Tender, fall-apart Instant Pot country style ribs are coated in dry rub then slathered in BBQ sauce and broiled until sweet and bubbly. That last broil caramelizes the sugars in the sauce and makes all the difference. This quick and comforting recipe will be the highlight of your weeknight menu!
Love tender, fall-apart pork recipes? Try this Instant Pot Carnitas recipe and this recipe for Instant Pot Pulled Pork.
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I pull out my Instant Pot at least one night a week to make Instant Pot Mongolian beef, Instant Pot Greek chicken and rice, or Instant pot coconut rice. It makes weeknight dinners so quick and easy!
These boneless ribs make the perfect Instant pot recipe because they get extra tender and fall apart. Country style ribs typically benefit from a low and slow cook, but the Instant Pot gets the job done in an hour!
Need another easy Instant Pot recipe? Try Instant Pot salsa chicken or Instant Pot lasagna soup next!
Ingredients You Need
Here are the simple ingredients for these boneless country-style ribs. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Dry rub: smoked paprika, coconut sugar (or brown sugar), garlic powder, onion powder, salt, blacker pepper and oregano. It’s a similar rub to sheet pan pork chops!
- Country ribs: boneless country style ribs are the most common, but some groceries carry bone-in country style ribs and that works!
- Water: so the Instant Pot can come to pressure. The ribs won’t touch the water because we’re using the trivet. You could also use beef or chicken broth.
- Garlic: these cloves help infuse the ribs with garlic flavor and aroma.
- BBQ Sauce: use your favorite barbecue sauce. Try this whole30 bbq sauce or use a sugar free BBQ sauce to keep this keto and low carb.
- Liquid smoke: add an optional 2-3 drops to get that smoked-all-day flavor.
Regular Ribs vs Country Style Ribs
Country style ribs come from the pork’s shoulder (the meat you use for Instant Pot pulled pork) while spare ribs or baby back ribs come from an area near the breast bone.
There will be a lot more meat on the bone of country style ribs. They have more muscle to them and do better cooked low and slow.
How to Make Instant Pot Country Style Ribs
Here are the simple steps to make Instant Pot country-style ribs. Skip to the recipe card for the full, printable recipe.
Step 1. Mix the Dry Rub. Combine the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl.
Step 2. Coat the Ribs. Sprinkle the country style ribs in the dry rub and massage the rub into the meat.
Step 3. Add to the Instant Pot. Place the trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot, pour the liquid into the bottom, then add the seasoned ribs.
Step 4. Pressure Cook. Pressure cooking on high for 50 minutes with a 15 minute natural release.
Step 5. Add BBQ Sauce. Transfer them to a baking sheet and brush the cooked country style ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce.
Step 6. Broil. Place them in the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce bubbles.
Recipe FAQs
Although you can overcook ribs in the Instant Pot, it’s more likely that your country style ribs are tough because they’re not cooked long enough.This cut of meat tends to be very tough and needs to be cooked low and slow for a more tender result.
Yes, just like traditional ribs or Instant Pot pulled pork, the longer country style ribs cool the more collagen and fat breaks down, resulting in fall-apart tender ribs.
The Instant Pot requires a minimum of 1/2 cup of liquid to come to pressure. Add about 1 cup of water or broth to be safe and place the ribs on top of the trivet so they don’t touch the liquid.
You can easily make country style ribs in the slow cooker! Follow the instructions to rub the ribs with the dry rub. Add the rubs to the slow cooker with the BBQ sauce and toss to coat. Cook on low for 8 hours then transfer to a sheet pan and broil until they bubble (optional).
Serving Suggestions
- Potatoes (of all sorts): classic potato salad, boursin mashed potatoes (they’re unreal), crispy pesto potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, air fryer smashed potatoes, or air fryer baked potatoes.
- Cooked veggies: roasted brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, garlic roasted mini peppers, air fryer asparagus, roasted broccoli and carrots, or maple glazed carrots.
- Hearty salad: We love this cucumber tomato avocado salad, chipotle roasted sweet potato kale salad, strawberry spinach salad or this shaved brussels sprout salad.
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Instant Pot Country Style Ribs
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Ingredients
Dry Rub
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
Country Style Ribs
- 3-4 lbs country style ribs
- 1 cup water or beef broth
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke optional
- 1 cup BBQ sauce homemade or store bought
Instructions
- Mix all of the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl.2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons coconut sugar, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- Pat the country style ribs dry then generously coat the sides of each with the rub. Use your fingers to massage the rub into the meat until it sinks in and becomes a deep red color.3-4 lbs country style ribs
- Set the metal trivet in the bottom of a 6 qt Instant Pot. Pour the water or beef broth in the bottom then arrange the ribs evenly without overlapping. You may need to stand them up against the sides of the Instant Pot for more room.1 cup water or beef broth, 4 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- Add the garlic on top of the ribs, close the lid, and make sure the sealing vent is closed. Pressure cook on high pressure for 50 minutes then allow it to naturally release (do nothing) for 15 minutes. Turn the pressure valve to release any additional steam then carefully open the lid.
- Use tongs to carefully remove the country style ribs from the Insant Pot and transfer them to a sheet pan. You may need two as they'll likely fall apart easily. Lather the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce then broil them on high for 2-3 minutes, until the BBQ sauce starts to bubble.1 cup BBQ sauce
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe by: Molly Thompson of What Molly Made | Photography by: Kate Poskochil
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Just made a set of ribs and they turned out perfectly fall-apart-as-you-grab-them-with-tongs tender.
I used the BBQ 3000 seasoning from Penzey’s Spices as a rub.
These are finger licking good! We all licked our fingers! Will definitely make this again!
Thank you, Marcy!!
So good! My hubby really likes it! Will definitely make it again!
Love that! Thanks!
If everyone would go back and read the recipe it says close and pressure cook on high for 50 minutes.
I made these for my family and they were delicious!! I would highly encourage anyone to try them you won’t be disappointed.
Thank you, Rachel!!
I keep coming back to this recipe every time I bring country style pork ribs home. It’’s goof proof, easy to dress up or down and the ribs turn out so tender and flavorful with an almost but not quite crispy glaze from the broiler, they’re a winner in our house. Thanks for posting this!
Love this, Juli! So glad you like them. I love the broil at the end too!
5 Stars in advance. I’m old and old-school. I have an electric pressure cooker (the original instant pot). I use it all the time to make Carnitas so this is a natural addition. I like the ingredient choices for your dry rub. I just bought 3 lbs. of boneless pork country ribs and I haven’t made this dish in years, but it was such a great sale I couldn’t pass it up. I read 6-8 recipes, but yours sounds the best! Thank You Very Much,
Wow, thank you Doreen! I love to hear that! We also have a pressure cooker carnitas recipe you could try:)