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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Recipe
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
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Have you tried this recipe?!
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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!!!
Can you caramelize the bbq sauce in an air fryer?
I have never experimented with air fryers so I couldn’t say. Sorry!
I always finish off the ribs in my air fryer. They turn out good and crispy.
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.
Can you substitute chicken broth for water?
Yes, that would be fine 🙂
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.
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.
Thank you Allyson! Ribs have never been easier, and I’m so happy you love this recipe! Thanks for following <3
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!
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.
Will the 3 quart instant pot work with this recipe?
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.
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.
If I use 2 racks of ribs, do I double the liquid to the pot?
No, you don’t need to add more liquid and the cook time is the same.