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You are here: Home / Cooking Methods / Instant Pot Recipes / Instant Pot BBQ Ribs

March 20, 2017

Instant Pot BBQ Ribs

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These Instant Pot BBQ Ribs are the perfect recipe to make to break in your Instant Pot! They are so easy to make and taste like they’ve been slow-roasting for hours. Tender, fall-off-the-bone perfection! BBQ Instant Pot Ribs on a white plate

Tender, smoked BBQ ribs that have been bathed in smoke for hours are pretty magical. Heck, I believe most all slow-smoked meats should have their place in heaven! But unless you own a BBQ restaurant, are independently wealthy, don’t have children, or have a blessed BBQ pitmaster as a neighbor that will share with you, ain’t nobody got time for smoking your own bbq ribs!

Am I right?

The beauty of Instant Pot Ribs

This is where the Instant Pot comes in. If you’re not familiar, an Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker that doubles as a slow cooker, rice and yogurt maker, and more. There’s so much you can do with it! There are lots of brands out there that make similar electric pressure cookers, but the Instant Pot is what I have and love with a big capital “L.”

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Instant Pot BBQ Ribs on a white plate

Pressure cookers work by cooking food under intense pressure, so they cook incredibly fast and do a great job of breaking down the collagen and connective tissue in meats that typically take hours to break down.

But with the pressure cooker, making tender, fall-off-the-bone Instant Pot Ribs takes about one hour start to finish. Take a look!

Instant Pot Ribs Tutorial

Easy right?

Cooking tips for these Instant Pot BBQ Ribs

  • Make sure to remove the membrane or silver skin on the back of the baby back or spare ribs before cooking. During cooking, this membrane forms a thick, leathery skin that is less than desirable and prevents the flavors from penetrating into the meat fully.
  • Root beer or Beer? Your choice! Both obviously yield different flavors, but are equally delicious!
  • My recipe below includes a super simple spice rub for the bbq ribs that is phenomenal but feel free to use your favorite homemade or store-bought dry rub. The process of cooking is the same no matter what seasoning you choose to use.

Instant Pot BBQ Babyback Ribs with sauce on a white plate

These Instant Pot Ribs are so tender and cooking them in either beer, or root beer gives them just a little extra punch of flavor.

Once the ribs come out of the Instant Pot, I like to put them on a cookie sheet, brush my favorite BBQ sauce on them, and put them under the broiler for a few minutes. Doing this gives the sauce a chance to stick to the ribs and caramelize a bit, just like they were finished off on the grill!

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BBQ ribs made in the Instant Pot on a white plate with salad

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Want more easy BBQ recipes?

  • Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
  • BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad
  • Slow Cooker Blackberry BBQ Pulled Pork

Tools Used in making Instant Pot BBQ Ribs

  • The Instant Pot! : This is the model that I have and LOVE. It’s been with me for over a year, and I’ve definitely put it through the ringer, but still works like new! It’s changed the dinnertime routine at our house and helps me make meals in under an hour that used to take HOURS!
  • OXO Stainless Steel Tongs: These tongs take a beating in my kitchen. They go from the grill for flipping meats to the salad bowl for tossing with very little complaint. They are built like a tank and have silicone grips that make them super easy to use, even with my very small hands.
These Instant Pot BBQ ribs are the perfect recipe to make to break in your Instant Pot! They are so easy to make and taste like they've been slow-roasting for hours. Tender, fall-off-the-bone perfection!

Instant Pot BBQ Ribs

These Instant Pot BBQ Ribs are the perfect recipe to make to break in your Instant Pot! They are so easy to make and taste like they've been slow-roasting for hours. Tender, fall-off-the-bone perfection! 
4.94 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Pressure Release TIme: 15 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 843kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 rack pork baby back ribs
  • 1/4 cup smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 11 ounces beer or root beer *See Notes*
  • 1 cup BBQ Sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to Broil
  • Remove ribs from packaging and dry well with paper towels. Cut into sections of 3 ribs and set aside.
  • In a small bowl whisk together smoked paprika, sugar, garlic salt, and onion powder. Sprinkle all of the seasoning over the ribs and rub in with fingertips.
  • Place ribs into your Instant Pot and pour entire bottle of beer or root beer over the ribs. Close lid and set the pot to cook for 25 minutes at high pressure.
  • When cooking time is up, allow pot to naturally release pressure most of the way (about 10 minutes) and then quick-release the rest.
  • Remove ribs from pot and place on a baking sheet. Brush each piece with your favorite BBQ Sauce and place under the broiler until sauce is bubbly and starting to brown and caramelize-- about 5 minutes. Just watch them closely as things go fast under the broiler!
  • Remove from oven and serve.

Notes

  1. Baby Back, St. Louis Style, and Pork Spare ribs will all work for this recipe. I used Baby Back for the video and pictures.
  2. Both Beer and Root Beer lend great flavor to the finished ribs-- so use what you have/want to! The end flavor will obviously be different but both are phenomenal.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 843kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 67g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 251mg | Sodium: 2700mg | Potassium: 1422mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 70.2% | Vitamin C: 0.5% | Calcium: 11.7% | Iron: 26.5%

 

Filed Under: Instant Pot Recipes, Main Dish Recipes, Pork

Disclaimer: This post may include affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Please note that I’ve linked to these products purely because I recommend them and they are from companies I trust. There is no additional cost to you. Nutrition facts are for informational purposes only and are generated from a calculator. Please don’t rely solely upon these nutrition facts and do your own calculations to meet your own specific dietary needs.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. John P says

    February 9, 2019 at 2:09 pm

    Preheating your oven should probably not be Step #1 as that means you’re preheating for the 10 minute prep, 25 minute cook, 15 minute pressure release. Close to an hour running the oven for no reason. Maybe preheat it during the pressure release?

    Reply
  2. Wendy says

    December 29, 2018 at 5:12 pm

    This was my first recipe using my new instant pot. I followed it exactly and they turned out amazing! My family LOVED these ribs. Thank you!!! I will be saving this one for sure!!!

    Reply
  3. Magge says

    December 26, 2018 at 11:56 am

    Has anyone used diet root beer and sugar free barbecue sauce??

    Reply
  4. Barbara says

    October 15, 2018 at 8:27 pm

    I made these ribs as directed and they came out just as described in the recipe! I am new to Instant Pot, so this was the second dish I made! They really were “fall off the bone” tender and flavorful. I used root beer. The only recommendation I would have is for those that like a little heat with their ribs to add a little black pepper or cayenne pepper to the spice mix. Another spice to add some additional flavor is ground mustard. I think any cola would also work well in this recipe.

    Reply
  5. Marcy says

    October 14, 2018 at 2:49 pm

    Can you make these by just using barbecue sauce in the instapot

    Reply
    • Cody says

      December 16, 2018 at 3:35 pm

      I’ve done ribs in the instapot alone before, and I felt that they were a bit too tender. The taste was great, but the meat was a bit too soft for my taste. I think most recipes call for some oven time for a reason…

      Reply
  6. Angie says

    August 10, 2018 at 3:54 pm

    Just tried these and they came out great!! I did use brown sugar instead of white sugar, and I used Dr Pepper instead of root beer – because that’s what I had my house LOL and everything came out great. They’re so tender, and so good. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
  7. Dee says

    June 23, 2018 at 2:54 pm

    What do I do with all that wonderful leftover juice from the beer?

    Reply
  8. Leah says

    June 17, 2018 at 4:28 pm

    Just made these for my husband for Father’s Day. I was nervous because I’ve never made ribs AND I’m new to using the Instant Pot. We ALL loved them, including my 13 year old daughter! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  9. Jeanne says

    April 15, 2018 at 3:46 pm

    First time making ribs of any kind-turned out awesome!!!!!!

    Reply
  10. Julie says

    March 13, 2018 at 4:08 pm

    Excellent ribs! Followed recipe exactly and it came out great. Don’t hesitate to try it.

    Reply
  11. Suz says

    February 15, 2018 at 1:03 pm

    Good recipe. I’ve also used Dr. Pepper for the liquid. Before I cut my ribs apart I pull the membrane off the underside by grabbing one end with a paper towel and carefully pulling.

    Reply
  12. Katie says

    February 12, 2018 at 6:15 pm

    If you cook two racks at the same time, do you have to increase the cooking time? 25 minutes was perfect for one rack!!

    Reply
    • Heather Cheney says

      February 16, 2018 at 10:45 am

      It depends on the size of your pressure cooker. If the racks can both fit in there easily and allow the heat to hit all sides of the ribs as it does with just one rack, the time shouldn’t change. But if they are really crammed in there, the heat won’t be able to penetrate the meat as easily and will need a longer cooking time. Hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Mary says

        July 2, 2018 at 11:00 am

        I had the same question. Has anyone tried 2 racks at one time? I make this often with one rack, but am cooking for a bigger crowd and wanted to try 2. I have the 8 qt pot.

        Reply
        • Laura L. Aubuchon says

          August 28, 2018 at 4:02 pm

          put them in a circle on inside he other and they cook just fine

          Reply
  13. Adam says

    January 26, 2018 at 1:39 pm

    Where is a beer only 11oz?!

    Reply
    • David Dreisbach says

      January 27, 2018 at 8:59 am

      Imported beers are commonly .33 liters which is 11.2 oz.

      Reply
      • anon says

        July 8, 2018 at 4:02 pm

        Anything over 11oz. is for the cook. 😉

        Reply
  14. Debby Gunn says

    January 11, 2018 at 6:14 pm

    This was my first attempt with the Instant Pot. I literally went from the initial water test to this. Amazing! I feel like I’ve discovered magic. That said, these ribs were fall-apart delicious. My husband, who prior to this told me I make the best (4 hour process) ribs he’s ever tried, told me he could eat these everyday. I’m sold. Consider me a Pothead! I used root beer with this recipe, btw.

    Reply
  15. Delilah says

    January 8, 2018 at 5:03 pm

    These were very good, however 25 min. was not enough cooking time. I used St. Louis ribs so that may have been the problem. They were done but still very tight on the bone even after broiling. Will let them go another 10-15 min next time.

    Reply
  16. Kristin Keber says

    January 1, 2018 at 12:04 pm

    I’m new to Instant Pot use, and this looks like a great first recipe! Are the ribs frozen or defrosted to start? I’ve heard frozen meat can go into the Instant Pot so eanted to clarify.

    Reply
    • Heather Cheney says

      January 2, 2018 at 8:59 am

      I prefer to use my meat defrosted. I haven’t ventured into frozen meat territory. 🙂

      Reply
      • LAura Rodich says

        March 22, 2018 at 5:54 am

        I would aKwaYS. Start with DEfROsTEd ribs…you are going for “tender” with ribs and my experience with the Instant pOt I said that froz n meats don’t tender up very well. pLUS, the SEASONING you are putting on them WONT STICK to frozen ribs.

        Reply
        • Laura Rodich says

          March 22, 2018 at 5:58 am

          Oops….Sorry for typos…”defrosted”

          Reply
  17. Benjamin Treckman says

    September 17, 2017 at 7:11 pm

    This worked great! I used St. Louis ribs and hard cider instead of beer/root beer because that’s what I had on hand (oh and no onion powder). I flipped my ribs in the broiler to get both sides done.

    Reply
  18. scott krause says

    September 15, 2017 at 2:28 pm

    Hi there, what kind of beer did you use?

    Reply
  19. Laura Rodich says

    August 26, 2017 at 5:31 pm

    Made these for the second time in just a few weeks. I will never fire up my smoker and tend it for 6 hours again! These are hard to tell from the slow-cooked variety. I have used beer both times but added 1/2 bottle of Liquid Smoke tonight. For the BBQ sauce topping I LOVE Stubbs “Sticky and Sweet’, with NO corn syrup or additives. My husband and I can easily put away a whole rack of these!

    Reply
  20. Christine @ myblissfulmess says

    May 21, 2017 at 11:27 am

    This is perfectly quick and simple. Exactly the way I like to keep things in my own kitchen. I can’t wait to try these ribs!! They look so amazing!

    Reply
  21. Kim says

    May 9, 2017 at 8:50 am

    Do you stand the ribs upright on the sides or lay flat down? With or without trivet? Thanks

    Reply
    • Victoria says

      May 25, 2018 at 10:59 am

      Hey Kim, when I watched the video I see she did NOT use a trivet and stacked the 3-rib portions on top of each other flat side down.

      Reply

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I'm a cheese popcorn junkie, pizza snob, purse hoarder and I once made Kenny Loggins a sandwich! Oh also, I kinda like food. Let's make something delicious together! Read More…

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