Succulent and absolutely dripping with flavor, our easy Instant Pot rib recipe yields perfectly tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs in under an hour. That’s Instant Pot magic right there.
The Best Instant Pot Rib Recipe, Ever
Whether you’re making beef short ribs, baby back ribs, or St. Louis-style ribs, this Instant Pot rib recipe is all-purpose! You can easily adapt the method we use to suit any rib you have or especially love. The secret is to utilize the Instant Pot to tenderize the beef or pork ribs quickly, and then, once they’re falling off the bone, finish them with a quick broil in the oven to create the crispy, caramelized outer bits that we all love so much. Grab a bunch of napkins, and get ready for a rib-eating bonanza!
The Best Instant Pot Rib Sauce
While some swear by a dry rub, we’re all about a saucey rib!
- Fresh ginger and garlic
- Brown sugar
- Honey
- Fresh lime juice
- Sambal oelek or other similar chili paste
- Tamari, soy sauce or coconut aminostw
- Olive oil
- Shallot
How Many Ribs Can Fit in an Instant Pot?
This will depend somewhat on the type of rib you use. Our favorite is the lean, mean baby back rib, which is cut from the spine of a pig, near the loin. These ribs are just so tender and they’re our go-to. Four pounds of baby back ribs equals roughly 14 ribs, and that fits comfortably into a standard Instant Pot.
How to Cook Ribs in Instant Pot
You’re hungry for ribs! You’ve got an Instant Pot! Let’s do this:
- Make the rib sauce: combine the ginger, garlic, brown sugar, honey, lime juice, chili paste and tamari.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode, and cook the shallots in oil until they’re just softened.
- Stand the ribs up around the edge of the Instant Pot.
- Pour the rib sauce over the ribs.
- Seal the Instant Pot with the lid, and cook the ribs for the appropriate number of minutes, depending on which type of rib you’re cooking (see the notes at the bottom of the recipe for cooking times).
- Let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes.
- Put the ribs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Put the Instant Pot back into sauté mode and boil the sauce until it has reduced by half.
- Brush the concentrated sauce all over the ribs.
- Broil the ribs on high for about 3-4 minute, then flip them, brush with more sauce and give them another 3-4 minutes.
- And you’re done!! Garnish with fresh cilantro and crushed peanuts and tuck in!
How Long to Cook Ribs in the Instant Pot
Our Instant Pot ribs recipe works for both beef ribs and pork ribs! You’ll just want to take note of the slightly different cooking times. We tested it with:
- Baby back ribs: 30 minutes under pressure
- St. Louis-style ribs: 32 minutes under pressure
- Beef short ribs: 38 minutes under pressure
- Beef short back ribs: 35 minutes under pressure
Tools You’ll Need:
- Instant Pot
- Tongs are handy
- Mixing bowl
- Sharp knife
- Whisk
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
