These juicy pork ribs are cooked to perfection in the Instant Pot and they will melt in your mouth! They are tender and so flavorful that you’ll wonder why you haven’t made them this way before now.

Top them with your favorite sugar-free bbq sauce, and the ribs are sure to please your taste buds as well as your family and friends.

What are County Style Ribs?

These Instant Pot BBQ Country Style Ribs are my latest masterpiece. They are so juicy and tender making them so delicious. The flavor is great even before the addition of a nice sugar-free bbq sauce.

Y’all, they are just mouth-watering good!

If you’re not familiar with all the cuts of meats offered you may be wondering what exactly are country-style ribs. I’m a huge fan of this cut of meat so I’m thrilled to introduce them to you here in this super tasty recipe. 

Country-style ribs are actually a meaty cut from the blade end of the loin close to the pork shoulder.  So not really a rib at all when it comes down to it.

They are meatier than other true rib cuts but are similar in flavor. As with the other types of ribs (of course besides the beef rib lol), these country-style ribs are pork.

Some thing to remember about this type of meat cut is that it is usually more fatty which is a good thing because it helps keep them nice and juicy when they cook.

However, country-style ribs also tend to be a bit tougher in texture than those true rib cuts like Baby Back or Spare Ribs. That’s why cooking them in the Instant Pot is a great method for this recipe.

The flavor is wonderful and they are often more budget-friendly than true rib cuts. For instance, I found this 3 lb package of country-style ribs in the recipe for around $8 on sale at my local Kroger. 

Prepping the Ribs for the Instant Pot

When you get ready to cook your Instant Pot Country Style Ribs there are a few things I recommend doing first. These two things will help you achieve the maximum flavor and texture of your meat.

First, season your meat well. This is an important step that will add so much flavor to your pork ribs. Some of my go-to spices are salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. But feel free to use your favorites or even a prebought rub.

Once you have your seasonings chosen make sure to sprinkle it liberally on all sides of the country-style ribs. After you have added the spices let them sit in the refrigerator for as long as you can.

I like to season mine early in the morning on the day I’m going to be cooking them so they can sit all day and soak up all that flavor. But if you don’t have that much time that’s fine. 

The second thing I highly recommend when cooking these ribs is searing your meat in the pan before adding them to your instant pot to cook.

Yes, this is an extra step and can be skipped if you are in a rush to get dinner on the table. Those extra few minutes searing the meat is so worth it.

If you’re asking “why is that important here in this recipe?” let me share a bit on searing meat. 

Searing serves an important purpose when it comes to building flavor and texture. A hot pan leads to a golden caramelized crust on the meat. This process helps lock in the juices for the meat. 

Not only does this simple step help preserve the natural juices and flavor, but it also helps it stay tender, and lastly it gives the meat a nice appearance when serving.

Let’s face it we all eat with our eyes as well as our mouths, so it just makes these more appetizing. 

Cooking and Serving Your Instant Pot Country Style Ribs

To begin the cooking process on your Country-Style Ribs you will simply add the oil to the bottom of your Instant Pot and turn it onto the Saute function.

Place a few pieces of the seasoned meat into the bottom of the hot pot and brown it on all sides. Do this in batches so you can avoid overcrowding the meat. 

Once all of the ribs have been nicely browned you’ll drain any excess grease from your pot and add all the browned meat back into the pot. 

Next, add 1 cup of cooking liquid. I always use beef broth for my liquid when cooking pork or beef. I just like the richer flavor it lends.

But by all means, feel free to add water or whatever broth if that is all you have on hand. 

After you’ve added the liquid, place the lid on your Instant Pot and cook on high for 24 minutes. After the cooking time has ended let your pressure naturally release to allow the meat to finish tenderizing for at least 15 minutes or longer. 

I know it is hard to wait, but it really does help the texture of your ribs by letting the pot do its job and release it slowly. Trust me here!

Finally, if you are going to add a bbq sauce you can drain all of the liquid in the pot out and add your favorite low-carb or sugar-free sauce directly over the meat and serve.

I like to elevate my ribs by taking them carefully out of the instant pot and placing them on a baking sheet before brushing them with bbq sauce.

Once I have them sauced up, I place them under my broiler for about 10 minutes watching them closely. This extra step will caramelize the bbq sauce and deepen the flavors. It also helps “set” the sauce on each rib so it stays on nicely.

These are finished in just over an hour and they are so satisfying! They would pair perfectly with this keto cauliflower potato salad from the blog Real Balanced.

I promise these are so easy and they are definitely finger-licking good!

Recipe Tips for the Perfect Outcome!

Here are a few handy tips to help you when you’re making this recipe. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family and I do!

• When choosing your package of country-style ribs look for the pieces of meat that have the most marbling with meat to fat ratio. You want to have plenty of fat on these cuts to keep them juicy but not so much that it will all cook away not leaving any meaty portions. 
• If you are trying to decide how large a package to purchase for your family you can judge that by going by a typical recommendation that a serving size of meat is generally 4 to 6 ounces per person. If you have hardy eaters or want leftovers just double the amount you think you will need. 
• When seasoning your country-style ribs you’ll find that the longer they sit and soak up the flavor the better the flavor will be. If at all possible try to do this the night before or the morning of cooking. If you don’t have much time at least 30 minutes before cooking will work.
• Take the time to sear your ribs! Remember this will only add about 15 extra minutes to the recipe, but you will be glad you did. There’s a saying in the cooking world “there’s flavor in the brown!”, and they are so right!
• After letting your ribs cook in your Instant Pot let the pressure naturally release instead of doing a quick release. The meat will continue to tenderize as the steam naturally releases so this is important to achieve the best texture. 
• If you are adding bbq sauce to your meat I mention in the recipe to baste the ribs then broil them until they caramelize. This step is completely optional of course but I don’t think you should skip it because this just takes this delicious meat to the next level of amazing!
• Lastly, there are tons of amazing low-carb and sugar-free recipes out there on the internet. Just google low carb or THM BBQ Sauce and you’ll have many to choose from. If you are open to using store-bought then check your local grocery stores I’ve seen many new brands popping up, so there may be one that fits your diet plan. 
• Serve with a side of Bacon Rach Cole Slaw or these Bacon and Cheddar Deviled Eggs!

Yield: 8 Servings (6 oz serving)

Instant Pot Country Style Ribs || Low Carb & THM

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Juicy and tender country style ribs cooked to perfection in your Instant Pot. Top with your favorite low carb and sugar-free bbq sauce for a tasty dinner your family or friends will love,

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Ingredients

• 3 pounds of boneless Country Style Ribs
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Sauce

• 1 cups of your favorite sugar-free BBQ sauce (I use G Hughs Smokehouse)

Instructions

1. Season the country-style ribs with the seasonings listed or your preferred seasoning blend.
2. Add the oil to the Instant Pot and turn the pot on Saute. Heat until hot.
3. In small batches sear the meat on all sides to brown each piece. Continue this step until all the ribs are browned.
4. Drain any excess oil from the pot and place all the meat back into the Instant Pot.
5. Add in one cup of beef broth (or water if preferred) and place the lid on the Instant Pot.
6. Cook the meat on Manual or the Meat setting on the high pressure for 24 minutes and then let the pressure naturally release for at least 15 minutes,
7. Once the pressure is released drain the cooking liquid from the pot and add in the bbq sauce of choice.
8. I like to then place the bbq meat onto a baking sheet and cook under a broiler for a few extra minutes to carmelize the bbq sauce as seen in my pictures here.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

6 ounces
Amount Per ServingCalories 321Total Fat 19gTrans Fat 0gCholesterol 100.1mgSodium 301mgCarbohydrates 3.4gNet Carbohydrates 3gFiber .4gSugar .3gProtein 45g

I am not a nutritionist. If you have strict dietary needs I always recommend using an online nutrition calculator to calculate your totals using your exact brands you're using in this recipe as values may vary per brand.

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Keri Bucci

I am a southern girl through and through that loves to laugh, cook, read and spend time with family. My passions outside of home schooling my son are ministering to those in need and creating art in the kitchen! Every day is an adventure in our little house and I wouldn’t trade it or the chance to share here with you for anything!