Are you looking for some fall off the bone delicious ribs? This Instant Pot Ribs recipe is not only going to be a hit with your family members, but all your friends are going to want to know what you do!

I love a good rack of ribs. Smoked all day to fall of the bone perfection is my favorite way to eat them. But sometimes I don’t have all day but I still want ribs! Now I can make them in under 30 minutes in my Instant Pot!

Are Instant Pot Ribs Good?

Heck, yes!! They are finger lickin’ good and you will wonder why you ever did it the old way. With your Instant Pot, your ribs are so tender, juicy, and literally almost fall right off the bone when you’re done. I’ll never go back to boiling or crock pot cooking ever again. Don’t believe me? Try it out for yourself!

Instant Pot Ribs Ingredients

When it comes to make finger licking’ good rips in your Instant Pot, you really don’t need much. Here are the ingredients I use when I make this as my main dish:

• A rack of pork ribs
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup of water
• 3 tablespoons of apple juice
• 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce plus more for serving

What Kind of BBQ Sauce is Best?

When it comes to ribs, choose the BBQ sauce you like. I personally like to either use Oven Pit Barbecue, Honey or Sweet Baby Rays Honey Barbecue Sauce. But, I have kids that have a little bit of a sweet tooth, so the extra honey flavor is just what they like.

How to Make Ribs in the Instant Pot

Once you have all your ingredients gathered, this recipe is as easy as can be.

Step 1: Remove the membrane from your ribs

Step 2: Rub your ribs with all the spices

Step 3: Then, put your trivet in the bottom and pour in the water and apple juice.

Step 4: Next, wrap the ribs around the pot inside your inner pot.

Step 5: Brush with BBQ sauce of your choice.

Step 6: Cook your ribs on manual pressure for 20-minutes. Let your Instant Pot naturally release.

*Optional, but highly recommended: Carefully remove the cooked ribs and place them on a baking sheet. Brush on more BBQ sauce and broil for a couple minutes to crisp up.*

Do I have to Remove the Membrane?

You don’t necessarily have to remove the membrane, but for best results, you will want to. If you leave it attached, it will result in less flavorful and tougher ribs. Additionally, it can cause a barrier between your ribs and the seasonings you rub on it. Thus, it prevents the flavor from penetrating the meat.

What is the Membrane?

The membrane which is called peritoneum is a piece of tissue that is attached to the underside of the pork ribs. Unlike the other tissue in-between the ribs, it does not soften as it is cooked. So, if you don’t remove it, your meat may come out tough and chewy like a sheet of plastic.

How to Remove the Membrane

Whether you are removing it from spare ribs or baby back rips, it only takes a few minutes to remove the membrane. The membrane will look white compared to the rest of the meat and is found on the bottom of the ribs (not the meaty part). Here is how you do it:

1. Flip the ribs over so they are curved towards you and the meaty part of the ribs is on the bottom.
2. Pull up a corner of the membrane at one edge. You should be able to slide a knife under it easily to get it started.
3. Once you have gotten it started, get a could grab on it and pull the rest off of the slab.

The membrane is the only part of the ribs that can be easily separated so don’t worry about pulling off the wrong thing.

How to cook Frozen Ribs

When it comes to cooking pork, you want to make sure that it is cooked all the way through. This means that if you are cooking from frozen, you may want to cook it a little longer to make sure it is fully done and tender.

Many people have said you only have to increase time with chicken, but I have found that when cooking from frozen, my meats sometimes need a little more time.

To cook your ribs from frozen, I would suggest following the above directions, but adding an additional 5-minutes. So, instead of 20-minutes manual pressure, you would do 25-minutes manual pressure with a natural release.

How to Store Leftovers

I am not real sure there will be many leftovers. I mean these ribs should be called vanishing ribs, but if you do have leftovers, you can store them in your fridge for 2-3 days. Put them in a ziplock bag or a plastic container.

Keep in mind they may be a little dry when you warm them up. To warm up ribs, brush on some more BBQ sauce first or some butter to keep them from drying out in the microwave.

Side Dishes to Make

Well, you could just eat ribs for dinner, but if you are like me, you like to have something else to go with them. Here are some sides you can make in your Instant Pot as well:

• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese– This is a great one if you are feeding the kids.
• Baked Potatoes– This go perfectly with the meat and potatoes type.
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes– Or, you can have them mashed instead of baked.
• Corn on the Cob– Corn on the cob goes great as a side especially if you grilled it to crisp it up.
• Garlic Parmesan Noodles– Pasta is always a great side dish.

Don’t have time to make this recipe now? Pin it to Pinterest so you can find it later!