Saucy, succulent easy Instant Pot Ribs are baby back perfection smothered in your favorite BBQ sauce and finished on the grill or under the broiler. This is the easiest way to make tender ribs that are fall-off-the-bone good!
Forget slow cooking a rack of ribs for 3 hours in the oven! Instant pot baby back ribs are every bit as tender and finger-licking delicious as a traditional rib recipe in a fraction of the time.
We used to reserve bbq ribs exclusively for the weekend because they took so much time to prepare. But pressure cooker ribs were a total game changer and now we can enjoy them anytime we want.
Recipe Ingredients
- Ribs: This recipe works for both baby back ribs and spare ribs, although we tend to like baby back ribs best. Depending on the size of your racks and the appetites of your family, one rack typically serves 2-4 people.
- Spice rub: You can use a premade spice rub or throw together the homemade dry rub included in the recipe card below that consists of garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, black pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, cayenne pepper for a touch of heat and smoked paprika. It's a great blend that's great on any kind of pork but works especially well on ribs.
- Liquid: You can use water and apple cider vinegar to make these Instant Pot ribs, but adding a little hickory flavored liquid smoke mimics the natural smokiness of the grill and is recommended. Apple juice is another great choice, but really any liquid like soda (Dr. Pepper, Coca-Cola, etc.) or broth will work.
- Barbecue sauce: Whether you use homemade barbecue sauce or pick up a bottle of your favorite brand from the store (we like Kinder's or Sweet Baby Ray's best), you can't go wrong.
How to Make Instant Pot Ribs
Be sure to see the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.
- Remove membrane. Chances are you can just skip this step since many ribs come from the store with the membrane already removed. But if you need to take care of that yourself, just flip the racks over and use a butter knife to loosen a flap of the membrane from the underside of the ribs. Then peel away the thin, silvery layer of membrane off the back of the ribs by grasping it with a paper towel to give you grip.
- Rub the meat. Combine the spice rub ingredients in a small bowl, then sprinkle over both sides of the ribs and rub it into the meat to make sure it sticks in a nice, even coating.
- Coil the meat. To fit the ribs in the Instant Pot, first insert the trivet that came with the machine. Then roll up the ribs into a coil. Place ribs into the Instant Pot along with the cooking liquid with the meat standing on end. You will need to nestle the racks of baby back ribs together if using multiple racks.
- Seal and cook. Place the Instant Pot lid on and lock in place, turning the sealing valve to seal. Cook on HIGH pressure for 25 minutes for baby back ribs or 35 minutes for spare ribs, followed by a 10 minute natural pressure release for baby back ribs and 15 minute natural pressure release for spare ribs. Do a quick release of any remaining pressure by carefully turning the release valve to let the pressure escape.
- Sauce. Remove the hot ribs from the Instant Pot with tongs and unroll them onto a large baking sheet. Brush them with your favorite barbecue sauce. We like a sticky, sweet Kansas City-style barbecue sauce best with ribs.
- Broil or grill. Finish off the ribs by hitting them with some heat from the broiler or grill to caramelize the sugars in the barbecue sauce. Just be careful to not let them burn. It only takes a couple of minutes to finish making the ribs, then slice and serve.
Recipe FAQ's
The cooking time varies depending on the type of ribs you are using. Baby back ribs take 25 minutes at high pressure while spare ribs, which are a little meatier, take 35 minutes. But you will also want to account for the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure (typically around 10-15 minutes) and time for the pressure to release at the end. All in all it's usually between 45 minutes to 1 hour total. Not bad considering ribs in the oven, smoker, or slow cooker all take over 3 hours!
Top Tips
- Caramelize that sauce! For the best ribs, be sure not to skip the grilling or broiling step at the end. It really seals in the flavor and finishes them off.
- Make-ahead. You can prep your ribs and rub them with the dry rub the night before, then wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you plan to cook them.
Storage & Reheating
- To store: Keep leftover ribs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the cooked ribs for up to 2 months. Just be sure to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- To reheat: Ribs reheat best in a pan in a 350°F for 10-15 minutes or in the air fryer for 5-7 minutes. You can also reheat in the microwave, if you prefer.
What to Serve with Baby Back Ribs
Any of your favorite barbecue sides like coleslaw, mac and cheese, corn on the cob, or potato salad go well with ribs. But we also like a slice of cornbread with honey butter and something green like a nice salad or roasted broccoli to keep things balanced. Here are a few more ideas:
- Mashed potatoes
- Broccoli salad
- Sliced watermelon
- Roasted green beans
More Instant Pot Recipes
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Instant Pot Ribs
Ingredients
Ribs
- 1-2 racks baby back ribs or spare ribs (3-4 pounds)
- 1 cup water or apple juice
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon hickory liquid smoke (optional)
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
Rub
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sweet or smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Remove membrane, if necessary, by turning the ribs meat-side down. Use a knife to separate the membrane from the ribs a bit to loosen, then grab it with paper towel to help you grip and peel it off the ribs.
- Combine rub ingredients and generously coat the ribs all over with the rub.
- Place trivet in the Instant Pot, then add the water or apple juice, vinegar, and liquid smoke. Roll the ribs up and place in the Instant Pot standing on their sides.
- Secure the lid and set the valve to sealing. For baby back ribs, cook on HIGH (manual) pressure for 25 minutes. Do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then vent to release remaining pressure. For spare ribs, cook on HIGH (manual) pressure for 35 minutes. Do a natural pressure release for 15 minutes, then vent to release remaining pressure.
- Set oven to broil or heat grill to high heat. Remove ribs and transfer to a large baking sheet. Brush with the barbecue sauce, then broil or grill for 3-4 minutes until caramelized.
Notes
- Instant Pot: I use a 6-quart Instant Pot but you may need an 8-quart if you have a lot of ribs.
- To store: Keep leftover ribs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the cooked ribs for up to 2 months. Just be sure to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- To reheat: Ribs reheat best in a pan in a 350°F for 10-15 minutes or in the air fryer for 5-7 minutes. You can also reheat in the microwave, if you prefer.
- Make-ahead. You can prep your ribs and rub them with the dry rub the night before, then wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you plan to cook them.
Aimee Mars
Insanely delicious! Wow! Will be making this again!
Toni
This was a huge hit at my house! A new addition to our favorites!
Kathryn
These were the best ribs and I love how they are made in the instant pot to make it even easier! They were packed with tons of flavor and they fell off the bone- perfection!
Beth
So juicy and tender. The whole family loved these ribs. The dry rub was so tasty!