These Instant Pot Baby Back Pork Ribs are fall off the bone tender and only take 25 minutes to cook!
Instant Pot Baby Back Pork Ribs are rubbed down with seasonings then cooked to perfection and finished off under the broiler for the perfect texture.
You guys, I’m not even kidding when I say that these ribs are a game changer. A few years ago my husband bought a smoker so we could make some epic smoked meats, and it was my favorite way to enjoy ribs. Until now.
I still love my husband’s ribs, but they would take HOURS in the smoker. I would have to wait ALL DAY to get a taste of that tender rib meat. That’s all changed with these Instant Pot Baby Back Pork Ribs. Now I can have that tender, fall-off-the-bone goodness in just 25 minutes! Trust me, it’s true!
How To Make Instant Pot Ribs:
The first thing you’ll want to do is remove the skin from bottom side of a rack of ribs. To do this, simply run a butter knife under the skin to loosen.
Grab a paper towel (so you can have a better grip) and pull that layer all the way off. It looks like it would be difficult, but trust me, it comes right off!
What Spices To Use for a Dry Rub Rib Recipe?
The next thing to do is just rub down the rack of ribs with my husband’s signature spice rub. It’s a mixture of sweet and spicy with a few other spices that will really make the flavor on these ribs pop!
- Brown Sugar
- Chili Powder
- Dried Parsley
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Cayenne Pepper
After you’ve rubbed both sides of the rack down, simply throw the whole rack into the pressure cooker.
Tips and Tricks for Instant Pot Ribs:
Use your rack to keep the pork out of the liquid on the bottom. If you don’t have a rack, ball up some aluminum foil and try to make a rack of some sort to elevate the pork.
My next big tip to making these Instant Pot Baby Back Pork Ribs – THE LIQUID!
- Use one cup of water
- 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
The liquid smoke is optional, but highly recommended. Remember how I said I loved my husband’s smoked ribs? Adding that tiny bit of liquid smoke gets that flavor in the ribs without pulling out the smoker or grill!
Once the ribs are done, you’ll let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then finish with a quick release. Carefully remove the ribs (you’ll want to try and grab the rack with some tongs going perpendicular to the bones) and set it on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Brush the rack down with some BBQ sauce and pop it under the broiler for just 5 minutes to get nice and bubbly.
How To Double Instant Pot Ribs Recipe:
This recipe is for about a 3 1/2 pound rack of pork ribs and easily fits into a 6 or 8 quart instant pot. If you’re looking to double the recipe, make sure both racks of ribs can fit into your pressure cooker. Double the spice ingredients, but you do not need to double the liquid. The time will only increase by about 10 minutes.
The meat is so tender that the bones will just slip right out when gently pulled.
I’m not kidding, these are the best ribs EVER!!
I made these the other day for Memorial Day weekend (with my Mexican Grilled Corn) as a test, and they came out so good that before the week was over, I was making them again!
Just think, you can have super tender baby back ribs ready to eat in less than 45 minutes from start to finish!
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Instant Pot Baby Back Pork Ribs
Ingredients
- 3 lb baby back pork ribs
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp liquid smoke, optional
- 1/2 cup bbq sauce
Instructions
- Remove the lining from the bottom side of the ribs by running a butter knife under the skin and then using a paper towel to grip and remove completely.
- Combine the brown sugar, chili powder, parsley, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper in a small dish and rub all over the ribs.
- Place the rack in your pressure cooker and place the ribs inside the pot, standing on their side, wrapping around the inside of the pot. Pour in the water, apple cider and liquid smoke (if using), being careful to not wash off any of the seasonings.
- Secure the lid, making sure the vent is closed. Press the Meat button and set to 25 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest of the way.
- Carefully remove the ribs from the pressure cooker and set on a foil lined baking sheet. Brush down with your favorite BBQ sauce, and pop under the broiler for 5 minutes, but keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn (some ovens are more hot than others). Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Beth
I have two racks that together total 3.5lbs – would I still need to increase the cooking time by 10 minutes? I’m excited to try this recipe – it’ll be my first in the Instant Pot!
mark
Great tips and recipe, esp on the spice rub.
Has anyone ever done this without the sauce? My experience is usually either rub OR sauce, but not both. The rub in this recipe is amazing and seems to be overwhelmed by the sauce… Interested in thoughts on this.
Karen
Do not have an Instant Pot but do have a regular pressure cooker. How would you adjust the recipe to work in my pressure cooker, mainly the cooking time.
Pam
I made these tonight and they were amazing! I substituted apple juice for the water and put a little Tabasco on before I ate.
Mimi
Thanks for this recipe! I have a stupid question. 🙂 If I use half the meat, should I pressure cook for half the time?
Sean
Have made this many times and is now a family favorite! So simple and easy to prepare. I usually make some rice and green beans (w/bacon of course!) or broccoli. Just saw your FAQ about doubling up – that’s good to know! Our problem is one rack is usually not enough for 4 people.
Shawn
I’m so glad you enjoyed the ribs Sean! We usually always cook two racks at a time because one isn’t enough for us either!
Doug Smith
We have made this recipe probably 10 times or so because they always turn out amazing! One question: we never finish the whole rack between the two of us so we always have leftovers, and we haven’t figured out the best way to reheat them! Any suggestions for that?
Ann Espeset
I debone the ribs and we enjoy the cooked pork in a pulled pork version.
Shawn
Nice!
Shawn
Typically we place the ribs on a microwave safe plate and cover with plastic wrap and heat in the microwave until heated through. I’m so glad you’re loving them as much as we do!
Diane
My thought would be to put a little more sauce on them and heat them in the air fryer part of the Instant Pot. 🙂 I’m making these for the first time today and I’m excited!! 🙂
Shawn
Hope you enjoy!
Beffy
When I reheat ribs or any other “meat”, I use a stovetop veggie steamer. (Or you can probably “steam” in the IP). Put meat in steamer basket, water in the bottom and heat until hot enough to eat. Let me know how it works for you!
Shawn
The steamer basket idea is great for reheating!
Arlene
I just made this today and followed the recipe to a T. This is the best barbecue ribs I’ve ever made. Fall off the bones. So delicious. I made macaroni salad as the side dish. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Shawn
Fantastic! I’m so glad you loved them Arlene!
Ann Espeset
I’ve made these 3 times and they are the best! I especially like how tender and juicy they’ve been every time. When I’m in a rush, I’ve used bbq seasonings instead of the custom made rub and I’ve still been pleased with the flavor and the results.
Shawn
I’m so glad you are enjoying the ribs! I’m coming out with my own Rib Rub that you can store in your pantry, so be on the lookout for that! 🙂
Melissa T
Annnnnnd my first batch came out falling off the bone but the meat is pretty dry. I am super bummed… but this is my very first instapot shot. Some thing went awry. Tastes great though. Will see what I get next time. I just suck at cooking haha!
Shawn
You’re doing great Melissa! The instant pot is a great tool, but it can definitely throw some curveballs at you. Is it possible your rack was on the smaller side? Less than 3lbs? That could be why it was a little dry, but still falling off the bone. Best of luck to you and your cooking! 🙂
Pamela
I’m so pleased with this recipe. I followed to a ‘T’ The ribs were so tender they a’fell out’ of the rack. I only had one tong, I strongly suggest using two tongs to remove them from the pot. I chose a Hawai`ian BBQ sauce and the contrast of the meat and the sauce was a good choice.
Girl you can kiss the husband for me and get a hug for yourself!!
This recipe is a keeper for me. Thanks so much for sharing it, I’ll be making this real often.
Oh, BTW I served with rice w/lime juice and lime zesting added. That give the rice a nice fresh tang but very suttle, swrved with grilled asparagus . . The ribs differently stood out!
Shawn
We definitely use two sets of tongs to get them out too. I’m so glad you all enjoyed the ribs and thanks for the great side ideas!
Nancy K
I have made this several times with spare ribs and baby back ribs and it comes out excellent every time! Back before the Instant Pot I would do the hours long process but this is just so great to save time and get great results. I did try the rub recipe the first time and it was very tasty.
Jane Burr
Happened on your site today because I needed to know how long. I used what I had on hand, not your recipe (will try next) stuck a peeled apple in the middle of the round of ribs (because I had to use it up) and put some apple Pie Moonshine in with water – 1/2 each. First time I’ve used the “meat” button, always used “Manual.” Everything turned out wonderfully! Used whatever BBQ sauce was in the fridge and let it sit on them for 1/2 hour before broiling. OMGoodness!! Perfect! I am bookmarking your site! For your other readers asking questions about changing amount of ribs and how that affects time – it will increase the amount of time it takes for everything to come to pressure – that can throw people off. Once it’s at temp, I don’t think there is that much difference, I like your 10 minute suggestion. The joy of cooking is working the physics and chemistry! Thanks muchly!
Shawn
I’m so glad you enjoyed the ribs Jane! Thanks for your tips too!
Tisha l schultz
Awesome
Connie
We are one hour away from our first bite…celebrating our sons birthday….I did two racks separately …they were easy and fun and love the rub….will check back in and let you know the family rating….
Shawn
Hope you enjoyed them Connie, and happy birthday to your son!
Michelle
Hi Shawn!
I have a 1.7 lb rack of pork ribs, and a 3 qt Instant Pot. Should I just half all of the ingredients? What would you recommend for the cooking time?
Really looking forward to trying this recipe!
JoAnna Meyers
I would keep same cooking time. If half the meat then half the spices. Liquid amount should be whatever is needed for a 3 qt.
Shawn
I would keep the cooking time the same, but you can reduce the rub by half. As for the liquid, just make sure you have at least 1/2 cup in there!
Michelle
Made these tonight as you and Joanna both described (ended up halving the liquids as well) and it was amazing! Definitely adding this to my recipe book. Easy, fast and delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Shawn
That’s so great to hear Michelle! I’m so glad you enjoyed the ribs!
Ann Baker
Five stars all the way. Wowzers! We finished ours on the grill with our favorite sauce (Rufus Teague’s Whiskey Maple BBQ Sauce). So tender. Falling off the bone and flavorful! Definitely becoming a huge Instant Pot fan and will be making my ribs this way from now on.
Shawn
That bbq sauce sounds like a winner! So glad you enjoyed the ribs Ann!
Dave
I followed the recipe exactly. These tasted great. My wife also enjoyed them. The ribs from the smaller end of the rack were falling off the bone tender. However the ribs from the larger end were tough and chewy. Did I pick a bad rack? Did they need longer cook time? Any advice is appreciated. I want to try these again but i’m a little leery. Thanks.
Shawn
I’ve found that anything larger than 3.5 lbs in size needs a little longer (maybe an extra 5 minutes) to cook to be tender all over. Hope that helps!
Quarantini
Can you please explain why you use the “meat” setting instead of the “high pressure/manual” setting? I’m new to this. Thanks!
Shawn
Technically the meat setting is high pressure, but it’s usually set at a time frame closer to the 25 minute mark, making it easier to adjust the time. Either function will work just fine!
Jessica
This is like my fourth recipe I’ve tried in a week from your website. First time my hubby looked at me and said Jessica, this is honestly perfect! I take his compliments to heart when i can bc hes the one with a culinary degree while im the one who learned by my grandmother. Honestly, i think learning from grandma is better..lol. I cant wait to try more recipes. I cooked this one exactly how you wrote it….AMAZING!
Shawn
That’s so awesome! Thank you for your sweet comment Jessica! I really appreciate it!
Danielle S
Made this tonight and it was amazing. Not going to lie, I was a little nervous, but this is a keeper recipe. I might change up the rub a little because my kids dont like spicy. Still cant believe it took about 45 minutes for fall off the bone ribs.
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed the ribs Danielle!
Krisitina
I use a can of whatever beer I have handy instead of water. Turns out perfect every time. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Eric
Made this for diner tonight and like all the other folks it is a keeper and will be makin it again and again. Just got the instant pot so it was cool to make such a good dinner right out of the box. Thanx, Eric
Angie
Probably stupidest question ever- BUT my husband bought beef ribs, not pork- same process? ♀️
Shawn
Not quite the same process. I’m guessing they’re beef short ribs? I do have a great short rib recipe in the instant pot (Asian Sticky Ribs). You can use that method with the spice rub in this recipe.
Eilene
Can I use a pressure cooker? Would the cook times be different?
Shawn
This recipe was tested in an electric pressure cooker.
LynR
If using a stove top, 15 PSI, you can cook this recipe for less time as the electric pressure cooker cooks at a lower PSI. I would pressure cook it for 20 min. Hip pressure cooking.com gives all the information you need to learn about stove top and electric cooking times.
Shawn
Thanks for the great tips LynR!
Jenifer
WOW WOW WOW! That’s all I can say! Not really. I can also say that this is the best rib recipe I’ve ever made. They were FALLING OFF THE BONES! SOOOOO good!!! Thank you!
Lisa Gerchy
We discovered this recipe last month and have made it at least 5 times. We have made it exactly as the recipe states and it comes out perfect every single time. The last time we varied our “rub” recipe and it still comes out amazing !!! We use our 6 qt instantpot and just double the spice part because we place 2 racks of ribs in the pot. Love love love this recipe…better than any ribs we’ve had lately- and they DO fall off the bone.
Shawn
So awesome to hear Lisa! We love this recipe and use it very often as well! 🙂
Danielle
This looks amazing, but I was wondering how spicy that is. With all the chili powder I’m afraid it might be too much for me and my kids. Can I just lessen the amount amount?
Susan L Crum
I use Cabela’s sweet rib rub in this recipe. And make these ribs at least once a month. Excellent and my go-to recipe!
Shawn
Nice! I’ll have to find that rub and give it a try! Thanks for your comment!
Meg
I’m not a fan of heat, so can I omit the chili pepper and the cayenne pepper?
Shawn
I would leave out the cayenne pepper. The chili powder shouldn’t be too spicy, but more smoky. I would leave in the chili powder.
Christy
First time trying ribs in the Instant Pot and let me tell you these were amazing!! So flavorful and fell right off the bone! Definitely recommend this recipe! It will not disappoint!
Shawn
That’s awesome!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the ribs Christy!
Tracy
I’m wanting to try this recipe. My instant pot also has a high, medium and low setting. After selecting the meat setting, which temperature should I use?
Shawn
Use high setting! Enjoy!
Cathy Love Davis
Hi Shawn,
I’m making ribs for the Super Bowl tomorrow and I’m following your recipe. I added beer to the recipe. I’m slow cooker in my XL Pressure cooker. So, I will follow up with you, tomorrow after my husband and I eat dinner!
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Cathy Love Davis
Shawn
Interested to hear how they went in the slow cooker!
Diane Howard
These ribs are absolutely delicious and they are so tender. Mine were falling off the bones as I’m trying to remove from the instant pot. The rub is delicious on its own without even using any barbecue sauce if you’re on a low carb diet. Will definitely make these again!!!
Shawn
Fantastic! So glad you enjoyed them!
Nick
Why not add the liquid first then add the ribs, so you don’t have be careful not to wash off any seasonings?
Shawn
You can definitely do that!
Brittany
Do you think you can do 2 racks at one time? If so, should I increase amount of time cook?
Shawn
Yes, definitely. No need to increase the liquid, but increase cook time by 10 minutes.
Phil Swayzee
I’m a convert too, especially in the winter. I mentioned earlier that I have an additional step I now use. I have a Little Chief smoker that I fire up, get it smoking good and put the ribs in there for an hour or more. I then pull ‘em out and follow this recipe the rest of the way. I’ve used hickory and apple both. Delish, and so much faster than my usual low and slow cook in the Q. Try it, if you can.
Shawn
I love the idea of giving it that initial smoke ring before finishing in the instant pot! Great tips Phil!
Jodi
Ok my IP not a fan husband was shaking his head that I was going to ruin baby back ribs in that crazy machine of mine
I followed the recipe but increased cayenne to 1 Tsp as we like the heat
45 mins later he ate crow as he proclaimed these were the best ribs ever
Just made your Chicken Taco skillet supper tonight and have bookmarked your website
So good
Shawn
Haha! I love that Jodi! My husband was the same way, now he BEGS for the Instant Pot ribs! 😉
Lynne
My daughter gave me insta pot for Christmas I was scared to death to use it but all I can say is OMG! hands down the best ribs ever ! Never would I think ribs would fall off the bone using an insta pot ! I am so happy I found you!
Shawn
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe Lynne!
Marilyn Lee
So far, the best ribs I have had in my Instant Pot! They weren’t “fall of the rib” ribs – and this is a compliment. I prefer to eat the meat on the rib! I used pork back ribs, not baby back ribs. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe! @cantstopcooking
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed them Marilyn!
Rauxann Bell
I made this just as you directed and they did not turn out tender or done. What did do wrong
Shawn
Oh bummer! I’m so sorry you had that happen to you. There is always a chance of Instant Pot failure when it comes to using the IP. I would check to make sure your seal was properly fitted as it sounds like it never truly came to pressure? I hope you give it another try because these ribs are amazing!
Lisa Wichtendahl
Can I make this recipe with boneless counry ribs and how would I modify it? I really want to try these tonight.
Shawn
Sorry if this is too late, but I think the boneless ribs would work just fine. As long as it’s about the same weight I think the timing should stay the same.
Cathy Moss
Looks delicious but I realized I have 4 pound Pork Loin Back ribs would this receipe still be okay.
Shawn
Hey Cathy, yes, you should be just fine! I would maybe increase cook time by a few minutes though.
Jackie
Hi! I want to try this recipe but I don’t have an instant pot. Can I use this recipe with a crock pot and if so what do you suggest for the time? Thank you!