How to Video
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 racks (about 2 - 2 1/2 pounds) pork baby back ribs, trimmed
- 1-2 cups homemade BBQ Sauce (sub: your favorite store-bought sauce)
- Special Equipment Needed: steamer rack/trivet for the Instant Pot
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Rest & Serve: Tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with the remaining BBQ sauce.
Freezer Instructions
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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 575 kcal (29%) | Carbohydrates: 35 g (12%) | Protein: 37 g (74%) | Fat: 32 g (49%) | Cholesterol: 131 mg (44%) | Sodium: 2067 mg (90%) | Fiber: 1 g (4%) | Sugar: 28 g (31%)
If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe!