I want my baby back, baby back, baby back Instant Pooooooooot baby back ribs….

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I want my baby back, baby back, baby back Instant Pooooooooot baby back ribs….

I figured it was time to put our new Instant Pot to the test and see if we really could get delicious, tender baby back ribs in under 45 minutes.  The pressure is on, Instant Pot! The pressure is on!! Let’s get started.

Get yourself a nice rack of baby backs. I found a big 3.5 lb rack at Aldi. The first thing you are going to need to do is remove the silver skin from the back side of your ribs.  If you leave this on it will get really tough and it will actually create a barrier that your dry rub cannot penetrate. To remove the skin get a paring knife and get under the skin.  Once you create a little opening it actually peels away quite nicely. You might need to do it in sections depending on how easily it comes off. 

Now, it is time to make your dry rub!  Here is what I use but feel free to experiment with your favorite flavors:

2 tbsp kosher salt

1 tbsp fresh cracked black pepper

½ tbsp seasoned salt

1 tbsp chili powder

½ tbsp ground coriander

1 tsp red pepper flakes (I used Korean style)

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp minced onion

1 tsp celery salt

¼ cup brown sugar

To make the rub, add all of your ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk until evenly mixed. 

Before you start rubbing the ribs make sure your hands are clean and remove any jewelry that you don’t want to be caked with rub.  Pour half of the rub on top of the ribs and don’t be afraid to get rough with it. You want the rub to penetrate the meat. After you get the rub evenly distributed on top of the ribs, flip them over, pour on the other half of the rub, and massage it onto the back side of the ribs. 

I’m going to cook these ribs in an Instant Pot but you can also cook them in a slow cooker.  First, put a steamer rack in your Instant Pot or slow cooker. If you don’t have one, you can make your own steamer rack by rolling a long piece of foil into a thick log and then spiraling it like a snail shell, so that your ribs sit on top of it. 

Next add some liquid to the bottom of the pot.  This is what I used:

12 oz light flavored beer  (I’ve used heavy IPAs in the past but they add too much of a bitter flavor to the meat)

4 oz apple cider vinegar

8-10 drops liquid smoke  (Optional)

Once you’ve added your liquid it is time to transport the ribs into the pot.  They typically fit in a “C” shape in the pot but if they are too big you can cut the rack in half. 

If you’ve never used an Instant Pot, like my favorite teacher in high school Mr. R used to say, “Don’t be ascared”.  Make sure the lid is secured properly and the steam valve is set to sealing and you will be good to go! Select the meat setting on high pressure and cook for 25 minutes.  Once cooking is done let the ribs rest for 10 minutes under pressure before releasing the steam. **Caution, when releasing steam wear an oven mit. It is extremely hot!**


If you don’t have an Instant Pot you can get the same results in a slow cooker.  Follow all the above directions and then cook the ribs on high for 4 hours or on low for 8.

I was very surprised with how well the ribs came out in the Instant Pot.  After only 25 minutes of cooking they were fall-off-the-bone tender.

Once you remove the ribs from the pot slather them with your favorite BBQ sauce, or with Jess’ bangin’ BBQ sauce, and either grill them for 10 minutes or put them under the broiler for 6-8 minutes.  Our ribs were so tender that we decided to use the broiler so they didn’t fall apart. 

Serve the ribs with your favorite sides and enjoy!

If you have any questions, comments, or if you tried this recipe let us know!

-Dan

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