Can you cook frozen ribs in the Instant Pot?

While it is safe to cook frozen meat in a pressure cooker, I prefer the texture when the ribs are thawed first. Just remove the frozen ribs from the freezer the night before to thaw in the fridge.

Can the ribs be grilled instead of broiled?

Yes! If you're already firing up the grill you can easily finish the Instant Pot BBQ Ribs on the grill instead. See the full details in the recipe card below.

Instant Pot BBQ Ribs | Kathleen's Cravings

Instant Pot BBQ Ribs

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Instant Pot BBQ Ribs are quick and easy to make! The pressure cooker method makes them perfectly tender and fall off the bone. Slather in your favorite bbq sauce for perfectly sweet and sticky ribs.

Author: Kathleen
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 servings
Category: Main
Method: Instant Pot
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Ribs

1 3-4 pound rack of baby back pork ribs
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon liquid smoke

Dry Rub

1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 cup packed brown sugar, light or dark
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, can omit if you don't like spice

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Instructions

Prep the Ribs - Pat dry the ribs and remove the silverskin. The silverskin is a thin membrane on the back of the ribs - if you buy from a butcher, you can ask them to remove - but it's easy to do yourself. I like to slip a butter knife under the membrane to loosen it then peel it off.
Dry Rub. Mix up the dry rub ingredients and rub to the prepped rack of ribs. Make sure to rub on both sides and the edges so the ribs are thoroughly coated.
Pressure Cook. Add the trivet to your Instant Pot liner then pour in the water, apple cider vinegar, and liquid smoke. Place the rubbed ribs on top of the trivet - you can coil them so they fit. Add the lid, set to sealing, and cook on Manual High Pressure for 25 minutes. After the cook time is up, natural release the pressure (let it sit) for 5 minutes before quick releasing the remaining pressure.
Broil the Ribs. Preheat the broiler on high. Transfer the cooked ribs to a foil lined sheet pan - I like to use two tongs to do this since they are so tender and easily fall apart. Brush the ribs with barbecue sauce - you can use as much or as little as you like. Broil on high for just a few minutes until the bbq sauce is bubbly. Watch closely so they don't burn - it should only take 2-3 minutes.
Optional - Grilling: Instead of broiling, you can also grill the ribs. Preheat the grill to medium-high (about 550 - 600 degrees F). Grill the ribs over direct heat for about 3 minutes per side while you brush with bbq sauce. You're just grilling long enough to get a little char on the bbq sauce.

Notes

While you can just use water to have your Instant Pot come to pressure, using ACV and liquid smoke give the ribs that 'fresh off the grill' flavor. The liquid smoke adds a faux smoked flavor that takes Instant Pot Ribs over the top!

Nutrition

Serving Size: ~1/4 of recipe
Calories: 540
Sugar: 12.7 g
Sodium: 1190.6 mg
Fat: 19.6 g
Carbohydrates: 14.9 g
Fiber: 0.9 g
Protein: 71.1 g
Cholesterol: 251.6 mg

Keywords: Instant Pot BBQ Ribs, Instant Pot Ribs, Pressure Cooker Ribs, Pressure Cooker BBQ Ribs

Find it online: https://kathleenscravings.com/instant-pot-bbq-ribs/