Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs

Try this super easy Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs made in less than an hour! Super tender, juicy, and finger-lickin' good, perfect for barbeque parties or even just a simple dinner at home.

This Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs would definitely be your fast favorite once you see how incredibly amazing it turns out with very little work on your part.

Unlike the traditional way of cooking ribs, which takes hours and requires constant attention, this Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs recipe is relatively faster and hands-free. Not only does the Instant Pot make the ribs tender in no time at all, it also locks in the moisture of the ribs which makes it oh so juicy!

How to Prepare Baby Back Ribs?

Do you see the white membrane on the bone side of the rack of ribs? That is what you call silverskin.

You would want to remove that first before seasoning or cooking the ribs. If not taken off, the silverskin would be leathery and tough when cooked and it will also prevent the flavors from penetrating the meat from this side.

To remove it, simply look for an opening and run a blunt knife like a butter knife under the skin then lift to loosen and separate it from the meat.

Next, you would want to grab a paper towel (to have a better grip) and pull the silverskin from the meat. That's it and now you're ribs are all set and ready to be seasoned.

What You'll Need

You would need the following to cook this tender and juicy Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs:

Baby Back Ribs - these are the upper ribs that are beneath the loin muscle and are curved where it meets the spine. They are called "baby" because they are shorter compared to the spare ribs. Try to find baby back ribs with even thickness all throughout the rack.

Brown Sugar - The distinctive brown color of the brown sugar is due to the presence of molasses. It is added to the meat rub to accelerate the browning of the skin. Muscovado sugar can be an alternative to brown sugar.

Beer - it helps tenderize the meat and gives it a rich and earthy flavor to the baby back ribs. Any beer works well for this recipe. You could use water as a substitute if you do not prefer beer.

Aromatics and Spices - the basic salt, pepper, onion, and garlic are all you need for this recipe.

Liquid Smoke (optional) - a few drops of this will do wonders and your ribs would have that "cooked outdoors smokey flavor".

Barbecue Sauce - you could use any barbecue sauce of your choice, homemade or store-bought.

Tips for Cooking Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs

• If you want the fall-off-the-bone experience on your ribs, add 10 minutes to the cooking time in the Instant Pot.
• Use the trivet or rack to keep the ribs out of the liquid. If you don’t have a trivet, you can ball up some aluminum foil and make a rack of some sort to keep the ribs elevated from the liquid.
• If an oven is not available, you can finish off your ribs using an Air Fryer. Just preheat the Airfryer to 400°F and cook for about 5-8 minutes on each side or until beautifully caramelized. You can open the air fryer and check the progress.

Serve and Store

Chop your Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs to finger-licking serving sizes. Serve with a complimentary side dish like mashed potatoes, fries, roasted baby potatoes, or fresh green salad.

Store leftovers in an air-tight container or a Ziplock bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. When reheating, the internal temperature should at least be 145 °F to kill off any lingering bacteria.

Try this foolproof, easy, and less-fuss Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs recipe and we guarantee it will knock your socks right off!

Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs

Super easy Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs made in less than an hour! Super tender, juicy and finger lickin’ good, perfect for indoor barbeque parties or even just a simple dinner at home.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baby back ribs, bbq ribs, instant pot baby back ribs, instant pot pork ribs, instant pot ribs recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Oven Grilling: 15 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Oven

Ingredients

• 2 racks baby back ribs silverskin removed
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar or muscovado
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 head garlic cut across into half
• 1 medium onion peeled & cut into 4 rings
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 can beer
• liquid smoke optional
• barbecue sauce of your choice

Instructions

• Rub each baby back ribs rack with salt, sugar and ground pepper.
• Arrange garlic and onions on the bottom of the Instant Pot. Put 2-3 drops of liquid smoke (if using any).
• Place the trivet or rack into the pot then place baby back ribs on top of the trivet, bone side out, in a circle.
• Drizzle ribs with soy sauce and pour beer over the ribs.
• Cover and seal the lid of the Instant Pot.
• Select manual setting and cook on high pressure for about 25 minutes. Allow the steam to naturally release for about 10 minutes and then quick release.
• Preheat oven at 170°C/340°F while baby back ribs are cooking in the Instant Pot.
• Once cooking is done on the Instant Pot, carefully remove the ribs and transfer to a grill rack, bone side up. Brush with barbecue sauce.
• Grill about 10 minutes. Flip ribs over, brush with sauce and grill for another 5 minutes. Serve while hot and enjoy!

Video

Notes

If you want the fall-off-the-bone experience on your ribs, add 10 minutes to the cooking time in the Instant Pot. 

About the Author

Drey loves food and likes trying new things! She has been working with food bloggers providing recipe video content for years.