Ribs off the grill are a summertime treat. They’re a great item to grab on sale and cook in the Instant Pot or broil in the oven; which means you can make them no matter what the weather decides to do.
For us here in the Pacific Northwest, this means not having to worry about the rain and cooking them outside. Cooking them in the Instant Pot also means this can be an anytime dinner instead of a weekend treat. The Instant Pot cuts the cooking time down drastically. Adding my Sweet and Smoky Rib Rub makes them even more delicious!
For this recipe, I spent $30 for three racks of ribs, and this was able to feed three families! It seems like a fancy meal, but it’s an easy meal, and a fun one for entertaining. Toward the end of summer, I will pick up another rack or two of ribs for the freezer. Building the freezer and pantry with items on sale helps me stretch our grocery budget a little further.
When shopping for pork ribs, there are two varieties - baby back and spare ribs. Baby back ribs are smaller and tender. Spare ribs are larger ribs with more meat between the bones. They also have more fat. If you’re looking for a tender, leaner rack of ribs, grab yourself a rack of baby backs.
This blog post is going to go through the following steps:
- Sweet and Smoky Rib Rub Recipe
- Sanitizing the Prep Area
- Preparing the Ribs
- Instant Pot Sweet and Smoky Ribs Recipe
- Side Dish Ideas
Tips on Making Rubs
Rubs impart a great flavor into meat when cooking. This rub recipe is for one rack of ribs. I tripled it to make enough to cover my three racks of ribs. At my house, I use monk fruit pretty regularly. This recipe calls for brown sugar.
You can watch this video to see how I made brown sugar monk fruit if you don’t happen to have any on hand. You can use regular brown sugar or any brown sugar substitute.
Having a fully stocked pantry allows you to quickly create a variety of rubs to satisfy everyone in your family. If you are still putting your spices together or need a little help, I can help you. Watch this video or read the blog post below for more helpful information.
It is best to put this rub on the ribs 30 minutes before cooking them, or up to 24 hours ahead of time.
Sweet and Smoky Rib Rub Recipe
Sweet and Smoky Rib Rub
Equipment
- Measuring Spoons
- Whisk or Spoon
- Glass jar with airtight lid
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tsp. Salt
- 2 tsp. Black Pepper
- 2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp. Onion Powder
- 1 tsp. Ground Mustard
- ½ tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp. Celery Seed
- ¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
- Store in an airtight glass jar on your pantry shelf for up to six months.
Notes
Nutrition
Preparing the Ribs
Taking a few minutes to prepare the ribs will make it so much easier to eat them when they are done cooking. The ribs will have a membrane, which looks sort of like a thin layer of pale white “skin” running along the underside of the ribs. You will want to remove this membrane. When cooked, this can be the tougher, chewy part of the rib. If you are curious how to remove this membrane, you can watch this video.
Instant Pot Sweet and Smoky Ribs Recipe
If the weather is pleasant, the grill is always an option. However, today we are going to put these in the Instant Pot. I tend to keep a good variety of items in my pantry, which would include Apple Cider Vinegar and Apple Cider, or Apple juice. The Apple Cider I used in this recipe I bought at the fruit stand, is stored in a glass jug, and has a longer shelf life.
Instant Pot Sweet and Smoky Ribs
Equipment
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
- Broiler-safe pan
Ingredients
- 1 rack Ribs, Spare Ribs or Baby Back Ribs. Seasoned with my Sweet and Smoky Rib Rub recipe.
- 2 cups Apple Juice or Apple Cider
- 2 cups Water
- 1 T. Apple Cider Vinegar*
- 1 T. Liquid smoke
- 1 batch Sweet and Smoky Rib Rub
Instructions
- Remove the thin white layer of membrane from the under-side of the ribs so they are more tender when cooking.
- Place trivet/rack in the Instant Pot and add all the liquid ingredients.Make sure the liquids do not cover the rack.
- Place Ribs in the Instant Pot on the trivet/rack.
- Cook on high pressure/meat setting for 25 minutes.
- Allow the steam to natural release for 15 minutes.
- Remove the ribs from the Instant Pot and place them on a broiler safe pan.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Side Dish Ideas
While ribs make a great main course, let’s talk side dish ideas for a minute. This is a great time to eat out of your fridge and pantry. Take a look at the veggies in your fridge to see what needs to be eaten. We are trying to eat things up before they go bad, and ribs are pretty versatile when it comes to side dishes.
I keep canned baked beans in my pantry and this is a great filler if I don’t have a lot of fresh items to eat. If you are trying to follow a low carb diet, a quick side salad with honey mustard dressing can be easily whipped up. Generally, we eat corn on the cob during the summer when we make ribs. If you are making ribs and have a watermelon on hand, you may consider making my refreshing Watermelon Cucumber Juice to go with your dinner!
Are you excited to try ribs in your Instant Pot now? Let me know how you and your family liked it by giving this recipe a five-star review and leave a comment letting me know what sides you made to go along with your ribs.
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