Apple cider vinegar, spices, and barbeque sauce are used to cook baby back ribs in an Instant Pot before finishing them under the broiler. They take less than an hour to prepare and are tasty enough to fall off the bone. My family of seven hasn’t had a single complaint about these sweet and smoky ribs, so I consider that a victory.
| Prep Time: | 10 mins |
| Cook Time: | 40 mins |
| Additional Time: | 5 mins |
| Total Time: | 55 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
| Yield: | 2 racks of ribs |
Ingredients
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 racks baby back ribs, membranes removed
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 (12 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce (such as Sweet Baby Ray’s®)
Instructions
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- Gather all ingredients.
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- Mix brown sugar, chili powder, parsley, salt, garlic powder, pepper, cumin, onion powder, and paprika together in a bowl using a fork, breaking up any large clumps.
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- Rub spice mixture over both sides of ribs.
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- Place a steam rack inside a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot). Pour water and cider vinegar into the bottom of the pot.
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- Lower ribs into the pot by curving them around the edge. Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer’s instructions; set the timer for 25 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
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- Release pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to manufacturer’s instructions, about 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid.
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- Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven’s broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; place ribs on the foil. Top with barbeque sauce.
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- Broil ribs until sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.
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- Any small or medium rack of ribs will work.
- Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of barbeque sauce. The actual amount of barbeque sauce consumed will vary.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 415 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 33 g |
| Cholesterol | 88 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 19 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Sodium | 1175 mg |
| Sugars | 25 g |
| Fat | 23 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Oh my I have never been able to make ribs until this recipe! I was not able to get a photo because they came out of the InstaPot with out the bones! And there was not a sliver of meat left on any of the bones! I skipped the BBQ sauce and the broiler, they were phenomenal right out of the pressure cooker! I did the advice in other comments and cooked them for the 40 minutes as they were packaged Walmart ribs! Hubby and I could not stop eating them and we did not leave a scrap!
Best ribs I have ever eaten.
Followed recipe except cut ingredients in half (there’s only one eating) and added liquid smoke, rested rack for 30 min after rub while I watched Jeopardy!, cooked for 25 min then 5 min natural release, 2 min under broiler. Total time about 1.5 hours. Quick, less mess and trouble, but I find the slow oven method better for taste.
Loved it as is
Best ribs I’ve ever made! I cooked mine for 30 mins and left in the pot (warm) for an additional 10 mins.
I made one rack so I used half the ingredients. Baby backs that were at room temperature cooked on high for 25minutes. Natural release for 5 minutes more. Under the broiler as directed. Ribs were moist, tasty and very tender. My boyfriend thought they were great and he is really picky to satisfy. This one goes in my keeper box!
I cooked these for 40 mins, as suggested by other users. They were definitely fall off the bone tender but they had no flavor. I’m so disappointed! It sounded so good and my husband and I both think they had no Flavor!
I was afraid to use the full amount of ribs based on cost & with trying a new recipe, so I used half a rack of ribs & adjusted the seasonings by 1/4. I only reduced the liquid by 1/2 in the bottom of the Instant Pot because I didn’t want it to run out. I also swapped out the brown sugar for Truvia Sweet Complete Brown & Ray’s No Sugar Added BBQ sauce since I’m doing Keto. I’ve tried many different techniques for ribs to get the bones to just slide out & this is the winner winner rib dinner! So tender, but still held together – the additional BBQ sauce may not be necessary, but it’s darn good! I can’t wait to try this with 2 full racks of ribs next time.
Easy to make. Ribs were delicious. I always rate my recipes and this one was excellent!
Great taste!!
Did it overnight then instant pot now under broiler fall off the bone goodness also double the spices for my family.
This was so easy and absolutely delicious. As another reviewer suggested, I pressure cooked it for 40 min. I also added a little less chili powder. I will definately add this to my favorites
The ribs were flavorless. Will not be using this recipe again
Excellent. So tender, falling off the bone. I’d probably use a little less seasoning next time. But, that’s it
flavor good ribs still a little chewy
I cooked them for 30 minutes instead of the 25 minutes in the recipe. I also scored between the bones on the bone side to make it easier to curl or roll the ribs. Since I was only doing one rack I cut the rub recipe in half. I think next time I will add a little liquid smoke to give it some smokey flavor,
Don’t change a thing! I will never cook ribs in the oven on low for 4-5 hours again. Best EVER.
Great recipe! Fell off the bone. Next time I’ll reduce the chili powder as it was a little too spicy to for my taste.
The 25-minute pressure time is a good starting point for the most expensive ribs, but if you’re using a cheaper rib (from older animals) the ribs can be tough at 25 minutes. I had the opportunity to experiment doing three racks with more expensive and cheaper rib products. I cooked the cryovac packaged ribs using the recipe as written. These were satisfactory and my guests enjoyed them while I cooked the cheaper variety. For these, I had to cut the ribs into sections prior to cooking, as the racks were too large for even my 8-qt instant pot. They were much too tough at 25 minutes, and back into the Instant Pot they went. I found that 40 minutes gave the desired result, with the right balance of tenderness and “chew”. I confirmed my result with another set cooked straight through for 40 minutes, with a natural release. After pressure cooking, I followed the rest of the recipe as written. The pork flavor from the cheaper ribs was far superior to the cryovac packaged grocery store variety, and well worth the extra cooking time.
These were amazing and way to easy! Followed the recipe to a T except I had no onion powder. I used a slab and a half! Awesome!
Oh my word! These are most definitely “fall off the bone” tender! Super easy to make. I used boneless ribs, but when I used my tongs to lift them out of the instant pot they immediately started to fall apart. Then when I put them under the broiler, I tried to turn them after a couple minutes and again they fell apart. Absolutely delicious!