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.
I haven’t used the Instant Pot my sister gifted me. I will definitely try the Instant Pot ribs. I also love your website..
Thank you Patti! I hope you love the ribs as much as we do!
These were so easy and fast to make and were really delicious. I used my own rib rub. I will definitely cook my ribs this way in the future.
Amazing! I was super skeptical, I used my own rub though. For a total of 30 min between instant pot and grill. YUM!
These were amazing. Once done, slathered with BBQ sauce and placed under broiler for a few minutes. This is 2nd time I have used my Instant Pot. So pleased on how easy to make. A definite make again recipe. Thanks very much
I am using country style beef ribs. Will I need to make any adjustments to time or temp?
I haven’t tried Country Style ribs in the IP as of yet but I do think they might need more time. According to the Instant Pot site, ribs should be cooked at 20 minutes per pound. I hope that helps! Let us know how it goes.
I’ve made this before and it is amazing! But now I have a question. If I tripled to three racks of ribs, do I have to triple everything else? Or not really?
Sorry Iris, I have never tried tripling this recipe in my instant pot. Maybe another reader can offer some guidance.
I made the Instant Pot ribs tonight for dinner and my husband and I loved them. The taste was better than any other ribs we have ever had. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
This recipe is the BOMB!! My entire family devoured them. Definite keeper! Thank you so much.
5th time making this recipe this month alone, we can’t get over how delicious they are. We hosted a dinner party tonight and made 3 racks in the instant pot, it was super full but still turned out perfect without having to use a second pressure cooker. We upped the cooking time to 29 minutes to make sure they were super tender with the added weight, and I could literally slide the bones out of them.
We served them with a cayenne coleslaw and some jalapeno popper cornbread muffins. Perfect meal, and the whole party had a food come right after. Amazing recipe Holly! SWP Contractor
Jalapeno popper cornbread muffins….. cannot say that, then not share the recipe. LOL Sounds DEEEELISH’. Inquiring minds wanna know.. mine, for SURE! =p Enjoy.. stay safe.. & be well!!
We use this Jalapeno Popper Cornbread muffin recipe! Enjoy AJ, they’re SOOOOO good!
Made these tonight for the third time this month, and they were SO tender. We added some baby potatoes to the Instant Pot which cooked in the juices and were delicious! SWP Contractor
I made your instant pot ribs and my grandson and husband said they were the best they ever ate. I did cook them 34 minutes instead 24 .I’m trying to use my instant pot more so I’ll be trying more of your recipes. Thanks Holly. Beth
So happy you loved these ribs Beth! Definitely have to check out our Instant Pot section for some great recipes.
Great recipe! I did add some other seasonings and followed the cooking settings exactly and the ribs were so tender! The hubby thoroughly enjoyed. Also I sauteed some onions in the pot with various bell peppers then placed the rack in. After the ribs cooked I took the leftover water and seasonings from the pot and used that water to cook my quiona in and that was amazing too! Looking forward to trying your other recipes
Love the idea of cooking a grain in the flavored water! Thanks for sharing!
Need some new recipes!
You’ve come to the right place! :) Enjoy Jenny!
Hi! I used apple cider as my liquid. And followed the directions to a “T”. And WEEEEE DOGGIES! did they ever come out mighty fine!
That is amazing Von! So happy you loved it.
it says 6 tbsp. of dry rub, then there is a recipe for dry rub below. I’m assuming it’s 6 tbsp. of another dry rub in addition to the dry rub you have a recipe for?
thanks!
Hi Brenda, you can use your preferred dry rub or the one below in this recipe. Enjoy!
It worked put well and am making them again!
So glad you liked the ribs Liza!
Excited as I am making these but worried. I have the newer instapot that doesn’t have the Manual setting, and it released pressure just 5 mins into cooking. I have it set on pressure cook and I fear the ribs will come out dry as the steam is releasing continually while it cools. Crossing my fingers.
My fingers are crossed with you Liza! Let us know how it turns out.
Tried the recipe with a rack of St. Louis cuts. I guess they would be OK during the winter, in a pinch. No comparison to a rack done in the Weber with a Slow’n’Sear on a 3-2-1 technique.
When short on time or not able to cook low and slow this recipe is definitely a hit in our house!
Great recipes but I’m wondering about cooking a frozen pork shoulder in the Instant Pot?
Hi Lester, we have tried a pork shoulder cut into cubes in our pulled pork recipe but we haven’t tried a whole frozen pork shoulder yet. If you give it a try, let us know how it turns out.
Can I substitute spare ribs for baby ribs? If so, how much longer should I put it on?
While I haven’t tried that, this recipe should work for any type of ribs. If they’re not tender enough, add them back to the Instant Pot until they’re ready. Let us know how it works for you Tiffany!