Air Fryer Ribs
Juicy, flavorful, moist, and tender, Air Fryer Ribs are the perfect dinner to whip up this week. So much flavor from the sauce and seasonings. No grill needed!
EASY RIB DINNER RECIPE
It seems like you can make literally anything in the air fryer these days, right? So you know I had to try my hand at making ribs! Making ribs in the air fryer is a simple way to get delicious, juicy results. With such an easy recipe, you can’t help but want to make Air Fryer Ribs any day of the week, not just on the weekend. Best of all – you’ll be able to enjoy succulent ribs without fussing over hot temperatures from a grill or smoker!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
You bet! While these might not be as “fall off the bone” as oven-baked or smoked ribs these are still very tender and you’ll still be able to clean the bone entirely. So don’t keep trying to cook them longer thinking they’ll get more tender. Once they’ve reached 190F they’ll start to dry out.
Typically this happens when grease from the ribs hit the bottom of the hot Air Fryer basket. Adding water to the bottom of the air fryer basket helps to disperse the grease and also adds a bit of a steaming effect to the meat, helping it stay tender. I like to use this trick with any meat in the Air Fryer, especially my Air Fryer Steak recipe.
Leftover ribs will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes you could! Although I have not tested it out with this stacking method of air frying. I would say prepare as I did below but keep an eye on the time and temperature. They may not need as long. Beef ribs are done when they’ve reached an internal temperature of 195F degrees.
It takes longer because we are stacking the ribs rather than putting them in one single layer. If you put them in a single layer, they will cook faster but you’ll have to do it in separate batches. This way, they will all be done at one time. I used a 7 quart basket air fryer (the basket style air fryer is the most widely sold air fryer on the market). If you have a smaller air fryer or an oven style air fryer, it might take longer (with a smaller air fryer) or faster (if using an oven style air fryer) so keep an eye on the internal temperature. Once it gets to 190F degrees, it’s ready.
You could reheat ribs in the microwave. Or you can reheat them in the oven by placing them in a foil packet with a splash of water and heat until they are warmed back through. I wouldn’t use the air fryer because the bbq sauce will end up burning as you’re warming them back up.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- baby back ribs – I think baby back ribs work best for this recipe. St Louis style ribs would be too large to properly fit into a standard size air fryer but you could certainly try to cut them up to make them fit and work in batches.
- yellow mustard – you don’t really taste the mustard when it’s all finished. This is going to help the seasoning stick to the ribs.
- bbq seasoning – I’ve recently started using the Kinders BBQ blend from Wal-mart. I think it has great flavor without being overwhelming. But you can certainly make your own homemade seasoning.
- BBQ sauce – I almost always go with Sweet Baby Rays but as always, please use your favorite or make a homemade BBQ sauce.
- water – this is my trick to keep meat from smoking in the air fryer. Adding a bit of water will catch the dripping grease and contain it rather than the grease hitting the hot bottom of the air fryer and smoking.
HOW TO MAKE AIR FRYER RIBS
Preheat a 7-quart basket air fryer to 350°F for 5 minutes. Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel. Remove the membrane (also called silver skin) on the underside of the ribs. It is easiest to do this by slicing off a little corner of the membrane and then using a paper towel to grip it and pull it off.
Cut the ribs into four even pieces, do the best you can. Brush the ribs all over with the mustard, I like to add a thin coating of about 1 Tablespoon, but use more if you like. Rub the bbq seasoning all over.
Add 2 Tablespoons of water to the bottom of the air fryer basket. Arrange the ribs, overlapping into the air fryer, and make sure you can shut the basket properly; you may need to play around with them a little to make them fit.
Cook for 45 minutes to 60 minutes, flipping them around every 15 minutes. Add more water to the bottom if you think it’s starting to smoke. The ribs are done when an internal temperature reaches 180-190°F.
Take them out of the air fryer and place them on a sheet tray. Mix the bbq sauce with 2 Tablespoons of water. Brush this all over the ribs. Note: you can skip this step if you like, I just like to slightly thin out the sauce a bit.
Place the ribs, bone side down, back into the air fryer, not touching. You will have to do this step in batches. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until the bbq sauce is bubbly and caramelized.
Serve immediately.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Air Fryer Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 rack baby back ribs 3-4 pounds
- 1-2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
- 3 Tablespoons bbq seasoning
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- 2 Tablespoons water + more for the air fryer
Instructions
- Preheat a 7 quart basket air fryer to 350°F for 5 minutes.
- Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel. Remove the membrane (also called silver skin) on the underside of the ribs. It is easiest to do this by slicing off a little corner of the membrane and then using a paper towel to grip it and pull it off.
- Cut the ribs into four even pieces, do the best you can.
- Brush the ribs all over with the mustard, I like to add a thin coating of about 1 Tablespoon, but use more if you like.
- Rub the bbq seasoning all over.
- Add 2 Tablespoons of water to the bottom of the air fryer basket.
- Arrange the ribs, overlapping into the air fryer, and make sure you can shut the basket properly; you may need to play around with them a little to make them fit.
- Cook for 45 minutes to 60 minutes, flipping them around every 15 minutes. Add more water to the bottom if you think it’s starting to smoke.
- The ribs are done when an internal temperature reaches 180-190°F. Take them out of the air fryer and place them on a sheet tray.
- Mix the bbq sauce with 2 Tablespoons of water. Brush this all over the ribs.
- Place the ribs, bone side down, back into the air fryer, not touching. You will have to do this step in batches.
- Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until the bbq sauce is bubbly and caramelized. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- The real trick is moving them around every 15 minutes. I had a sheet tray I used to take all of them out, then rearrange them back into the basket every time.
- I used a 7 quart basket air fryer (the basket style air fryer is the most widely sold air fryer on the market). If you have a smaller air fryer or an oven style air fryer, it might go longer (with a smaller air fryer) or faster (if you have an oven style air fryer) so keep an eye on the internal temperature. Once it gets to 190F degrees, it’s ready. The internal temperature is always the best way to know when it is done – not the time cooked.
- My air fryer says it has a three-pound capacity, but the ribs I used were really big, just under 4 pounds, and it worked great. So pay attention to the user manual of your fryer to see their suggestion and use your best judgement.
- Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, do so in the microwave or in a foil packet with a splash of water in the oven until warmed through. Reheating back in the air fryer isn’t a good idea, the bbq sauce will end up burning. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
The absolute BEST baby back ribs we’ve ever had! This recipe is “spot on”!!!
Was skeptical but excited to try this since it’s winter and my smoker was on the fritz (again) and thought ‘this seems too easy’. It was and it’s PERFECT! I prepped my ribs as I normally do EXCEPT for cutting them into 4-small parts to fit in the air fryer, and 60-minutes later *BOOM*, baby back BBQ ribs. I did modify it a bit, I turned the heat up to 360 after the first 30 minutes; other than that WOW. Going to buy some more ribs at the store, Can Not Wait !!!
My ribs came out perfect! I have an 8qt air fryer and I had a little over 3lbs of ribs and they fit perfectly with room to spare. They were Hubby approved too! Definitely will be making them again! Thank you for the recipe!
Yay!! Thanks so much Lisa! I appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment!