You're gonna love these easy peazy, mouth-watering Instant Pot Ribs! They're made in minutes not hours with your beloved pressure cooker!
These instant pot ribs are so tender, they literally fall off the bone!
I love to season mine with a dry rub and then lather them with a low carb BBQ sauce and then pop them under the broiler and watch them caramelize.
Featured Video
[mv_video aspectRatio="true" key="xoye5g1pgysiwrf67ifs" sticky="true" thumbnail="https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/xoye5g1pgysiwrf67ifs.jpg" title="Bulletproof bone broth" volume="70"]Since these beef ribs are cooked in the Instant Pot, not only are they cooked in a fraction of the time, but they become the most tender beef ribs imaginable.
You're family with literally think you were slaving over these for hours.
If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can also use any other brand of pressure cooker to make these ribs. Instant Pot is just a brand name pressure cooker that has a lot of bells and whistles (most of which I don't use, but I wouldn't trade it in for anything else!).
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT RIBS
COOKING BEEF RIBS
- First, place the stainless steel container into the Instant Pot.
- Next, put ½ cup water, ½ cup apple cider vinegar into the container.
- After that, place a trivet or silicone steamer basket into the container.
- Next, take your rack of beef ribs and place them on a flat surface.
- Sprinkle the top half with my homemade BBQ seasoning from my tasty BBQ Turkey Sliders. If you don’t have the individual seasonings you can opt for some pre-made BBQ rub. Just make sure it doesn't have added sugar in it if you're looking to keep your recipe low carb.
- Now with your fingers or a spoon, rub the seasoning into the beef ribs. Place the ribs on the trivet or steamer basket
- Put on the pressure cooker lid. Make sure that the vent is set to sealed. Hit manual high pressure.
- Change the time to 22 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then manually release the rest of the pressure.
WHAT IS THE TRIVET FOR THE INSTANT POT?
If you've made a recipe in the Instant Pot before, you may or may not have used a trivet. A trivet is usually a metal stand that is 1-4 inches in height that allows you to cook food without the food sitting in the liquid. Liquid is needed for the pressure cooker to come up to pressure. Without added liquid no recipe will work at all.
Below are some of my favorite trivets for the Instant Pot
- Super basic trivet without arms. This one is good for making things in circle containers that would normally be a really tight fit, like my Instant Pot Low Carb Cheesecake.
- Taller trivets are really nice because they allow you to cook more than one food item at a time. You can be cooking something in the liquid below and then cooking something in a container above.
- Some trivets are now being designed with steamer baskets built in. This is super handy because it will save you from doing one more dish!
HOW LONG DO YOU PRESSURE COOK RIBS?
With these beef ribs. I like to cook them for 22-25 minutes in the Instant Pot. You can do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes or you can let it fully depressurize by itself. I haven't seen much of a difference in the texture/tenderness of the beef ribs.
Now pork ribs take less time to cook in the instant pot than beef ribs do. Pork ribs tend to only take around 18 minutes to cook in a pressure cooker. I once tried to cook them for the 22 minutes like the beef ribs and it was a disaster.
It basically turned into pulled pork because they were so tender they were falling apart when I tried to recipe the pork ribs from the instant pot.
THE BEST INSTANT POT RIBS RECIPE
For me, the best Instant Pot Ribs Recipe is the easiest one. Some days I am super lazy
If desired, turn your oven to broil. Place the beef ribs on a cookie sheet. Top with your favorite BBQ sauce.
My favorite store bought low carb BBQ sauce is Alterna Sweets. I met the owners Misti and Jared out at KetoCon a few years ago. They are the sweetest and I love what they stand for as a company!
They even have a 100% satisfaction guarantee! They also have given me a discount code to share with my readers! Use "LARA5" at checkout to get 5% off your order!
If you have an additional 10 minutes, make my homemade keto BBQ sauce recipe. It's done in no time at all and tastes great!
After you top with low carb barbecue sauce, broil for 5 minutes. BAM! The best fall off the bone ribs you’ve ever have.
HOW DO YOU REMOVE THE MEMBRANE FROM THE RIBS?
Depending on the type of ribs you bought, they may or may not come with a fatty membrane attached to them. To some people this may freak them out, and those of us high fat loving people just start to drool. If you want to remove the membrane from the ribs, first you need to
- Slide a knife between the membrane and bones on the ribs.
- Wiggle the knife a little bit. You will notice the membrane will start to loosen. Do this until it tears apart from the bone.
- Now, take the edge of the membrane and tear it away from the bone. You may want to use a paper towel or gloves to help you hold onto the membrane. That's it!
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN MY RIBS ARE DONE?
Your ribs will be done when they reach an internal temperature of 165F. You can check this will a meat thermometer like this. When checking the temperature be sure to stick the thermometer into the meat only and not to touch the bone which can skew the reading
INSTANT POT BEEF RIBS VS BABY BACK RIBS
To start off, beef ribs as the name states, are from a cow. These ribs are typically the ribs that come from a rib roast. These are the ribs labeled "beef ribs" in the grocery store. When you have a boneless ribeye, these are the bones that have been removed.
Baby back ribs are pork and are from a pig, not a cow. These ribs tend to cook much quicker and are smaller than the beef ribs. If you love baby back ribs, check out my post where I teach you how to Instant Pot baby back ribs.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH INSTANT POT RIBS
- Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice | Instant Pot Cauliflower Rice
- Keto Zucchini Beer Macaroni and Cheese
- Low Carb Garlic Butter Mashed Cauliflower
OTHER KETO INSTANT POT RECIPES THAT I LOVE
- Instant Pot Crack Chicken - perfect for a delicious dinner the entire family will love!
- Instant Pot Pot Roast - made with radishes instead of potatoes (this one even fooled my family!)
- Cauliflower Soup with bacon and Cheddar cheese - this soup will please the pickiest of eaters!
- Keto Cheesecake - this is basically a staple - perfect dessert to bring for friends and family gatherings!
I also have low carb and keto Facebook group that I'd love for you to join! We're up to over 140k members and we share our favorite low carb and keto instant pot recipes!
PRESSURE COOKER RIBS RECIPE
Instant Pot Beef Ribs
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2.5 pounds Beef ribs membrane removed
- BBQ sauce optional
Instructions
- First, place the stainless steal container into the Instant Pot.
- Next, put ½ cup water, ½ cup apple cider vinegar into the container.
- After that, place a trivet or steamer basket into the container.
- Next, take your ribs and place them on a flat surface. Sprinkle the top half with my homemade BBQ seasoning. If you don’t have the individual seasonings you can opt for some pre-made BBQ rub.
- Now with your fingers or a spoon, rub the seasoning into the ribs.
- Place the ribs on the trivet or steamer basket.
- Put on the IP lid. Make sure that the vent is set to sealed.
- Hit manual high pressure. Change the time to 22 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then manually release the rest of the pressure.
- If desired, turn your oven to broil. On a cookie sheet please the beef ribs. Top with your favorite BBQ sauce if desired. Broil for 5 minutes.
Nutrition
If you tried this Instant Pot Rib Recipe, I'd love it if you'd rate the recipe and let me know how you liked it in the comments below 🙂
Christina
Hi! Are these actually beef chuck short ribs? Like the ones that are usually braised? Most IP recipes I have found suggest a 35 - 45(bone-in) cook time!
Lara
Hi Christina, no these are beef ribs that are under the ribeye on rib roasts. They are longer and not as thick as chuck short ribs so they cook much quicker.
Dody
Thanks for this info as the ribeye ribs are what I'm using. I was wondering about the timing, as well, so this clarifies.
Lara
You're welcome. I hope you love them!
Wendy
I agree. My ribs took closer to 40 minutes to have the tenderness I was hoping for. I had beef ribs, otherwise the recipe was the same.
Mindy
I forgot to add in my other comment I'm not sure why people remove the membrane? unless they don't like the taste. The meat cooks fine with it. I usually just make a slit through the membrane to help the meat cook. Too much of a hassle taking it off in my opinion. I think it tastes good especially on pork ribs, but I like it on beef as well. I'll definitely be following this recipe again just trying to figure out the vinegar situation..I know it breaks down the meat, but too overwhelming.
Mindy
The ribs did fall apart as promised(I did ads a little time did 30 minutes instead of 22 since I had almost 5lb.
THe issue was the ribs tasted like vinegar and I don't really care for vinegar. I think I'll opt out the vinegar or perhaps try white vinegar as white vinegar seems to be less strong? They taste alright though. But even with the bbq sauce had a little hint of vinegar although it did help mask it a little. Otherwise this is a great recipe.
Phuong DeBellis
Great recipe! Thank you for this. I wish there was a way to melt more of the fat off the bones like when I bake them but this certainly cuts a lot of time out of babysitting the oven and doesn’t make the house too hot either!
Andrea V McLaren
To melt more fat off of the bones you can boil them with some vinegar.
Dean
Andrea, the beef fat is so healthy for you as youll get lots of fat soluble vitamins and minerals! Carbs are the bad stuff that you dont want!
Elynn
My husband loves to make these ribs.
Laurie
Lara, thanks so much for the post.Really thank you! Great.
Allison
Gah! You forgot to mention the most important step! Remove the membrane before cooking!
Lara
Hi Allison, you can remove the membrane, but honestly, I don't. It's an extra step and the ribs taste amazing without them. My family eats them fine with it still attached.
Erin Kline
You didn't say if it should be HIGH or LOW pressure! Please clarify!!
Lara
Sorry high pressure. It's what mine defaults to.
Den
step 8 high pressure..... Love these beef ribs
Lara
So glad you loved them!
Kim
love this recipe! the only tweaks I did was seasoned my beef back aka Dinosaur ribs over night in the fridge and I added just a touch of liquid smoking no oil. I let mine pressure cook for 30 minutes on high and then 10 minute natural release. I also add sauce on it and air crisped for 5-6 minute in my ninja.
Steve H.
The whole family enjoys these. I have made them several times and follow the recipe to a T. I leave the membrane on, and do the broil after cooking with Sweet Baby Ray’s bbq sauce. They are delicious and rarely have any leftovers!
Lara Clevenger, Registered Dietitian
So glad your family loves them!
Jeanne Evans
Great recipe. The fat stayed in the bottom of the pot so the ribs were tender and juicy. Not greasy at all. Both my husband and I really enjoyed these ribs. Perfection
Lara
YAY! So glad that you loved them!
Gary
I’m making these beef ribs today for dinner. I can’t wait to chomp down on them!! Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!!
Lara
Hi Gary, no problem! I hope you enjoyed them 🙂
Tracy
Do the ribs need to be in a single layer or can they be stacked?
Lara
Nope, you can do a double layer 🙂
Dessi
I just made these they were Soo good. I let it sit for ten minutes after the beep. Then put in the broiler for 5 mins it was so good.
Lara
Yay! I'm glad you loved them!
DeAnna Sibley
These ribs are incredibly delicious and easy.
Cynthia
First time cooking ribs in my instant pot. These were a hit and my picky husband has requested that I make them again. I think that I could have used a few more minutes to achieve the falling off the bone..but they were still very tender and very flavorful.
KELLYJO DAVIS
The instant pot cooking time table states 20-25 minutes per pound. I have 3 1/2 pounds of ribs, so I'd need to leave them in pot for 70 minutes or so? You state it does not matter how many pounds. First time using pot, thanks for any advice!
Lara
I've done the pot completely full before and haven't had to change the time.
Andrea
This was the very first recipe that I made in my Instant Pot. I was super nervous!! Your instructions were right on... Thank you for making them so user friendly!! The ribs turned out amazing!!
Lara
Hi Andrea, I'm glad they turned out great!
PETER RUTHERFORD
Just wondering why you didn't saute them first in the IP? as i was thinking of doing that first....
Lara
I've honestly never thought to do that lol
Herb Barbolet
I've tried several recipes for beef ribs. This was the best.
Lara
Hi Herb! I'm so glad they came out great.
Leon Merrow
I haven't actually tried the recipe yet, but I plan on trying it this weekend. I rated 5 starts given how delicious this sounds and looks! My question is this: Do you thaw your beef rips before cooking them in the Instant Pot, or can you put them in straight from the freezer? Thank you!
Lara
Hi Leon, Thank you so much! I have never made them from frozen before. I'm assuming you would need to add at least 2-3 more minutes to thee cook time if you made them from frozen.
David
Beef short ribs has been something I have avoided till now. Mom always boiled them. Thank goodness and Thankyou for this recipe that I followed precisely and worked superbly on unevenly sized short ribs.
Lara
Hi David,
I'm so happy they turned out great for you!
David Jeffrey Hamilton Walker
I'm going to try this sith one exception, going to end it off with 7 minutes in my air frier, your thoughts?
Lara
I've actually never thought to try in the air fryer instead of broiler, please let me know how it turns out!
Suzanne Winlove-Smith
Can you do anything with the leftover cooking liquid or just toss it??
Lara
I normally just toss it, maybe make a gravy from it?
Kristie Hager
Fall off the bone good. Mine took 50 minutes
Awesome recipe
Lara
So glad you liked it!
Kelly Larmour
I made these last night. I followed your directions but the meat wasn't falling off the bone, it was tough. Any suggestions why that could be?
Thank you
Lara
I'm so sorry! I've never had that happen before, they always come out great! Did you make sure you had it on "high" pressure and not "low" pressure.
Anne Wood
I made beef ribs in my crock pot express using this recipe and they're fantastic! I've never cooked them in it before, your recipe is so easy and they're super tender! I'll be joining your Facebook group now!
Angela
This was fantastic!! I needed a quick-ish recipe for beef ribs, and used your method. The apple cider vinegar did the trick. I probably could have organized the ribs better in the instant pot, but didn't think about putting the more connective-tissue-rich ribs on the bottom. They were not quite as "melty" as the leaner ribs. But so delicious!
Lara
Hi Angela, I'm glad you loved it!!!
Philip E
I've got these in the IP now. I'm not concerned about the outcome, but my dog is pacing back and forth in front of the counter with a hangry face.
Picky!
Lara
AWWWWW that's adorable! I hope you love them!
Tina
I am sure they would have been great but my beef ribs were too big to fit in my instant pot. I kept getting an error message. So they were not tender. Not your fault, mine! Thank you!
Lara
I'm so sorry that happened to you! Might need to get a large 8QT Instant Pot on Black Friday for those extra large ribs 🙂
Carole M
Made these last night. No need for sauce, they are awesome and juicy just the way they are. Thank you!
Lara
Glad you loved them!!!
Holmezz
Great recipe, but needs more bark to the bite. The broiling is a necessity, in my opinion, in order to bring out the best qualities of the ribs. It's one of my "go-to's" for when I'm too lazy to think of what else to cook.
Dianne
Just finished eating. Prepared exactly by your recipe. They turned out real good, but not quite as tender as I expected. Putting them under the broiler the right way to finish them off. We will cook again. Thanks for the recipe!
Gertha Kubi
can I use regular vinegar im place of the acv?
Lara
I would substitute apple juice instead of ACV.
Cliff
Hi-
I’m currently shopping pressure cookers. Since I know I will be making LOTS of beef back ribs, I have a question for you. Is yours a 6 or 8 qt model? I’m trying to choose which pot dimension would work better for these ribs.
Thanks!
Lara
I actually have both! It just depends on how many ribs you want to cook at one time. Cooking time will be the same for either model.
Aunt5times
Amazing. I could eat these everyday.
Lara
So glad you loved them!!
Dan F
Easy and Tasty!
I am curious about the food science of the Apple Cider Vinegar; Since the vinegar never touches the ribs, what and how does it add to the process? (I'm under the impression that the instant pot makes steam and cooks with it but nothing but H2O is in steam-- but then again that's just my public school education talking)
Renee
Please forgive me for not using your rub on my beef ribs. I’d actually used a different rub recipe, which is, I would say in the same flavor profile as yours, but then realized it would take way too long to cook in the oven. Finding your recipe for the instant pot was perfect. My ribs turned out fantastic and my husband is still raving about how tender they were and wants me to get some more to make again already. Incredibly tender and flavorful! These are the best ribs I've ever made. Thank you so much!
Lara
Hi Renee,
I'm so glad to hear your husband loved my rib recipe! It's so easy and way quicker than the oven!
TJ
I made these for my husband who is a super picky eater and he loved them! I didn’t tell him Apple cider vinegar was involved (he wouldn’t have eaten them if he knew), and he had absolutely no idea. I broiled mine on high for 10 minutes with BBQ sauce and it turned out great! A new staple in our household. Easy, quick and yummy
Lara
Hi TJ! I'm so happy you and your husband loved them. They're a staple in our household for sure. Baby back ribs come out great too if you haven't already tried them.