Fall off the bone tender, mega meaty, and destined to elicit serious finger licking, these savory Instant Pot Ribs will make you a fast favorite with whoever is lucky enough to share them with you. In my case, the lucky recipient was Ben, who often requests my Crockpot Ribs. I plan to cash in the wife points I earned making this Instant Pot version for his help assembling our new patio table. I can already envision myself serving a batch of Instant Pot Ribs (slathered in homemade barbecue sauce) to friends at a future summer party! (Remind me to mention the ribs plan to Ben if the table’s assembly “directions” are an Ikea-style sheet of paper with only pictures and no words. Baby backs are my favorite form of bribery.)
How to Make the Best Instant Pot Ribs
Unlike other rib cooking methods, which take hours and require active tending, making ribs in the Instant Pot is hands free and comparably fast. The Instant Pot locks in moisture and makes the ribs tender in a fraction of the time. In addition to the use of the Instant Pot itself, I have a few key tips to ensure your Instant Pot rib efforts are richly rewarded.
Use a Dry Rub
To start your ribs on a delicious note, cover them generously with a delicious dry rub. The rib rub recipe I’ve included here uses basic pantry staples you probably already have, like chili powder, garlic powder, and cayenne, to give the ribs loads of flavor.
If you’d like to make the ribs spicier, feel free to bump up the amount of cayenne.To balance the spice, I also add brown sugar to my Instant Pot Ribs’ rub. I grew up loving the brown sugar/molasses flavor of Kansas City BBQ, and the brown sugar reminds me of some of my favorite KC BBQ joints.The amount of brown sugar isn’t overly sweet by any means. You’ll love it here.
Liquid Smoke
It might sound fancy, but liquid smoke is widely available at most grocery stores (once you look for it, you’ll find it). You can also buy it online.Please don’t skip the liquid smoke. Because we are cooking the ribs quickly (thank you Instant Pot!), the liquid smoke provides flavor that you’d typically only get via longer cooking methods (like, ahem, actual smoking).
Choose Your Favorite Ribs
You can make any kind of ribs you like in the Instant Pot, so pick your favorite!The amount of time needed to cook Instant Pot ribs will vary based on the type of ribs you choose, but the way you add the rub and place them in the Instant Pot is the same.
The two more common types of ribs are baby back ribs and spare ribs.
Baby back ribs are the smallest and most tender. They are my favorite and the ones you’ll see in the photos.Spare ribs are larger, meatier, and fattier. Ben adores them.
How Long to Cook Ribs in the Instant Pot
Baby Back Ribs: 23 minutes on high pressure + 5 minutes natural release.Spare Ribs: 35 minutes on high pressure + complete natural release. Do not vent the spare ribs immediately. Because the meat is tougher, it needs the full natural release to become tender.
Broil for Bonus Flavor
After the ribs are finished cooking, I like to brush them with BBQ sauce and place them under the broiler for a few minutes. Broiling lightly crisps the top, and the sauce becomes extra sweet and thick.
Serving Instant Pot Ribs
Instant Pot Ribs, 2 Racks: For a crowd, you can cook two racks of Instant Pot ribs at the same time. Simply place two racks on the trivet, overlapping one inside the other if needed. The pressure cook time does not change (though it will take the Instant Pot longer to come to pressure initially).Sauce It Up: While you don’t need extra barbecue sauce on the side, my personal favorite way to eat ribs is good and slathered. Look for sauce without high fructose corn syrup…though I admit that unless I’m making the barbecue sauce from scratch, ribs with Sweet Baby Ray’s do always seem to be a hit.Side Dish Ideas: Instant Pot ribs and potatoes is a classic combo. Try these easy Crock Pot Baked Potatoes, make-ahead Crockpot Breakfast Potatoes (not just for breakfast!) crispy Baked Fries, or keep it simple with potato chips.
More Meat Made Easy
I also love using my pressure cooker to make Instant Pot Chicken. Like these Instant Pot Ribs, it comes out perfectly moist every time.I also have this whole lineup of healthy Instant Pot recipes for you to explore.
For a less-fuss approach to rib cooking and easy entertaining, Instant Pot Ribs are hard to beat. If you decide to try them, I’d love to hear what you think!
