Our Instant Pot Ribs recipe is the easiest way to make ribs EVER! Fall-off-the-bone ribs ready in a fraction of the time!
Ingredients
Rib Rub:
1 1/2tablespoonskosher salt
2 1/2tablespoonssmoked paprika
2 1/2tablespoonslemon pepper
1/2teaspooncayenne pepper
1tablespoonsmoked garlic powder
1/2tablespoononion powder
1/2tablespoonground black pepper
Instant Pot Ribs
2 full rack of baby back ribs (approx. 3lbs each)
1-2tablespoonsliquid smokemore if needed to cover
1-2tablespoonsworcestershire saucemore if needed to cover
1/2cupyellow mustardmore if needed to cover
2cans Olipop Dr. Goodwin OR Dr. Pepper
approx. 1 cup of your favorite BBQ Saucehomemade bbq sauce or store-bought
Instructions
Prep Dry Rub: Combine all the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl.
Prep Ribs: Cut the rack of ribs in half and if the ribs have a membrane, pull to remove it. Place ribs on a baking sheet. Pour a little liquid smoke, one half section of ribs at a time, and rub all over to thinly coat. Repeat with worcestershire sauce and yellow mustard (use enough to leave a good coating on the ribs using more than listed, if necessary). Take the dry rub and rub all over each section.
Instant Pot: Add the Dr. Goodwin (or Dr. Pepper) to the Instant Pot. Place the trivet inside. Set ribs on top of the trivet so the ribs are vertical.
Cook Ribs: Secure the lid to the Instant Pot on top. Cook on High Pressure for 24 minutes (add 2-3 minutes if the ribs are bigger than normal). Let Instant Pot naturally release for 5 minutes and then manually release according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Barbecue Sauce + Finish: Once ribs come out of the Instant Pot, place them on a cookie sheet (meat side up), brush with your favorite BBQ sauce and then broil on high for 4-5 minutes - or until sauce has started to just barely caramelize (watch carefully as oven temps will vary).
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Spare Ribs: You can actually use spare ribs, if you want; they aren't as good (in my opinion), but they definitely still work. Spare ribs tend to be bigger than baby back ribs, so I would suggest increasing the cook time by 3 minutes.
Finish on Grill: Preheat your outdoor grill to 300 degrees F. While that heats remove ribs from Instant Pot and place on a sheet pan, meat side up. Brush with your favorite BBQ sauce to coat. Place on hot grill grates for 3 minutes per side or under your oven broiler (set to High) for 2-3 minutes per side.
Frozen: You can cook ribs from frozen, just ensure they are fully prepped beforehand (rub with liquid smoke, mustard, and dry rub + cut into half racks) and then cook for an additional 10 minutes in the pressure cooker.
Don't want to use Dr. Pepper/Olipop? Simply replace with 1 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar.