Instant Pot/Slow Cooker St Louis Style Ribs–the best (and easiest) ribs that you can make at home. Fork tender meat that practically falls off the bone. The ribs are seasoned with a dry rub, either pressure cooked or slow cooked, glazed with barbecue sauce, and then stuck under the broiler.
Instant Pot/Slow Cooker St Louis Style Ribs
Each week in 2020 I’m sharing a recipe inspired by one of the 50 states. So far I’ve covered…
- Alabama
- Louisiana
- Utah
- Minnesota
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Hawaii
- South Carolina
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Alaska
- New Mexico
- West Virginia
- Arkansas
- Kentucky
- South Dakota
- Pennsylvania
- Georgia
- North Dakota
Today’s recipe is inspired by the Show Me State, Missouri. Some fun facts about the state of Missouri are:
- The Gateway Arch in St. Louis is the tallest man-made national monument in the United States. It stands 630 feet tall.
- Eight different states border Missouri, making it the state with the highest number of neighboring states (it ties with Tennessee).
- Historically, Missouri played a leading role as a gateway to the West, St. Joseph being the eastern starting point of the Pony Express, while the much-traveled Santa Fe and Oregon trails began in Independence. (Did you play the game Oregon Trail on your computer?)
I’m so super excited about these Instant Pot/Slow Cooker St Louis Style Ribs. The results were fantastic. Restaurant quality. My husband who loves ribs and orders them often at restaurants was so impressed with the results. We gobbled these up just as soon as they were done.
The only thing that takes a little planning is letting the ribs sit in the fridge for a bit of time with the dry rub on them. But after that it’s a super simple process. You place the ribs in the Instant Pot or slow cooker and let them cook until they’re tender. The Instant Pot cooking time is 28 minutes and then using a natural pressure release which means another 25 minutes in the pressure cooker. Don’t try to hurry this process! It’s really important that the pressure is naturally released because it keeps the ribs tender and all the juice will stay in the meat.
Instant Pot/Slow Cooker St Louis Style Ribs
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 53 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 23 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
The best (and easiest) ribs that you can make at home. Fork tender meat that practically falls off the bone. The ribs are seasoned with a dry rub, either pressure cooked or slow cooked, glazed with barbecue sauce, and then stuck under the broiler.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs St Louis-Style Spareribs
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup your favorite barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Remove the silver skin off of the ribs. Place the rack of ribs on a cookie sheet. In a bowl stir together the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, oregano and brown sugar. Rub the seasonings all over the ribs, top and bottom. Place the cookie sheet into the fridge and let is sit there for at least 30 minutes (I did 45 minutes).
- If cooking in the Instant Pot place trivet in bottom and pour in one cup of water. Place the ribs in the Instant Pot so that the ribs coil around the inside of the pot. Cover and press valve to “sealing.” Press manual and set the timer to 28 minutes. Once the timer beeps let the pressure come down naturally for 25 minutes and then open the Instant Pot.
- If cooking in the slow cooker, wrap the ribs around the inside of the crock. Pour the water in the bottom. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Remove the ribs from the pressure cooker/slow cooker and place on a cookie sheet. Turn on the broiler of your oven. Baste the ribs on both sides with plenty of barbecue sauce. Broil for 3 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and enjoy!
Notes
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot for this recipe.
I used my 6 quart slow cooker for this recipe.
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Hi. I’m trying this recipe this weekend in my slow cooker. What does it mean to “wrap the ribs around the inside of the crock. Pour the water in the bottom.” Does the water touch the ribs? Do I wrap the ribs on the inside and pour water in the middle of the crock?
yes just curl the ribs inside the pot and pour water in the middle of the crock 🙂
Ribs came out perfectly seasoned and falling off the bone. Cooking time for the instant pot was on point. this recipe is a keeper for its simplicity and the great results. Thanks!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Kimmy!
Can you cook these in an instant pot without a trivet?
Yes you could do that
IOs it possible to put two rack of rubs in a 6-quart i IP?
George
It might be super tight! You could try 🙂
When doubling the recipe, it says to increase to 2 cups of water. Is this correct, or is 1 cup still sufficient? (I seem to believe that quantity shouldn’t make a difference for the pressurizing liquid.)
I would keep it at 1 cup!
Perfection! Thanks for sharing ❤
★★★★★
Thanks for the 5 stars!
This Ribs recipe is sooooo very good. I followed all the ingredients exactly as stated in my Slow cooker. Super smell and tastes even better. !!! Live alone will share with the neighbor. What is the benefit of putting back in fridge for 45 minutes after dry rub applied? Which I did. Thank you very much for the recipe.
★★★★★
It just gets the seasonings in there more and helps them become more flavorful. Thanks so much for the 5 stars!
I was born in St. Louis and still live here. Daughter and grandson were home about a month ago. So I tried this recipe to the letter. WOW. Never had ribs that tender. They loved them and so did I. Just awesome.
★★★★★
What a great compliment! Thanks George!
I love that this recipe, in the Instant Pot makes this a delicious meal with very little effort. The Instant Pot does all the work for you. The ribs turn out great!
★★★★★
Thanks Jules!
Hi Karen,
Laura from Independence, MISSOURI here. Is it possible to cook this in a 3 quart IP?
Yes just cut the ribs in several bone sections to fit in the 3qt pot and cook with same time.
If you have one small rack they should be able to fit.
WOW! Best ribs ever, hands down! I used the recipe and substituted Dr. Pepper for the water to tenderize the meat. I used the slow cook feature on the IP for 8 hours and toppe deitu Sweet Baby Rays honey BBQ sauce. The family went wild for these ribs!! Thanks for sharing!!
★★★★★
Love the idea to use Dr Pepper! Thanks for the 5 stars!
My husband has made the absolute BEST ribs ever…until now. I made these in my instant pot and he hasn’t stopped raving about them and begging me to make them again. He even challenged his brothers to a rib cook off. Yeah, I won. This is definitely being added to my 5 star recipe collection.
★★★★★
Wow this is so fun to hear! I love it!
This has become my go to recipe. Save for the fact I use the already seasoned St. Louis Style Ribs from Costco and I sub Vermouth for the water. It’s perfect timing, fall of the bone delicious! Thank you!!!
★★★★★
Sounds awesome! Thanks for the 5 stars!
Great! EZ fell off the bones an tasted Good
★★★★★
Thanks for the 5 stars Patty!
With beef prices going through the ceiling recently–$20-$25 for a decent-sized steak–I’m discovering what a bargain pork is and how easily it can be transformed into a such an incredibly tasty meal thanks to recipes like this and my InstaPot. Being single and on a budget, I often shop the marked-down items in the bargain bin at my local supermarket and recently found a pack of St. Louis ribs marked down to $2.45! I was amazed at how quickly and easily it was to create tender, fall-off-the-bones ribs in no time with minimal preparation effort. Followed your recipe to the letter and ate well. Thanks.
Good for you! That is a great deal!
I followed recipe, I used boneless. I slow cooked for 8+ hours. They were so dry. What did I do wrong. Disappointed in Florida.
bone-in keeps it more tender. I would cook it less time with boneless.
If you used boneless ribs you used country style ribs, which is park of the chuck, not ribs at all. It is a completely different animal (pun not intended).
*part
Oh my goodness!! These Instant pot St Louis ribs were so tender & so delicious !! Thought I would get an early start on Labor day cooking, but the way my hubby loved them I’m not sure if any will be left!! I seasoned them the night before so they were good to the bone!! I added a little liquid smoke & that gave the perfect flavor. I put them on a sheet pan afterwards & brushed on bbq sauce & these were the best ribs I’ve ever cooked & I’ve cooked a lot!! I’ll never ever cook ribs in the oven again. Instant pot for life!! Thank you so much!!
★★★★★
Wow! This is so awesome to hear! IP is the best for ribs!
I am anxious to try these ribs. I do something similar in my crock pot, but it is just pouring BBQ sauce over the top. The spices in this recipe will definitely jazz up my regular ribs as well. Sounds like we are having ribs on Monday!
Thank you, Karen, for sharing your recipes. I have never had one fail yet. And my husband is a picky eater — no creamy sauces, no melted cheese — except on pizza — and no mushrooms except in a salad. I have been picking out the recipes I know he will like and so far, so good!
Happy Memorial Day.
I’m glad you are finding stuff that will work for your husband!
Karen, a friend of mine and myself like ribs but wife prefers boneless, skinless chicken breast. Can I add a small (4 Oz) chicken breast at the same time with the ribs in the instant pot and do I adjust cooking time?
Thanks.
George
Chicken would only need about 8 minute for such a small piece. So I wouldn’t add it in with the ribs or it will we overdone. I’d cook it separately while the ribs are broiling.
Thanks Karen. I will use my stovetop grill; for the chicken.
The only thing I would suggest is to add some smokey flavor to the recipe: instead of regular paprika, use smoked paprika. I haven’t tried it, but maybe trade the regular salt for smoked salt (or use half regular and half smoked). I don’t know if I would waste the liquid smoke in the cooking liquid, but for sure would add some to the BBQ sauce, along with the smoked paprika. Yummmmm!
★★★★★
smoked paprika is a great idea!
Great recipe! When you do VT, make sure you do something with real maple syrup ;). I’d recommend maple baked beans with bacon, or maple candied mac and cheese with VT cheddar! It’s a winner whenever I bring it to potlucks. Love how you are cooking around the country! I look forward to following your posts and exploring your site a little further.
★★★★
Yum! I love real maple syrup!
I did it for 25 minutes and it came out perfect. If I double the amount of ribs do you think I should increase the cooking time ?
★★★★★
Nope keep the same cooking time! https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/how-to-double-instant-pot-recipes/
I’m not sure what I did wrong. I had 2 racks in my IP and followed the recipe as written. I got the st louis ribs from costco. they turned out to be too tough. I’m not sure if it’s the ribs, or if they needed more time, or if they were wrapped in there too much…I also used a sugar free bbq sauce, I know sweet baby rays is the bomb, but I can’t with the high fructose. could you let me know what I did wrong, and why they were so tough please.
If they were tough you can cook longer with a natural release and they will get tender
This was delicious and extremely easy. I cooked for 20 minutes with a 10 min NPR. I used beef broth and apple cider vinegar in the instapot. We didn’t have brown sugar so I used a bit of Cajun seasoning instead. We will be cooking these again soon!
★★★★★
Love the idea of cajun seasoning!
I’ve made these for a few years now in a pressure cooker, now an Insta-Pot. Here’s my hints. These are FANTASTIC. Watch that 28 min time, I use 19 with a natural release. The overnight rub makes a hug difference but I will also take the rub with a couple cups of water, boil this mixture to get the spices well blended, then use 1 cup of that mixture for your moisture. Add liquid smoke if you like. Finishing in the oven or your grill makes the sauce stay on your ribs. Its tough to go back to the 8 hr smoker after these let alone buying them in a restaurant.
I really like these ideas! Thanks for sharing Jon!
I agree with your fantastic review, I am new to the Instant Pot, I used your 19 min high pressure with a natural release, I ended up adding 11 minutes after I determined that my ribs were close, but no cigar yet. So Karen’s recommendation of 28 minutes was close to ideal for me, with natural release. I did use your good idea of using the leftover rub in the 2 cups to one cup idea.
I can only find country style ribs, can I use them in the instant pot or should I use my slow cooker. If slow cooker how long to I cook them.
You can do either! They are so tasty! 20 minute pressure cook time and 20 minute npr should work fine in the instant pot.
5 stars for sure! These were terrific. Hubby really enjoyed them. After the rub put them in the fridge 1/2 hour. Coiled them in and added 4 scrubbed potatoes on top of the trivet. Cooked 26 mins. Then N.R. for 15
Under broiler for a couple minutes as you said!
They did NOT fall apart!
Thank you Karen for another great IP recipe☺
★★★★★
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS 😊
If I am doing 2 racks in my 8 Qt IP do you have recommendations on time and additional liquid?
Keep the time and the liquid the same!
If I am cooking a rack of St Louis Style, but it’s a little over 4 lbs, do I adjust time in a crock pot?
keep the same time, should be fine!
Definitely remove the silver membrane off of the back. I’ve cooked these multiple times in my IP and I only cook for about 20 minutes and let them release naturally 10 minutes then I use quick release, or they will fall apart.
Instead of water, try apple juice or apple cider. I use it if I have it and I use an apple flavored rub.
I also recently was grilling steaks and had some babyback ribs thawed so, I rubbed them down and put on the grill just long enough to sear each side (about 4-5 minutes each side). I wrapped them in foil and refrigerated until the next evening when I put them in the IP for 15 minutes. Then I put the bbq sauce on them and put in the toaster oven long enough to glaze them. I had the outdoor grilled taste and I think that will be the new way of fixing them.
For those who love a good, baked potato with the ribs, wash the potatos, prick them several times and stand them up in the middle of the IP. When I add them, I will cook the ribs 25 minutes. I fix 2-3 russet potatoes each time.
Great tips! Thanks Cammy!
I was wondering if instead of broiling in the oven, if I could switch ,ips and use my air fryer lid to “broil” the sauce on after pressure cooking? Thanks!
Valerie, it will work but, you need to cut them and lay them down on the trivet for the sauce to adhere and get that good glazed taste.
Thanks! I was going to cut them into sections anyway, so….perfect! 😀
Yep what Cammy said!
Karen,
One thing you should add to your recipe, is the removal of the silver skin/membrane on the back of the ribs. That is so very important when cooking ribs no matter what the method of cooking is.
Amen
Thank you I added that to the recipe card above.
I don’t own a Insta Pot so will try these in slow cooker, sounds very good and got great reviews
They work great in the slow cooker too Mary!
Sorry if this has been asked. But do you broil on high or low setting for 3mins? They are in the IP now. Smelling amazing!!! I don’t want to burn them in the broiler but I don’t want them to not cook right either if they’re supposed to be broiled at a high temp. Thanks.
I usually broil on high 😊
Turned out great. Let the rub sit on the ribs for about an hour. The ribs were tender and juicy.
★★★★★
Good idea on the rub and letting it sit.
Easy recipe but the cooking times given were WAY too long. Wound up with a pile of dry pulled pork and bones. Made them again and this time I only cooked for 15 minutes on high pressure, and a 10 minute NPR, and they were perfect. Very juicy and tender, but still held their consistency. Also used 1 cup apple juice instead of water and a touch of liquid smoke. Sauced and broiled for 3 minutes – Excellent!
★★★
Ty for the heads up! I’m not a fan of fall-off-the-bone ribs. What’s the point of ribs? Just buy some pork if that’s what you’re going for. I cook my baby back ribs for 16 minutes. I thought St. Louis would take longer but maybe not?
Fall off the bone ribs; delicious, couldn’t be easier.
★★★★★
Glad to hear you liked them Rhonda!
I was hoping someone would point this out. The “style” difference between baby back and St. Louis isn’t how it’s cooked, it’s where the ribs came from on the pig. Obviously, this person didn’t get the memo. These are baby backs, and not at all St. Louis style ribs.
It seems like I say this a lot about your recipes, but this came out fantastic. I left the ribs under the broiler for 5-6 minutes to dry them out a bit more. But wow!! A great recipe. Thank you again.
★★★★★
So glad to hear this Eric!
Can I use beef ribs? I can’t eat pork. How long will I cook them?
I followed the instructions exactly, let the pressure release naturally, but mine were very dry. Not the best.
Hi Karen, tried these today in the insta pot pressure settings. Two slabs of spare ribs, divided into 2 pieces each. Rinsed, patted dry and pulled the membrane off the bone side. Used the rub mixture along with extra garlic and smoked paprika. Now I usually just smoke the ribs on the smoker for 6 – 8 hrs, but wanted to test out the insta pot method. I did a quick braise of the meat, added 4 ozs of beer to the pot, set the unit to meats and then 45 minutes since I was cooking a little over 6 pounds.
When the timer went off, fired up the smoker, heavy smoke, applewood chips. Open the pot and carefully pulled out the ribs, any they were falling off the bones. Put them on the smoker for about 45 minutes, rotating the position on the rack. Good smoke quality in the meat. It was a slow low heat process that didn’t dry out. I can now cut down the full smoke time and eat a little sooner and with a little less hassle.
I wish I could have tried these! It sounds very delicious!
lol! shows how much I know.
These ribs are the best ever. Fall off the bone tender. I am making the Pulled port today. Thank you!
★★★★★
Glad you liked them!
Amazing recipe! Ribs turned out perfectly.
Quick question- if I wanted to make these ahead of time for a dinner party do I just keep them in the instant pot till I’m ready to serve them and just broil them with the barbecue sauce when I’m ready to serve? Otherwise can I take the ribs out of the instant pot, put the barbecue sauce on the ribs, put them back in the instant pot on ‘keep warm’ and then broil before serving?
Thanks so much!!! I’m new to instant pot ribs…I’ve always done them in the slow cooker:)
★★★★★
I would do the first way you mentioned.
*****
Thanks the ribs came out great. My first time using my new Instapot and it only took 1 hour to cook. I made a Keto version including Keto bbq sauce. Yummy!
AWESOME Mable!!!
These are amazing!!!
★★★★★
Trying it tonight. One question, s.et to manual, my instant pot does not have a manual button. I selected pressure cook. What heat setting should be used?
pressure cook button and high pressure 🙂
thanks Karen for sharing this delicious ,succulent recipe this is my second time making this recipe and I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m 71 years old and never liked spare ribs ,always thought they never had enough meat on them. now, I cannot enough of them,thanks again….
★★★★★
Is there a difference in flavor or texture when doing the slow cookr vs pressure cooker method? Which method are most ppl using?
They both turn out amazing. It’s simply up to you and your timing. I think most people use the Instant Pot.
Hi, I have a Costco size St. Louis ribs which is around 6.6 lbs. how long would I cook these?!
Same cooking time!
Can you put sauerkraut & juices in the I P with the ribs and not putting water in.
yep!
I made this in my instant pot yesterday and it was a big hit! Even my picky kids loved it. Instead of water I did a cup of chicken broth in the instant pot.
★★★★★
Nice!
What about cooking more ribs like twice the amount?
If they fit, you can do it. Same time. I made pork riblets last night stacked on each other and they turned out great.
I Just Decided What I Want For My New Years Dinner! Yummy Can’t Wait! Thanks So Much For The Wonderful Recipe!
★★★★★
You’re Welcome! Happy New Year!!!
Would it hurt to put ribs in foil while cooking? Would it help keep the juices in?
I certainly don’t think it would hurt. Let me know how it goes!
Hi! New to IP cooking. What do you mean by ribs coil around the IP? Like having the ribs upright against the wall of the IP?!?! TIA! 😬🤗
yes you just wrap them around the sides of the IP!
Could these be done in a crockpot on high for 4-6 hours?
Yep, totally.
Thank you for this recipe, it was great! I had a pre-made dry-rub that I used but the cooking times/technique was perfect. Cant wait to make them again!
★★★★★
Just made these ribs…..Delicious! Really love the dry rub. My husband loved this recipe!
My husband did too!
Tried this as per the instructions and they came out perfect. The only thing I did different was hold back the salt in the rub and salted about 30 minutes prior to placing in the IP. After removing from the IP I placed in broiler on high for 3 minutes per side. Great recipe!
Sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing 🙂
The ribs were delicious and so easy to make.
★★★★★
So happy to hear!
I’ve been making them like this since I got my Instant Pot. My husband loves them! I also use the regular pork ribs which are usually too tall when coiled inside the pot so, I cut away the taller portion and just lay it on the trivet. It works just as good.
Thanks Cammy for the tip! I’m so so happy about these ribs in the Instant Pot 🙂