My Instant Pot Ribs recipe is the easiest way to achieve tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone ribs. Whether you’re using baby back ribs or pork loin ribs, pressure cooking tenderizes the meat in a fraction of the time so you can enjoy homemade ribs even on busy weeknights.
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Cooking ribs in the instant pot is crazy fast! For reference, my Smoked Ribs take about 7 hours from start to finish and Baked BBQ Ribs take more than 2 1/2 hours, cooked low and slow in the oven. This recipe requires no marinating time and is done in around 45 minutes in the pressure cooker. P.S. You can even use frozen pork ribs!
Instant Pot Ribs Video Tutorial
It’s so easy to get finger-licking good Instant Pot Ribs any night of the week. I’ll show you how quickly the instant pot tenderizes the meat, and then she finishes the meat with a caramelized crust.
Easy Instant Pot Ribs Recipe
We love ribs–no matter what way they are cooked. They are the ultimate comfort food for my family paired with Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, and Baked Mac and Cheese–YUM. In this version, the instant pot makes the magic happen – amazingly fast with excellent results, only using a few ingredients, and without babysitting the meat as it cooks. Can you imagine a more perfect recipe?
Ingredients for Instant Pot Ribs
The ingredients here are simple. If you’re feeling adventurous, add half a teaspoon of liquid smoke to add that smoked element to your Instant Pot Ribs.
- 3lbs Ribs – baby back ribs or pork loin ribs will work here. I have a 6qt Instant Pot, so this amount fits perfectly. You may be able to fit more, especially if you have a larger pot.
- Apple juice – we use 6 cups to halfway submerge the ribs while cooking. If you don’t have apple juice, swap with apple cider, orange juice, pineapple juice, or even water for less sweetness.
- Apple cider vinegar – this helps to tenderize the meat and adds a tangy flavor
- Seasoning salt – more tenderizing, but also adds so much flavor
- BBQ Dry Rub – Here’s one of our favorite Dry Rubs, but you can also use the spice rub from our Smoked Ribs recipe. If you’re gluten-free, check the labels of your seasonings and BBQ sauce to ensure they are GF.
- Sweet BBQ Sauce – See our favorites linked below.
Tips for Doubling the Recipe
If you want to cook more ribs in the Instant Pot at once, readers have reported having luck coiling a second rack of ribs inside the pot (or using a larger pot). Be sure to increase the BBQ sauce. If you add more liquid, don’t pass the fill line. You may need to increase the cooking time depending on how many ribs you add.
What is the Best BBQ Sauce for Ribs?
We love sweet BBQ sauce for Instant Pot Ribs because it caramelizes on the ribs in the final step of the recipe. You can make our favorite Homemade BBQ sauce or use storebought such as Stubbs (Sweet and Sticky) or Sweet Baby Rays. I’d love to hear any BBQ sauce recommendations in a comment below.
How to Prepare Baby Back Ribs for Cooking
Baby Back Ribs and Pork Loin ribs typically already have the silver skin on the meat side trimmed and the membrane on the bony side removed.
To Remove the Membrane from Ribs: If they are present, use a small knife to loosen it at the corner and a paper towel to help grip and pull it off of the ribs. You want to remove that so the flavors can penetrate the ribs.
How to Make Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs:
The process of making instant pot ribs is truly easy. Once the meat is cooked, we finish it off in the oven or on the grill for that caramelized crust.
- Rub the ribs with seasoning salt and BBQ Dry Rub.
- Combine apple juice, vinegar, 1/3 cup BBQ sauce, and liquid smoke (if using) in the instant pot.
- Coil the ribs inside the pot, cover, and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes followed by a 10-minute natural pressure release.
- Remove the ribs to a rimmed cookie sheet with a rack on top. Brush with BBQ sauce, and then broil or grill for 5 minutes (scroll down for directions). Lip-smacking good in under 1 hour!
How to Caramelize and Finish the Ribs
This next step is optional (and takes less than 5 minutes), but I love to finish the ribs under high heat, which gives them a delicious caramelized crust. Here’s how to finish the Instant Pot Ribs:
- On the Grill – Preheat the grill to 350-400˚F. Place the BBQ sauce-smothered ribs directly on the preheated grill, cover, and grill for 5 minutes.
- In Air Fryer – Cut rack in half, smother with BBQ sauce as usual, and place both halves side by side in the air fryer basket for 4 min on high.
- In the Oven – Broil for 3-4 minutes or until the BBQ sauce bubbles – Be careful with this method, the sugar in the sauce can easily burn if left even 1 minute too long.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Ribs
These saucy BBQ ribs in the instant pot are perfect with just about any side dish. Some of our favorites include:
Make-Ahead
If you have any leftovers, cooked ribs keep well and can be reheated on the bone.
- To Refrigerate: once cooled, cover in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: cool and wrap in plastic wrap and foil and then store in a freezer ziptop bag for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight. Then brush the ribs with more BBQ sauce, wrap in foil, and reheat in a 250°F oven for half an hour. Then remove foil and follow the directions above for finishing the ribs.
Can I Use Frozen Ribs in the Instant Pot?
Frozen ribs can be used following the same recipe. Before freezing the ribs, cut them into thirds (so they fit into the instant pot later since they won’t be able to coil) and add the dry rub before freezing. Dry rub won’t adhere if you try to put it over frozen ribs.
This Instant Pot Ribs Recipe really is the fastest and easiest way to make mouthwatering ribs. It’s easy enough for a weeknight meal but tastes like they’ve been cooked for hours. Instant Pot Win!
More Instant Pot Dinner Recipes
These easy dinner ideas are perfect for busy weeknights:
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
- Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
- Mac and Cheese in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
Instant Pot Ribs
Ingredients
- 3 lb baby back ribs , or pork loin ribs*
- 6 cups apple juice
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, or apple cider
- ½ tsp liquid smoke, optional
- 1 tbsp seasoning salt, (Johnny's or Lawry's)
- 2 Tbsp BBQ dry rub
- 2/3 cup BBQ sauce, Use a sweet BBQ sauce, or homemade, divided
Instructions
- Pat dry the rack of ribs with a paper towel and rub on your dry ingredients on both sides.
- In the Instant Pot, combine apple juice, vinegar, liquid smoke and 1/3 cup of bbq sauce.
- Coil the rack of ribs inside the with the bone-side facing the center. Ribs should all be partially submerged. Cook on high pressure for 25 min followed by a 10 min natural pressure release before manually releasing remaining pressure.
- Using two sets of tongs, carefully transfer ribs to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a wire rack with the meat side up. Brush the top and sides with the remaining 1/3 cup BBQ sauce. Broil in the center of the oven on high for 4-5 min*. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 min before serving. Serve with more BBQ sauce if desired.
Notes
- On the Grill: Preheat the grill to 350-400˚F. Place ribs directly on preheated grill, cover, and grill 5 min.
- In the Air Fryer: Cut rack in half and place both halves side by side in the air fryer basket for 4 min on high.
- In the Oven: Place pan under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until the BBQ sauce just begins to bubble. Be sure to watch closely since the sugar in the sauce can burn quickly under the broiler.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Our favorite BBQ or grilling sauce for beef, chicken, or pork chops or for beef ribs or pork ribs is Old Number 7 Jack Daniels honey BBQ grilling sauce. It is awesome!!
Thanks for sharing, Pat! 🙂
I love this recipe and make it often. However, I have a quick question. My ribs this time weigh almost 4 lbs. Do I need to cook them longer in the Instapot? Thank you for all of your recipes!
Hi Debra! I imagine you may need to add a little extra time if it is a larger portion.
Hi Natasha! I am planning on making these tonight, and I have a few questions. First, can you omit the seasoned salt? I bought the rub you recommended and it alone has a lot of sodium. It’s not a dietary concern, but sometimes I think things are overly salty. Lastly, can we finish these off in the broiler instead of the grill or air fryer? If so, how long would you recommend cooking them and should I place them on a tray with a rack? Thank you in advance! These sound super yummy, and I’m sure they will be! I love every single recipe of yours that I’ve made, and I’ve made A LOT!
Hi Brooke! Yes, you can broil or grill them for 5 minutes the ribs. I think omitting the seasoning salt would be fine if you prefer that. You can season to taste if they need more. I hope you love the recipe! 🙂
Hi Natasha, these were incredible and so easy! I only made two very slight changes. I omitted the seasoning salt because I was afraid it might be too salty for our taste, and I sprinkled a bit of cayenne for some spice on the ribs before adding the BBQ sauce and broiling! I can’t wait to make them again! We served them with your creamy mashed potatoes (best ever!) and your corn, tomato and avocado salad, which is definitely going to be an obsession of mine! All so good! Thank you for sharing!!
Wonderful to hear, Brooke! Thank you for sharing that with us. 🙂
Hi Natasha! First time commenting, but I was already a fan of your sliders recipe. This one for ribs in an instant pot is genius. I used a rub with ginger in it and instead of apple juice I used a ginger pineapple. I did this because I ended up using Japanese banchan bbq sauce and it was so good. Not too sweet and not too tangy. This is such a versatile, forgiving, and most importantly easy recipe. Thank you for sharing! This was a delicious Valentine’s Day meal for my family that I served with baked potatoes and steamed broccoli.
Hi Lily! That sounds amazing, all of it! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. 🙂
Can this be done in the oven? Or all done in an air fryer? How else we can we do this without a pressure cooker?
Hi Brittnae! Yes, see paragraph two for the other rib recipes (click on the red font for the link).
Absolutely amazing! My only regret is not trying this recipe earlier. It’s going to be my go to pork ribs recipe from now on. Thank you for sharing!
That’s so great to hear! Thank you, Olga. I’m happy you enjoyed the recipe and found a new favorite.
I also cook them up without putting any BBQ sauce on. Then cool and freeze. When wanting to eat, I put the frozen cooked ribs into the instant pot with 1 1/2 cups water and the rack. Pressure cook 15 min and slather with sauce. Quick and delicious! 5 min under broiler to carmelize or just warm up BBQ sauce.
Can I make them in a regular tray without the oven rack if I don’t have one?
Hi, we prefer the air to circulate around the ribs so it dries out the edges but you can still put it on a baking sheet without a rack and finish it off that way. That would work.
This is our go to rib recipe. Made no changes and EVERYONE LOVES them, thank you for making ribs so easy and delicious
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Julie!
These were amazing! A great recipe and now my go to for IP Ribs! Quick question: Do you or any others have suggestions for use of the left over liquid after cooking? Or do I just discard it – seems like a lot to throw out, but if it’s not good for future use, I’ll dump it. Thanks!
Hi Matthew, thank you for the great feedback. I usually do not reuse it but let’s see if other readers here have some suggestions.
I am so happy to have found this recipe. I made baby back ribs in my air fryer a month ago, but they weren’t as tender as I’d hoped. Tonight I cooked the ribs in my pressure cooker, per your recipe, and did the finishing in my air fryer. The pork spareribs I had were too tall to stand up in my 6 qt. PC, so I just cut 2 slabs and laid them in the pot, easy peasy. This is such an easy recipe, and the ribs come out so juicy and tender, it kinda makes me glad I don’t own a grill!
So glad you enjoyed this, Carol! Thanks for sharing.
NATASHA I HAVE A 3 QT INTANT POT. ENOUGH FOR TWO PEOPLE. MY QUESTION ON THE RIBS DO YOU THINK I NEED TO CUT ALL INGREGENTS IN HALF. WILL USE SMALL SIZE OF RIBS. THEN SHOULD I ADJUST THE COOKING TIME TO LESS THAN 25 MIN, FOR COOK? USE SAME RELEASE TIME OF 10 MIN. THANKS
Hi Judy, you can use the serving size slider on the recipe to help with your adjustments. Adjust the slider to get the meat weight down to what you have and use that. Regarding time, I haven’t tried it with less or in a smaller pot, so it’s hard or me to advise. I hope it all works out for you!
The ribs were so easy to make and delicious. This will definitely be my go to recipe for ribs. I really enjoy your videos.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Diane!
Was easy, but a bit sweet,,,will make again but use bit less apple juice and bit more salt with my rub
Sounds good and yes, feel free to modify the sweetness according to your personal preference.
Great ribs! Thank you so much for the recipe. My first instant pot meal and they turned out perfectly 💕
That’s wonderful, Jo! You’re very welcome. 🙂
Can I reuse the same marinating sauce for all 3 slabs of ribs
I think that would be fine.
Hi there! I am curious if I can do the ribs in the ip today, then finish them on Sunday in the oven. If so, is there a specific way I should store them in the fridge?
Hi Debbie, I have not tested that to advise but I think it could work.
We love this recipe in our home! So easy and even easier clean up! I do have a question- could I double the amount of ribs from 3lbs (1rack) to 6lbs (2 racks)? If so, would the amount of the other ingredients stay the same?
Hi Alyssa, I haven’t tested that, but you would probably need a larger instant pot. I would double the rub and keep the liquid amount the same if you find a way to fit them there. I imagine you will need to increase the time by a bit also.
I doubled the amount of ribs in my 6qt instant pot tonight as an experiment. (I used my BIG stove top presto last time I cooked two racks and that thing is a pain to wash) I curled the ribs so one went to the inside of the other and cooked for the recommended time of 25min. I used a little less liquid to avoid going over the max fill line but I doubled the BBQ sauce and obviously I dry rubbed both racks. They came out perfect.
Hi Andrea! Thank you so much for sharing. That’s great to know. 🙂
Saddleback BBQ has some of THEE absolute BEST BBQ sauce!!! You can’t find it everywhere yet but it’s totally worth ordering from their website. Their rubs are also must-haves in our house!
Thank you for sharing that with us, Barbara!
Oh my goodness! This is an amazing recipe and so easy with my new InstantPot. Thank you!
Also praying for Ukraine here in Illinois
Wonderful! Happy to hear that. And thank you.