Description
Tender, fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs made in the Instant Pot in under an hour. A simple brown sugar dry rub and a quick broil at the end give you that caramelized, rib-joint finish at home, no smoker required.
Ingredients
- 1 slab pork baby back ribs (1.5 to 2.5 lbs)
- 2 tbs brown sugar (light or dark)
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground mustard
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- BBQ sauce (about ⅓ cup of your favorite brand)
Instructions
- Remove the membrane. Flip the ribs bone-side up, slide a butter knife under the thin membrane to loosen it, then grip it with a paper towel and peel it away.
- Season the ribs. In a small bowl, whisk together all the dry rub ingredients, then rub the mixture into the ribs on all sides, top, bottom, and edges.
- Add the liquid. Set the trivet in the Instant Pot and add the chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke.
- Load and cook. Stand the ribs on their side on the trivet, curling them around the inside of the pot with the meaty side facing out. Lock on the lid, close the vent, and pressure cook (manual on some models) for 28 minutes.
- Release the pressure. When the timer ends, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure.
- Transfer the ribs. Remove the lid and use tongs to move the ribs to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
- Sauce and broil. Brush the ribs all over with your favorite BBQ sauce, then broil for about 5 minutes, until the sauce caramelizes with a little char.
Notes
- Remove the membrane first. It never softens, so leaving it on makes the ribs tough and blocks the rub.
- Smaller slabs win. Racks under 2 lbs pressure cook up more tender and juicy than larger ones.
- Dial in the texture. 25 minutes leaves a slight pull, 30 minutes goes fully fall-off-the-bone, and 28 is the happy medium.
- The ribs sit above the liquid. They cook on the trivet and steam, so there is no need to cover the meat.
- Don’t skip the broiler. Five minutes caramelizes the sauce and adds that charred finish. No broiler works too: use the air fryer or a hot grill until the sauce caramelizes.
- Cooking two slabs. Double the rub and fit both in a 6-quart pot. No change to the liquid or cook time.
- Liquid smoke swap. No liquid smoke? Use a smoky or hickory BBQ sauce at the end to get some of that flavor back.
- Storing leftovers. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat gently, covered, so they stay moist.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 28 min
- Category: BBQ
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American