Frozen Pork Ribs In Instant Pot

These BBQ ribs are delicious, flavorful, and fall-off-the-bone tender. Frozen Pork Ribs in Instant Pot are so tasty and loaded with flavor; you might not believe they can be cooked from frozen, start to finish, in 1 hour, including the time to pressure up! This is a great way to have dinner on the table, even if you didn't plan ahead!

Everyone in my family loves ribs. However, it was just one of those meals that seemed to take forever. I used to boil the ribs in water for a couple of hours to make the meat tender, then bake them in the oven for another half an hour. It was certainly worth the wait, though; they are so delicious!

The other day, I was trying to figure out what to make for supper. Unfortunately, I didn't have a plan and had no meat out of the freezer. So I turned to my trusty Instant Pot and decided to see how pork ribs would turn out. After all, you can cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot; why not frozen ribs?

Well, they turned out so good. My family didn't believe I made them in the pressure cooker. They were so flavorful, the meat fell off the bone, and they had a beautifully glazed sauce. And they were ready in a fraction of the time! This is my new favorite way to cook pork ribs!

Ingredients

This instant pot pork rib recipe is one of my easiest dinners. You need, of course, a pressure cooker and a few simple ingredients from your local grocery store:

• Package of ribs. I used frozen pork ribs, but you could use any type of ribs, including country style pork ribs (boneless pork ribs). You can also use fresh ribs.
• Dry rub seasoning, or make your own with coconut sugar (or brown sugar), paprika (or smoked paprika), seasoning salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Directions are below. This Homemade Pork Rub is also delicious.
• Your favorite BBQ sauce, store-bought or homemade.

See the printable recipe card for quantities and a complete list of ingredients.

How To Make Instant Pot Pork Ribs

Quick overview

• Cut or bend ribs into sections.
• Place trivet and liquid in Instant Pot.
• Add ribs and cover with pork rub.
• Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
• Natural pressure release.
• Place ribs on baking sheet and cover with barbecue sauce.
• Broil for 1-2 minutes.
• Serve with your favorite sides.

Step by step instructions

*I used an 8-quart Instant Pot. I was able to fit two full racks of ribs. A smaller pressure cooker may only fit one full rack.

Step 1: The first step is to cut your frozen pork ribs into 2-3 ribs to cook evenly. Use a sharp knife and be careful. I was surprised by how easy they were to cut. Just look to see where the bone is and cut between the bone. You can even "score" the meat and bend it apart with your hands.

Step 2: Place the trivet that came with your instant pot in the bottom of the instant pot and add 1 cup of water. Place the ribs into your instant pot.

Step 3: I like to make my own dry rub for ribs, which consists of 2 tablespoon coconut sugar, 1 teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon seasoning salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon onion powder. Mix it up and sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the frozen ribs. Flip the ribs over to get both sides covered with it.

Cooking time for pork ribs

Step 4: Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and set it to "sealing." Set it to 45 minutes on high pressure. When the timer of the Instant Pot beeps, signaling that it is done, just let it naturally release. Remove the lid when the pressure is fully released and the pressure indicator has dropped.

Step 5: Carefully remove the pork ribs using tongs and place them on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Brush the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce (I use an all-natural kind that contains organic cane sugar), and place them in your oven on broil until nicely glazed, about 4-5 minutes. That's it!

Step 6: Now serve up fall-off-the-bone tender, mouth-watering ribs to your family. But, of course, they will think you spent all afternoon cooking. Dinner just got a whole lot easier without planning!

Expert Tips

• Use apple juice instead of water for the cooking liquid.
• Sprinkle spice rub on each layer of ribs as you stack them.
• Use a parchment paper or foil-lined baking sheet to make cleanup easier.
• Place ribs meat side up under the broiler.
• Serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side.

Recipe FAQs

Side dishes

There are so many side dishes that complement these pork ribs. My favorites are Crispy Oven-Roasted Potatoes and Oven Baked Beans with Creamy Potato Salad.

I also like to serve these ribs with Smoked Corn on the Cob in Foil, Coleslaw with Mayo, and Crispy Squash in the Air Fryer.

They also go great with a simple Strawberry Spinach Salad or Creamy Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad.

How to store leftovers

If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, place them in an airtight container and put them in the fridge. They will keep for up to 3 days.

To reheat, place in an oven-safe pan, add 2 tablespoon of water, cover with aluminum foil, and reheat in the oven at 250˚F. They will be ready when the internal temperature is 130˚F to 140˚F.

More Instant Pot Recipes

• Instant Pot Potato and Ham Soup
• Instant Pot Salmon Chowder
• Deconstructed Lasagna in Instant Pot
• Pressure Cooker Rice
• Instant Pot Venison Stew
• Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
• Instant Pot Deer Roast
• Instant Pot Chicken Legs

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