Tender and juicy fall off the bone baby back ribs seasoned with homemade dry rub and pressure cooked in the Instant Pot!
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Few foods spell comfort like a batch of homemade BBQ ribs. Whether you prefer dry ribs or a delicious rack slathered in low carb BBQ sauce, they're always a family favorite!
And while grilled ribs are always good, they're rather time consuming. Ribs cooked in your Instant Pot solves that issue. They are so easy to make and can be ready in minutes, which allows you to enjoy homemade BBQ ribs any night of the week!
After the ribs are finished pressure cooking, I smear them with a homemade, low carb barbecue sauce and broil for a few minutes to get slightly caramelized.
These ribs are very "set it and forget it"! There's not much work involved in making them and once you have mixed the barbecue spice dry rub, which is good for several batches, it's literally a 2-3 minute prep on them before they are are cooking away in your Instant Pot!
One of my favorite things about using my Instant Pot is how quickly it cooks things that would typically take hours any other way. I make chili, chicken stock, pork shoulder, pot roast and so many other great recipes that are done in a fraction of the time!
What's in Instant Pot Keto Baby Back Ribs
- Baby back ribs
- BBQ Spice Dry Rub
- Apple cider vinegar
- Water
- Liquid smoke
- Homemade Keto friendly BBQ sauce
*Exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
How to Make the Best Instant Pot Ribs
Baby back ribs come with a membrane that runs down the back. You'll want to remove that and discard it.
Take the dry rub and press it in all over the front and back of the ribs, making sure to completely cover them.
Mix the water, vinegar and liquid smoke in a cup, then pour in the Instant Pot. Place the wire rack inside and put the ribs on top of the rack, standing up.
Lock the lid in place. Set the steam vent to "sealed".
Pressure cook for 30 minutes, then allow to release the stream naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release.
Place the ribs on a baking sheet and slather in this delicious Homemade Sugar Free Barbecue Sauce, or you can use your favorite sugar free barbecue sauce.
These ribs are going to be so incredibly tender, they'll be falling off the bone. I carefully pulled mine out and they still broke apart into several pieces. Super tender, which is exactly what you want!!
Place the slathered ribs on a foil lined sheet pan and broil for 5-7 minutes or until slightly caramelized.
Note: Alternatively, you can finish the ribs off on the grill instead of broiling them.
How to Store Keto BBQ Ribs?
Leftover ribs with Keto barbecue sauce can keep in the fridge up to several days.
They can also be frozen. Wrap leftover ribs in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to a couple of months. To thaw, remove the ribs from the freezer and let them sit in the fridge overnight.
When you're ready to reheat them, wrap in foil, place them on a sheet pan and place in a preheated 350F oven until they are heated through.
Can I Cook Other Types of Ribs in my Instant Pot?
You sure can! The most popular, other than baby back, are country style ribs and spare ribs. The cooking times will vary slightly based on the cut and weight so check your cooker's owner's manual for recommendation.
Are BBQ Ribs Keto?
Ribs, along with all most all meat, are definitely good for those on Keto or low carb diets. After all, they are protein and healthy fat with zero carbs. Where BBQ lovers need to pay attention is to the rub and the to sauce because most brands have sugar and other ingredients not recommended.
What are the Carbs in BBQ Sauce
There are over 14 grams of carbs in just two tablespoons of traditional, sugary, barbeque sauce. However, by making your own Homemade Keto Barbeque Sauce you can slather your ribs guilt free with only 2 net carbs per serving!
If you don't have an Instant Pot, try these Boneless Pork Ribs that are baked in the oven!
What Keto Sides Can I Serve with Instant Pot Ribs?
- Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower
- Spicy Bang Bang Slaw
- Broccoli Salad with Bacon
- Cauliflower "Potato" Salad
- Easy Cole Slaw
- Creamed Spinach
- Cauliflower Mushroom "Risotto"
- Loaded Creamy Cauliflower Casserole
The Instant Pot model that I have is the Instant Pot DUO80 8 Quart 7-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer
More Keto and Low Carb Instant Pot recipes
- Instant Pot No-Bean Chili
- Easy Instant Pot "Roasted" Chicken
- Instant Pot One Hour Chicken Stock
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Marsala
- Instant Pot Ropa Vieja
- Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
Shop my favorite products on Amazon and check out my Keto Pantry List!
Instant Pot Baby Back Ribs
INGREDIENTS
- 1 slab of baby back ribs (about 2-2.5 pounds)
- ¼ cup BBQ Spice Dry Rub
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
- Keto friendly BBQ sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs and discard. Rub the dry rub all over the front and back of the ribs, making sure to completely cover them.
- Mix the water, vinegar and liquid smoke in a cup, then pour in the Instant Pot. Place the wire rack inside and put the ribs on top of the rack, standing up.Lock the lid in place. Set the steam vent to "sealed".
- Pressure cook for 30 minutes, then allow to release the stream naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release.
- Place the ribs on a baking sheet and slather in your favorite Keto friendly barbecue sauce over the top or make your own! Broil for 5-7 minutes or until slightly caramelized.
RECIPE NOTES
*Nutritional data is provided as a courtesy and is accurate to the best of my knowledge. You can verify it using the nutrition calculator of your choice. All data is based on net carbs, without sugar alcohol- Swerve, Erythritol, Allulose, or Monk Fruit.
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Carol
Excellent recipe. Meat was tender. I used G. Hughes Hickory sauce.
Finished them on the grill. All gone, so no pic! 🤣 I was air frying them, but no more! ❤️
Keto Cooking Christian
Thanks so much and I love the idea of finishing on the grill!
Jane
What bar-b-que sauce do you use?
Keto Cooking Christian
Hi Jane,
I actually make my own, but you can use any sugar-free sauce that you like. I haven't published the recipe yet, I'm still refining it but hope to have it out before summer.