Spare ribs, not just for weekends!
I love a good, tender, juicy, sticky rib dinner, but I don’t love how long they take to cook. Good news, this recipe for Instant Pot Spare ribs is a game changer.
It’s not the FASTEST recipe I make in the Instant Pot, BUT, it does make it possible to have Spare ribs during the week if you have a bit of extra time, or if you do a little Meal Prep.
Don’t forget to PIN this recipe before you leave. You want to cook these. Trust me.
Meal Prepping
Because I’m a die hard Meal Planner with a super busy, hectic, inconsistent routine that includes 3 teenage boys schedule, taking some time on Sunday to Meal Prep is a life saver for me. To make these delicious Instant Pot Spare Ribs even more weeknight friendly, I pre-cook them in the Instant Pot on Sunday when I am Meal Prepping. Once they are cooked in the Instant Pot and then store them in the fridge until later in the week.
Suddenly, we’ve got a fabulous, finger lickin’ home cooked dinner that’s simpler than a sheet pan meal. And Sheet Pan meals are pretty darn easy.
While the Spare Ribs get heated in the oven, you cook mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot, toss together a salad, and dinner is done.
Why Cook Spare ribs in the instant pot?
- Tender, juicy meat in an hour
- Cooked all day flavor
- Hands off cooking gives you some extra time before dinner
Instant Pot Spare Ribs
Ingredients
- 4 pounds 2 racks of Ribs
FOR THE RUB:
- 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon of Garlic salt
- 1 Tablespoon of seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon of seasoned pepper
- 1 Tablespoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of Chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon of ground mustard
- 1 Tablespoon of paprika
- 1 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon of ground Cumin
FOR THE SAUCE
- 2 cups of Chicken broth
- 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar
- 2 cups of honey barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Combine the brown sugar, garlic salt, seasoned salt, seasoned pepper, onion powder, chili powder, ground mustard, paprika, Italian seasoning, and cumin, in a small bowl, and stir well to mix. Make sure the membrane on the underside of the ribs has been removed (if it hasn’t, grab hold of one corner, and pull it the entire length of the ribs – see note). Season the ribs with the rub on both sides. Add the chicken broth, and red wine vinegar to the Instant pot. Place the metal trivet in the Instant Pot, and place the ribs on the trivet (see photo). Place the ribs in a circle on the trivet. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, making sure that the pressure valve is set to SEALING. Press the MANUAL button, and set the time to 25 minutes. When the ribs are done, the Instant Pot will beep, and go to the OFF reading. Let the Instant Pot build, and release the pressure naturally. This will infuse all the flavors, and make the ribs really tender. Once the Instant Pot reads OFF, make sure the FLOAT VALVE is down, and all the pressure has been released, remove the lid from the Instant Pot, and set aside.
- Double line a baking dish with heavy foil, and carefully remove the ribs from the Instant Pot, into the dish. Brush the barbecue sauce on the slabs of ribs, completely coating them in the sauce. Place the dish in the oven on BROIL, for about 5 – 6 minutes, or until the ribs have turned golden or caramelized. Remove the ribs, and brush with additional sauce.
Notes
While the ribs are cooking in the Instant Pot, peel 3 – 4 pounds of white potatoes, and cut them in chunks. Place the potatoes in a large roaster, and cover them with cold water, and about 2 Tablespoons of salt. Turn the burner on high, and boil the potatoes until done – about 15 – 20 minutes. When the potatoes are done, pour off all but about 1/4 of the water, and leave the potatoes in the roaster. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher, and add 1 stick of butter, 1 Tablespoon of minced garlic, 1/2 cup of heavy cream (or half n half) 1 Tablespoon of coarse ground garlic salt, and 1 teaspoon of coarse ground black pepper to the potatoes. Stir well to combine, and keep warm on the lowest setting on the stove, and keep the mashed potatoes covered. Serve the ribs over the mashed potatoes with garlic toast and a little extra barbecue sauce on the side. Enjoy!
Looking for more Instant Pot Recipes? I have a great collection that you can add into your weekly Meal Planning rotation that are guaranteed to become new favorites.
