Instant Pot Ribs Recipe (VIDEO) (2024)

Instant Pot Ribs is the easiest way to achieve tender, juicy ribs. Whether you’re using baby back ribs or pork loin ribs, pressure cooking tenderizes the meat in a fraction of the time so you can enjoy homemade ribs even on busy weeknights.

Our Smoked Ribs take about 7 hours from start to finish and Baked BBQ Ribs take more than 2 1/2 hours, cooked low and slow in the oven. This recipe requires no marinating time and is done in around 45 minutes. P.S. you can even use frozen ribs!

Instant Pot Ribs Recipe (VIDEO) (1)

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Instant Pot Ribs Recipe:

The ingredients here are simple: ribs (baby back ribs or pork loin ribs), apple juice, cider vinegar, seasoning salt, dry rub and of course bbq sauce. If you’re feeling adventurous, add half a teaspoon of liquid smoke to add that smoked element to your ribs. The instant pot makes the magic happen – amazingly fast with excellent results.

Instant Pots save time and have consistent results for corn on the cob, instant pot boiled eggs and dulce de leche. This Instant Pot Ribs recipe is sure to become a new favorite for you.

Instant Pot Ribs Recipe (VIDEO) (2)

What is the Best BBQ Sauce for Ribs?

We love sweet bbq sauce for ribs because it caramelizes on the ribs when they are finished off. If you have a favorite bbq sauce you would recommend, I’d love to hear from you in a comment below. A couple of our family favorites include:

Instant Pot Ribs Recipe (VIDEO) (3)

How to Prepare Baby Back Ribs:

Start by prepping your ribs. Baby Back Ribs and Pork Loin ribs typically already have the silver skin on the meat side trimmed and the membrane on the boney side removed. If they are present, use a small knife to loosen it at the corner and a paper towel to help grip and pull it off of the ribs. You want to remove that so the flavors can penetrate the ribs. If you want a visual, check out this photo tutorial from Weber.

Instant Pot Ribs Recipe (VIDEO) (4)

How to Make Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs:

The process for making instant pot ribs is truly easy:

  1. Rub the ribs with seasoning salt and BBQ Dry Rub.
  2. Combine apple juice, vinegar, 1/3 cup bbq sauce and liquid smoke (if using) in the instant pot.
  3. Coil the ribs inside the pot, cover and cook on high pressure 25 minutes followed by a 10-minute natural pressure release.
  4. Remove ribs, brush with BBQ sauce and broil or grill 5 minutes

Instant Pot Ribs Recipe (VIDEO) (5)

To Finish Ribs on the Grill:

Preheat the grill to 350-400˚F. Place the bbq sauce smothered ribs directly on preheated grill, cover, and grill 5 minutes.

To Finish Ribs in the Air Fryer:

Cut rack in half, smother with bbq sauce as usual and place both halves side by side in the air fryer basket for 4 min on high.

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What to Serve with Ribs:

These saucy bbq ribs are perfect with just about any side dish. Some of our favorites include:

  • Mashed Potatoes – so creamy, they don’t need gravy
  • Coleslaw – super easy salad with creamy dressing
  • Egg Salad – simple and satisfying
  • Avocado Corn Salad – always gets rave reviews
  • Soft Dinner Rolls – use leftover rolls and pork to make sliders the next day.

Instant Pot Ribs Recipe (VIDEO) (7)

Can I Use Frozen Ribs?

Frozen ribs can be used following the same recipe. Before freezing ribs, cut them into thirds (so they fit into the instant pot later since they won’t be able to coil) and add the dry rub before freezing. Dry rub won’t adhere if you try to put it over frozen ribs.

More (Top Rated) Easy Dinner Recipes:

These easy dinner ideas are perfect for busy weeknights and are so much better (and usually healthier) than going out to eat.

  • Chicken Fried Rice – use leftover rib meat to make it!
  • Chicken Parmesan – an easy crowd-pleaser
  • Philly Cheesesteaks (the real way)
  • Beef and Broccoli – better than takeout
  • Salisbury Steak – with mushroom gravy

Watch Natasha Make Instant Pot Ribs:

This really is the fastest and easiest way to make ribs that we have discovered and the results are mouthwatering good!

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Instant Pot Ribs

4.95 from 108 votes

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

Instant Pot Ribs Recipe (VIDEO) (9)

Instant Pot Ribs is the easiest way to achieve tender, juicy ribs. Whether you're using baby back ribs, Pressure cooking tenderizes the meat in a fraction of the time

SavePinReviewPrint

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Natural Pressure Release: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Ingredients

Servings: 4 people

Instructions

  • Pat dry the rack of ribs with a paper towel and rub on your dry ingredients on both sides.

  • In the Instant Pot, combine apple juice, vinegar, liquid smoke and 1/3 cup of bbq sauce.

  • Coil the rack of ribs inside the with the bone-side facing the center. Ribs should all be partially submerged. Cook on high pressure for 25 min followed by a 10 min natural pressure release before manually releasing remaining pressure.

  • Using two sets of tongs, carefully transfer ribs to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a wire rack with the meat side up. Brush the top and sides with the remaining 1/3 cup bbq sauce. Broil in the center of the oven on high for 4-5 min*. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 min before serving. Serve with more bbq sauce if desired.

Notes

*To Finish Ribs on the Grill: Preheat the grill to 350-400˚F. Place ribs directly on preheated grill, cover, and grill 5 min.
*To Finish Ribs in the Air Fryer: Cut rack in half and place both halves side by side in the air fryer basket for 4 min on high.

Nutrition Per Serving

597kcal Calories27g Carbs41g Protein35g Fat12g Saturated Fat148mg Cholesterol1396mg Sodium713mg Potassium1g Fiber22g Sugar180IU Vitamin A1mg Vitamin C97mg Calcium2mg Iron

  • Full Nutrition Label
  • Nutrition Disclosure

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Ribs

Amount per Serving

Calories

597

% Daily Value*

Fat

35

g

54

%

Saturated Fat

12

g

75

%

Cholesterol

148

mg

49

%

Sodium

1396

mg

Potassium

713

mg

20

%

Carbohydrates

27

g

9

%

Fiber

1

g

4

%

Sugar

22

g

24

%

Protein

41

g

82

%

Vitamin A

180

IU

4

%

Vitamin C

1

mg

1

%

Calcium

97

mg

10

%

Iron

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: instant pot ribs

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $$

Calories: 597

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

Natasha Kravchuk

Instant Pot Ribs Recipe (VIDEO) (10)

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

Instant Pot Ribs Recipe (VIDEO) (2024)

FAQs

How many ribs can you cook in an Instant Pot? ›

One rack of baby back ribs fits easily in a 6-quart Instant Pot, and you can also do two racks at the same time though I've never needed to cook that many ribs at once.

Why are my ribs tough in Instant Pot? ›

This means that they're not cooked long enough. Be sure to cook the ribs for the full 30 minutes on high, and let the pressure release for 15 minutes before removing the lid. If you did this and the ribs are still tough, I recommend cooking them for an additional 5 minutes on high in the Instant Pot.

Is it better to slow cook or pressure cook ribs? ›

Nothing that a little sauce can't fix, and it does mean you get more of the pork flavor, but they're not as nuanced. And the winner is: The slow cooker, but just by a hair (by a rib?). If you're pressed for time, pressure cooker is the way to go.

How to cook a large amount of ribs? ›

If baking more than one rack, give them each their own baking sheet. Cover the ribs tightly with foil then bake for 3-1/2 hours at 250 degrees. If your rack of ribs is larger than 3lbs, add an additional 30 minutes baking time per additional 1/2 — 1lb ribs. For example, bake a 3 — 4lb rack of ribs for 4 hours.

Do ribs get more tender the more you cook them? ›

Your goal is to get good color and caramelization on the outside of the ribs, but also to cook them long enough that the tough collagen breaks down and the meat becomes tender. Generally, the ribs will be browned before the meat is done, which is where the balancing act comes in.

Do you cook ribs longer to make them tender? ›

When using a slower method like the grill, smoker, or oven, you'll need about 3-5 hours. Slower methods can be ready in as little as 30 minutes - however, keep in mind that the longer you cook your pork back ribs the more tender and succulent they'll be.

How do you make chewy ribs tender? ›

How to tenderize ribs in a steamer:
  1. Slice coated ribs into smaller pieces depending on the size of the steamer.
  2. Transfer ribs to the basket.
  3. Fill the steamer with water. Add flavorings if desired. Bring to a steady simmer over very low heat.
  4. Steam ribs until tender, about two hours.

What makes ribs more tender? ›

Moist, gentle heat and a wet vinegary sauce can save dry ribs. Here's what to do: Make a 50/50 mixture of your favorite BBQ sauce and apple cider vinegar and coat the ribs in this mixture. Then wrap the ribs tightly in foil and put them in a low oven (say 300°F) for about an hour.

What is the best technique for cooking ribs? ›

Set the oven to 300°F. Move the ribs to an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Bake 2 1/2 to 3 hours for spareribs or 1 1/2 to 2 hours for baby back ribs. Halfway through cooking, cover the ribs with aluminum foil to protect them from drying out. Brush with barbecue sauce.

How long do you cook country style ribs in an instapot? ›

Pressure Cook

Set the metal trivet in the bottom of a 6 qt Instant Pot and pour a cup of water or beef broth in the bottom. Arrange the ribs and garlic on the trivet. Pressure cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Natural release (do nothing) for 15 minutes then quick release the remaining pressure.

Do you put water in bottom of pan when cooking ribs? ›

Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees. Use a 2 piece broiler pan, the lower half filled with very hot water, then layer racks of rib on the top. Ribs can be left whole in racks and layered, I have done 6 at a time, they still come out great.

How do you make ribs juicy? ›

They key to tender and juicy ribs is a slow cook process at low temperatures. The best way to maximize tenderness and juiciness is to braise your ribs, which means cook them in a liquid. This liquid needs to be salty to not draw the juices out of the ribs through osmosis.

What do you spritz ribs with when cooking? ›

With that in mind, what I tend to use and find is the best spritz for smoking is apple cider vinegar but water will work as well, or a 50/50 mix. Another great alternative is apple juice where the sugars in the juice also add another level of flavour to your bark.

How many ribs should I cook? ›

So, if ribs are going to be the main meat you are cooking, you can usually plan for: 6 ribs per person when serving baby back pork ribs. 4 - 5 ribs per person when serving pork spare ribs. 2 - 3 ribs per person when cooking beef back ribs.

How many ribs to cook? ›

Generally, it is a good idea to buy a minimum of four ribs per person to fill up your guests. With the difference in the number of bones and meat in each rack, it can be hard to get the right amount to feed an entire party, but you should be able to get a general idea of how many orders you will need.

How many ribs do I need for a 10 adults rib roast? ›

ESTIMATING YOUR ROAST
ServingsBone-In RoastBoneless Roast
5–6 adults6 lb. (3 bones)5 lb.
6–7 adults7 lb. (3-4 bones)6 lb.
8–10 adults10 lb. (5 bones)8 lb.
10–12 adults14 lb. (7 bones)11 lb.
2 more rows

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