Ditch the grill or smoker and whip up air fryer baby back ribs! The beautiful crust on the outside and fall-off-the-bone tender meat on the inside are absolutely crave-worthy.
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Craving a rack of ribs but don’t feel like babysitting the grill or the smoker all day? You’re going to love making baby back ribs in the air fryer!
The process is so easy, but the results are out of this world. The air fryer gives the ribs a beautiful crust on the outside while the inside cooks to tender perfection!
Best of all, you can be ready to serve in less than an hour.
Why you’ll love Air Fryer Ribs
The next time you find yourself craving a big ole rack of ribs, do yourself a favor and try this air fryer method.
It’s faster than cooking baby back ribs in the oven, the grill, or even the smoker, but the results are every bit as irresistible. Make sure you have your favorite BBQ sauce ready!
Ingredients to make Pork Ribs in Air Fryer
- Rack of pork baby back ribs
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Brown sugar
- Chili powder
- Salt and pepper
- BBQ sauce
How to Make Air Fryer Baby Back Ribs
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Peel the silverskin membrane from the back of the ribs. Slice the rack into 2-3 sections that fit into your air fryer basket.
STEP TWO: Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees.
STEP THREE: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, salt, brown sugar, chili powder, and pepper. Season both sides of the ribs with the bbq spice rub, covering both sides well.
STEP FOUR: Place the rib sections in the air fryer basket, meat side down, and air fry for 15 minutes.
STEP FIVE: Flip the ribs with a pair of tongs, then air fry for an additional 10-12 minutes.
STEP SIX: When the timer is up, open the basket and brush the ribs with your desired amount of BBQ sauce.
STEP SEVEN: Close the air fryer and cook for another 5 minutes.
STEP EIGHT: Remove the ribs and allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve with additional BBQ sauce, if desired.
How long to Air Fry Ribs
We want to cook the ribs long enough for the internal temperature to reach between 190 and 200 degrees F. The meat should be tender enough to pull apart but not so overcooked that it starts to get mushy.
The final cooking time is going to depend on your specific air fryer. When I make my Cosori air fryer baby back ribs, cooking the ribs for about 30 minutes total usually does the trick.
That means cooking them for 15 minutes meat-side down, 10 more minutes meat-side up, then brushing with barbecue sauce and cooking for 5 more minutes.
Of course, I always recommend investing in an Instant Read Thermometer. It takes all the guesswork out of cooking any kind of meat, so you know it will never be under- or overcooked!
Air Fryer Ribs Recipe Tips
- Always make sure to remove the membrane, also called the silverskin, from the underside of the ribs. Some butchers handle this for you, so it never hurts to ask if you’re unsure.
- If the ribs seem to have a lot of excess moisture on the outside, pat them dry with paper towels before adding the bbq spice rub.
- Check that the internal temperature has reached at least 190 degrees F before you remove the ribs from the air fryer.
How to Store Air Fryer Pork Ribs
Allow the ribs to cool to room temperature for up to 2 hours. Next, wrap them tightly in aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or an airtight container.
Store leftover ribs in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days.
Air Fryer Pork Ribs Variations
- Mix in a tablespoon of chipotle powder into the dry rub for a spicy kick.
- Brush ribs with melted butter, minced garlic, and grated Parmesan after cooking for a delicious flavor twist.
- For an Asian-inspired twist, mix soy sauce, brown sugar, minced ginger, garlic, and sesame oil, and use it to glaze the ribs in the last few minutes of cooking.
- Try skipping the sauce and coating the ribs with more spices like dry mustard or ground cumin.
- For a sweet and tangy flavor, mix equal parts honey and mustard, add a dash of apple cider vinegar, then brush the mixture over the ribs before and after air frying.
What to Serve With Air Fryer Ribs
- 2 Ingredient BBQ Sauce
- Broccoli Salad
- Air Fryer Baby Carrots
- Air Fryer Blooming Onion
- Instant Pot Potato Salad
- Corn Casserole Without Sour Cream
- Green Beans Almondine
- Air Fryer Broccoli
- Mac and Cheese with Cream Cheese (or Instant Pot Mac and Cheese)
Reheating Air Fryer Pork Ribs
- Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F.
- Place the leftover ribs in the air fryer basket.
- Cook for 5-8 minutes until heated through.
Air Fryer Baby Back Ribs FAQ
Oh yes, they do! For me, ribs have to be tender to be worthwhile. When I make baby back ribs in the air fryer, the meat is so perfectly cooked that it pretty much falls off the bone!
Other Air Fryer Pork Recipes You’ll Love:
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Air Fryer Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pound rack of pork baby back ribs
- 3 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup BBQ sauce plus more as desired
Instructions
- Peel the silverskin from the back of the ribs then cut the rack into 2-3 sections that fit into your air fryer basket.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine paprika, garlic powder, salt, brown sugar, chili powder, and pepper. Season both sides of the ribs with the spice mixture bbq spice rub, covering both sides well.
- Place the rib sections in the air fryer basket, meat side down, and air fry for 15 minutes. Flip the ribs with a pair of tongs and air fry them for an additional 10-12 minutes.
- When the timer is up, open the basket and brush the ribs with BBQ sauce – as much or little as you want. Close the air fryer and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove the ribs and allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving with additional BBQ sauce if desired.
Notes
How to reheat baby back ribs:
1. Air fry at 380 degrees for 5-8 minutes or until hot.Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
Put bread heels between the baskets to absorb the grease!
I cooked a rack of baby back ribs in my Foodi Ninja oven type air fryer today following the times and temp here. With this type of air fryer, you don’t have to stop and flip the ribs over as with a basket type. I cooked at 380 for about 32 minutes. Then I removed the ribs and put into a big bowl and slathered the BBQ sauce on them, coating them well. Then I cooked about another 10 minutes to caramelize the sauce. (I used Kraft bbq sauce). The ribs weren’t “fall off the bone” (that term gets boring) but the ribs cooked very well, just right for holding in the hand and eating. Next time, I’ll add about 10 more minutes to the cooking time to make them just a tad more tender. The taste was excellent. I made some homemade potato salad and deviled eggs on the side and had a feast. There is no easier and quicker method to cook tasty ribs.
I love my air fryer💯, but I’ve never made Baby back ribs in, everything else I cooked was absolutely fabulous so I’m going to try my baby back in there today too darn hot outside to be cooking on the barbecue
I made this tonight and they were the best ribs I have made weather in a smoker, grill and I will not try them any other way going forward. My bbq sauce was my own as were the spices somewhat but the cooking instructions were perfect. Thanks.
I am so glad you loved them, Bill!
On what setting is the pre heat, what setting do you cook them on the Power XL?
When using your Air Fryer, after pressing the power button and choosing a mode like “air fry” – the mode used in this recipe – you should encounter a prompt to specify the cooking temperature and duration. For this particular recipe, I recommend cooking at 380 degrees in your air fryer for 15 minutes, then flipping them over and continuing to cook them an additional 10-12 minutes.
My Ninja air fryer has either 375° or 390°. Which setting do you recommend?
I recommend opting for the lower temperature at 375 degrees. It may take a few minutes more to achieve the desired results, however cooking at the lower temperature will ensure you don’t accidentally overcook your baby back ribs. I hope that your ribs turn out fantastic!
I totally messed this up. I flipped the ribs over with a fork instead of using tongs. I just don’t know how to follow directions.
A fork compared to tongs shouldn’t matter too much, but tongs are definitely stronger so the ribs doesn’t fall apart.
My Ninja air fryer is 4 qt, can I cook 3lb at one time.Can you stack the ribs? How would you cook them in a 4 qt air fryer?
Hi Larry, With that size air fryer, you will likely have to cook your ribs in batches. They can be slightly overlapped, but they shouldn’t be stacked on top of each other. I hope this helps!
What size of air fryer did u use I have 6.5 qrt
Hi Christine, Mine is a 6.8 quart and a square shape. I hope this helps!