Quick barbecue ribs that fall off the bone

This recipe for quick barbecue ribs is super simple and a guaranteed success. It can be on the table in an hour. The secret? Cook the ribs in a pressure cooker, then finish under the broiler or on the grill.

I was a little skeptical the first time I heard of cooking ribs in a pressure cooker instead of “low and slow.” It might not be traditional, but the ribs turn out fantastic every time: tender, moist, and falling off the bone. To get some crispy browned bits on top, broil or grill the ribs to finish.

Pressure cookers:

For this recipe, I use a stove-top pressure cooker that heats up over the flame on the stove (as opposed to an electric pressure cooker). If you have an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker, principal remains the same. The meat setting on my pressure cooker corresponds to 13 psi. The Instant Pot, from what I read online, gets up to about 12 psi. So, the cooking time for these quick barbecue ribs should be the same for an Instant Pot.

Ribs & barbecuing in France

Here in France, American-style ribs are not easy to find, neither at American-themed restaurants nor in the supermarket, so at our house, we get quite excited about the real thing. The French have many wonderful slow-cooked meat dishes, just not including ribs. Ribs can mainly be found during grilling season, pre-marinated, to be put on the barbecue and cooked until just done. The ribs I’ve found here at local grocery stores were alright, though a bit less meaty than a typical American cut. After a few years, we finally checked out our nearest Costco (a long drive away) and came home with a huge smile and a jumbo-sized pack of ribs. Maybe two packs…

Generally speaking, sweet and salty combinations, like American barbecue, is less popular in France, unless it’s honey and goat cheese (yum!). Still, every grocery store sells barbecue sauce! Barbecuing on the grill with friends, however, is a big deal in summer. The term barbecue might even originate from French! Barbe à queue (beard to tail), referring to spitting an animal over the fire. Other sources say the term comes from the Spanish barbacoa. Whichever it is, we love it!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Quick barbecue ribs that fall off the bone

Guaranteed succulent BBQ ribs in one hour thanks to help from the pressure cooker!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: barbecue ribs, pressure cooker ribs, quick BBQ

Servings: 4

Equipment

• Pressure cooker

Ingredients

• 3 racks pork spare ribs
• 3 tbsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 6 tbsp barbecue sauce plus more for serving

Instructions

• Mix the smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt together in a small bowl.
• Cut each rack in half so they will fit in your pressure cooker. Rub the spice mixture on both sides of the ribs.
• In a pressure cooker large enough to hold all the ribs, place the steamer basket at the bottom. Then stack all the ribs into the steamer basket. Stack the ribs in different directions to leave a little space between pieces. This will allow the meat to cook more evenly and quickly. If the meat is packed together, the meat in the center will be tougher.
• Add roughly 500 ml (2 cups) water, or until the water level is just under the bottom of the steamer basket.
• Cover the pot and close the pressure valve. Once under pressure, cook for 40 minutes.
• Near the end of cooking, preheat the broiler.
• Once cooked, release the pressure. Place the ribs on a baking tray, and brush on about 1 tbsp barbecue sauce per half-rack.
• Broil for 3-4 minutes, or until the top of the ribs gets a little charred.
• Serve with extra barbecue sauce and your favorite sides