Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs

Instant Pot Ribs are so good! In about an hour, you get fall-off-the-bone ribs. Slather them with your favorite BBQ sauce or use my sweet-tangy recipe. This easy recipe is one you’ll use again and again.

So you want to make ribs in your Instant Pot? Excellent choice. In fact, years ago, after setting up my Instant Pot, ribs were the first thing I made. 

Odd choice, right? Looking back, I think so too. It was, maybe, the second time I’d ever made ribs. Thanks to beginners’ luck—and my special barbecue sauce—they came out great. 

Over time, I tweaked the recipe and, I have to say, you can make damn good ribs in the Instant Pot. 

Instant Pot Ribs: Step by Step

Step One: Buying the Ribs and Removing the Silverskin

At the store, look for racks of unseasoned baby back ribs that weigh about three pounds each. 

Remove the ribs from the package and dry them with a paper towel. 

After drying, place the ribs bone side up on your cutting board. There might be a thin membrane covering the ribs. This is the silverskin. It’s a membrane that gets tough during cooking. So we want to remove it.

Carefully slide the tip of a paring knife between the membrane and the meat. Wiggle it a little to loosen. Note: If this seems impossible, the membrane of your ribs was probably removed prior to purchase. 

Once you lift the silverskin away from the ribs, remove the knife. Then, slide your fingers under the membrane. It will be very slippery. I usually grip the silverskin with a paper towel. Pull the membrane away from the ribs. It usually comes off in one piece. If it tears, no problem. Just repeat as needed. 

Step Two: Make a Rib Rub

Stir together brown sugar, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. 

Sprinkle the spice rub on the ribs. Try to put a little more rub on the meaty side than the boney side.

Place the ribs on a pan. Cover the pan with foil and chill for four hours or up to 24. I like to do this the night before I plan on cooking.

If you’re doing this at the last minute, don’t skip the rub. It adds a nice flavor. Just coat the ribs and cook.

Step Three: Make the BBQ Sauce. (optional)

Let me say this: you can totally use your favorite brand of barbecue sauce for these ribs. But since ribs are a special occasion meal, I like to make my own for a simple reason: I like how it tastes. There’s just something about the combo of sautéed onions, ketchup, molasses, and a little apple cider vinegar that I adore. My not-to-sweet barbecue sauce takes about 20 minutes to make. (And most of that is unattended cooking time.)

Step Four: Cook in the Instant Pot

Remove the ribs from the refrigerator.

Whisk together the BBQ sauce and water. Place the ribs into the pot meat-side out. You can usually fit two racks of ribs into a 6-quart Instant Pot. If needed, cut the ribs in half to fit them into the pot.

For three pound racks of ribs, select a 25-minute manual cooking time. The pot takes about 15 minutes to reach pressure and about 20 minutes to release the pressure. Plan on about an hour per rack of ribs.

When the cooking time completes, it’s important to allow the pot to release pressure on its. When the cooking cycle ends, don’t do a thing. Just let the pot sit there for 20 minutes.

After it’s rested for 20 minutes, turn the pressure valve to release any remaining pressure. The ribs continue to cook during the “natural pressure release”.  If you rush this and do a quick release of the pressure by turning the valve as soon as the cooking time completes, the ribs can turn out tough. 

Take a fork and gently test the ribs for doneness. The meat should feel tender. If they’re tender, it’s time to broil them. If not, they need to cook a little more.

What to do if Instant Pot ribs are tough?

This recipe was designed for small baby back ribs. But sometimes even baby back ribs have more meat on them than others. If they’re on the large side or thick, they might come out of the pressure cooker tough. 

First, don’t panic. They simply need more time to cook. (It’s a good idea to start your ribs way before you want to serve them. It’s fine it they rest a bit before serving.) 

For tough ribs, place the lid back on the pot. If they seem almost tender but not quite done, program the cooking cycle for 5 minutes. And, again, allow for a 10 minutes natural release. 

For ribs that are very tough, program the cooking cycle for 10-12 minutes. When the cooking cycle completes, allow the pressure cooker to release pressure naturally. 

Step Four: Broiling the Ribs

Remove the ribs from the pressure cooker and place onto a foil-lined baking sheet. (The foil makes clean-up easy.) Brush on a generous amount of barbecue sauce and broil the ribs until the sauce bubbles, about five minutes. 

Broiling them heats up the sauce and allows it to brown－giving the ribs more flavor. 

If you don’t feel like broiling the ribs, that’s fine. While this step does add flavor, it’s not critical. The ribs are cooked and ready to serve. You can brush them with sauce and serve. Done! 

How to Keep the Ribs Warm Before Serving

If you’re making three or more racks of ribs, here’s how to keep them warm before serving.

Place them on a baking sheet. Cover tightly with foil and place into a 225℉ oven for up to two hours.

Recipe note: This recipe was originally shared in 2019. It was updated slightly in 2025.