This post contains affiliate links.
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:
FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!
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.
Text me new recipe ideas!
Simple, tasty ideas sent once a week. No spam.
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!!!
This is my go to rib recipe, they always are fall off the bone delicious! Instead of broiling them, I put them on the BBQ grill and baste meat side up with BBQ sauce for a few minutes, yum!
We loved the ribs! I cooked 2 racks at once. So easy to make and very good. My husband loved them and he’s picky! I would highly recommend this recipe. I followed the recipe exactly as stated. I used apple cider vinegar instead of apple juice. I used Sweet Baby Rays bbq sauce.
I followed this recipe as a roadmap, used cider vinegar. Added different spices. 34 minutes because my ribs filled all the space of my instant pot. Used baby Ray’s original. Loved by all.
Made that recipe 3 times already. I found out that to my taste putting less spices is preferable as I like to taste de ribs. Also I cook it 2mins less as I have troubles getting it out of the instant pot, they fall appart, i leave them 3-5 mins longer in the oven instead.
For the sauce we tried it with Joe Beef and baton rouge’s both great choices from province of Quebec. Joe beef is simply out of this world actually!!!
Used the recipe with the apple cider vinegar and the liquid smoke, then quickly broiled at the end. Excellent, I’ll be adding this to my favourites.
These are excellent! I use my own rub but the one here is perfect. I use broth in the bottom since I use Carolina BBQ sauce after which is already vinegary. Great recipe!
What if my ribs are still a bit frozen?
That should be fine. Depending on how many you’re using and “how” frozen they are you could add 5-10 extra minutes.
These are by far the best ribs my family and I have tasted. My husband will no longer cook them on the barbecue he only wants these. I have an 8qt Instantpot and I put four racks in it and cook for 60 mins.
They are so popular in my family that I always have some rib rub at the ready.
How long would you cook 3 slabs? Thank you!
The cook time should be the same, the pot will just take longer to come to pressure. Enjoy!
When you do 3 racks did you triple the recipe? I mean liquid, obviously you rubbed all the ribs…I have all boys and usually extra boys joining in so we always need lots lol I just got an instapot!
This was soooo good!!! I have an 8qt Instapot and this was only the 2nd thing I’ve made in it, so I was nervous. Also, I had two racks of ribs and took the chance that I could successfully get them both in there. It took an extra 15 minutes under pressure, but they were absolutely delicious and not so “fall off the bone” that they didn’t still have a nice tooth to them. I didn’t have any liquid smoke, but I used smoked paprika for a bit of smokey flavor and it was awesome. Thank you for making this simple enough to give me the courage to try it!
I bought an Instant Pot and hadn’t used it yet when one of my sons and his wife dropped in. All I had defrosted was a rack of ribs so I thought this would be a great time to test it out. I found your recipe and it was very easy to follow. To my family’s shock the ribs were amazing! Ribs in less than an hour?! This is the first recipe saved to my new Instant Pot Recipes board. It’s a keeper! Thank you!
Mary the vinegar helps tenderize the meat. Black coffee is a good replacement. I use a little in my roasts. My dad said it helps the meat break down and i havent had anyone mention being able to taste it.