I am of a certain belief that in any healthy relationship, it’s best not to keep score. Unless you are making Instant Pot Ribs, in which case MEGA PARTNER POINTS.
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Fall off the bone tender, mega meaty, and destined to elicit serious finger licking, these savory Instant Pot Ribs will make you a fast favorite with whoever is lucky enough to share them with you.
In my case, the lucky recipient was Ben, who often requests my Crockpot Ribs. I plan to cash in the wife points I earned making this Instant Pot version for his help assembling our new patio table.
I can already envision myself serving a batch of Instant Pot Ribs (slathered in homemade barbecue sauce) to friends at a future summer party!
(Remind me to mention the ribs plan to Ben if the table’s assembly “directions” are an Ikea-style sheet of paper with only pictures and no words. Baby backs are my favorite form of bribery.)
How to Make the Best Instant Pot Ribs
Unlike other rib cooking methods, which take hours and require active tending, making ribs in the Instant Pot is hands free and comparably fast.
The Instant Pot locks in moisture and makes the ribs tender in a fraction of the time.
In addition to the use of the Instant Pot itself, I have a few key tips to ensure your Instant Pot rib efforts are richly rewarded.
Use a Dry Rub
To start your ribs on a delicious note, cover them generously with a delicious dry rub.
The rib rub recipe I’ve included here uses basic pantry staples you probably already have, like chili powder, garlic powder, and cayenne, to give the ribs loads of flavor.
- If you’d like to make the ribs spicier, feel free to bump up the amount of cayenne.
- To balance the spice, I also add brown sugar to my Instant Pot Ribs’ rub. I grew up loving the brown sugar/molasses flavor of Kansas City BBQ, and the brown sugar reminds me of some of my favorite KC BBQ joints.
- The amount of brown sugar isn’t overly sweet by any means. You’ll love it here.
You can also take more inspo from my Beef Back Ribs recipe.
Liquid Smoke
- It might sound fancy, but liquid smoke is widely available at most grocery stores (once you look for it, you’ll find it). You can also buy it online.
- Please don’t skip the liquid smoke. Because we are cooking the ribs quickly (thank you Instant Pot!), the liquid smoke provides flavor that you’d typically only get via longer cooking methods (like, ahem, actual smoking).
Choose Your Favorite Ribs
- You can make any kind of ribs you like in the Instant Pot, so pick your favorite!
- The amount of time needed to cook Instant Pot ribs will vary based on the type of ribs you choose, but the way you add the rub and place them in the Instant Pot is the same.
The two more common types of ribs are baby back ribs and spare ribs.
- Baby back ribs are the smallest and most tender. They are my favorite and the ones you’ll see in the photos.
- Spare ribs are larger, meatier, and fattier. Ben adores them.
How Long to Cook Ribs in the Instant Pot
- Baby Back Ribs: 23 minutes on high pressure + 5 minutes natural release.
- Spare Ribs: 35 minutes on high pressure + complete natural release. Do not vent the spare ribs immediately. Because the meat is tougher, it needs the full natural release to become tender.
Broil for Bonus Flavor
- After the ribs are finished cooking, I like to brush them with BBQ sauce and place them under the broiler for a few minutes. Broiling lightly crisps the top, and the sauce becomes extra sweet and thick.
Serving Instant Pot Ribs
- Instant Pot Ribs, 2 Racks: For a crowd, you can cook two racks of Instant Pot ribs at the same time. Simply place two racks on the trivet, overlapping one inside the other if needed. The pressure cook time does not change (though it will take the Instant Pot longer to come to pressure initially).
- Sauce It Up: While you don’t *need* extra barbecue sauce on the side, my personal favorite way to eat ribs is good and slathered. Look for sauce without high fructose corn syrup…though I admit that unless I’m making the barbecue sauce from scratch, ribs with Sweet Baby Ray’s do always seem to be a hit.
- Side Dish Ideas: Instant Pot ribs and potatoes is a classic combo. Try these easy Crock Pot Baked Potatoes, make-ahead Crockpot Breakfast Potatoes (not just for breakfast!) crispy Baked Fries, or keep it simple with potato chips.
More Meat Made Easy
- I also love using my pressure cooker to make Instant Pot Chicken. Like these Instant Pot Ribs, it comes out perfectly moist every time.
- I also have this whole lineup of healthy Instant Pot recipes for you to explore.
For a less-fuss approach to rib cooking and easy entertaining, Instant Pot Ribs are hard to beat. If you decide to try them, I’d love to hear what you think!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’d like to make the ribs spicier, add more cayenne pepper to the rub.
If your ribs are tough, they likely haven’t been cooked long enough. Try adding a little extra time to help them tenderize.
Yes, ribs can be overcooked in the Instant Pot. That’s why it’s important to follow the recommended cook times in this Instant Pot ribs recipe and perform a natural release at the end.
Instant Pot Ribs
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Ingredients
For the Ribs:
- 1 rack baby back ribs or spare ribs about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds*
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- ¼ cup Homemade Barbecue Sauce or swap your favorite store-bought sauce, plus additional for serving
For the Rub:
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the ribs and pat them dry. If your ribs still have the thin, shiny membrane on the back, remove it. (This is easy, don’t worry!) Flip the ribs over, meat-side down. Wiggle a dull knife (such as a butter knife) between the membrane and the ribs to loosen it. With a paper towel, grip the membrane and pull it away, then discard.
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne. Rub it all over the ribs, generously coating all of the sides.
- Place the trivet (or rack) in the bottom of a 6-quart or larger Instant Pot. Pour in the water, apple cider vinegar, and liquid smoke. Place the ribs inside the pot, standing them on the trivet on their side and wrapping the rack around the inside of the pot like a circle.
- Cover and seal the Instant Pot. For baby back ribs: Cook on high (manual) pressure for 23 minutes (if you are making multiple racks and your ribs are super meaty, increase to 25 minutes). Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then vent to release the remaining pressure. For spare ribs: Cook on high for 35 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release completely (about 15 minutes). You will know it is released when the pin drops.
- Towards the end of the ribs’ cook time, place a rack in the upper third of your oven and set it to broil. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Transfer the cooked ribs to the foil, then brush liberally with barbecue sauce. Place under the broiler just until the sauce begins to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Do not walk away to make sure the ribs don’t burn.
Video
Notes
- *Choose a rack that is less than 2 pounds for the most tender results. One rack will serve about 2 people. If you’d like to cook a larger amount, you can fit 2 to 3 racks into your Instant Pot. Simply stand the ribs all the way around the outside in one big circle first, then place additional rack(s) in a second circle on the inside. You can cut the slabs into smaller pieces if it helps them to fit more easily. Multiply the spice mixture for each additional rack (double for 2 racks, triple for 3, etc.).
- TO STORE: Refrigerate ribs in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm leftovers on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave. Slather the ribs with additional barbecue sauce before reheating if desired.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze ribs in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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I didn’t see the brown sugar in the recipe. How much to use? Add to the dry rub?
Hi Neil, it’s located in the recipe card under the Ingredients For the rub. 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Enjoy!
My first attempt at ribs in the IP. While good, not great. I will definitely add more seasoning, as this rub didn’t produce a lot of flavor. I will also need to add some time as mine were definitely not fall off the bone! But I do think this is a great starter recipe.
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, Sandy. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!
Turned out really tender and tasty. I do not use liquid smoke as don’t like it, but use smoky paprika. I will definitely use this recipe again. Any suggestions for using the skirt and rib tips that were cut off?
I don’t, sorry Barb! Glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely the only way to make ribs! Simple and fast! Great taste – I sprinkle some salt on the ribs some after the instapot and before the broil helps after steaming – like this very much – not an all day deal after the rub part. Great recipe – play with it to your own liking– delicious 😋
Thank you so much, Kevin!
First of all, I absolutely LOVE the dry rub. I use it for numerous recipes in place of whatever is called for. For the sauce, we love Sweet Baby Rays, so I haven’t tried mixing my own sauce.
Since we don’t like the amount of work it requires to eat ribs, especially after purchasing some that ended up having minimal meat on them, we decided to try the recipe with Country Style Ribs, which really aren’t ribs. I cut them to half their standard length and used an “egg” trivet to balance my “ribs” around the edge of the pot and one in the middle. They obviously didn’t stay completely upright, but they didn’t overlap each other much, letting them cook well. I decided to put them in for 41 minutes since I had 2 pounds of meat and they were quite thick. I will try less time next time since they fell apart as I was retrieving them from the instant pot. Besides not having to deal with bones, I loved that we had the dry rub on all 4 sides of each piece.
One other change I made was that I used my Mealthy cover after adding some BBQ sauce to the ribs instead of transferring them to the oven. Didn’t get quite as crisp, but I didn’t have to heat up the house with the oven either.
Thanks for the feedback, Ann!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Thanks Nancy!
Do you think this recipe would work with individually cut ribs, like you instruct in your crock pot ribs recipe? Thanks!
Hi Krista, possibly, but it’s just something I haven’t tested. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
Great recipe! I just made a rack for myself and my son and his girlfriend. Everyone loved them!
Thank you Paul!
Easy to follow recipe!!! Ribs came out SO good. I even made some for the guys at work!!!
Great to hear, thank you Kristen!
This was simply outstanding! The dry rub was amazing, I plan to use it all the time. I did mine for 29 mins in the instant pot (my ribs were very thick and meaty) and that was perfect. Finished them off on the grill just to warm the bbq sauce.
So glad you enjoyed it, Lynn! Thank you!
We always take our instant pot camping and this, by far, is the best recipe for BBQ ribs. We finished them off on the grill and they were falling apart. Thanks for this easy-peasy recipe!
Yay! So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Pamela!
Can I use country style pork ribs for this recipe? If so, how long do I cook them for?
Hi Ursula, I have’t tested this out with country style pork ribs, but other readers have with great success. A few give specifics on what they did and how they would change it for next time, so I would definitely read those reviews. Since there are a lot of comments, you’ll want to look for the feedback from Ann on 5/24/24, from Terry on 8/12/21, and from Darren on 8/14/2019. Hope this helps! Let us know how it goes if you decide to experiment!
We found the ribs tender and very tasty. Will be using this recipe again.
Great to hear, thank you Erika!
Two 1,600g baby back ribs took 1 hour rather than 23 minutes. I was quite surprised at 23 min but, I did give it a go. No. Nowhere near ready.
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe, Simon. If the Google conversion calculator is correct 1600g would be 3.5 pounds. If you had to of those it would be 7 pounds of ribs, which is probably why it resulted it int cooking longer. The timing for this recipe was for 2 pounds. Hope this helps!
My go to recipe!! We all love it! I throw them on the grill when I take them out from the instant pot. Amazing!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Arlene! Thank you!
I made a rack of St. Louis style ribs exactly as written. Amazing! I will make this recipe again. So tender and juicy. Almost fall-off-the-bone, but with the slightest tug the meat came away and left a clean bone behind. Make these!
reat to hear, thank you Adam!
Erin, I’ve made these MANY times and they are always a hit. I’m planning to make them again soon but will have a few extra family members. Normally I do two racks and they fit just fine, but I’m wondering how you would tackle four racks? I know they won’t all fit in together, so I’m thinking I’ll need to do the recipe twice back to back, and somehow keep the first batch from drying out while the second batch cooks. Perhaps wrap them in foil? Then once all racks are done in the instant pot, do the BBQ/oven part? Wondering if you think this would work out ok, or if you have another suggestion? Thanks?
Hi Jess! I think wrapping them in foil would work fine! Enjoy!
I come back to this recipe every time I am cooking ribs (we enjoy spareribs and I do tend to buy pre-made McCormick BBQ rub just to speed things). We LOVE love love the way these ribs come out, fall of the bone and tender, simply amazing. They are so popular at our house we even made these as part of our Christmas dinner for the past 2 years! Thanks Erin!
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Natalie!