These Air Fryer Ribs will be your new favorite way to make tender and juicy ribs in no time! Done in 30 minutes and so flavorful, served with your favorite BBQ sauce.
Ribs in the air fryer come out juicy and tender every time, perfect for days when you crave ribs, and you can’t grill or smoke them. Making ribs in the oven, grill, or smoker low and slow works great, but making them in the Air Fryer is just so much faster and so easy. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal served with Instant Pot Mac and Cheese and coleslaw!
The ribs come out with a little bit of a tug to them, not fall-off-the-bone, but still tender, so you might want to choose a different cooking method depending on your preferences. My family loves fall-off-the-bone ribs and still very much enjoys these air fryer ribs!
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- Ribs come out tender and crisp (but not fall-off-the-bone)
- They are so flavorful and can be customized to your taste
- A super easy recipe that takes only 30 minutes in the Air Fryer
Ingredient Notes
Here is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom for quantities.
- Ribs – Bone-in pork ribs work best for this recipe. I like to use a rack of baby back ribs because they are the most tender, cook faster, and are perfect for the air fryer. Spare ribs will take a little bit longer.
- BBQ Sauce – You can use your favorite brand of BBQ Sauce for these. I like Sweet Baby Ray’s brand, but any kind will do.
- Spice Rub – I like to make my own BBQ seasoning with a few simple spices like paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and mustard. But you can also use about 1.5 Tbsp of your favorite spice rub or individual spices.
How to make this recipe
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.
- Prep: Preheat Air Fryer to 375 degrees F. Pat dry ribs with paper towels, remove the membrane, or score lightly with a sharp knife.
- Combine: Combine BBQ seasoning ingredients and season ribs evenly on both sides.
- Bake: When the Air Fryer is preheated, put ribs in the air fryer basket with the meat side down. Air Fry for 25 mins, turning the ribs halfway through. When time is up, slather BBQ sauce on both sides and cook ribs for 5 more minutes at 400 degrees F until the sauce has set.
- Finish and serve: Let ribs rest for 5 minutes before serving with more BBQ sauce on the side.
Expert Tips
- Membrane: For more flavorful and tender ribs remove the membrane, kitchen paper towel works best to pull it off, but you can also score the membrane with three light cuts this works well enough
- Preheat: Make sure to preheat the Air Fryer, so the ribs don’t stick.
- Air frying: Cook the ribs meat side down in the beginning for more flavor
- Internal Temperature: The ribs are done when the sauce has set, and they are slightly crispy. Usually, you want to cook pork to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, but to get them tender in a short amount of time you want to essentially overcook these ribs. If you have an instant-read thermometer, you want to aim for about 190 degrees F internally
- Spacing: My Air Fryer has a large basket and can fit one full rack cut into two pieces. If your basket is smaller, you might need to cook the ribs in batches or cook them leaning onto the sides of the basket
- Different Air Fryers: Cooking times can vary depending on your Air Fryer! Keep an eye on the ribs, especially in the last few minutes, to make sure they don’t burn
Recipe FAQs
Baby back ribs only take about 30 minutes in the Air Fryer. Spare ribs take a bit longer because they are meatier. The exact cooking time depends on the size and thickness of your ribs and the power of your air fryer.
Ribs will come out juicy and tender, but not fall off the bone like a more traditional and slower cooked recipe. It’s important to slightly overcook them so they get tender in a short amount of time.
Ribs should be cooked at 375 F for 25 minutes, and the last 5 minutes at 400 F, they are done when they reach an internal temperature of about 190 degrees F.
What to serve with Air Fryer Ribs
These Air Fryer Ribs will taste great with a variety of side dishes. Serve them with extra BBQ sauce on the side and some traditional BBQ side dishes like coleslaw, white bread, cornbread, baked beans, corn on the cob, or Macaroni Salad.
Here are a few more ideas:
Leftovers
Store leftover ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Reheat leftovers in the Air Fryer for a few minutes at 350 degrees F.
Air Fryer Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 rack baby back ribs, about 1.5 pounds
- 1 ½ Tbsp BBQ seasoning
- ½ cup BBQ sauce, plus more for serving
Instructions
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Preheat Air Fryer to 375 degrees F.
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Pat dry ribs with paper towels, remove the membrane or score lightly with a sharp knife (see pictures above).
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Season ribs with BBQ seasoning evenly on both sides.
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When the Air Fryer is preheated, put the ribs in the basket with the meat side down. Air Fry for 25 mins, turning the ribs halfway through.
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When time is up, brush BBQ sauce on both sides and cook the ribs for 5 more minutes at 400 degrees F until the sauce has set, and the internal temperature is 190 degrees F. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!
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Let the ribs rest for 5 minutes before serving with more BBQ sauce on the side.
Notes
-
- Membrane: For more flavorful and tender ribs, remove the membrane, kitchen paper towel works best to pull it off, but you can also score the membrane with three light cuts. This works well enough
- Preheat: Make sure to preheat the Air Fryer, so the ribs don’t stick.
- Air frying: Cook the ribs meat side down in the beginning for more flavor
- Internal Temperature: The ribs are done when the sauce has set, and they are slightly crispy. Usually, you want to cook pork to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, but to get them tender in a short amount of time you want to essentially overcook these ribs. If you have an instant-read thermometer, you want to aim for about 190 degrees F internally
- Spacing: My Air Fryer has a large basket and can fit one full rack cut into two pieces. If your basket is smaller, you might need to cook the ribs in batches or cook them leaning onto the sides of the basket
- Different Air Fryers: Cooking times can vary depending on your Air Fryer! Keep an eye on the ribs, especially in the last few minutes, to make sure they don’t burn
- Leftovers: Store leftover ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 – 4 days. Reheat leftovers in the Air Fryer for a few minutes at 350 degrees F.
