Once you make these Instant Pot baby back ribs, you'll never go back to other methods again. From the tender juicy meat that falls off the bone to the fast cook time, these ribs are simply perfect.
Recipe: $11.52 | Per Serving: $2.88 | Servings: 4
We love to make BBQ ribs whenever the budget allows. Pork ribs are often far cheaper than beef (and they give us more meat for our money, perfect for Meal Planning on a Tight Budget). Whenever I catch a good sale, I make sure to grab a few racks of ribs for the freezer!
As you can imagine, we have several trustworthy rib recipes as a result, and one of our favorites is these Instant Pot fall off the bone ribs. While my Oven Baked BBQ Pork Spare Ribs have been a go-to for years, we can't deny the faster cooking time and simplicity of this recipe.
Cooking ribs in the instant pot is a game changer that you'll want in your life too!
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🍯 Why This Recipe Works
- It's faster than other methods! In a smoker, ribs can take hours, if not all day. In the oven, my ribs would take 2 hours, and the grill isn't much faster either. But in the Instant Pot, you can have ribs ready to eat in less than an hour (including the time to get up to the pressure!)
- Simple ingredients. Besides the pork ribs, you'll just need some basic seasonings and your favorite BBQ sauce. The sauce is optional, of course. You most likely have most of the seasonings on hand because they're Frugal Pantry Staples to Keep on Hand.
- Perfect for summer cooking. How many times do you plan to use your grill only to find that the weather doesn't cooperate? Well, now you can have the taste of summer but without the stress (and without heating up the house too!)
🥘 Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
Baby Back Ribs- For this recipe, you will need a rack of baby back ribs that are about 3.5 pounds in size. Be prepared to cut any rack of ribs that is too large so that it can fit into your pressure cooker properly.
Apple cider vinegar- Adding apple cider vinegar will help to tenderize the meat and add some flavor. This is an optional ingredient. (I recommend using it, though!) We also use apple cider vinegar in our Slow Cooker Cabbage with Bacon for similar reasons.
Seasonings- For added flavor, you will need salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
BBQ sauce- You will want to use your favorite barbecue sauce for this recipe. You can use homemade BBQ sauce or storebought.
For specific ingredients and measurements, please see the recipe card below.
🧾 Substitutions
Apple cider vinegar. If you do not wish to use this ingredient, simply replace it with water instead. You will need at least 1-1.5 cups of liquid in your Instant Pot to get it to work properly. Refer to your owner manual if needed.
🔪 Instructions for Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs
Step 1: Add your seasoning to a small bowl.
Step 2: Mix well to combine.
Step 3: Sprinkle the seasoning over the ribs.
Step 4: Rub well to coat both sides as best as you can.
Step 5: Set your Trivet into the Instant Pot and add in the water and apple cider vinegar (if you don't have apple cider vinegar, use more water).
Step 6: Curl the rack of ribs into the pot. Slice in half if they won't fit as-is.
Step 7: Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure it's set to “sealed.” Hit "Manual," then select "High," and change the time to 18 minutes.
Step 8: Allow the Instant Pot to perform a 10 minute "natural pressure release" and then carefully release the rest of the pressure.
Step 9: Next, turn your oven to high broil. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Transfer the ribs to the baking sheet.
Step 10: Cover your ribs in your favorite barbecue sauce using a pastry brush.
Step 11: Place the ribs in the oven to broil for 6-7 minutes or until the barbecue sauce starts to caramelize.
Step 12: Remove them from the oven and coat them with a little more BBQ sauce if desired.
Slice, serve, and enjoy!
🍴 Recipe Tips
Removing silver skin is optional. Normally, I suggest removing the silver skin and membranes from ribs before cooking. However, in the Instant Pot, they don't seem to be problematic, requiring less prep. Note: You can still remove the membranes if desired.
🍳Reheating
How to reheat pork ribs:
- I have had success reheating 1-2 rib pieces at a time in the microwave on a microwave safe plate for 1.5-2 minutes.
- Cooking them in the air fryer is another option. Just cook at 375 degrees F for about 3-5 minutes.
- If reheating large portions of pork (like a full rack or half rack of ribs) then place them on a baking sheet and tightly cover with foil. Cook in the oven at 250 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 140F.
🥗 Side Dishes
If you're wondering "what goes with pork ribs," then you're in luck. Just about anything can pair well with ribs. For example, Oven Baked Potatoes, Creamy Red Mashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Canned Corn, or Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad would all be great options!
💭 Recipe FAQs
Yes, a little bit of pink color throughout the meat is actually fine. Most of the time, ribs will still contain small traces of pink color throughout the white meat. As long as the internal temperature was reached and the ribs were fully cooked, it will be fine.
The internal temperature of your ribs should be about 190-200 degrees F. They are safe to eat at 145 degrees F, but the collagen in the bones starts to break down at 165 degrees F, and by the time they reach 190F-200F, they will be much more tender. Do not overcook or they may become mushy.
If you're finding that your pork ribs are still tough after being cooked in the Instant Pot, then the answer is simple- they haven't been cooked long enough. Turn the Instant Pot back on and cook on High Pressure for another 5 minutes.
❤️ More Delicious Pork Recipes
If you tried these instant pot baby back ribs, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your feedback in the 📝 comments section below. I would truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt ($0.01)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ($0.04)
- 1 teaspoon cumin ($0.08)
- 1 teaspoon paprika ($0.08)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder ($0.08)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder ($0.08)
- 3.5 pounds baby back ribs ($10.39)
- ½ cup water ($0.00)
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar ($0.32)
- ½ cup favorite BBQ sauce ($0.52)
Instructions
- Add your seasoning to a small bowl. Mix well to combine.
- Sprinkle the seasoning over the ribs. Rub well to coat both sides as best as you can.
- Set your Trivet into the Instant Pot and add in the water and apple cider vinegar (if you don't have apple cider vinegar, use more water).
- Curl the rack of ribs into the pot. Slice in half if they won't fit as-is.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure it's set to “sealed.” Hit "Manual," then select "High," and change the time to 18 minutes.
- Allow the Instant Pot to perform a 10 minute "natural pressure release" and then carefully release the rest of the pressure.
- Next, turn your oven to high broil. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Transfer the ribs to the baking sheet.
- Cover your ribs in your favorite barbecue sauce using a pastry brush.
- Place the ribs in the oven to broil for 6-7 minutes or until the barbecue sauce starts to caramelize.
- Remove them from the oven and coat them with a little more BBQ sauce if desired.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Replace apple cider vinegar with water (1-1.5 cups required).
- No need to remove silver skin and membranes for Instant Pot cooking.
- Slight pink color in the meat is acceptable; ensure an internal temperature of 190-200°F.
- If ribs are tough, cook for an additional 5 minutes on High Pressure.
- Reheat 1-2 rib pieces in the microwave for 1.5-2 minutes or air fry at 375°F for 3-5 minutes.
- For larger portions, cover with foil and bake in the oven at 250°F for about 30 minutes or until 140°F.
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