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Home » Recipes » Instant Pot

Instant Pot Ribs

Published: Dec 8, 2020 · Modified: Mar 10, 2023 by Ginny · This post may contain affiliate links.

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If you’ve never had Instant Pot Ribs, you’re in for a real treat. This will be your go to recipe. They’re so tender and juicy; they just melt in your mouth. Fall off the bone ribs, that are packed full of flavor.

Ribs on top of pile of mashed potatoes with BBQ sauce and the instant pot in the background
Mouth-Watering Instant Pot Ribs!
Contents hide
1 Why This Recipe Works
2 🥩 Ingredients
3 🍽️ Detailed Instructions
4 ⏲️ Meal Prep Instructions
5 🍴 Variations
6 📌 Tips
7 Recipe FAQs
8 Instant Pot Ribs on Garlic Mashed Potatoes

This pressure cooker ribs recipe takes under an hour start to finish! Talk about an incredible recipe you can make any night of the week.

You can use baby back ribs or spare ribs. Plus what sets this recipe apart from others is the homemade dry rub you will slather all over your ribs.

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Why This Recipe Works

Quick Cook Time | When you compare making ribs on the grill or even in the oven, you will find pressure cooker ribs help to shave off time! You won’t lack on flavor or texture by reaching for your Instant Pot.

Fall Off The Bone Tender | Nothing is worse than eating ribs that are tough and chewy. With this recipe, the ribs literally fall off the bone! The texture of the ribs is exactly what you want.

Easy Prep | One reason I always reach for my Instant Pot is how easy it is. You get that hands off approach just as if you were tossing them in the oven to bake.

🥩 Ingredients 

ingredients for the baby back pork ribs and the sauce
Simple Ingredients for the Ribs

Ribs – For this recipe, we are using baby back ribs which are coming from the higher portion of the back of the pig. You can also use spare ribs which come from the lower part of the back.

The spare ribs are the most common ones seen at the grocery store. Both of these will fit perfectly in the Instant Pot. 

Red Wine Vinegar – Wine vinegars are fermented wines that allow you to up the flavor with no additional calories or fat. You can always use a wine white vinegar as a substitute here. 

Honey BBQ Sauce – This adds a bit more sweetness to the ribs versus a traditional BBQ sauce. By all means, use your favorite!

ingredients for the mashed potatoes on a small sheet pan
Garlic Mashed Potatoes – Yum!

🍽️  Detailed Instructions

This is one of those meals that you won’t soon forget. Incredibly, you can make ribs in your Instant Pot, and it’s genuinely so easy. Take a look at these simple directions:

Step One: Create a rub by mixing together the brown sugar, garlic salt, seasoned salt, seasoned pepper, onion powder, chili powder, ground mustard, cumin, Italian seasoning, and paprika in a small bowl. Combine well. 

This is your homemade dry rub that you will slather on ribs. You can opt for a store bought mix, but I promise this rub is worth the couple of minutes it takes to mix together.

Step Two: Remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs by grabbing one corner and pulling it off. It should come off as one single sheet.

spreading dry rub on the ribs on a sheet pan
Add the Dry Rub

You need to remove the white membrane or it will cause your ribs to be chewy. Here is a YouTube tutorial on exactly how to prep pork ribs, if you need more guidance.

top down view inside the instant pot with a rack of ribs curled into a circle with the trivet underneath
Curl the Ribs to Fit Inside the Pressure Cooker

Step Three: Add the rub to both sides of the ribs. Use your hands and make sure to get a nice even coating. 

Pour in the chicken broth and red wine vinegar in the Instant Pot. Add the metal trivet to the pressure cooker and add in the ribs. Bend the ribs to follow the shape of the Instant Pot and form a circle.

Then, add the lid to the pressure cooker and make sure the valve is in the sealing position. Cook on MANUAL for 25 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.

Allowing a natural release will give the ribs the best flavor and texture possible. Remove the lid once all the pressure has been released, and the float valve is in the down position. 

Step Four: Line a baking dish with heavy aluminum foil. Place the ribs on the dish and add the barbecue sauce.

Coat them well and broil for 5-6 minutes or until the ribs are caramelized. Take the ribs out of the oven and add some more sauce. 

cooked ribs with BBQ sauce on a foil lined sheet pan after being removed from the broiler
Broil the Ribs After Cooking in the Pressure Cooker

Step Five: While the ribs are cooking, prepare the garlic mashed potatoes. Peel 3-4 pounds of white potatoes and chop them into pieces. Put the potatoes in a roaster pan and add cold water.

Sprinkle in two tablespoons of salt. Cook on high and boil for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. 

three steps to make mashed potatoes including peeling & chopping, boiling and then mashing
Simple Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Step Six: Drain all but ¼ of the water from the potatoes. Leave the potatoes in the pan, then mash them with a potato masher.

Add a stick of butter, one tablespoon of minced garlic, ½ cup of heavy cream, one tablespoon of coarse ground garlic salt, and one teaspoon of coarse ground black pepper.

Stir the garlic mashed potatoes well and keep them on low. Keep them covered until you are ready to serve. 

Step Seven: Add the ribs on top of the mashed potatoes. Serve with some homemade breadsticks and some of your favorite barbecue sauce. Enjoy hot! 

⏲️ Meal Prep Instructions

If you are meal prepping, prepare the seasoning ahead of time. Keep it in a sealed jar for several weeks. 

The night before cooking, add the seasoning to the ribs and keep them refrigerated. This will save you time to prepare the meal. 

Another option is to cook the ribs and mashed potatoes the day before. Then, save them both in the fridge for up to four days.

Reheat by covering with a paper towel and warming in the microwave. It’s that easy! I do this a lot on Sundays when I know that work and school will make my evenings challenging.

Ribs on top of pile of mashed potatoes with BBQ sauce and the instant pot in the background
Mouth-Watering Instant Pot Ribs!

🍴 Variations 

Easily make a few variations to this recipe to change up the flavor completely. 

  • Use a jar all purpose rub that you love in place of this one. 
  • Use your own BBQ sauce or buy your favorite jarred sauce.  
  • Leave out the BBQ sauce altogether. Some people don’t love the sauce on ribs. 
  • Skip the garlic mashed potatoes and serve this with potato salad or baked potatoes. 

📌 Tips

After you learn how to make ribs in the Instant Pot, it will become a favorite, especially during those cold winter months when you don’t want to spend time at the grill.

Here are a few tips for cooking ribs in the pressure cooker to give you the best results. 

  • Don’t put too many ribs in the Instant Pot. It’s important not to put more than two racks of ribs in the pot at a time. Any more than that and they won’t be able to cook properly. If you need to make a lot, then work in batches or get a second Instant Pot. We all need a second one at some point, right?
  • It’s important to put in the trivet in the bottom of the pot. If you skip this step there is a strong chance that the ribs will burn to the bottom of the pot. Then you will end up with a burnt mess. Let’s not ask me how I learned that lesson, ok?  
  • Don’t skip out on broiling. The pressure cooker will make them tender and juicy, but broiling them will give them that caramelized deliciousness we all crave! 
plate with ribs, mashed potatoes and garlic bread with the instant pot
A Fast and Hearty Meal Made with the Instant Pot

Recipe FAQs

How Long Does It Take To Cook Ribs In Instant Pot?

For this recipe, you will cook your pork ribs for 25 minutes, with a natural release of pressure. Then I tossed the ribs in the oven to broil to give it that sticky rib texture.

Do You Quick Release Ribs In The Instant Pot

Ribs need to have a natural release of pressure, instead of a quick release. If you quick release your ribs, you will find they become tough and chewy. So allowing the pressure to naturally release is a must.

What Size Of Instant Pot Do I Need To Cook Ribs?

You need to have a 6 quart or larger Instant Pot to be able to fit your ribs in the Instant Pot properly. Smaller pots like the 3 quart are just too small in size.

Related Recipes: 

  • After cooking and cooling, peel the hard outer layer of the beef tongue to get to the tender meat inside
    Instant Pot Beef Tongue – Lengua
  • Slice of Lemon Bundt Cake with thick icing and a slice of lemon on a white plate with the instant pot in the background
    Instant Pot Lemon Bundt Cake
  • Bowl of squash soup with two apples and the instant pot
    Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
  • Top down view of a white bowl with the delicious chicken soup filled with carrots and noodles
    Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!

Ribs on top of pile of mashed potatoes with BBQ sauce and the instant pot in the background

Instant Pot Ribs on Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These Instant Pot Ribs are so tender and juicy that they just melt in your mouth.  The flavors are so good you'll be adding this to your favorite recipes.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 697kcal
Author: Ginny

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs Ribs 2 racks of Baby Back or Spare Ribs
  • 2 cups Chicken Broth
  • 1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • 2 cups Honey BBQ Sauce

Rub

  • 2 tbs Brown Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Salt
  • 1 tbsp Seasoned Salt
  • 1 tbsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 tbsp Ground Mustard
  • 1 tbsp Paprika
  • 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 tsp Ground Cumin

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

  • 3 lbs White Potatoes cut into chunks
  • 1 stick Butter
  • 1 tbsp Garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream can use half and half
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Salt
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper coarse ground

Instructions

Prepare the Rub

  • Combine the brown sugar, garlic salt, seasoned salt, seasoned pepper, onion powder, chili powder, ground mustard, paprika, Italian seasoning, and cumin, in a small bowl, and stir well to mix.

Prepare the Ribs

  • Make sure the membrane on the underside of the ribs has been removed (if it hasn't, grab hold of one corner, and pull it the entire length of the ribs). Season the ribs with the rub on both sides.
  • Add the chicken broth, and red wine vinegar to the Instant pot.  Place the metal trivet in the Instant Pot, and place the ribs on the trivet.
    top down view inside the instant pot with a rack of ribs curled into a circle with the trivet underneath
  • Place the lid on the Instant Pot, making sure that the pressure valve is set to SEALING.  Press the MANUAL button, and set the time to 25 minutes.
  • When the ribs are done, the Instant Pot will beep, and go to the OFF reading.  Let the Instant Pot release the pressure naturally.  This will infuse all the flavors, and make the ribs really tender. Once the FLOAT VALVE is down, and all the pressure has been released, remove the lid from the Instant Pot, and set aside.  
  • Double line a sheet pan with heavy foil and carefully add the ribs on top.  Brush barbecue sauce on the slabs of ribs, completely coating them.  Place the dish in the oven on BROIL, for about 5 – 6 minutes, or until the ribs have turned golden brown and caramelized.  Remove the ribs, and brush with additional sauce.  
    cooked ribs with BBQ sauce on a foil lined sheet pan after being removed from the broiler

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

  • While the ribs are cooking in the Instant Pot, peel 3 – 4 pounds of white potatoes, and cut them in chunks.  Place the potatoes in a large roaster, and cover them with cold water, and about 2 tablespoons of salt.  Turn the burner on high, and boil the potatoes until done – about 15 – 20 minutes. 
  • When the potatoes are done, pour off all but about 1/4 of the water, and leave the potatoes in the pan.  
  • Mash the potatoes with a potato masher, and add one stick of butter, one tablespoon of minced garlic, 1/2 cup of heavy cream (or half n half), one tablespoon of garlic salt, and one teaspoon of coarse ground black pepper to the potatoes.
  • Stir well to combine and keep warm on the lowest setting on the stove. Keep the mashed potatoes covered.
  • Serve the ribs over the mashed potatoes with garlic toast and a little extra barbecue sauce on the side. Enjoy!
    Ribs on top of pile of mashed potatoes with BBQ sauce and the instant pot in the background

Notes

Use either Spare Ribs or Baby Back Ribs.  Thanks to the high pressure of the Instant Pot, the ribs will become extremely tender.
You can use a different dry rub mix if you would like. I find the homemade dry rub helps add so much flavor to these pork ribs. 
Don’t skip the broiling step.  This adds so much flavor through the caramelization process.
Make sure you prep your ribs before you season and pressure cook. This is a step you don’t want to skip as it is needed for fall off the bone tender ribs. 
Make sure your seal is in place and your Instant Pot valve is set to sealing when you start to pressure cook. Otherwise steam will release as it cooks, and it will affect the texture of the ribs. 
You can make more ribs, just as long as they fit in the pressure cooker properly, without overcrowding. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 697kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 1908mg | Potassium: 850mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 763IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @savorandsavvy or tag #savorandsavvy!

Instant Pot Ribs
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About Ginny

Hi! My name is Ginny and I know how busy life can be! I am a mom working hard to prepare healthy meals for my family that is always on the go!

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Family Photo Hi! I'm Ginny and for over 30 years, I've been creating simple and easy recipes without sacrificing on taste for our family on the go. I can't wait to show you how to do the same for your family. Read More...

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