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!
If you like this recipe, you might also like my Air Fryer Spare Ribs with Barbecue Sauce.
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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. I looked at my 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 amazing. 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!
Ingredients You'll Need
- 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. My 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
*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.
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
Step 1: 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!
Jeri's Top Tips
- If your ribs have a membrane, remove it by lifting a corner with a butter knife and using a paper towel to help you grip it and pull it off.
- 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
You can fit 2 racks of ribs in the Instant Pot. If they are too squished together, they won't cook evenly. You can see in the photo above that they naturally have space between them when placed in the pressure cooker.
Side ribs extend down the side of the animal over the belly. Therefore, they are less tender than back ribs and are less expensive. However, they also take longer to cook because they are less tender.
You cook the ribs like frozen, reduce the cook time to 30 minutes, and do a natural release.
What to Serve With Instant Pot Ribs
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.
If you tried this Frozen Pork Ribs in Instant Pot or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you! 🙂
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- Jeri
Recipe
Instant Pot BBQ Pork Ribs From Frozen
Equipment
- Instant Pot or pressure cooker
Ingredients
Dry rub for ribs
- 2 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon seasoning salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Ribs
- 2 racks pork side ribs
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Cut your frozen ribs into 2-3 ribs with a sharp knife. Cut between the bones. You can even "score" the meat and then bend it apart with your hands. Put the trivet that came with your instant pot in the bottom of the pot and add 1 cup of water. Place the ribs into your instant pot.
- In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoon coconut sugar, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon seasoning salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Mix and sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the frozen ribs. You can even flip the ribs over to get both sides covered with it.
- Secure the lid on the Instant Pot, 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, let it naturally release. When the pressure is fully released, and the pressure indicator has dropped, remove the lid.
- Carefully remove the ribs using tongs and place them on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Brush the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Place them in your oven on broil until nicely glazed, about 4-5 minutes. Serve immediately.
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Recipe Notes:
- 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.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
About Jeri Walker
Jeri Walker is the founder and CEO of Winding Creek Ranch. She is a self-taught home cook who specializes in easy family-friendly recipes. Jeri is also a food writer who regularly writes articles for MSN. Read about Jeri's journey and connect with her on your favorite social media channels!
Alice | SkinnySpatula says
Never made ribs from frozen, but these sound easy enough.
Darcy says
These are the best ever! I improvised rub and made my own BBQ Sauce, turned out to die for, figuratively speaking, fell off the bone. Will definitely make again for ourselves and guests!
Jeri says
Wow! That's fantastic! I'm so glad you liked the ribs, Darcy! Thank you for taking the time to comment! It made my day! 🙂 Jeri
Sue says
Perfect ribs!
Jeri says
Thank you, Sue!
Ashley says
Mine are thawed, how long should I cook them for?
Jeri says
Hi Ashley!
Cook the thawed ribs for 30 minutes then do a natural release. Let me know how they turn out!
Anna says
These ribs look utterly delicious! I love how tender and flavoursome the meat is!
Jeri says
Thanks, Anna, they are so easy to make!