Get ready to satisfy your cravings with these fall-off-the-bone tender Instant Pot Ribs!
Made with just a few simple ingredients, these ribs are delicious, easy to prepare, fast to make, and extra tender.
Sauce these up with your favorite BBQ sauce, or even just salt & pepper.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
How to Choose Ribs
Making pork ribs in an Instant Pot is both quick and easy. There are two kinds of ribs that can be used in this recipe.
- Baby back ribs or back ribs are typically the most tender and flavorful option, but they can be pricier. If possible, I recommend choosing these ribs.
- Side ribs or spareribs are more budget-friendly and still yield tender and delicious results in the Instant Pot. They are a bit more meaty and have great flavor.
Cook from Fresh or Frozen
Much like Instant Pot pulled pork, the pressure cooker makes ribs tender in a fraction of the time compared to other methods. Best of all, no need to thaw them first. Instant Pot baby back ribs can be cooked right from frozen.
Be sure to add the rub and cut them to fit in the Instant Pot prior to freezing. Follow the recipe as directed adding 5 to 7 minutes extra when cooking from frozen.
How to Make Instant Pot Ribs
My family dubs these the best Instant Pot ribs, they’re so tender.
- Prep the Ribs: Remove the membrane if present and cut the racks of ribs into two or three pieces so they will fit in the Instant Pot. Rub with the spice rub.
- Cook in the Instant Pot: Place the ribs on a trivet in the Instant Pot and add some broth, onion and garlic. Cook per the recipe below.
- Finish the Ribs: Add salt & pepper and either homemade or prepared bbq sauce. Broil or grill for a few minutes to crisp up a bit if you’d like.
Prep Tip
Ribs have a very thin membrane located on the back of the ribs. It’s ok to cook with the membrane on, but I personally prefer to remove it.
To remove the membrane, simply slide a knife under it to get ahold of it, grip it with a paper towel if needed, and pull it off. If you can’t seem to find it, ribs sometimes come with the membrane already removed.
How to Natural Release on an Instant Pot
When using an Instant Pot, the pressure needs to be released before opening the lid. You can do this using Quick Release or Natural Release.
This recipe uses a 5-minute natural release, to allow the pressure to gradually come down. After cooking the timer will start to count up and once it reaches 5 minutes, carefully open the valve to release the remaining pressure.
Serve these easy Instant Pot Ribs with Dill Pickle Pasta Salad, some garlic bread, and corn on the cob for the perfect meal!
Pressure cooker ribs need about 23 to 26 minutes (26 if they’re extra meaty, like side ribs) and about 32 minutes from frozen.
Start by choosing the right ribs (back ribs are the most tender). To make ribs tender, cook them in a pressure cooker per the recipe below. You can also make tender ribs in the oven or slow cooker.
If you open the pressure cooker and the ribs are not tender, it means they need more time. To make ribs more tender, close the pressure cooker and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
Yes, Instant Pot ribs require liquid so it can build steam and create pressure.
Yes, you can add additional racks of ribs to the Instant Pot as long as they aren’t packed in tight. The cooking time will not need to be changed.
Best BBQ Sides
Did you love these Instant Pot Ribs? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 rack baby back ribs about 1 ½ to 2 pounds
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke optional
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 onion sliced
- 6 tablespoons dry rub below
- barbecue sauce optional
Dry Rub
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry the rack of ribs. Use a knife to lift the edge of the thin membrane from the back of the ribs and remove it.
- Cut the slab into 2-3 pieces that are small enough to fit into the Instant Pot. Coat each piece generously with the dry rub mixture, and massage it into the meat.
- Add a trivet or rack to the bottom of your Instant Pot and pour in broth or water, along with liquid smoke if using.
- Stand the ribs upright on the trivet, so they are not stacked on top of one another. Sprinkle sliced onion and garlic over the ribs.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and select manual high pressure. Set the timer for 22 minutes (25 minutes for extra meaty or side ribs).
- Once the timer goes off, allow the Instant Pot to natural-release for 5 minutes. Open the valve to release any remaining pressure.
To Broil or Grill (optional)
- Turn the broiler on to high heat or the grill on to medium high heat.
- Brush the ribs with barbecue sauce (or olive oil/salt/pepper for dry ribs).
- If broiling, line a large baking pan with foil and place the ribs 4 to 6 inches from the broiler. If grilling, place the ribs directly on the grill. Cook until slightly charred, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Pork
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
When you say “manual pressure” do you mean the “low “ setting?
This is my first time using my instapot and that’s the only part that confuses me.
Hi Amanda, our instant pot says manual in the lower center area, but on newer models it may be called pressure cook.
In my experience with Instant Pot recipes, unless stated otherwise, you should use the high pressure setting.
Another night, another hit for our company with these ribs!! SWP Employee
So glad you loved them!! ❤️
So good my husband will never smoke ribs again. Doubled the liquid smoke and didn’t remove the membrane. Turned out great!
I am so glad you enjoyed the ribs Mary!
Life changing! I did the ribs both ways, thawed and frozen, finished on the grill. Perfect and done in under an hour. Did 2 racks of ribs at once for thawed method, 23 minutes was perfect. I will never make ribs any other way.
Yay! So happy this was a success for you Julie! It is definitely hard to go back to a more traditional method when you can make mouthwatering ribs in no time at all this way!
These were scrumptious!! Thank you for making me look like a chef to my family!!
I am thrilled that your family enjoyed the ribs Beth!
May be easier, but not great tasting. I’ll stick with the work of smoking then finishing in oven. These were dry and bland, although tender they tasted boiled
I’m very sorry to hear that you didn’t love these ribs as much as we do Sandy.
I made this for the first time over July 4 week-end. We loved the fall off he bone ribs and will make it again later this summer. Delicious and easy! Thanks.
I am thrilled that you enjoyed the ribs Isa!
Looks good
do you make your own BBQ sauce as well?
You can certainly! But, your favorite store bought variety is just fine too!
The ribs I am using are (precooked) but I am sure they are not tender enough. So how long do you think I should cook them in the instant pot to make them tender but not fall apart, in pieces when I grill them. I will buy uncooked next time and use your recipe. Thank you for your time…
Candy, I’ve never tried this recipe with precooked ribs, so can’t say for sure. I’d start with cooking them for about 10-15 minutes and see if they’re tender enough, and if not, put them back for another 5 minutes. Hope that helps!
This is my new recipe for rib’s! I have been smoking rib’s for years and taking hours to do it. This was so easy and fast. I just cooked them in the instant pot and then put them on the grill with some bbq sauce and good to go!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Murray!
These were terrific. I was worried about all the spices … the smell of the spice mix and the smell of the raw sliced garlic was so strong so I was afraid it would overpower the ribs, but it was perfect. I used Pork baby back ribs and followed everything exactly in the recipe. I just used water (not broth). I was also worried about the different smoke flavors clashing… the smoked paprika + the liquid smoke + Lillie-Q’s Smoky bbq sauce. It all melded together incredibly.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Stephanie!
Someone mentioned doing 2 racks of ribs. I have teenagers, so that’s probably a great idea! Do you cook them longer? Sounds amazing, looking forward to trying them!
They will take the same amount of time to cook.
Do i need to alter the liquids for this rib recipe if I use an 8qt instapot and if so, how much?
I would consult your user manual for the minimum liquid requirement in an 8qt IP.
Delicious fast and fall of the bone perfect
I am glad you liked the recipe Leslie!
Not fall of the rib, but good. Needed to cook longer.
I’m glad you enjoyed, but sorry to hear that they weren’t “fall of the rib” Deb. Ours have always been fall off the bone!
Best ribs I have ever eaten, period!
Thanks, they’re definitely delicious!
Looks amazing! If I wanted to make these in advance for a dinner party would you recommend I keep the ribs in the instant pot and then take them out to put barbecue sauce on and broil when I’m ready to serve? Otherwise can I let the ribs naturally release, put sauce on them, put them back in instant pot to keep warm and then broil before serving? I’m new to instant pot ribs…I usually use the slow cooker:)
Thanks so much!!!
You can put the sauce on before or just when you’re ready to broil. I wouldn’t leave them in the IP too much longer than directed or the meat will become too tender and literally fall off the bone. Enjoy!
How long do you recommend I cook them from frozen?
In the post, I recommend 32 minutes from frozen. Enjoy Lee
DO you suggest chicken broth or beef?
Both will work well in this recipe (as would vegetable broth). If I have one open, I’ll use that, but usually use chicken broth since I always have a lot of it. Enjoy Jessica!
In the blog it states “this recipe will call for a 10 minute release” but in the directions it calls for only 5 minutes
Thank you for the feedback Kim, we have updated the recipe.
What settings do you set the insta pot on for ribs
Step 5 says to select manual pressure and set the timer for 23 minutes (25 minutes if they’re extra meaty). Once done, allow the instant pot to natural release for 5 minutes.
How long did you broil the ribs?
These should take only a couple minutes to broil. I always watch closely, and set my timer for 2 minutes, if I’m paying less attention!
Is it ground Oregano or flaked? I’m assuming flaked, since two teaspoons of ground might be overwhelming. Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
It is flaked oregano. Enjoy Jan!