Instant Pot Pork Ribs (Mom’s Tangy BBQ Pork Rib Recipe)

Instant Pot Pork Ribs are tender and full of flavor and are ready in no time. When your family has a hankering for ribs but you don’t have hours to get dinner on the table, this is the recipe for you.

Instant Pot Ribs Ingredients

Mom’s Pork Ribs is one of our favorite recipes that our mom has been making since we were children. Growing up on a hog farm, we always had pork in the freezer and Mom always used this tangy, BBQ recipe when fixing the pork ribs.

• Pork Ribs
• Onions
• Ketchup
• White Vinegar
• Brown Sugar
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Yellow Mustard

In the summers and on Saturdays, Mom would fix lunch for Dad and Uncle Sam (and us, of course) and we’d sit down and eat as a family. That’s one thing both Barbara and I loved about growing up on a farm.

What Barbara remembers most about having these ribs for lunch as a child is never having enough once Dad and Uncle Same got theirs! There were NEVER leftovers when Mom fixed ribs. That’s what happens when you get two hungry farmers in for lunch after working all morning.

While our family no longer raises hogs, pork is still a favorite protein on our tables. Now it just comes from the grocery store! These ribs are as big of a hit with Barbara’s farmer now as they were back then.

Instant Pot Pork Ribs

Barbara updated this Mom’s original tangy pork rib recipe by making it in her electric pressure cooker. The ribs turned out as juicy as they did when our mom made them in the oven, and they were so much faster in the Instant Pot.

She didn’t get started on these until after 11 a.m. and lunch was on the table at noon (that’s what time Dad and Uncle Sam came in for lunch growing up, and it continues to be lunch time at their house).

Other than being quicker, the second best part of using the Instant Pot to make pork ribs is the elimination of the par-boiling step.  This means less dirty dishes and one less step in the cooking process.

How to Make Pork Ribs in the Instant Pot?

Step by Step Instructions

1. Cut pork ribs into smaller pieces if needed, approximately 2-3 rib pieces. Place pork ribs in the instant pot insert. Sprinkle onion slices or chunks over the pork ribs.
2. In a small bowl, mix up tangy BBQ sauce ingredients including ketchup, white vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and mustard. Pour over top of pork.  Move pork around so all pieces are topped with BBQ sauce.
3. Cover with lid and seal. Cook on manual, high pressure for 15 minutes.
4. Use the quick release method to release pressure.
5. Mom’s Instant Pot BBQ Pork Ribs can be eaten as is, or for a stickier BBQ sauce, place ribs in a single layer on a sheet pan, and broil for several minutes watching carefully to prevent burning. Broil until the sauce thickens.

For the full instructions and ingredient amounts for instant pot BBQ ribs, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Recipe FAQs

• Be sure to thaw the pork ribs before adding to the electric pressure cooker.
• Every Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) is different so be sure to read the instruction manual!
• Use your favorite brand of ketchup and mustard.  We usually use what is on sale.
• Cook on the manual setting using high pressure.
• Release the pressure valve manually as soon as the pork ribs are done cooking.
• Optional step: we like our a sticky BBQ pork rib.  To achieve this, broil the pork ribs for a few minutes after they come out of the instant pot.
• The barbecue sauce that these ribs baste in make a great sauce to serve over rice or potatoes.
• Try our Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Pork Spareribs too! We also have a recipe for tender crock pot spare ribs.
• Check out our Amazon Store for our favorite pantry essentials and kitchen gadgets.

Recipe Variations

• Use apple cider vinegar for the white vinegar, and any type of mustard.
• Add more flavor such as garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, or any spice blend. You could make a spice rub to let them sit for a few hours.
• Liquid smoke is a great ingredient for smoky flavor.

What should I serve with BBQ pork ribs?

There’s nothing homier than pork ribs, so we love pairing them with old fashioned side dishes. Here are 10 old fashioned side dishes that pair perfectly with pork ribs.

• Buttermilk Mac and Cheese
• Pea Salad
• Fried Cabbage with Bacon
• Creamy Red Bean Salad
• Southern Vegetable Salad
• Kentucky Summer Squash Casserole
• Red Hot Cinnamon Apples
• Dutch Green Bean Casserole
• Creamed Spinach
• Parmesan Zucchini Squares

What does it mean when your rib meat is tough?

When rib meat is tough, it usually means that the ribs were not cooked long enough. This can result from undercooking, not applying enough heat, or not using the right cooking method. To prevent this, make sure to cook the ribs for a longer period of time until they are tender and easily pull away from the bone.

Our Favorite Recipes from Mom

• Mom’s Tuna Casserole
• Poppyseed Quick Bread
• Wild Rice and Broccoli Soup
• Mom’s Hamburger Gravy

Linking up to Weekend Potluck, check out all the recipes here.