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5 from 202 votes

Instant Pot Ribs

Recipe by Amy + Jacky | PressureCookRecipes.com
Instant Pot Ribs: Make BBQ Ribs in Instant Pot in 40 minutes! Deliciously tender & juicy BBQ Ribs are a great beginner recipe for weeknight dinners or BBQ party.
Servings 2 - 4
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Equipment

Instructions

  • Prepare & Season Baby Back Ribs: Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs with a paper towel. Season the ribs with a generous amount of kosher salt and ground black pepper.
  • Pressure Cook Baby Back Ribs: Add 2 – 3 drops of liquid smoke in Instant Pot (optional). Add in 1 cup (250ml) of cold water (or apple cider vinegar) and a trivet. Place the baby back ribs on top of the trivet.
    With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure cook at High Pressure for 16 minutes to 25 minutes, then Full Natural Release.
    *Cooking Time Tip: Adjust the cooking timing according to the thickness of your ribs & preferences: 16 minutes (tender with a bit of chew) to 25 minutes (fall-off-the-bone tender). Open the lid carefully.
  • Apply Sauce and Broil in Oven/Air Fryer: Carefully set the ribs on an oven tray or chopping board, then generously brush your BBQ sauce all over the ribs on all sides.
    *Note: You can use an oven, toaster oven, Instant Pot Duo Crisp or Air Fryer Lid for this finishing caramelization step.
    *Pro Tip: If you have a large oven, you can finish the ribs in one batch. If you're using the Duo Crisp lid or Air Fryer lid, cut the ribs into halves, then finish them in 2 batches.
    *Pro Tip: It's best to broil the ribs before cutting it into serving size to retain more moisture.
    Option 1 - Oven/Toaster Oven: Place the BBQ Ribs on an oven tray under the "Broil" function (or the highest temperature setting) for a few minutes until the BBQ sauce is caramelized.
    Option 2 - Air Fryer Lid: Place air fryer basket with the tray on the middle rack in Instant Pot. Layer ribs on the air fryer tray in Instant Pot. Place the Air Fryer Lid on Instant Pot. Press "Airfry" button, set Temperature to 400°F and Cooking Time to 15 minutes (takes roughly 9 - 11 minutes + preheat time. You can open the lid to check the progress). Air fry the second batch of BBQ ribs in Instant Pot.
  • Serve: Chop up the Instant Pot BBQ Ribs to finger-licking serving sizes. Serve these tasty BBQ Ribs immediately!

Video

Notes

*Note: this recipe is meant to be super basic & simple - a great easy starter recipe, especially for new Instant Pot users. Feel free to modify it to your taste. If you want to kick it up a notch, try our Ribs Recipe with Homemade Dry Rub & BBQ Sauce
Baby Back Ribs: Make sure you're using Baby Back Ribs for this recipe because different types of pork ribs require different cooking times. Also, try to use ribs with even and uniform thickness in the rack, with lots of even marbling.
How to Remove the Membrane from Baby Back Ribs:
  1. Locate the membrane on either end of the rack (at the back of the ribs).
  2. Slide a butter knife in between the membrane and bones (see picture below).
  3. Pull the membrane and tear it off with a paper towel (for better grip).
Rate Amy + Jacky's Recipe: If you've tried our recipe, rate the recipe in the Comments section. Thank you!
Author: Amy + Jacky
Calories: 348kcal

Nutrition

Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 307mg | Potassium: 392mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg