Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Style Pork Spare Ribs

You are going to love these instant pot sweet and sour spare ribs that are fall-off-the-bone tender and glazed with a sticky sweet and sour sauce. They're perfect for game day, for get togethers with family and friends, and even for weeknights thanks to the quick cook time in an instant pot. In other words, they're great anytime of year.

this recipe

My instant pot pressure cooker is one of my favorite "mom hack" tools I like to use in the kitchen. In a fraction of the time that it would traditionally take to smoke, bake, or grill these ribs, they're ready to go in just about an hour.

I let the time of year dictate what I serve with these. In the summer, I'll serve with boiled sweet corn on the cob and watermelon wedges. If it's the middle of winter, I will lean in to the Asian sweet and sour flavor of the glaze and serve with jasmine rice and a vinegary cucumber salad. The good news is that since these are made in the instant pot, you can have them whenever you've got a craving for sweet and sour pork ribs.

If you want to serve these with corn that's more special than boiled corn, try my Mexican Street Corn instead. My Watermelon and Beet Salad is another great recipe that goes really well with these sweet and sour ribs. So does my Potato Salad with Bacon. For dessert you'll want to serve these Mini Banana Pudding Jars. Finally, if you're looking for more instant pot recipes, be sure to check out my Beef Barbacoa Tacos recipe. It also uses the instant pot to turn typically long-cooking beef chuck roast into tender shredded beef for tacos.

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:

• pork spareribs
• ground ginger
• garlic powder
• brown sugar
• low-sodium or light soy sauce
• pineapple juice
• rice wine vinegar
• dark sesame oil
• tomato paste
• green onions
• water
• cornstarch
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(See recipe card for quantities.)

Instructions

Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time get cooking!

1. First, remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs. Rub the ribs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ground ginger. Add the wire rack to the bottom of the inner pot of the cooker.

2. Then, cut the ribs in half. Stand the ribs around the sides of the instant pot. Pour the sauce over the ribs and into the bottom of the pot. Set the instant pot to the pressure setting and cook on High pressure for 35 minutes. Turn the pressure cooker off and allow for 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Then, turn the vent to quick release. (Be careful of the hot steam.)

3. Next, remove the ribs from the cooker to a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or coated with cooking spray. Combine the cornstarch and water. Add the cornstarch slurry to the cooking liquid in the pot. Press the Saute mode setting and let the mixture simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.

4. Finally, preheat the oven to broil. Brush some of the sauce on the ribs. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until the glaze is browned and thickened. Serve the ribs with more sauce on the side and sprinkle with green onions.

Substitutions

Here are some ideas for ingredient substitutions in case you need them:

• Spareribs - St. Louis-style ribs are a type of sparerib and will work for this recipe; the extra meat and cartilage has been trimmed to make the ribs a more uniform shape. You can also use baby back ribs instead of spareribs. The cooking time will be less--only about 25 to 30 minutes.
• Brown sugar - For this recipe, I used light brown sugar but you can also use dark brown sugar if that's what you have.
• Rice wine vinegar - Substitute apple cider vinegar or white vinegar for the rice vinegar if you'd like.

Variations

Looking for more ways to change up this recipe? I've got you covered:

• Spicy - Add some crushed red pepper to the sauce mixture to give these ribs a kick.
• Gluten-free - Use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce to make this a gluten-free rib recipe.
• Leftover sweet and sour pork - If you have any leftover ribs, cut off the meat and chop it to make chopped pork sandwiches. Or, you can serve the chopped pork over rice for a sweet and sour rice bowl.

Equipment

Here's the equipment you'll need for this recipe:

• instant pot
• paring knife
• chef's knife
• measuring spoons
• dry measuring cups
• liquid measuring cup
• whisk
• small bowl
• rimmed baking sheet
• basting brush
• metal tongs

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freeze any leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe Guidelines and Test Kitchen Tips

When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:

• Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
• When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
• I tested this recipe using a 6-quart instant pot.
• When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

Food safety

Follow these food safety guidelines when making this recipe:

• Follow the manufacturer's instructions for cooking in the instant pot
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched the raw pork
• Wash your hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.