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–+ servings
bowl of cooked pork ribs topped with fresh chopped parsley

INSTANT POT BABY BACK RIBS

These Ribs in the Instant Pot are tender, juicy and fall-off-the-bone delicious. They taste like something out of a restaurant and you’d never guess just how simple they are to make.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

FOR THE INSTANT POT PORK RIBS

  • 1-2 racks (~3 pounds) Pork Ribs
  • 1 cup Water
  • Homemade Dry Rub (as much as it takes!)

FOR THE HOMEMADE DRY RUB (SEE NOTES)

  • ¼ cup Brown Sugar
  • ¼ cup Smoked Paprika
  • 2 tbsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Onion Powder
  • 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
  • 1 tsp Dry Mustard Powder
  • 1 tsp Chipotle
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper

Instructions

  • In a wide mouth glass jar with a tight fitting lid, add the dry rub ingredients.
    jar with layered spices
  • Close the lid and shake vigorously. Alternatively, mix them in a bowl until well combined.
    hand holding a jar of dry rub
  • Remove the membrane (or silverskin) from the underside (back) of the rack of ribs. To do this, turn the ribs over with the bone/rack side facing up. Slide a butter knife underneath the white layer of skin at one end of the rack and wiggle it around to loosen/separate it from the bone.
    hand holding up the top of a rack of ribs to the camera showcasing a piece of the membrane lifted up
  • Grab a firm grip of it using a paper towel or cloth and pull the silverskin all the way down and off the entire rack. It should tear and remove pretty easily. If it breaks at any time, simply get another grip and pull until the entire membrane is removed.
    hand pulling the membrane off the back of a rack of pork ribs
  • GENEROUSLY season both sides of the ribs with as much of the homemade dry rub as needed to completely cover the ribs. Make sure you coat them evenly and don't leave any spots unseasoned! Use your hands/fingers to rub the seasonings into the meat.
    two seasoned racks of ribs on a cutting board
  • Add the water to the Instant Pot along with the metal trivet.
    instant pot with water and trivet inside
  • Make a ring with the ribs and place them on top of the trivet. Try not to overlap but if you absolutely can't avoid this then don't worry too much - try to position them in such a way where they overlap as little as possible.
    instant pot with two coiled racks of ribs
  • Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the knob to "seal". Press "Pressure Cook" and manually adjust the time to 30 minutes. It'll take a few minutes to come to pressure and begin the countdown. When it beeps, immediately release the pressure by turning the knob to the venting position.
    instant pot with two rack of ribs in a coil
  • Using tongs, carefully lift the racks of ribs from the Instant Pot to a parchment or foil lined baking sheet and place them down meaty side up. They're super tender and WILL fall apart if not handled with care. Generously re-season with more dry rub all across the tops.
    foil lined sheet pan with two racks of seasoned pork ribs
  • Place under the broiler in the oven for 5-10 minutes (keeping a close eye to ensure they don't burn) or until the spice rub caramelizes and the outer parts become crisp.
    Two cooked racks of ribs on a foil lined baking sheet
  • Remove from the oven and let stand 5-10 minutes on a cutting board before slicing. Enjoy!
    cutting board with cooked cut up rack of ribs

Notes

This recipe will likely make more dry rub than required for the ribs - depending on how many ribs you have. Store it in a jar with a tight fitting lid for up to 4 months and use it on anything from chicken and beef to potatoes and veggies.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 0.2mg | Sodium: 3505mg | Potassium: 265mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 4189IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2mg
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