This is the EASIEST recipe for delicious Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs. Who cares what the weather is doing out there, you can make ribs indoors, in about an hour! I don’t even know how to tell you how good these pressure cooker ribs are, so you need to make them and see, and taste these Instant Pot Ribs for yourself!
Originally published 7/6/17
Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs
We love to grill here at Foodie Central. That being said, we also live in Western Washington, where rain is the name of the game something like 8 months out of the year. Sometimes it feels like more! I’m used to it. It’s all about workarounds.
So what do I do when I want some smoky, tender, juicy, meaty Baby Back Ribs and it’s raining out. Or I want them fast? No worries, I just cook them in my Instant Pot! Okay, even if it’s not raining, because it is so easy, super fast, and the ribs turn out awesome!
Cooking ribs in the Instant Pot makes the meat tender, but even in the pressure cooker you can overcook. Don’t confuse falling apart dry meat with falling apart juicy meat.
The trick is to cook for the amount of time the recipe calls for, and when the cooking cycle ends, let the meat sit in the pressure cooker for a little while before you release the remaining pressure and open the lid (called Natural Release).
It’s much like letting the meat rest so it retains the juices. I usually rest my Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs for 10-15 minutes.
How many ribs can I cook in the Instant Pot?
I can fit 2 racks of baby back ribs in my 6 qt Instant Pot. If you cut the rack into sections you can likely fit more in the pot.
I find myself cooking only 1 most of the time. Bryen just learned to drive so I hardly ever see him these days! He can pretty much eat a whole rack of Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs by himself!
I shudder to think what he’s eating out there in the wild. Is it just me, or are all moms a little nervous when their kids are finally able to drive?
So, now that you know my secret, that you can make Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs any time, any weather, and in about an hour, have you jumped in the car and headed to the grocery store to buy your ribs yet?
If you see Bryen, tell him to call his mother!
P.S., Here is the recipe for my Ribs Spice Rub!
Watch the Video
Watch the video of me making ribs in the Instant Pot! I’m not the best videographer, but it might help the newer IP users out there!
Instant Pot Country Style Ribs
Instant Pot Turkey Meatloaf
Instant Pot Chicken and Noodles
Instant Pot Beef Barley Vegetable Soup
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Who cares what the weather is doing out there. You can make smokey, tender, juicy, meaty Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs indoors, in any weather, in about an hour!
- 1 1/2 cups Water (or Apple Juice/Cider)
- 2-3 Tbsp. Liquid Smoke (goes right in the water)
- 1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar (adds a nice hint of apple and tanginess)
- 1-2 racks Baby Back Ribs (you can use other pork ribs, I get what's on sale)
- 1/2 - 1 cup Dry Spice Rub Use your favorite, or make a batch of my Rib Spice Rub
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce I like to use one with a smoky flavor.
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Put a trivet in the inner liner pot of your pot. Add the water or juice, liquid smoke, and ACV to the inner liner pot.
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Lay out the rack of ribs, meaty side down, on a baking sheet. Remove the thin membrane (also called silver skin, if it's still on there) by grasping it with your bare hands, or a paper towel, and pulling down the length of the rack. It should come off pretty easily.
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Sprinkle dry spice rub liberally over the ribs and gently rub it in. Flip the rack over and do the same to the other side.
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Carefully roll the rack into a "C" shape and put it in the pot sideways (the meaty side will face the outside of the pot. You can also cut the rack into a few pieces and stack it in the pot.
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Put the lid on the pot and close it, turning the venting knob to the Sealing position.
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Press the Pressure Cook (Manual) button or dial, and then the +/- button or dial to choose 25 minutes.
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The pot will take a few minutes to come to pressure, and will begin the cook time when pressure is reached. After cook time ends, and the unit beeps, just leave it alone as it will enter the NPR, or Natural Pressure Release phase. The display time will begin counting up.
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Let it NPR for 10 minutes. Then use a wood spoon or something to carefully turn the knob to venting and release the rest of the pressure until the pin in the lid drops, indicating it is safe to open the lid.
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Remove the rack of ribs using tongs, and place on a baking sheet.
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OPTIONAL: Turn your oven to BROIL at 400° and set the oven rack about 8-10 inches from element. If it is hot in the kitchen I don't do this step, but on a cool day I don't mind the oven being on for a few minutes.
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Pour your BBQ sauce on the hot ribs and use a brush or a spatula to cover them completely and generously.
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Put the pan under the broiler for a few minutes, until the sauce gets bubbly. Be careful not to leave them in there too long as they might dry out. No one wants dry ribs! Enjoy!
Resources to Make Instant Pot Ribs Recipe and More
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Heather
I got my Duo Gourmet 6 qt IP 3 days ago. Last night I made pea soup and it was absolutely incredibly delicious. And SO easy. Tonight I jumped into the fire and using your recipe, I made ribs. I was SO nervous but WOW! They were better than my “spend all day cooking ribs” recipe that my family loves…used to love. This has now become their favorite (as was evident by how fast they wolfed them down). Thank you for sending this recipe to me. I can’t wait to try others.
Lina
I just bought an IP and really want to try this recipe. But I’m confused about the part on the trivet? Plus I’m a visual person. Do you have a picture of how and where to place a trivet? Also what type of trivet? Ty!!
Sandy
Watch this. It’s a little long, but you can skip through if you want: Instant Pot Ribs
Ian Schafer
OKAY !!! You have my attention now !!!
I was beginning to think that the instant pot I bought was a waste of space, that you could only cook soups & stews in it !!!
Now BBQ Pork spareribs that’s what I want to cook
Sandy
Go for it! They are so delicious!
Tracy
New to the duo instapot/air fryer and this looks delicious! Is it done on high or low pressure? Thanks, Can’t wait to try 😁
Sandy
High pressure.
Sydnye Pilon
This is the best and honestly the only recipe I now use for ribs. I have made them about 8 times for my family and everyone is in love, so easy and so fast. Thank you for sharing!
Laurie in NE
This was my 2nd time making baby backs in the IP. Used a different recipe the first time which was very good. A few bites into THIS recipe, my husband said, “AWESOME! These are incredibly good!” I used your dry rub mix water since I didn’t have apple juice or cider, cut my one rack into two pieces, stacked them, and forgot the trivet, He wanted to finish them up on the grill. He was working outside, so I ended up letting them completely NR (which took around 28 mins) until he was free to grill. Several of the bones fell off while I was transferring to a plate, and he had an interesting time holding things together while getting the sauce to carmelize, But the ribs were absolutely delicious! Thank you!
WildWestCoast
Thanks so much for the recipe! This was the first thing I’ve made in my Instant Pot (Duo SV 6 quart). It’s been sitting in the box for 5 months, because I couldn’t figure out how to use it, and was terrified of the darn thing. I’ve been looking for easy recipes to try, and this one is the first that’s given me the courage to go for it – I’m really grateful for your simple instructions, and for the video as well. I’m still confused as there seems to be a long “warm-up time?” on my pot, before it starts counting. And then after it had finished cooking, I left it for 25 minutes to release the pressure naturally, then flicked the knob to vent, but the button still didn’t go down. I finally unplugged it, and then the button went down. So still confused about how it works exactly. Anyway, might try again! The ribs were wonderful – the whole family enjoyed them.
Sandy
Hi, congrats on getting your IP out of the box! I’m not sure why the natural release was so long. Just know that your food will still be cooking during that time. So if a recipe calls for a 15 minute natural release, vent it manually at the 15 minute mark. You can turn the pot off at that time. As for warming up, the pot will seal when enough pressure has built to pop the pin in the lid up. Once it seals it is still building pressure and can take a few minutes to get to FULL pressure. That’s when the time will start to count down.
Sabrina
Hello!
I have a 3 qt instant pot, would you recommend the same amounts in regards to the water mixture to put in? One rack fits in the 3qt.
Thanks!
Sandy
Hi, I would decrease the liquid a little, but everything else stays the same.
Candi
Hi Sandy, can you tell me what adjustments would be necessary if I only have pork spareribs. I would like to do 2 racks. Thanks in advance……Candi
Sandy
I would make it the same.
Tammy Verreault
I bought Pioneer Woman’s 6qt Instant Pot yesterday and am making these ribs tonight. Something good has to come out of this strange time. Thanks for all the hints and what looks to be a fabulous recipe!
Sandy
Enjoy!
Kimmy
Tthese are awesome! I’ve made them before. However the last two times it seems like it’s just not coming to pressure. What’s the longest it could take to come to pressure with 2 racks in a 6qt IP? Thanks!
Sandy
It should only take a few minutes with ribs, unless you are using a lot of liquid.
Jim
Sandy,
Thanks for sharing the rib recipe. I’m going to give it a try and surprise my co-workers with it for lunch. I will need about 4 racks of ribs will it still turn out if I stack that many.
Thank you
Sandy
I think so. I have stacked and also stood them up. You will need to cut them down a bit first.
Marte
Haven’t tried this yet, but wonder if the recipe would be the same for beef ribs?
Sandy
If they are of the same size/density.
Marcia Reiss-Franklin
How do I know if a recipe is for a larger instant pot? I have the 3 quart. If the recipe’s for a larger one, is everything but the time cut in half?
Sandy
Hi, most of my recipes are for the 6 qt size. I do have some for the 3 qt. Most of my recipes can be cut in half, and yes, keep the cook time the same unless using a smaller/thinner cut of meat. In that case, you may need to adjust the cook time.
Susie Sports
I have a 3 qt instant pot. Does that change the cooking time?
Sandy
The 3 qt has a slightly lower wattage, so some people do increase the cook time by a couple of minutes. I have kept the cook times the same and been fine. Maybe if you are stacking them instead of standing the rack up you could add a couple of minutes.
Nicole Beary
How long if the rack of ribs is frozen?
Sandy
Add 5 minutes.
Kaye M.
I, too, have the Mini. I have 1 rack split into two frozen half racks. It’s just me. I would like to just cook a half-rack. Any changes to the above?
Thank you for your great recipes! Any chance you’ll do more for the 3 Qt.?
La
Is the liquid smoke optional? Thanks
Sandy
Yes it is.
Brittin
Hello, I was just wondering if any ajustments need to be made if I am using an 3 qt instant pot?
Sandy
Use 1 cup of liquid and you may need to cut the rack of ribs to fit. Keep cook time the same.
Linda Wiley
Made your ribs tonight–wow were they good! Used your rub with a little less cayenne pepper. We don’t like heavy, overly sweet BBQ sauce and I modified KC Masterpiece Original with apple cider vinegar, V-8 juice, and orange juice (used up my apple juice cooking the ribs) and this lighter version was great. I’m left with a full pint off really great tasting, but pretty concentrated, juice which I’ve saved. Do you have suggestions on making gravy or sauce from this? I thought maybe with some powdered pork gravy plus some more water to cut the concentration, then thickening as needed. Thanks for your great recipes–have made several. I’ve had no failures with my IP–I follow directions and mainly use recipes from the FB pages. Mississippi Pot roast was a real winner also–wonderful gravy!
Sandy
Hi Linda, rice is a great thing to make with the liquid. Make sure you rinse it first. I’m so glad you liked the recipes! Thanks for your review!
Karin Pelton
What do you mean by deft it first?
Sandy
Lol! I think I meant rinse it first. How did autocorrect get deft? Lol!
Jennifer
These look great! I don’t use my instant pot enough. 😀
Yvonne
This was really great, thank you! So simple. I used your spice rub recipe too 🙂
Sandy
Hi Yvonne! I’m glad you liked these ribs! We’re making a batch on Memorial Day, along with my potato salad! The rub is so good, and is also great on pork. Thank you for your review!
Tracy Costantino
Is the cook time the same if you use 2 racks of ribs?
Sandy
Hi Tracy, yes, same cook time.
Charles H. Rocheville
Tried your Mississippi Pot Roast, and Honey Glazed chicken thighs. Both where off the charts! Wife made sure I saved both to do again. And, she is not easy to please, believe me!
Had to laugh, my nickname is Giz ie Gizmo
Sandy
That’s great! Never met another Giz, or Gizmo! 🙂