These Instant Pot Beef Ribs are cooked to tender in the Instant Pot in just 25 minutes, then slathered in BBQ sauce for a tasty and satisfying meal.
» You might also like Instant Pot Beef Stew.
These ribs are juicy, flavorful, and fall-off-the-bone tender, thanks to the magic of pressure cooking. And the best part? This recipe is incredibly easy to make, even if you’re not an experienced cook. The preparation time is minimal, and once you’ve added the ribs to the Instant Pot, you can simply set it and forget it.
You can customize the rub to your liking, adding more or less of the various ingredients to suit your taste. You can also adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of your ribs, ensuring that they are cooked to perfection every time.
Cooking ribs in an Instant Pot is a great way to save time and energy. Traditional methods of cooking ribs, such as grilling or baking in the oven, can take hours. With the Instant Pot, you can have delicious, fall-off-the-bone ribs in a fraction of the time, without sacrificing any flavor or tenderness.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Beef Rib Rack – Beef ribs come in many different sizes and styles. No matter what you get, it will work with this recipe. Just make sure to remove the membrane on the back of the ribs, if it’s still on.
- Seasoning – We make a dry rub with paprika, brown sugar, salt, freshly ground black pepper, chili powder, garlic, and onion powders. You can also use a different dry rub that you like.
- Water – Make sure the water is cold.
- BBQ Sauce – Use any BBQ sauce you like. We use Sweet Baby Ray’s.
Equipment Needed
- Instant Pot – I use a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo Plus to make all of my recipes, but you can use any size or brand of electric pressure cooker. If you’re using an 8-quart pot, you will need to adjust the amount of liquid accordingly, as it requires more water to build steam.
How to Make Instant Pot Beef Ribs
Mix together all of the seasonings in a small bowl. Sprinkle it evenly over the ribs and pat it so it sticks to the meat. You can leave the meat to marinate in the rub for 15-20 minutes before cooking, if you want to infuse a bit more flavor.
Pour the water into the Instant Pot. It’s best to use cold water so it takes longer for the pressure to build. Set the ribs inside the Instant Pot. Close and lock the lid.
Set to cook for 25 minutes on high pressure, then allow a natural release of pressure. This should take about 10 minutes.
Open the lid and remove the ribs from the pot. Glaze them with BBQ sauce. You can serve them as is, or you can broil in the oven or air fryer to get a little bit of char, if desired. Serve them piping hot.
Broiling the Ribs
I like to broil the ribs as soon as they come out of the Instant Pot. Brush them with a generous amount of BBQ sauce and put them under the broiler for about 3-5 minutes.
For doing this, I use my Ninja Smart Double Oven. This oven is amazing. The broil function works perfectly for bubbling up the BBQ sauce and giving a little char to the top of the ribs.
Additional Helpful Tips
- To save time, you can prepare the rub and let the ribs with the rub on overnight in the refrigerator.
- After removing the ribs from the Instant Pot, brush them with your favorite BBQ sauce and broil them in the oven for a few minutes to create a crispy, caramelized crust. Yum!
- Don’t overcrowd the Instant Pot when cooking the ribs to ensure they cook evenly and the pressure can build properly. Don’t stack them higher than the Max fill line.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment with different spices and flavors to create your own unique marinade recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen beef ribs in the Instant Pot?
Yes, you can use frozen beef ribs, but you will need to increase the cooking time by 5-10 minutes to ensure they are fully cooked.
How many beef ribs can I cook in an Instant Pot?
The number of beef ribs you can cook in an Instant Pot will depend on the size of your Instant Pot. As a general rule, you can fit 3-4 pounds of ribs in a 6-quart Instant Pot and 4-5 pounds in an 8-quart Instant Pot. Don’t fill it past the max fill line.
How do I store leftover Instant Pot Beef Ribs?
Leftover ribs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve them again, you can reheat them in the Instant Pot for 0 minutes on high pressure, or warm them in the microwave or air fryer.
Can I adjust the amount of spices in the rub to suit my taste?
Yes, you can adjust the amount of spices in the marinade to your liking, adding more or less depending on your preference. It’s not meant to be especially hot. If you want more heat, make sure the chili powder you use is hot, or add cayenne pepper instead.
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Instant Pot Beef Ribs
Note: Made in a 6-qt Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 beef rib rack membrane removed
- 1/2 tablespoon (3.5 g) paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon (6 g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoons (6 g) salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) chili powder mild
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.75 g) garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) onion powder
- 1 cup (237 ml) cold water
- 1/2 cup (118 ml) BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Mix together all seasonings in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the ribs and pat it so it sticks to the meat.
- Pour the water into the Instant Pot. Set the ribs inside. Close and lock the lid. Set to cook for 25 minutes on high pressure, then allow a natural release of pressure.
- Open the lid and remove the ribs from the pot. Glaze with BBQ sauce. Broil in the oven to get a char, if desired. Serve hot.
Nutrition
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Laura is a passionate home cook and the owner of A Pressure Cooker Kitchen. She is dedicated to helping people create delicious Instant Pot meals with ease. Laura is an expert at developing recipes that can be prepared quickly and easily using a pressure cooker.