Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs
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Imagine making fall-off-the-bone ribs in under an hour! It’s possible with this amazing Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs recipe. Get ready to make tender, sticky, caramelized ribs in no time.
Or try our Crock Pot Baby Back Ribs instead.
Why These Are the Best Instant Pot Ribs
I’m gonna skip the humble brag talk and get to the point, friends. I really do think this is the best Instant Pot baby back ribs recipe out there and here’s why:
- We have tested the heck out of this recipe! We know the timing is correct in the Instant Pot because we became pressure cooker experts while writing and researching our cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker.
- They are well-loved by our families. I make this recipe about every other month for my family because they request it so much. All ages go for this recipe!
- Layers of flavor and the perfect texture. With our special rub, homemade BBQ sauce, and clear cooking instructions, we think these are the tastiest baby back ribs out there!
- Simple to make. In minutes you can whip up our simple rub and have your ribs in the Instant Pot. Set it and forget it. Then, at the end, you’ll pop them under the broiler to caramelize.
- Includes freezer meal instructions. When baby back ribs go on sale, stock up and make one batch for dinner and one for the freezer for another night using our expert instructions. Such a great use of your time!
Ingredients
This pork ribs recipe only requires a few pantry staple ingredients…
Ingredient Notes
- Baby back ribs – You can use another kind of pork ribs, but we’ve tested this recipe with baby back ribs several times and found that they result in fall-apart-tender ribs every time. Two racks (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds each) will fit in a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot. Look for them to go on sale and stock up! You can freeze them until you’re ready to use.
- Our special rub – This includes salt (which tenderizes the meat), ground black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, and pure maple syrup. These combine to make a paste that you’ll rub all over the ribs. Tip: Place the rubbed ribs in the fridge for 24-48 hours before pressure cooking to enhance the flavor and tenderness of the meat.
- BBQ sauce – We recommend using our simple Homemade BBQ Sauce. It’s so easy to make and full of real food ingredients that just taste better than store-bought. But, we will look the other way if you need to take a shortcut from the store. Just be sure to look at the ingredients and try to avoid anything full of high fructose corn syrup and other additives that you don’t recognize.
Tips for Success
Keep just a few key tips in mind when preparing ribs in the Instant Pot, and you’ll end up with fall-off-the-bone tender ribs with the perfect outside texture.
- Know your ribs. Baby back ribs or spare ribs? We prefer baby back, personally. That’s because they are a bit leaner, have less bone and fat, and are the most tender. But, spare ribs or St. Louis style ribs (trimmed-down spare ribs) would work just fine. It’s really your choice.
- Use a dry rub for seasoning. This adds a deeper layer of flavor under the sauce. If you have time, wrap the rubbed ribs tightly in plastic wrap and place in the fridge or 24 hours before slow cooking. Doing this allows the salt and other seasonings to get deep down in the meat, seasoning and tenderizing it even more.
- Arrange them in the Instant Pot the right way. Place the halved racks of ribs in a teepee formation (see image below), rather than just stacking them on top of each other. This allows for the steam to get all around them and cook them evenly.
- Make your own sauce. You can use store-bought sauce, but we personally don’t love that most of them are filled with HFCS and other additives. Plus, our Killer Homemade BBQ Sauce takes minutes to make and is tastier and healthier than most store-bought versions!
- Broil and brush with sauce before serving. Yes, the Instant Pot gets your ribs tender, but they will lack the caramelized edges and sticky glaze unless you broil and brush them with sauce at the end. This step only takes minutes and adds the flavor and texture of grilled or oven-baked ribs. You can use also use the broiler to reheat ribs if you’ve made them ahead of time.
- Let them rest. After broiling, tent with foil and let your ribs rest for about 10 minutes so the juices can redistribute throughout the meat.
How Long to Cook Ribs in the Instant Pot
Our many tests while writing our cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker, revealed that the perfect amount of time to cook baby back ribs in the Instant Pot is 30 minutes at high pressure. Then, use a quick release of the rest of the pressure.
Now, while the ribs will be very tender after pressure cooking, the key to making them crispy and caramelized is to then baste them with BBQ sauce and broil for a few minutes at the end. Follow our recipe and you’ll be good to go!
Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart
After testing hundreds of Instant Pot recipes, we have honed in on the best timing and methods for cooking different types of meals in the Instant Pot.
How to Serve Ribs
Cut ribs into individual pieces and serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side. Here are a few of our favorite side dishes that can go with these ribs…
Make It a Freezer Meal
If you want to make this Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs recipe into a simple freezer meal to have on hand for dinner another night, here’s how to do that.
Freeze For Later: Make the rub and cover both sides of the racks of ribs in the paste. Either cut the racks in half and place in a gallon-sized freezer bag OR wrap in several layers of plastic wrap and foil. Seal tightly and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw using one of our safe thawing methods. Cook according to the recipe instructions. (We do NOT recommend cooking from frozen for this recipe, because the ribs will cook unevenly.)
More Easy Instant Pot Dinners
Recipe FAQs
The key to freezing raw ribs is to make sure they are wrapped tightly with several layers of plastic wrap and foil or freezer paper to keep air from reaching the meat. If wrapped tightly with several layers and placed in a deep freeze in a constant frozen state, frozen ribs can maintain good texture for 9-12 months.
Yes! We’ve written a post for Crockpot Baby Back Ribs.
Bottom Line: If you follow our tips and recipe, you can be assured to whip up some super tender and tasty baby back ribs in under an hour using your pressure cooker. Stock up on ribs when they go on sale and freeze until you’re ready to use them. Enjoy!
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs
Imagine making fall-off-the-bone ribs in under an hour! It’s possible with this amazing Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs recipe. Get ready to make tender, sticky, caramelized ribs in less than 60 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 (2 – 2 1/2 pounds each) racks pork baby back ribs, trimmed
- 1–2 cups BBQ sauce (either our homemade BBQ Sauce or store-bought sauce)
Special Equipment Needed: steamer rack/trivet for the Instant Pot
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Make It Now:
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Make Rub: In a small bowl, use a fork to stir together the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, and maple syrup to make a paste.
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Prep Ribs: Pat the ribs dry with paper towels, cut each rack in half (making four equal portions), and rub the paste over all sides. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
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Pressure Cook: Pour 1 cup water into the 6-quart Instant Pot (or 1 1/2 cups for an 8-quart IP). Place a steamer rack in the pot and arrange the seasoned ribs on the rack, standing them on end in a tepee form. This formation helps the steam to get in and around all the ribs for even cooking. Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes, then quick release the pressure.
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Broil: Position the top oven rack about 6 inches below the broiler. Preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Using tongs, transfer the ribs to the prepared baking sheet, meaty-side down. Brush the ribs with some of the BBQ sauce on the top side. Broil for 2 to 4 minutes, until they start to brown. Flip, brush with more sauce, and broil for 6 to 10 minutes more, until well browned, brushing with sauce every few minutes.
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Rest & Serve: Tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with the remaining BBQ sauce.
Freeze For Later: Follow steps 1 and 2. Place the seasoned ribs in one or two gallon-size freezer bags or round containers. Seal and freeze. Place the BBQ sauce in a smaller freezer bag or container, if desired. Seal and freeze alongside the ribs.
Prepare From Frozen*: Thaw. Follow steps 3 through 5. *We have found that this recipe cooks unevenly from frozen in the Instant Pot. Because of this, we recommend thawing and cooking from fresh for best results.
Notes/Tips
- Note on Cook Time: You need to allow for an extra 10-15 minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure before it starts to cook.
- Slow Cooker Version: Try our Crock Pot Ribs recipe.
- Flavor-Enhancing Tip: If you have time, wrap the rubbed ribs tightly in plastic wrap and place in the fridge or 24 hours before slow cooking. Doing this allows the salt and other seasonings to get deep down in the meat, seasoning and tenderizing it even more.
- Where We Buy Our Pork: We get our pork and other meat from ButcherBox, which is curated from trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–such as uncured bacon, grass-fed beef, and wild salmon–and have used it for years ourselves. Read my honest review here.
These ribs were amazing. Didn’t use the Cayenne because the husband doesn’t like hot but they were so good. Had leftovers. What’s the best way to reheat them?
Hi Karen. Great question. I’ve only ever reheated them in the microwave. I’m sure the air fryer would be good also.
As my 2nd time making ribs, this was easy and very good! They weren’t fall-off-the bone but that was my fault, I think. I used 6lbs cut up and they definitely didn’t teepee so with stacking, one piece was undercooked. A couple more minutes in the pot fixed that. I broiled with a mix of high and low broil–i didn’t want to burn it and the recipe didn’t specify. But it turned out great!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for leaving a review with your specific experience so others can learn from it!
Can you make these in crockpot
Yes! Here’s the link: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/crock-pot-baby-back-ribs/
Made these last night and they got the family approval! Very tender and good flavor.
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know how they turned out and taking the time to leave a review. 🙂