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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!!!
They were absolutely wonderful. We did not remove the membrane and had not problem at all. They were fall off the bone delicious. I did add 5 minutes as we are in the mountains. And about 10 in the broiler.
Excellent! A success! I didn’t do the final few mins in the oven. I was on a meeting and forgot to count the 15min after the 25min but I did quick released it when it was on lo07. I did it with the regular saint Louis ribs and they fell off the bone. I used Kansas seasoning and apple wood for the dry condiments.
Thank you!
These sound so yummy!! Can these be done in a 3 qt instant pot?
Yes, you may need to cut the ribs to fit.
My husband loved these! The rest of us our vegetarian so we didn’t try, but he said they were very good and would eat them for days! I followed the recipe entirely and they came out perfectly.
Made a 1/2 rack. 25 minutes 20 min Nat release. Not even close to done.😒
In oven now. Soooo disappointed.
Are you sure you instant pot works? Or are you totally into eating shoe leather?
They came out exactly as described. Falling off the bone good! I never removed the membrane before. It made a BIG difference!
I made these and cooked for 40 mins in the Insta Pot with a 15 min depressurize time. I used the 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and water + Liquid smoke. Did the rub as listed in the recipe but used famous dave’s rich and sassy BBQ sauce and broiled for a few mins. They were amazing and my husband loved them!! I will definitely make this again. I’m really glad that I had them in longer and I feel they were the perfect amount of tender. I live in High Elevation 6500 ft + so I usually need to cook things longer.
I do my own spice rub every time I make ribs based on whatever I have in the spice cupboard, but I always use this recipe for the cooking method (a good splash of liquid smoke is key!)
Just made these for the first time. Turned out delicious. I had not had Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce before, I really like it.
Hi Lisa. FYI,
Instead of liquid smoke try smoked paprika. It’s actually smoked for real and adds amazing smoked flavour with out the harsh chemicals that are put into liquid smoke. I use it in replace of liquid smoke always now cause I do love a smoked flavour. Hope you try it…
Do you use the smoked paprika in your dry rub, or do you add it to the cooking liquid like the liquid smoke? I really don’t like liquid smoke, so I would love to have an acceptable alternative.
I made my own rub and a rack of spareribs came out super tender, falling off the bone in 30 mins at high pressure with the 15 min natural release. Great way to cook the ribs. I used beer as the liquid. And it was really really good!