Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs - Simply Happy Foodie (2024)

FAQs

Why are my ribs tough in Instant Pot? ›

Why are my pork ribs tough when cooked in the Instant Pot? This means that they're not cooked long enough. Be sure to cook the ribs for the full 30 minutes on high, and let the pressure release for 15 minutes before removing the lid.

One rack of baby back ribs fits easily in a 6-quart Instant Pot, and you can also do two racks at the same time though I've never needed to cook that many ribs at once. Just put another rack on the inside of the outer one.

Pork ribs take closer to four hours in a slow cooker. Now that it's a little hot to have an oven on all day, I prefer cooking ribs in a multicooker, aka an Instant Pot, and then finishing them under a broiler for three to four minutes to crisp up the edges of the meat.

Best Way to Cook Ribs in Under an Hour

Electric pressure cookers are game changers! If you have an hour to make dinner, use a pressure cooker to make Quick Cooker Barbecue Root Beer Ribs. You'll enjoy the same ten-minute prep and ability to leave the kitchen as you would making ribs in a slow cooker.

When using a slower method like the grill, smoker, or oven, you'll need about 3-5 hours. Slower methods can be ready in as little as 30 minutes - however, keep in mind that the longer you cook your pork back ribs the more tender and succulent they'll be.

Barbone said a silicone rack with handles is helpful when cooking anything you'll need to lift out of the Instant Pot, like a small chicken, meatloaf or cheesecake.

Baby back ribs (bottom of photo) are cut from the top of the rib cage, near the backbone. Spare ribs (top of photo) are cut from the bottom of the rib cage and sometimes they include the brisket, which is a bony piece of meat that hangs from the bottom. The farther down the rib cage you go, the meatier the ribs become.

Put meat on the bottom

It's not just pasta that should be on top – order matters with the instant pot. In general, it works out best if you put meat on the bottom. Here's why – anything that has sugars in it can burn if cooked too long.

Place ribs bone-side down in smoker at 225 F /110 C and cook for three hours. Remove ribs from the smoker and wrap tightly in aluminum foil to form an airtight seal. Return to the smoker bone-side up and smoke for two hours. Unwrap the ribs and return to the smoker bone-side down for one more hour.

Why are my Instant Pot ribs tough? ›

If your ribs are tough, they likely haven't been cooked long enough. Try adding a little extra time to help them tenderize. Can You Overcook Ribs in the Instant Pot? Yes, ribs can be overcooked in the Instant Pot.

We use 2 baby back ribs (about 5 pounds total) to fit in one Instant Pot. You can arrange the racks whole in a circle or cut them up into pieces. (Note: The pieces will be easier than wrangling two whole racks into the pot).

Grill all the way

For ribs with incomparably smoky flavor, you have to cook them low and slow on the grill, adding more charcoal and wood chips every so often to keep the temperature steady. Ribs cooked this way need some pampering (you would too, if you were spending hours in a sauna).

If you find that your instapot pulled pork is tough after cooking, it's likely because you did a quick pressure release instead of a natural pressure release. Make sure you do a natural pressure release for 2 minutes before opening the vent.

If it's still tough, you will need to cook it longer. The pressure cooking process breaks down tough meat, making it tender. Put the lid back on, seal the pressure cooker, and cook at high pressure for another 10 to 20 minutes.

If your ribs are dry, you likely cooked them too hot and fast. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to fix dry and chewy ribs. For next time: Want Great Ribs?

Unfortunately, once you overcook a piece of meat in the pressure cooker, there's no going back. You'll be left with a pile of dry, crunchy, tasteless fibers and no amount of additional pressure cooking is going to put that moisture back into the meat. Earlier, I explained how ingredient size affects the cooking time.