The Best Instant Pot Ribs

Meet your new family favorite meal. These no fail Instant Pot ribs are falling-off-the-bone good in less than an hour with—no smoker needed! 

This recipe: easy, crowd pleasing, and fast

I’d never made ribs before I got my Instant Pot. It seemed too intimidating because I didn’t have a grill or a smoker, and I didn’t want to boil them forever.

Really though, if you feel like you’ve only had fails in your Instant Pot, or if you think you suck at cooking, TRY THESE!

These Instant Pot ribs are simple to make, yummy to eat, and SO impressive to share!

Instant Pot ribs would go great with Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and Instant Pot Bacon Green Beans, Instant Pot Salt Potatoes, Instant Pot Baked Potatoes or Instant Pot Broccoli, don’t you think?

What kind of ribs for an Instant Pot? 

If you don’t make ribs often, you might find your head spinning as you look through the meat aisle at your grocery store. Here’s the quick breakdown: 

Pork: Baby back, spareribs, and St. Louis-style ribs. Pork ribs are the most common cuts as they tend to be milder in flavor. 

Beef: Short and back ribs. These short ribs are often made into beef brisket and feature a relatively strong, meaty flavor.

Of all ribs, baby back and spareribs are the two most popular cuts. 

Instant Pot baby back ribs

Baby back ribs are from the upper portion of the ribcage. They’re relatively small and feed only about 2 people per rack. They’re a bit pricey, but they’re also lean and oh-so-tender—definitely worth the cost! 

Instant Pot spareribs

Spareribs are larger than baby back ribs. Cut from the underside of the ribcage, they have significantly more meat and fat. If cooked correctly, all of that fat can make some incredible favor! Spareribs are dang good, and they’re a great option if you want to keep prices down.

Which ribs are best for you?

One of the great things about this recipe is that it really doesn’t matter what kind of ribs you use. The recipe is so simple that you can easily make it a few different times trying different kinds of ribs—and they’re going to turn out delicious no matter what!

I personally like the baby back ribs sold at Costco. They come 3 in a package and are a super good deal. If you purchase the baby back ribs at Costco, they also come with the back membrane removed which is one less step for you!

If you want more details, check out this article on pork ribs or this one on beef ribs. 

What size Instant Pot for ribs?

I usually cut these ribs in smaller pieces, either half or quarters depending on how many portions I want to serve. But you can make these Instant Pot ribs in any size Instant Pot as long as you can fit them all in there!

A 3 quart Instant Pot may not fit an entire rack of ribs unless you cut them into two-piece portions. This recipe works great in a 6 quart Instant Pot or an 8 quart Instant Pot.

How to make the BEST Instant Pot ribs

I’d never made ribs before I got my Instant Pot. It seemed too intimidating because I didn’t have a grill or a smoker, and I didn’t want to figure out how to grill them forever. Sound familiar?

These ribs from your Instant Pot won’t be exactly the same as ribs that are smoked for hours and hours, but they will be crowd-pleasing—guaranteed. And best of all, they’re ready in only an hour! 

Prep your ribs

Step 1: Prepare!

This step is simple, but important! You’ll always want to rinse your ribs clean and pat them dry. 

Next, remove the shiny membrane on the bottom side of the ribs. This membrane is not good to eat, and it’s important to remove it! Just grab it with a paper towel and pull.

If you like, chop the ribs into halves or quarters.

Next up, seasoning.

Instant Pot ribs: dry vs wet rubs 

Step 2: Season your ribs.

A wet rub is the same base mix of seasonings as a dry rub, only it’s supplemented by liquid(s) like apple juice, vinegar, oil, liquid smoke, etc. to create a thick paste. For an Instant Pot, I like to use a sort of hybrid of the two: 

First, add all of the liquid ingredients to a gallon sized ziploc bag. Then, add the dry seasonings to the bag, mix, then add the ribs to the bag and squish them to mix. This will make a sort of marinade that creates amazing flavor! 

I have a delicious recipe for a homemade rib rub included in this recipe card, but feel free to use a premade dry rub! Add the liquid ingredients from the recipe to the marinating bag first, then sprinkle the ribs generally with your dry rub of choice. 

If you’re short on time, skip the marinade and just add the liquid ingredients directly into the Instant Pot, placing your dry rubbed ribs on top of the trivet. 

Whether or not you decide to marinate the ribs is up to you. They can be marinated in a plastic bag for up to two days before cooking, or they can be cooked immediately. I’ve found that the ribs that have been marinated have slightly more flavor, but I’ve done them both ways and they are both fantastic.

How long to cook ribs in the Instant Pot

You’ll find recipes all over the internet for Instant Pot ribs giving times from 25-60 minutes. I’ve tested these multiple times and my favorite time is 40-45 minutes (depending on how big or meaty they are).

If you’d like more meatier, chewier ribs, just cook them for less time. If you want them super super tender, cook them for longer.

Instant Pot country style ribs

If you like this recipe, you’ll love these Instant Pot country style ribs. They’re actually not rib meat, but that’s what they’re called. In fact, country style “ribs” are completely boneless strips of shoulder meat. Ribs or not, they’re super cheap, easy, and so satisfying!

If you like this recipe, you’ll love my super simple Chicken Drumstick recipe! Dinner will be on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Fail-proof Instant Pot sides

• Colcannon Recipe- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with Kale and Butter
• Black Bean and Corn Salad
• White Rice
• Sweet Potatoes
• Baked Potatoes
• Cheesy Potatoes
• Corn on the Cob
• Broccoli + FAQ
• Instant Pot Artichokes
• Salt Potatoes from Syracuse/Upstate, New York
• Bacon Green Beans
• Perfect Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Instant Pot Ribs

These Instant Pot BBQ Ribs will easily become a family favorite meal! The ribs cook in the Instant Pot for about 30-40 minutes. In less than an hour you've got fall-off-the-bone ribs! This is a no-fail Instant Pot recipe!

4.50 from 6 votes

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 3 minutes minutes

Servings: 2

Calories: 149kcal

Author: Lisa Childs

INGREDIENTS

• one rack of ribs
• your favorite bbq sauce
• 1/2 cup of your favorite dry rub or my homemade rub below

Dry Rub

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

Liquid Ingredients

• 1 cup apple juice (1 1/2 cups for 8 quart Instant Pot)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon liquid smoke or bbq sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

Marinated Ribs (Preferred Method)

• Combine all liquid and dry ingredients in a gallon sized Ziploc bag.
• Add cleaned and washed ribs (with membrane removed) into the bag and squish all over.
• Let marinade in the refrigerator overnight or at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.
• When ready to cook, add the trivet to the Instant Pot and dump the entire bag into the Instant Pot.
• Stack the ribs on the trivet to allow as much circulation as possible. You can stand them up, or stack on top of one another.
• Lock the lid, and turn the knob to sealing. Cook on manual high pressure for 40-45 minutes.
• Allow at least 10 minutes for a natural pressure release. Arrange ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkle additional dry rub along with a smear of your favorite bbq sauce. Broil for 5-8 minutes to get nice and caramelized.

Quick Method

• Clean and wash ribs, then pat dry.
• Turn the ribs over and peel the shiny membrane off the bottom side of the ribs. Find a corner of it on the edge and grab it with a paper towel and pull. I've found that the ones I get at a normal grocery store always have the membrane, but the ones I got at Costco already had it removed. This is a super tough part that won't cook down, so it's important to take it off.
• Sprinkle liberally with dry rub.
• Cut the rack of ribs in half, or quarters, if you like. You can leave the rack whole as well.
• In the pot, combine liquid ingredients.
• Stack the ribs on the trivet to allow as much circulation as possible. You can stand them up, or stack on top of one another.
• Lock the lid, and turn the knob to sealing. Cook on manual high pressure for 40-45 minutes.
• Allow at least 10 minutes for a natural pressure release. Arrange ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkle additional dry rub along with a smear of your favorite bbq sauce. Broil for 5-8 minutes to get nice and caramelized.

PRODUCTS WE LOVE

• Freshware Meal Prep Containers [15 Pack] 1 Compartment Food Storage Containers with Lids, Bento Box, BPA Free, Stackable, Microwave/Dishwasher/Freezer Safe (28 oz)
• MY COOKBOOK! The “I Love My Instant Pot®” Cooking for One Recipe Book
• Instant Pot Duo 6 Quart

NOTES

This recipe can be doubled or tripled (I can fit about 3 racks of ribs in my 8 quart). The liquid ingredients and quantity stays the same, the rub recipe may be doubled, and the time stays the same.

I usually serve 1/2 rack of ribs per person as a main dish, or 1/4 rack of ribs if there are a lot of sides or other main proteins. The smaller racks of ribs I buy at the grocery store usually feed two, but the large racks of ribs I get at Costco serve 4.

This recipe freezes very well. Add all ingredients to a ziploc bag and freeze the bag in the Instant Pot liner so it keeps its shape. Once frozen, you can remove from the liner and store in the freezer. When ready to cook, run the bag under warm running water to easily remove it from the bag. Add 1/2 cup of water to the Instant Pot, along with the frozen ribs and sauce and cook for 45 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release.

NUTRITION

Serving: 1g | Calories: 149kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 1972mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g

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