Instant Pot Ribs

BEST DRY RUB FOR INSTANT POR RIBS:

Before we get to cooking the ribs, let’s make a flavorful dry rub. We’ll make a generous amount of it, because we aren’t skimping on flavor.

You may noticed a surprising ingredient in my homemade seasoning rub mix: cocoa powder!

Seriously, it’s SO good. You won’t really taste chocolate flavor, but it blends with other spices beautifully. If you don’t feel comfortable, skip it.

You can always use your favorite dry rub, if you have a go-to version. And if you do, please share it in the comments, so we all can try that too!

5 TIPS FOR THE BEST RIBS:

1. Don’t forget to remove the thin membrane off the back of the rack of ribs. More on that below.
2. Place the ribs over a rack in Instant Pot so that the meat and all that flavorful rub we so carefully rubbed into the meat won’t wash off in the liquid.
3. To switch things up, use variety of different liquids besides water. Dr. Pepper, any kind of beer or apple cider are great options. You can also add a little bit of apple cider vinegar into the water. And liquid smoke is optional, especially if you’re grilling the ribs. But I highly recommend it if you’re finishing the ribs in the oven. It’ll add a nice smoky flavor!
4. Use your favorite BBQ sauce here. I like my homemade version, but store-bought is fine too! Again, generous amount of sauce on both sides of the rack!
5. And the best part, grilling!!! Smear more BBQ sauce as you grill the ribs, turning it over half way through, so it doesn’t burn. You can also finishing it off in a preheated oven as well.

WHAT IS THE MEMBRANE ON RIBS?

There’s a thin layer of membrane on the back of the ribs. And it’s really chewy tough skin and very unappetizing after it’s cooked. 

• To remove this membrane, starting at one end of the rib rack, separate the skin from the meat using a sharp pairing knife. And then pull it with your hands all the way to the other end.

This will ensure you won’t sink your teeth into tough chewy skin when you’re ready to enjoy your ribs!

TIP: If the skin slips off easily, use a paper towel to hold the skin.

WHAT KIND OF RIBS ARE BEST IN THE INSTANT POT?

There are two very similar rib racks: baby back ribs and St. Louis-style spare ribs.

While they may seem identical, baby back ribs are shorter and less meaty cut of ribs. On other hand, St. Louis-style spare ribs are flatter and have less meat on them. This video shows exactly how these rib racks are cut.

This Instant Pot ribs recipe works for both baby back ribs and St. Louis style ribs.

And I personally love cooking St. Louis-style ribs, as I find them meatier and more flavorful.

HOW MANY RACKS OF RIB CAN YOU COOK IN INSTANT POT:

• I can fit 2 racks of baby back ribs in my 6qt Instant pot, as shown below.
• With St. Louis-style ribs, I can only fit one.

DO YOU COOK RIBS BONE SIDE UP OR DOWN:

• When finishing the ribs in the oven or on the grill, I cook them bone side down, and then flip on other side for a quick minute or so to caramelize the bbq sauce on top.