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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 recipe made with your pressure cooker.
Instant Pot Ribs
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 it's perfect for those of us that don't always plan dinner out early enough to pull the slow cooker out in the morning.
My favorite quality about the instant pot (and the area where the instant pot really shines) is how it can take hefty cuts of meat and cook them to tender in such a short amount of time. These instant pot ribs are the perfect examples of the type recipe that cooks GREAT in the pressure cooker or instant pot. Learn all of my instant pot tips!
How to make Instant Pot Ribs:
- 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.
- 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 the ribs are finished cooking you can slather them in your favorite store-bought or homemade bbq sauce.
I also 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. It's important to not that your cooking time will vary, depending on your altitude and what type of ribs you choose.
How long to cook ribs in the instant pot or pressure cooker:
- 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 for instant pot ribs?
Any 6 quart or larger instant pot will work!
Removing the membrane from the 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. Check to make sure the membrane on your ribs has been removed and if it hasn't, follow these steps to remove it:
- 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 a Side Dish. Here are some of my favorites:
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Instant Pot Ribs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 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 ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, , optional*
- 1 cup barbecue sauce, , homemade or store-bought (*see note)
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE this recipe and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
Excellent recipe! Turned out delicious!! Its my staple instapot pork ribs recipe.
WOW!!! We LOVED these ribs!! I did take liberty with the rub. I added some allspice, Ceylon cinnamon, a little cayenne pepper and dry yellow mustard. FANTASTIC!!!
Mine turned out fabulous! I didn’t have any liquid smoke, so I used a tsp of smoked paprika! This recipeis a keeper! Thank you very much!
I followed the recipe to a t. With the exception that at the very end I added a half a cup of Jack Daniels whiskey into the mixture at the bottom of the pot we will see how this turns out super excited.
Would it hurt to slightly cut ribs so rub would adhere better to st. Louis ribs
No, that would be fine 🙂
Mine came out tough and dry. I even cooked them 5 minutes longer than the recipe stated to get that “fall off the bone” tenderness. I think ribs need to be cooked in some kind of liquid and not suspended in air surrounded by steam. I may cook what we have left some more today.
Hi Lucy, I’m sorry they didn’t work out for you, but it sounds like it’s more to do with the quality of ribs you used then it is to do with this recipe and cooking method. If you were to “pressure cook” the ribs right in the water without suspending them then they would essentially just get boiled in the water. The purpose of the water is to allow the pressure cooker to create steam, which is what cooks the ribs.
My first “big” meal in the Instant Pot. Your directions were easy to follow. My ribs just said “Pork spare ribs” – definitely not Baby Back but not sure if they were the “St Louis” type I’ve read about in the prior comments. Anyhoo… ribs were delicious. Thank you for the super recipe!
I had a really big slab of baby back ribs. I cooked them 30 minutes and was going to let them sit 30 minutes @ natural release. That was how long it took for the button to pop. Broiled with BBQ sauce about 3 minutes. Really great!
Made this today and loved it. I’ve never made ribs inside before. My husband always charcoal grills them. These were fall-off-the-bone tender and had great flavor. My husband was very happy with them, and is now a believer in non-grilled ribs.
IP Back Ribs was one of the first recipes I made after buying an IP. I only buy back ribs, despite their cost and I watch for specials. One such was from Peru (frozen) and were fine. In Canada “spare ribs” are advertised as “side ribs” as that is the part of the pig from which they are obtained and usually have less meat on them.
I usually look for the packaged ribs with the lowest price as I find the bones are smaller and the meat tenderer. I have used a similar recipe but it says to use the “Meat” button on my IP DUO 6O Ver 3 for 20 – 25 mins depending on tenderness wanted Your mileage may vary.
Somewhat new to Instant Pot but the recipe instructions were perfect. I think the variety comes in what rub and what sauce you choose. Really easy to change flavor by changing them but instructions perfect.
Not sure the rub made much difference in taste but they were lovely fall off the bone ribs. Will try Apple cider vinegar and beer next time to taste the flavour difference. Very easy to follow directions!