Instant Pot Country Style Ribs
Jun 10, 2020, Updated Aug 25, 2023
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Instant Pot country style ribs are the ultimate in tender, juicy pork shoulder meat. Rubbed in spices and slathered in BBQ sauce, these country style ribs are full of out of this world flavor. This is a super delicious, family approved meal that can be made in an hour.
There are a few different rib recipes on our site like these tasty baby back ribs. This is our first country style rib recipe and I already can’t wait to make more.
If you are looking for something new to try for your next family meal, I would definitely suggest trying these country style ribs in the Instant Pot.
This is a very versatile recipe. The meat can be eaten on its own or shredded up for BBQ sandwiches, tacos, or salad.
Why this recipe works
- Making these country ribs in the Instant Pot helps you get tender meat in a fraction of the time.
- Budget friendly cut of meat.
- Pork can be used for different meals like BBQ sandwiches or BBQ nachos and so many more.
What are Country Style Ribs?
They actually aren’t ribs. Country style ribs are cut blade-end, close to the pork shoulder. They are usually meatier than other ribs, like baby back ribs, and have a nice marbling and flavor. You can learn more about the types of ribs at pork.org.
Ingredients needed
- Country style ribs – Around 3 pounds works well for this recipe. Boneless country style ribs can be found by the pork in the grocery store.
- BBQ sauce – Use your favorite barbecue sauce.
- Brown sugar – This adds a wonderful sweetness to the rib rub.
- Beef broth – You can also substitute with chicken broth or vegetable broth. You can even substitute with a cup of water if you don’t have broth on had.
- Rub spices – Paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper make up the rub.
How to make Instant Pot country style ribs
Scroll to the bottom for full printable recipe, ingredients and video.
- Dry Rub: In a small bowl, mix together spices for the simple dry rub. Sprinkle rub over ribs and press the rub into the meat. Make sure to coat the top, bottom, and sides of the ribs.
- Prepare: Add beef broth, Worcestershire and apple juice to the pressure cooker. Place ribs, in the pressure cooker and top with BBQ sauce.
- Cook: Place the lid on the Instant Pot pressure cooker and lock in place. Cook on manual, high pressure for 45 minutes. Once finished cooking, allow to natural pressure release. (This could take about 15 minutes.)
- Eat: Top with extra BBQ sauce and serve.
Can you cook frozen ribs in the Instant Pot?
Yes, you can make frozen ribs. Before adding to the pot, make sure they are not stuck together. Follow the same directions but add an extra 20 minutes to the cooking time. So instead of 45 minutes, set cook time to 65 minutes.
Recipe tips
- For the best results, when selecting the country style ribs, look for nice marbling to ensure the most tender and flavorful meat.
- This recipe was prepared in a 6-quart Instant Pot.
- Use your favorite BBQ sauce for this meal. I like a thicker sauce like Sweet Baby Rays.
- If you like a little crispiness on the outside of your ribs, after they cooked and added sauce, place them under the broiler in the oven for a few minutes.
- I would recommend 2 ribs per person when serving.
Can I prep in advance
Feel free to rub the meat with spices and refrigerate overnight.
How to store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until heated through.
This ribs take about 45 minutes to cook in the Instant Pot.
These ribs are super tender and delicious. Cooking them in a pressure cooker makes the meat fall apart tender.
If your ribs are tough, they probably need to be cooked longer. Make sure to let the pressure release naturally which can take up to 15 minutes.
We are using 1 cup of apple juice but you can replace with a cup of water or broth.
Yes, the longer they cook, the more tender they will become.
What to serve with country style ribs
There are so many things that pair well with BBQ ribs. Be sure to check out this list of amazing BBQ sides. Here are a few more of our favorites:
More Instant Pot recipes
- Instant Pot BBQ chicken – Tender, juicy BBQ chicken.
- Instant Pot vegetable soup – Fast and easy soup filled with veggies.
- Instant Pot German potato salad – A warm potato salad with a light vinegar dressing and bacon.
- Instant Pot chicken pesto pasta – A great recipe the whole family will enjoy.
If you made this recipe please feel free to leave a comment and star rating below.
Country Style Pork Ribs Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 3 pounds country style ribs
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup apple juice
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine brown sugar, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle rub over ribs and gently rub it on meat.
- Pour beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and apple juice into Instant Pot.
- Add in ribs and pour BBQ sauce over them. Place lid on Instant pot and lock into place. Set to Pressure Cook for 45 minutes. (Be sure that the valve is set to sealing position.)
- Once they have cooked for 45 minutes, allow for a natural pressure release for 20 minutes and then manually release remaining pressure.
- Remove ribs and top with more BBQ sauce. Serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
LOVE IT!
Can I use pork chops for this recipe?
RIDICULOUS. We were going to grill our country style pork ribs but discovered after a brief heat up of the grill that we were out of propane. Ooops! Enter the humble pressure cooker (mine is an 8 quart Ninja Foodi). I added a little extra liquid (which was probably unnecessary) but otherwise followed the cooking instructions pretty closely (I used a different but similar rub). The pork just melted off the bones! It was so good, so tender, and absolutely delicious. I’m kind of glad we ran out of propane! I made about 3 lbs of ribs and it was enough for about 6-7 servings.
I don’t think I’d use regular pork chops…they’re too thin to hold up in that situation. Thick cut might work though, but you probably won’t need as much liquid.
My family loves this recipe! I’d like to use it for a crockpot recipe share. Any edits to the recipe before converting it to a crockpot recipe?
Easy recipe to follow. It was not spicy, which is exactly how I wanted.
I modify the recipe to make it unique, but the instant pot is definitely the key to tender ribs. I used to bake them in temp oven for hours. Once I get them done I freeze them in vacuum seal bags not sealed and and then vacuum seal. They’re all set to thaw and throw on the grill for browning the fat and getting a smoky taste.
very moist, loved the rub. very simple. i would decrease liquid a bit.
Mine weren’t moist at all, in fact, the ones on top were dry. I wonder if I should start adding more liquid than is in the recipe. I did top them off with some of the juice from the pot along with more bbq sauce, and that was fine for me, but my wife on the other hand… so I’d give it a 3 out of 5 stars.
Can you leave out the bbq sauce and add after it cools only?
You could leave it off as it cooks. I would probably add an extra 1/2 cup – 1 cup extra beef broth to cook it in since you won’t have the sauce.
Simply delicious! Definitely make again
Yum! Ribs are one of our favorites that’s why a ribs recipe is almost always on the menu every week.
Look how tender those ribs are! I will copy your recipe and will make one this weekend.
Your country style ribs look delicious. I can’t remember the last time I had ribs. I almost never buy meat, so it’s something I get when I eat out occasionally, and it’s been a while.