Nothing screams summer more than these Low FODMAP Instant Pot BBQ Pork Ribs with homemade Low FODMAP BBQ Sauce! Juicy and fall-off-the-bone tender, these low FODMAP ribs are sure to be the stand-out dish of the summer. In addition to being low FODMAP, this Instant Pot BBQ Pork Ribs recipe is Paleo compliant and refined sugar-free.
Jump to:
- Instant Pot: The Best Way to Cook Ribs
- Low FODMAP BBQ Rib Dry Rub + Low FODMAP BBQ Sauce = BBQ Rib Heaven
- Necessary Equipment
- Low FODMAP Instant Pot BBQ Pork Ribs: Ingredients & Success Tips
- What can you eat these Low FODMAP Instant Pot BBQ Pork Ribs with?
- Low FODMAP Instant Pot BBQ Pork Ribs (Paleo, Refined Sugar-Free)
- Related Recipes
Instant Pot: The Best Way to Cook Ribs
I haven't found a better way to cook ribs at home other than pressure cooking them with the Instant Pot. It's easy and doesn't heat up your whole kitchen the way oven-baking ribs would. With temps reaching 111° F (44° C) in Canada this week, not further adding to that extraordinary heat is indeed an attractive prospect. True, these low FODMAP ribs are finished off in the oven, but having the broiler on for a few minutes is way better than having the oven on for hours to achieve the same level of tenderness that these ribs possess.
Low FODMAP BBQ Rib Dry Rub + Low FODMAP BBQ Sauce = BBQ Rib Heaven
The best way to achieve the best flavor for these Low FODMAP Instant Pot BBQ Pork Ribs is to use a low FODMAP rib dry rub first and finish them off with lots of Low FODMAP BBQ Sauce. Although it takes longer and is a bit more work to make the dry rub, the results are completely worth it as the ribs are flavorful as can be. My husband, Jeff, and I often "fight" over who gets the last few ribs. I typically win this "fight" as I am the one who cooks them.
The low FODMAP BBQ sauce I finish them off with is my homemade low FODMAP BBQ Sauce recipe. I have been tweaking this recipe for the last few years, and it is delicious and easy to make. If you have found another low FODMAP BBQ sauce you like to use, feel free to use that instead.
Necessary Equipment
The equipment I use to make these Low FODMAP BBQ Pork Ribs in the Instant Pot includes:
- 6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or a comparable electric pressure cooker
- Parchment paper
- Paper towels
- Small bowl
- Whisk
- Oven broiler
- Baking sheet
- Tinfoil
- Tongs
Low FODMAP Instant Pot BBQ Pork Ribs: Ingredients & Success Tips
Pork Ribs
For this low FODMAP ribs recipe, I use a 3-3.5 pound rack of pork baby back ribs, which makes about 4 servings at our house, but may feed more depending on how big of eaters you have. The meatiest, most economical ribs I've found are at Costco, where you buy a pack of two, 3-3.5 pound pound racks together. I typically will chop each rack in half in order to freeze them in large Ziplock bags until I'm ready to cook them.
I start making this low FODMAP ribs recipe by preparing the ribs for pressure cooking. First, I place two pieces of parchment paper on the kitchen counter and place the ribs upon it, top side down. Then, I remove the membrane from the backside of the ribs. This can be made easier by taking a piece of paper towel in your hand and using it to grab hold of a corner of the membrane. If none of the membrane corners are coming up easily, I loosen one using a paring knife. Once I have a decent amount of corner removed from the ribs in order to grip it, I then use a paper towel to pull it the rest of the way. It should all come off in one piece, but if it doesn't, repeat these steps until all of the membrane is removed.
Low FODMAP BBQ Rib Rub
Once the membrane has been removed, I whisk together the following low FODMAP rib dry rub ingredients in a small bowl:
- Dried chives
- Chili powder - although low FODMAP, chili powder contains capsaicin, which makes it spicy and can be a trigger for people with IBS.
- Paprika
- Maple sugar - I order my maple sugar from Amazon, but if you are unable to locate it, coconut sugar is listed as low FODMAP by Monash University's Low FODMAP Diet App in servings of up to 1 teaspoon. Brown sugar can also be used, but the ribs will obviously no longer be refined sugar-free.
- Cayenne - like chili powder, cayenne also contains capsaicin, which can be triggering for some people with IBS.
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
I apply the low FODMAP rib rub to the ribs on both sides and edges. Then, I let the ribs rest in the rub (marinate, if you will) for 30 minutes.
Homemade Low FODMAP BBQ Sauce
While the ribs are resting, I make a ½ batch of my homemade Low FODMAP BBQ Sauce recipe (or a full batch if I am planning on using the other half again in the next few weeks). That may seem like a lot of sauce, but the ribs soak it up fairly rapidly, so you will want a lot to slather it on liberally. Slather those ribs! Once done, I remove the sauce from heat and set it aside to cool until the ribs are ready.
Pressure Cook
Once the ribs are finished resting, I add 1 cup cold water, ½ cup apple cider vinegar and ½ teaspoon of liquid smoke (optional) to the Instant Pot. The apple cider vinegar has a tenderizing effect on the ribs when it steams but will be discarded along with the rest of the liquid in the pot once the ribs are cooked. Liquid smoke is optional but gives a nice smokiness to the ribs. It has not yet been tested by Monash University for FODMAPs, but the brand I use only contains water and hickory smoke concentrate, and it only takes a little bit to give a huge punch of smokiness. See my discussion on liquid smoke in my homemade Low FODMAP BBQ Sauce post.
I place the trivet in the Instant Pot and stand the ribs on top of the trivet with the ribs poking upwards. You cannot place the racks flat as they will not fit that way. If you haven't already done so, you may need to cut the rack in half to get them in properly as they may not bend sufficiently on their own.
Once the ribs are in the Instant Pot, I close the lid, set the pressure release valve to "Sealing," press "Pressure Cook," and set the timer for 25 minutes. Lastly, I turn the "Keep Warm" button off.
Once the cooking cycle has completed and the timer goes off, I set a kitchen timer for 15 minutes and allow the pressure to release naturally for that amount of time. When the 15 minutes are up, I naturally release the remaining pressure. While the pressure is releasing, I preheat my oven broiler and cover a baking sheet with tinfoil.
Slather & Broil
Using tongs, I place the ribs on the baking sheet, top side down. Sometimes they fall apart when lifting them out of the pot, so be careful. Then, I slather the backside liberally with BBQ sauce, flip them over, and slather the top side. I broil them top-side-up until the top gets a bit crispy, about 4-5 minutes. I remove them from the oven, slather them with more BBQ sauce, and then serve.
What can you eat these Low FODMAP Instant Pot BBQ Pork Ribs with?
I recommend the following low FODMAP summer side dishes to go along with these Low FODMAP Instant Pot BBQ Pork Ribs:
Low FODMAP Instant Pot BBQ Pork Ribs (Paleo, Refined Sugar-Free)
Ingredients
- 3-3.5 pounds baby back pork ribs, thawed if frozen
- 1 cup cold water
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar*
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke, optional*
Low FODMAP BBQ Rib Rub:
- 2 teaspoons dried chives
- 2 teaspoons chili powder*
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon maple sugar*
- 1 teaspoon cayenne*
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Low FODMAP BBQ Sauce:
- ½ batch of my homemade Low FODMAP BBQ Sauce, or 2 cups (16 oz.) of Low FODMAP BBQ Sauce of your choice
Instructions
- Prepare the ribs: Place two large pieces of parchment paper on your counter, and place the rack of ribs on the paper, top side down. Using a paper towel, take hold of a corner of the rib membrane and pull it completely off the rack.
- Make the rib rub: In a small bowl, whisk together BBQ rib rub ingredients: dried chives, chili powder, paprika, maple sugar, cayenne, kosher salt and ground black pepper. Sprinkle rub over all sides of the rack of ribs, rubbing it into the meat as you go. Let the ribs rest on the parchment paper for 30 minutes.
- Make the BBQ sauce: Meanwhile, if you haven’t already done so, make a half batch (or a full batch if using it for other recipes) of my Low FODMAP BBQ Sauce recipe. Once done, remove the sauce from heat and set it aside to cool.
- Pressure cook the ribs: Add the trivet, water, vinegar and smoke to your 6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or comparable electric pressure cooker. Once the ribs are done resting, place ribs on their side on top of the trivet (you may need to cut the rack in half to fit it in properly). Close the lid, set the pressure release valve to “Sealing.” Press the “Pressure Cook” button and set the timer for 25 minutes. Turn the "Keep Warm" button off.
- Slather and broil: Once the cooking cycle completes, allow the pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes, and then manually release the remaining pressure. While the pressure is releasing, set oven to “Broil.” Cover a baking sheet in tinfoil. Open the Instant Pot lid, and using tongs, remove ribs to the baking sheet, top side down at first (they may fall apart, so be careful). Using a basting brush, thickly slather sauce on both sides of the ribs, slathering the bottom and then the top side of the ribs and leaving the ribs top side up on the baking sheet. Broil for 4-5 minutes or until the top side is slightly crispy. Remove from the oven. Slather the ribs with more barbecue sauce on both sides and serve.
Notes
- Apple cider vinegar: used simply to tenderize the meat and is then discarded.
- Liquid smoke: while it has not yet been tested by Monash University for FODMAP content, certain brands only contain water and hickory smoke concentrate, which is a natural byproduct of burning wood. See my discussion on liquid smoke in my Low FODMAP BBQ Sauce post for additional information. It adds a bit of smokiness to the ribs and gets discarded with the water and apple cider vinegar in the pot. It's totally optional.
- Maple sugar: If you cannot find maple sugar, coconut sugar can also be used as it is listed by Monash University's Low FODMAP Diet App as low FODMAP in quantities of up to 1 teaspoon per serving. Brown sugar will also work, but the ribs will obviously no longer be refined sugar-free.
- Chili powder and cayenne: While low in FODMAPs, chili powder and cayenne are spicy and can still trigger symptoms in some people with IBS.
- Sauce: The ribs suck up the sauce, so apply it liberally. Slather those ribs!
- Nutritional information below does not include low FODMAP BBQ sauce and is for the ribs only.
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