apple cider vinegar) and liquid smoke (optional, but recommended for that great smokey flavor).
- Place the ribs upright, with the meat side facing out. If you’re using one large rack of ribs, then circle them around the pot.
- Secure lid and close vent.
- Press “manual” or “pressure cook” and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes.
When the timer beeps, allow the pressure to naturally release for 15 min, then turn the valve to quick release.
- Carefully remove ribs to a large, foil-lined baking sheet and slather them in BBQ sauce.
- Optional: broil them in the oven for 2-3 minutes to caramelize the bbq sauce.
Recipe Video
*For spare ribs, add 5-10 minutes to the cooking time (high number for higher altitudes and very “fall-off-the-bone” ribs, lower number for lower altitude and tender ribs).
*Liquid smoke can be found near the bbq sauces at your local grocery store. It will add an amazing smokey flavor to the ribs.
*For the BBQ sauce I prefer Sweet Baby Ray’s original, or this homemade bbq sauce.
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE this recipe and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
Rita Chipok says
Not the most tender “fall off the bone” ribs I’ve made but very tasty. I even added an extra 10 minutes to the cooking time. Other than that followed recipe exactly. Next time I’ll cook even longer. And I’ll used my tried and true recipe that uses beer instead of vinegar. I’ll keep ya posted on that one.
Mechelle Boyd says
I’m going to try beer after seeing your comment.
Cécile says
Thx. Just starting a Keto diet so seem to be either looking for recipes or cooking all the time, but tonight, needed something fast and legal. These were the ticket. Pressure-cooked for only 17 minutes because wanted to finish them on the bbq & not have them fall apart on the grill. Made a Keto bbq sauce while the ribs were cooking, slathered it on &, after just a few minutes on the bbq, they were scrumptious! Not too much work, not too much clean-up, & no cheating. Perfect!
Anne Hersch says
Are spare ribs the same as “St Louis” ribs?
Lauren Allen says
Yes, St Louis ribs are spare ribs 🙂 Enjoy!
Roger Paquin says
St. Louis ribs are just the baby back ribs. Spare ribs have the back ribs plus a fair amount of additional meat such as a boneless tail and a bone piece cutting across the top of the ribs. Note that the recipe calls for additional cooking time if you purchased spare ribs.
Tim says
St. Louis ribs are not baby back ribs.
https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-baby-back-ribs-and-st-louis-ribs-meat-basics-219386
Karon says
Yes, followed recipe and they were delicious. I love my instapot!
Abi says
Wow!.. never cooked ribs before… Hubby & I are always looking for good ribs at restaurants. . Just cooked this recipe for the 1st time and I think the search is OVER! Hubby says he doesn’t think he’ll order ribs at a restaurant again he likes them so much!
Good directions.. I just used a rib rub and store bbq… can’t wait to start tinkering with my own spices…
Didn’t have my pressure cookers trivet so just put them in the pot without it… still worked great.
Thanks for the awsome recipe!!
Ccndc53 says
No trivet? Just ball up a couple of LONG pieces of aluminum foil and make a round circle of it to put around the perimeter of the bottom of the pressure cooker. It keeps the ribs out of the liquid the same as a trivet would. I just did this five minutes ago. LOL
Holly says
Has anyone cooked the ribs in the IP a few hours earlier then heated them on the grill or broiler with sauce right before serving. Also can I put several racks in at the same time overlapping each other standing up?
Laura C says
I put 2 racks of St Louis ribs in my 6qt for 35 min. Will update with results.
Jim says
Laura,
I’m getting ready to do two racks of St. Louis ribs in my 6qt. How did your two racks turn out? Was 35 min enough?
Pam says
We LOVE this recipe and have made them several times, fitting two racks in the IP for leftovers. I have found that no change is needed for my cook times – once the IP comes to pressure, everything cooks pretty evenly. Because we don’t have a grill available, I add a tsp of liquid smoke to my cup of water, and they taste more authentic.
Johnny D says
I loved these ribs! First time, I brushed them with BBQ sauce and put them in a high oven (450) for 10 minutes after removing them from the Instant Pot. I did this the second time but kind of lost my appetite so after 10 minutes I turned the oven off and let them lay in there to keep warm. Over an hour later I had the most delicious ribs with a chewy caramelized exterior and fall off the bone tenderness.
I never used to eat ribs until I purchased my Instant Pot but now I’m a big fan.
Lynda Cruz says
I did two racks, overlapping each other standing up, for 30 minutes, and they were fall off the bone perfect.
Fred says
I’ll smoke on the grill for 2 hours, then pressure cook for 30 min, fall off the bone smoked ribs in 2.5 hrs anybody?!
Esther says
This recipe was amazing and the timing worked out perfectly for 3 whole racks of ribs. I cut each rack in half and ended up with two full circles of ribs (an inner and and outer layer) around the pot.
I didn’t have any liquid smoke and they still tasted amazing!
Georgina says
Made these today and they were delicious. Did them for about 6 minutes on the bbq…falling off the bone.
Nicole says
Wow! Those were amazing! Thank you for the help. They fell off the bone. So juicy, I put bar-b-que sauce on them at the end on the broiler. Instant hero!
Kaveh says
For 2 or more ribs, how much extra time, if any, is added? Thanks!
Lauren Allen says
Same cooking time 🙂 Enjoy!
Katie says
Just filled your receipt for baby back and cooked for 25 mind. Just one rack. They were very tender and get if the bone, big they had very little flavor and a ton of fast. Almost not edible. What did I do wrong? Clearly it’s not the recipe because everyone raves about it. Could I have gotten a poor quality rack of ribs, maybe? It just wasn’t good and neither my son nor I liked it. I did not finish on the grill or broil because the meat wouldn’t stay on the bone and I was in a hurry. Is that the key to this recipe?
Lauren Allen says
Hi Katie, yes it sounds like it wasn’t a high quality rack of ribs. Hope you get to try it again soon. I always buy baby back ribs from Costco (st. louis style are often fattier and less flavorful, in my opinion).
Kristie says
Could be old spices too. Try buying a rib rub that you can find in the site. I LOVE the applewood bbq rub in bulk at Winco if you have those sites in your area.
L T says
If I use 2 racks of ribs, do I double the liquid to the pot?
Lauren Allen says
No, you don’t need to add more liquid and the cook time is the same.
Ed says
Ribs were overcooked (like they were boiled). St. Louis spare ribs. 25 minutes plus natural release. Then basted and charred on gas grill. Not great.
Myra Mitchell says
Will the 3 quart instant pot work with this recipe?
Lauren Allen says
I would cut the rib rack into sections instead of wrapping a whole rack around the inner pot.
Stack the sections layered on top of each other on top of the trivet. Enjoy.
Jessica says
I used this recipe but added 1 tsp. smoked paprika and 1/2 tsp. turmeric to the rub. I have a power pressure cooker xl, not the instant pot brand, so I don’t have the wire rack for the bottom. I used 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar in the bottom of the pot. I also cut up an onion, placed it in the middle between the ribs that were standing up. I poured some sweet baby rays over the onions. I had a 2.5 lb rack of back ribs cut in thirds so it only took 30 minutes in my cooker (I went off the recommendations my cooker came with). I brushed some bbq sauce on the top and baked for 5 minutes on 400 instead of broiling like the recipe says. They were delicious.
Bethany says
Not a huge fan of ribs, but I made this tonight in my Pampered Chef Quick Cooker (beef/pork setting, 10 minute natural release) and it was really tasty! We opted to let people put BBQ sauce on their own portions and I skipped it entirely, but my meat was still really flavorful. I’m going to try the seasoning blend with chicken thighs next time!
Allyson Wanner says
AMMAZING RIBS!! Our family loves these ribs, tender, fall-off-the-bon. We no longer make ribs any other way. Just so good and quickly made. I just love my IP and your recipe for ribs sells everyone I know on cooking with the IP.
Thank-you so much.
Lauren Allen says
Thank you Allyson! Ribs have never been easier, and I’m so happy you love this recipe! Thanks for following <3
Pam says
Made this last night for the first time. Cooked for 30 min. then npr for about 20 when I released pressure. They were so, so tender and delicious. I used everything except the chili powder.
Robert says
Can you substitute chicken broth for water?
Lauren Allen says
Yes, that would be fine 🙂
RP8383 says
Ribs in the instant pot are AWESOME. Will no longer cook them any other way.
Baby Back and St. Louis style both work fine (if you do St. Louis, you may need to use the 8Qt instant pot).
I always cook under high pressure for 30 minutes, and let sit under natural release for 30 minutes. Fall off bone tender.
I regularly do these for groups, using multiple instant pots. Which raises on issue: how to caramelize the BBQ sauce after you take them out of the pot, and before you serve? I have two ovens, but if I am doing six racks there is not enough time/ space to use the broiler.
So, I take the cooked ribs out of the pot. Put them on cookie sheets and let them cool a bit. Then I ladle on the BBQ sauce, and caramelize with a hand held butane torch (not the baby torch, but one of the ones you can buy at Home Depot or Amazon, with the 14oz propane cylinder and Bernzomatic head).
The advantage of this is that they caramelize FAST. And, so fast that you do not further cook the meat. Once this step is done, I just put the sheets of ribs in oven on very low to warm them back up.
Monique Chantal says
Can you caramelize the bbq sauce in an air fryer?
Lauren Allen says
I have never experimented with air fryers so I couldn’t say. Sorry!
TexasRose says
The ribs are excellent! I was doubtful, but the reviews were so good that I had to try it. I’m knew to the instant pot. Between working and kids sports and activities I don’t have much time to cook so we have been eating a lot of fast food. My family loved this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Courtney says
This recipe was so easy and such a hit. My husband loved it! I didn’t have a trivet rack but it tasted great anyway.
Raleigh Hill says
The ribs was a hit with my family . I love the ease at getting my ribs nice tender , at such a short time frame . This is the only way I make my ribs . I put them in the oven to base with my favorite BBC sauce . Thank you for recipe .
Wendi says
My first time using a pressure cooker and these ribs came out amazing! I just bought an Instant Pot and wanted to make something for the football game. These were done within an hour and the meat fell off the bones as I was taking them out. Definitely use the liquid smoke!
Kim Hartselle says
These ribs were delicious, however I do prefer them to literally fall off the bone. Next time I will add an additional 15-20 minutes. As far as the flavor, they are fantastic. I use a Durkee dry rub prior to cooking, then whatever BBQ sauce you prefer. Can’t go wrong really!
Brenda says
These ribs were easy to make and delicious. My family enjoyed it and request the same recipe next time I make them again.