Instant Pot Country Pork Ribs

Easy Instant Pot [paid link] Country Pork Ribs are fall off the bone tender and ready in just 45-minutes.

A pinnable image of Instant Pot Country Pork Ribs

One of the most popular recipes on the blog is my Oven Baked Country-Style Pork Ribs. They are fall-off-the-bone-tender and really are a crowd pleaser, but with the 3-hour cook time, they just aren’t an option for a typical weeknight meal. Today, I’m sharing with you an adaptation of those ribs made in my Instant Pot [paid link]; Instant Pot Pork Ribs.

Instant Pot Country Pork Ribs on a dark slate board sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley for garnish.

I give the ribs layers of flavors, by first seasoning them with my homemade Sweet BBQ Dry Rub. I then like to use the saute setting and give the ribs a quick sear on all sides. It doesn’t take long and you can totally skip that step if you are pressed for time. I find the browned meat more visually appealing in the end product than simply going straight to the pressure cycle. However, you can skip this step, if you prefer. I brown the ribs in two batches removing the first batch to a plate while I quickly brown the second batch.

Then it’s everyone in the pool for the pressure cycle. Per the user manual, the Instant Pot requires a minimum amount of liquid in order to operate the pressure cycle. So I add some beef stock and some of my homemade Basic BBQ Sauce for another layer of flavor. I then arrange the ribs in a layer around the bottom of the pan. Three pounds is a tight fit for the 6-qt Instant Pot [paid link], but it’s manageable. I managed this by arranging them on their sides (fat side down). Cover and cook on high pressure for 45-minutes.

A close-up photo of Instant Pot Country Pork Ribs in a dark slate tile. A pastry brush covered with BBQ sauce sits in the foreground.

Once the pressure cooking cycle is finished and the pressure has been released using the natural release (15-minute slow release method) for meats – a quick release causes the meat to be tough.  I then remove the ribs from the Instant pot to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet [paid link].

At this point, you have two options; sauce them as they are or caramelize the sauce under the broiler. I like my sauce caramelized so a quick 5-minute trip under the broiler and dinner is served. While the ribs are caramelizing in the oven, I steam my vegetables.

I typically serve this meal with steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes but steamed rice, egg noodles, or polenta are also perfect accompaniments to this easy dinner.

a close-up photo of an instant pot country pork rib covered in bbq sauce.
Easy Instant Pot Pork Ribs are fall off the bone tender and ready in just 45 minutes.#InstantPot #Pork #Ribs #Recipes #KitchenDreaming

Instant Pot Country Style Pork Ribs

Ronda Eagle | Kitchen Dreaming
Easy Instant Pot Pork Ribs are fall of the bone tender and ready in just 45 minutes.
5 from 7 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 272 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 pounds country style pork ribs
  • 2 tablespoons Sweet BBQ Dry Rub [See Note 2]
  • 1/2 cup water or beef stock
  • 1 cup your favorite BBQ sauce , divided [See Recipe Steps 2 & 4]

Instructions
 

  • Sprinkle the ribs evenly with the barbecue dry rub. [See Note 1]
  • Optional: quickly brown the ribs on all sides using the saute setting and 1 tbsp of oil. Brown the ribs in two batches. [See Note 1].
  • Pour the 1/2 cup water (or beef stock) and 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce into the base of the pressure cooker pot, stirring to combine.
  • Add the ribs in a single layer around the bottom of the pot.
  • Cover with the lid and lock into place. Be sure the quick release valve is in the pressure position. Cook at high pressure for 45 minutes.
  • Allow the pressure release naturally, about 15 -20 minutes.
  • Optional: Remove the ribs to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet [paid link]. Baste the ribs with extra   barbecue sauce and caramelize under the broiler of the oven for about 5-minutes.
  • Serve with additional BBQ sauce, fresh steamed vegetables, and your choice of rice, mashed potatoes, or polenta to sop up the sauce!

Notes

  1. I like to use the saute setting and first give the ribs a little sear on all sides. It doesn’t take long and you can totally skip that step if you are pressed for time.
  2. I make my own homemade barbecue rub and barbecue sauce. My homemade rubs and sauces are gluten-free.
  3. WW Smart points values calculated with G. Hughs Spicy Sugar-Free BBQ sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (1/8th of recipe)Calories: 272kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 22gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 467mgPotassium: 462mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 89IUVitamin C: 1mgVitamin D: 1µgVitamin E: 1mgVitamin K: 1µgCalcium: 36mgFolate: 1µgIron: 1mgZinc: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

24 thoughts on “Instant Pot Country Pork Ribs”

  1. I tried this last night with some spare ribs. Not sure of their weight, but I cut 3 sections of 2 ribs each, and stood them on their sides. They fell over a bit in my 6-qt, but all was good. The rub is very tasty, used Sweet Baby Ray’s bbq, and finished them up in the toaster oven. I’m still making friends with my IP, and it’s clearly-written, yummy recipes like this that make the process fun. One thing I like to see is an idea of the time it takes for the IP to come to pressure. Even an approximate is helpful. In this case, it took 10 mins to come to pressure and 23 to NR. Thank you!!

    Reply
  2. Amazing ribs. Almost followed the recipe. Didn’t put in as much cayenne pepper, only a pinch and laid fresh sprigs of rose mary on top in the instant pot. Wonderful taste and totally tender. My disabled wife had no trouble eating her portion. I made ample rub so will do this one again. Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Has anyone cooked the ribs in the Instapot without the BBQ sauce, and finished them on the barbq with basting sauce? I don’t want soft, but lots of texture outside of the ribs.

    Reply
  4. Great recipe. I made around 6lbs of ribs. For my rub I used salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, onion and garlic powders, brown sugar, dried herbs, and chile powder. For my liquid I used white wine, liquid smoke, a little soy sauce, water, and 1 cup bbq sauce. I have an 8qt Instant Pot and just piled the ribs in without a trivet. I sauced with additional bbq sauce and broiled them afterward.

    Reply
  5. I made the country style ribs with the rub which was excellent. I reduced the cooking time to 30 mins since my ribs were not too thick and based on reading the reviews. They came out perfect, very tender and falling off the bone. I broiled the ribs with our favorite bbq sauce for about 3 mins on each side. I will definitely make this recipe again!

    Reply
  6. Ribs are the reason I bought the Instant Pot. “Country style ribs” aren’t really ribs, they’re actually cuts from the pork tenderloin shoulder.

    Reply
    • Hi Carolyn,
      I have not tried 6 pounds but as long as your instant pot can accommodate it and it set by the manufacturer’s instructions, I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. Let me know if you give it a try!

      Reply
    • I say in the text of the article that “Three pounds is a tight fit for the 6-qt Instant Pot, but it’s manageable.” I managed this by arranging them on their sides (fat side down) instead of flat like you may be imagining. I have added this note into the text and into the recipe notes. Thanks, Lynn for pointing out that oversite in the text. If 3-pounds was not manageable in this fashion, you could always add in a round roasting rack with tall lifting arms (used as feet in this case) and add a second tier. This works well for my meatloaf recipe and would work wonders in this instance as well. I hope you try them and enjoy them.

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Sandy Cancel reply

Recipe Rating