Air fryer pork baby back ribs are incredibly easy to make and so good that your family will always ask for them. They're ready to enjoy in 40 minutes and wonderfully quick for ribs. Grab a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce to customize the flavor.
Serve your ribs with some of my favorite BBQ pork rib sides! Try my ground beef and bacon BBQ beans, white cheddar mac & cheese, or milk-boiled corn on the cob! Enjoy!
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Craving baby back ribs but not in the mood to grill? Let the air fryer save the day with succulent pork ribs ready in under 40 minutes!
These ribs will have your BBQ-loving family asking for seconds, thanks to their moist, tender inside and slightly crispy outside.
Plus, they're so easy and quick to make that you can enjoy them any day of the week.
Get ready for finger-licking goodness with these perfectly tender pork ribs, soon to be your new favorite dinner solution!
🥘 Ingredients
These tender baby back ribs only require 3 ingredients. The BBQ sauce and the dry rub combined are incredibly tasty!
How many racks of ribs are needed to feed your family? Generally, count on half a rack per person – so you would need two racks for a family of four.
- Baby Back Ribs – Grab 1 vacuum-packed rack of ribs from the local meat market or grocery store.
- Barbeque Sauce – Use 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce! Sweet or spicy - both are delicious in this recipe. Try my honey BBQ sauce, or for a twist, try my Hawaiian BBQ sauce!
- Pork Dry Rub – ¼ cup of pork dry rub. My pork dry rub recipe is full of savory and sweet flavors and is a great complement to ribs, but you can use any dry rub or seasoning that suits your taste.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Air Fryer Baby Back Pork Ribs
Prepping the ribs shouldn’t take more than 5-10 minutes, and then place the ribs in the air fryer, flip a few times, add BBQ sauce, and enjoy.
You'll need a sharp knife, cutting board, measuring utensils, kitchen tongs, air fryer, and meat thermometer to get started.
One rack of baby back ribs makes about 2 servings.
Air Fryer BBQ Pork Ribs
- Preheat the Air Fryer: Begin by setting your air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease the basket or trays with cooking oil or spray.
- Prepare the Ribs: Rinse a rack of ribs under cold water and pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Season the Ribs: Rub approximately ¼ cup of your favorite dry rub evenly into the ribs. Feel free to use more rub to ensure the ribs are well-coated.
- Cut the Ribs: Slice the ribs into sections that fit comfortably in your air fryer basket.
- First Round of Cooking: Place the ribs in the basket, meat side down, and cook at the preheated temperature for 15 minutes.
- Turn the Ribs: Open the air fryer, carefully flip the ribs using tongs, and continue cooking at the same temperature for another 10 minutes.
- Add BBQ Sauce: Check the ribs' internal temperature at the thickest part to ensure they've reached 145°F (63°C). Generously apply BBQ sauce over the ribs, using about ½ to 1 cup of sauce. If the ribs haven't reached the safe temperature, cook them a bit longer until they do.
- Final Cooking Stage: Increase the air fryer's temperature to 400°F (205°C) and cook the ribs for 5 more minutes to caramelize the sauce.
- Rest and Serve: Once done, take the ribs out of the air fryer, apply an extra layer of BBQ sauce if desired, and let them rest for 5 minutes under a loosely tented piece of aluminum foil. Then, slice the ribs and serve them hot.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Generous Seasoning: Don't hesitate to liberally apply spice rub and BBQ sauce. When using an air fryer, it's hard to overdo it with these flavor enhancers.
- Membrane Removal: For optimal flavor, consider removing the membrane from the underside of the ribs, although this step is optional. If you remove it, gently lift it with a blunt butter knife to separate it from the fat layer. Whether you remove the membrane or not, the ribs will still be delicious.
- Rinsing Ribs: Rinsing the ribs is a personal choice and not USDA-recommended. The goal is to remove any residual debris from processing, not bacteria. This step can help ensure no unwanted bits, like small bones, are left on the meat.
- Preheating and Basket Coating: While not strictly necessary, preheating the air fryer as per the recipe ensures more precise cooking times. A light coat of cooking oil on the basket or trays applied with a pastry brush or spritz bottle, can prevent sticking, especially in well-used air fryers. (Avoid aerosolized non-stick sprays as they can damage the air fryer's coating.)
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow, airtight container or wrap tightly in cling film or aluminum foil for 3-4 days.
Cool the ribs completely before storing them in a freezer-safe container, vacuum-sealed bag, or double-wrapped in foil. They last up to 3 months in the freezer, with optimal quality within the first two months.
Reheating
- Air Fryer Method: Reheat ribs at 350°F (175°C) for 3-5 minutes. Space them out for even heating and spray the basket with oil to prevent sticking and enhance crispiness.
- Oven Method: For moisture retention, reheat ribs in the oven. Bring them to room temperature, brush them with extra BBQ sauce, and wrap them in foil. Heat at 250°F (121°C) for 20-30 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 130-140°F (54-60°C).
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❓ Recipe FAQs
A meat thermometer is your best friend! The internal temperature of the ribs should reach 145°F (63°C) for safe consumption. However, for truly tender ribs that will fall off the bone, you should aim somewhere between 180ºF (82ºC) and 200ºF (93ºC).
I recommend preheating your air fryer for the best results. It only takes 3-5 minutes to preheat an air fryer to 375°F (190°C), and it will help to ensure that the ribs are cooked evenly.
This is unnecessary and will keep the BBQ sauce from caramelizing. The air in the air fryer will circulate around the meat, cooking it evenly without drying it out. Just make sure not to overcrowd your air fryer basket.
😋 More BBQ Favorites
- Smoked Mac & Cheese - Dive into a smoky bowl of cheesy goodness with this irresistible twist on classic comfort food!
- BBQ Baked Sausage - Juicy sausages baked to perfection and slathered in tangy BBQ sauce!
- BBQ Baked Pork Spareribs - Fall-off-the-bone tender pork spareribs coated in a mouthwatering dry rub and your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Baked BBQ Pork Rib Tips - These succulent pork rib tips are baked to caramelized perfection and smothered in lip-smacking BBQ sauce!
- Air Fryer BBQ Little Smokies - Air fryer BBQ Little Smokies are the super easy appetizer you didn't know you were missing in your life!
- Smoked Chuck Roast - A smoky and succulent chuck roast that's slow-cooked to tender perfection.
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📖 Recipe Card
Air Fryer Baby Back Pork Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 rack baby back pork ribs
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup pork dry rub
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Lightly coat your air fryer basket or trays with cooking oil.
- Rinse the 1 rack baby back pork ribs under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Apply a generous amount of ¼ cup pork dry rub all over the ribs.
- If needed cut your ribs into segments that will fit your air fryer.
- Place your ribs in the basket or tray meat side facing downward. Cook for 15 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
- Open fryer and flip the ribs. Cook for another 10 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
- Open your air fryer and check temperature be sure ribs are at 145°F (63°C) then apply 1 cup BBQ sauce liberally over the ribs. Bring the temperature up to 400°F (205°C).
- Return to your air fryer and cook for another 5 minutes at 400°F (205°C).
- When finished carefully remove your ribs and add extra BBQ sauce if desired. Rest the cooked ribs for about 5 minutes (covered loosely with a square of aluminum foil), the serve, and enjoy!
Sandy Bush says
OMLord. This was fantastic. I did not use the liquid smoke but did everything else. I will definitely do this again. So easy so little clean up
Nancy says
This is my go to recipe for baby back ribs. It is easy, fast, and delicious! Be sure to use the dry rub recipe (link in this recipe). Thank you for such a great recipe!
Marie-Claire says
Est-ce qu'on fait cuire à air fryer ou a Bake?
"Do we cook with an air fryer or a Bake?"
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Ces instructions sont spécifiques à la cuisson des côtes levées dans une friteuse à air. Merci d'avoir posé la question!
"These instructions are specific for cooking the ribs in an air fryer. Thanks for asking!"
'terry lyn evans' says
This was amazing! Turned out so perfect . The ribs were 190’ but didn’t burn and were tender and crispy.
I am so happy how great they were. BBQ ribs my fav but usually so much work. I’m not a fan of the boiling types. I used montanas apple butter BBQ sauce. Thanks for teaching me how. PS I have the kitchen aid airfryer oven.