These Instant Pot Ribs are the most tender and fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs, rubbed in spices and cooked in your pressure cooker. Finish them off on the grill or under the broiler for the best ribs ever!
Prepare the ribs: remove membrane from the back of the rack (a thin film) by inserting a fork or knife underneath it and loosening up, then pull the membrane off and discard. Trim off any excess fat of the ends of the rack. Cut the ribs rack into 3 equal pieces.
1 rack baby back ribs
In a small bowl, combine all spice rub ingredients. Generously cover ribs with the spice mix and rub it in.
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 ½ teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon black pepper, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon paprika
Make sure the stainless steel insert is in your Instant Pot.
Pour water, juice, vinegar and liquid smoke (if using) into the insert and stir.
½ cup water, ½ cup apple juice, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
Place trivet in the IP.
Arrange ribs on the insert, standing up. The spice rub won't come off during cooking, no worries.
Close the lid and set valve to sealing position (newer models do it on their own).
Make sure the Instant Pot is set to cook on HIGH pressure. Press the "manual/pressure cook" button and set timer to 25 minutes.
The Instant Pot will beep and start coming to pressure (that takes about 10 minutes).
Once the timer is done, press "cancel/off" and let the IP release pressure naturally (do not switch the valve!). Set your kitchen timer to 10 minutes. Once the pressure pin is down, carefully open the lid away from your face.
Remove ribs onto a sheet pan. Brush with your favorite BBQ sauce and broil OR throw it on the grill to caramelize the sauce. You can also skip the sauce and use leftover liquid from the IP to baste the ribs.
Notes
The spice rub stays on the ribs during pressure cooking. Make sure to cover the ribs generously, mostly on the meaty side.
You can use the leftover liquid to baste ribs before broiling or grilling.
Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.