Pressure Cooker BBQ Ribs are a super easy fall off the bone tender dinner or tailgating idea with a delicious spicy date paste sweetened (no added Sugar) BBQ sauce for the win.
Jump to:
Finger Licking Deliciousness
Bring extra napkins to the table as you are going to need them. The only way to really enjoy ribs is to pick them up with your fingers and really get in there. Are we right?
When you are low on time but want big flavors without all the added sugar, you are going to love our Instant Pot BBQ Ribs. Fall off the bone, lip smacking, finger licking good baby back ribs have it all going on.
These easy pork ribs are first rubbed in a zesty dry rub then placed in the pressure cooker (Instant Pot) for 24 minutes, slathered with this delicious spicy and date sweetened BBQ sauce. We then popped it under the oven broiler for just about 2-4 minutes for that crispy topping. In addition, you could also throw them on the BBQ grill.
If you are a rib lover like us, our Air Fry Ribs (Chinese Style Garlic Ribs) is another great half-time appetizer or family dinner idea.
Rib Lovers!
In under 30 minutes, you can have dinner on the table or be ready for the half time festivities.
There is no added sugar. The BBQ sauce is lightly sweetened with date paste and the natural sweetness from caramelized onions.
You can actually pronounce all the ingredients in this recipe. There are no added weird preservatives or thickeners, just REAL Food.
Your pressure cooker takes all the hard work, so you don’t have to. There is no slaving over an hour for 4 hours or the grill whilst your ribs are cooking.
Instant Pot BBQ ribs can be made ahead and then just reheated and browned under the broiler or on the barbeque grill.
Rocking Dry Rub
Pressure Cooker BBQ Ribs is extra delicious with this quick and easy dry rub. We bet you have everything in your spice drawer right now to make this. Go ahead and check.
Garlic powder
Cumin
Chili powder
Paprika
Salt and pepper
Sticky Spicy BBQ Sauce with No Added Sugar
No Guilt BBQ sauce that will have you swooning over these ribs. A little spicy, savory, sour and slightly sweet from the natural sweetness of caramelized onions and date paste. Dates are even better than brown sugar because it gives the sauce a real unique depth of flavor.
We start by caramelizing onions and garlic. Then, we add Hunt’s Tomato sauce as it has no added sugars, a little dash of Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, red chili peppers and salt and pepper to taste.
Date paste Benefits
Date paste is a delicious and healthy alternative to granulated sugar or brown sugar. It can be exchanged for brown sugar or sugar as a 1:1 ratio. In addition, date paste compared to granulated sugar has a low glycemic load.
Therefore, it does not cause the huge sugar spike like regular sugar. Dates have potassium, iron and fiber and help to thicken the BBQ sauce naturally. They are an easy sugar alternative for baking as well. Be sure to try our...
Homemade Cream Earl Grey Bubble Tea
Cranberry Spiced Holiday Balls
How to Make
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs
- Sprinkle on the dry rub and rub all over the pork ribs
- Add the liquids to the pressure cooker.
- Pressure cook ribs on rack.
- Make the BBQ sauce with date paste. Making your own date paste is super easy. You will want to use it in many recipes so make a larger batch as it can keep for at about 1 month in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer. Slather BBQ sauce on ribs.
- Broil ribs in the oven or place on the grill to slightly browned.
Pressure Cooker Instructions
No more fussing over a hot grill or oven for hours while your baby back ribs slowly cook. You can have perfectly fall of the bone tender ribs using your pressure cooker (Instant pot). Our instant pot came with the little rack that is the perfect height to hold a rack of baby back ribs. With a 6 quart or 8 quart you can get in at least one to 2 racks of ribs.
As you already know, you must put some liquid in the pressure cooker to start the cooking process so that was a combination of chicken broth and apple cider vinegar.
Our Slow cooker (Instant Pot) is a life saver on most days. If you have not tried our Instant Pot Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup, Instant Pot Lentil Ham Stew or our 55 MUST TRY Cozy Crockpot Slow Cooker Instant Pot Recipes, you are totally missing out on some deliciousness.
How to Store
Cooked Pressure Cooker BBQ ribs can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 days or frozen for us to 2 months.
To reheat ribs, you can microwave them on medium heat for a minute or two or you can heat in the oven at 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) for about 7 to 10 minutes and heated through.
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Set your pressure cooker to high pressure and make sure the vent is closed for 24 minutes. Allow the natural release of pressure for 10 minutes. Then, you can do a quick release of pressure. Stay safe and use an oven mitt to protect your hand and turning the vent away from your face
Date paste is a healthier way to sweeten barbeque sauce. Unlike refined sugar, date paste does not spike your glucose levels as much as regular sugar and is packed with vitamins and fiber.
Tailgating Ideas
Hungry For More? Subscribe to our Newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for all the latest updates.
Pressure Cooker BBQ Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 rack baby back ribs
approximately 1.5 - 2 pounds
Dry rub ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- red chili flakes
dash or to your desired heat level - optional
Pressure cooker (Instant Pot Liquid) Wet Ingredients
- 1.5 cup chicken broth
gluten-free - 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Caramelized Onion BBQ Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onions
chopped - 3 cloves garlic
peeled and chopped - 1 cup Tomato sauce
(with no added sugar- We used Hunt’s brand) - 3 tablespoon date paste
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- red chili pepper flakes
to taste - salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash your ribs and dry them. Remove the skin membrane from the back side of your ribs (This is a very important step. If you do not remove the membrane from the back of the ribs, it will make your ribs tough and prevents the ribs from soaking up the flavors of the rub. I put my ribs meat side down on the cutting board and take one of my very sharp knives and run in very shallow to start the end of the membrane and then I use my fingers to pull off.)
- Put the dry rub ingredients (salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika and dried red chili flakes) into a small bowl and mix.
- Sprinkle the dry rub ingredients all over the ribs. Rub the dry ingredients all over front back and sides of ribs to get the flavors into the meat.
- Place the wire rack into your pressure cooker (instant Pot) Set your ribs in a semi-circle around the edge of the pressure cooker.
- Mix the pressure cooker (instant Pot) Wet ingredients (chicken broth and apple cider vinegar) together. Pour into the bottom of the pressure cooker.
- Set your pressure cooker to high pressure and make sure the vent is closed for 24 minutes. Allow the natural release of pressure for 10 minutes. Then, you can do a quick release of pressure. Stay safe and use an oven mitt to protect your hand and turning the vent away from your face.
- In the meantime, make your homemade Caramelized onion BBQ sauce: In a small pan place olive oil and onions and sauté slowly and gently until slightly golden. Add garlic and stir until aromatic. Then, add tomato sauce, date paste, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, dried hot red pepper flakes (optional) and salt and pepper to taste.
- Taste BBQ sauce and adjust seasonings as required. If you want it sweeter, add a little more date paste. Cook on stove top over low heat for about 10-15 minutes until the flavors have a chance to mingle. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to broil or you can Preheat outdoor grill, if you prefer. Broil your ribs for 2-4 minutes until they are lightly browned. Keep a super close eye on them so they do not burn. You can also finish your baby back ribs off on the grill just 5-8 minutes on each side or until lightly browned or a few grill marks.
- Step 9: Serve up Pressure Cooker BBQ Ribs with plenty of napkins as this is one finger licking good experience. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Eha Carr says
Some excellent lessons here, Bobbi - thank you ! Have never made date paste - that will be first on the agenda ! Absolutely love the sound of your barbecue sauce - I can 'taste' an awful lot of flavour in that one and can think of a number of other ways to use it also - great ! We do not use racks of pork ribs as oft as lamb ones . . . that too will be overcome ! And tho' I am the most modern of beings all will be cooked on stove and in the oven . . . a huge benefit of working from a home office . . . well, after the months of Covid an awful lot of people have unfortunately discovered the delights we hid . . .
HWC Magazine says
Yummmmm! Lamb ribs! We will be right over. What time is dinner? I bet you could find many uses for our caramelized onion BBQ sauce. It really is finger licking good. Stay well and take care
Betty Davies says
Made these on the weekend and they were a hit with all! The meat falls right off of the bone and the sauce is to die for! Will make again.
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Betty. So glad your family enjoyed our ribs. Wishing you a super week ahead.
Bernice says
I love how you used fig syrup in your bbq sauce - how interesting. It looks fabulous!
ChgoJohn says
It took me years to figure out that slow roasting, covered, in the oven *before* grilling with sauce was the only way to prepare ribs. You are right, BAM. They are falling off the bone but the grilling gives them that outer texture that only a grill can give. I like the idea of using figs and onions as sweeteners. I need to check out that website. Thanks for pointing me in that direction.
kathleen1richardson says
Sounds wonderful, Bam, and I love that you so easily (ha! probably not that easy and you just make it seem that way!) make up your own recipe for the sauce.
Keep writing.
Charlotte says
Not too much of a BBQ meat person...but could use this sauce to pair with foie gras and a glass of sweet wine..or maybe with roasted duck & oven grilled whole figs.yum, yum!
Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen says
Well.. that does it!! My son's been asking me to make ribs the past few days and now, how could I resist?? I will see if we have anything similar in our health food store.. maybe we've got something like it but a different brand. I love that blender.. no doubt it will come to North America and be the latest kitchen appliance to get!
sweetsimplestuff says
I am giving this recipe to my hubby ... he already planned on grilling ribs next week 🙂
Aoife.D says
Those ribs look out-of-this-world, I bet they tasted GREAT!
yummychunklet says
Great flavors! I bet the meat just slid of the bone!
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
Wow this looks finger licking gooood! I love figs and what an innovative idea to use it for ribs! I absolutely love it Bam-san!!!
Sibella at bakingwithsibella.com says
Mmmmmouthwatering good! 😀
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thank Sibella. I hope you are having a great week. I want to let you know that I am going to be traveling back home for a visit for a couple of weeks but looking forward to catching up upon my return. Take Care, BAM
Sibella at bakingwithsibella.com says
That is wonderful! If you're going to be in Michigan, close to South Bend and if you have a little extra time, maybe we can plan a short date? But really only if your schedule allows... 🙂 Have a safe trip! Hugs!