These Air Fryer Ribs are so tender, juicy, and flavorful but NOT fall-off-the-bone! This easy method makes the best ribs EVER and they are ready in 30 minutes for a quick dinner. Baby back pork ribs are seasoned with a simple dry rub, and then cooked in the air fryer, finally coated with a homemade sticky barbecue sauce. They are moist, finger-licking good!

Good news guys, you don’t have to wait for a long time to get your ribs cooked perfectly!

You may have cooked them with traditional low-and-slow methods such as baking, grilling, smoking or sous vide. They are tender and delicious, but sometimes we want to make them for a quick dinner on a busy weeknight.

Welcome to 30-Minute Air Fryer Ribs!

They are cooked in a fraction of the time in an air fryer. No more fussing over an oven or grill for hours!
The forced circulating hot air creates a crispy exterior, which is difficult to achieve in a traditional oven.
They’re super juicy and tender but not falling off the bone. With a homemade sweet and sticky BBQ sauce, it’s incredibly delicious.

You’ll never make ribs another way again! 😋

Ingredients You’ll Need

For this easy air fryer pork ribs recipe, all you need is ribs, rub, and barbecue sauce!

Pork baby back ribs: You can also use spare ribs for this recipe, but they’ll need a longer cooking time.
Spices made of garlic powder, paprika, ground cumin, salt, and ground black pepper.
Homemade Barbecue sauce made of ketchup, brown sugar, cumin, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

How to make juicy and tender ribs in an air fryer

. Remove the membrane: Peel off the silverskin from the back of the ribs. This helps to make more flavorful and tender ribs.

Divide the rack: Cut the rack of pork ribs into 2-3 sections so that it can fit into your air fryer basket.

Make the spice rub: In a small bowl, mix the dry rub seasonings.

Season the baby back ribs: Rub the ribs on all sides with the spice rub.

Cook the ribs in the air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 375°F/190°C for a few minutes. Once hot, place the ribs into the basket with the meat side down (arrange the ribs properly, overlapping as little as possible) and cook for 15 minutes. Use kitchen tongs to flip the ribs, and cook for 10 more minutes.

Tip: Preheat the air fryer BEFORE placing the ribs into the basket. This will help to avoid the ribs from sticking to the basket.

6. Make the BBQ sauce: While the ribs are cooking, you can add bbq sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved.

Brush the ribs with BBQ sauce: Remove the basket from the air fryer and brush generously with barbecue sauce on all sides. Place the basket back in the air fryer and cook for 3-5 more minutes at 400°F/200°C, or until the sauce has set and darkened slightly. (It may take more or less time based on the thickness or your ribs and the model of your air fryer.)

Type of ribs to use and cooking time in an air fryer

This 30-minute air fryer ribs recipe is best for baby back or St. Louis pork ribs.
It will also work for spare ribs but the cooking time should be increased to about 40 minutes as they are larger ribs.
You can use this recipe for cooking country-style ribs, but need to reduce the time to about 25 minutes as they are leaner ribs.

The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the ribs as well as your air fryer, so adjust accordingly.

Homemade Barbecue Sauce for Ribs

This homemade BBQ sauce is used for both glazing and serving. It tastes real and delicious without the artificial aftertaste!

Skip the store-bought BBQ sauce and make a homemade sauce instead. It takes just a few minutes to make, and it’s so flavorful with the combination of ketchup, brown sugar, olive oil, vinegar and other spices. See how to make it in the recipe card below.

The best temperature to cook ribs in an air fryer

We find cooking the ribs at 375°F for about 25 minutes and finishing up at 400°F for 3-5 minutes create a nice balance of juicy ribs and crispy exterior.

Easy Air Fryer Ribs with Barbecue Sauce

Print Recipe

Air fryer ribs are the best tender ribs with a crispy exterior! Done in about 30 minutes, you will never cook pork ribs another way! Serve them with coleslaw, macaroni salad, and corn on the cob!

Tips to success: Increase the temperature to 400°F for the final few minutes for the extra sticky flavor!

Author: Natalie
Prep Time: 3
Cook Time: 28
Total Time: 31 minutes

Ingredients

Ribs and Dry Rub

▢ 3 pounds baby back pork ribs (1 rack)
▢ 3 teaspoons garlic powder
▢ 2 teaspoons paprika
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
▢ 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Sweet and Sticky BBQ Sauce

▢ 1/2 cup ketchup
▢ 2 tablespoons brown sugar
▢ 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
▢ salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

- Remove the membrane*: Peel off the silverskin from the back of the ribs.
- Cut the rack of pork ribs into 2-3 sections so that it can fit into your air fryer basket.
- Make the spice rub: In a small bowl, mix garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper and cumin.
- Season the baby back ribs: Pat the ribs dry and rub the ribs on all sides with the spice rub.

Cook the ribs in the air fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 375°F/190°C for a few minutes. Once hot, place the ribs into the basket with the meat side down and cook for 15 minutes. (It’s important to let the air fryer to heat up first to avoid the ribs from sticking to the basket.)
Flip the ribs using kitchen tongs, and cook for 10 more minutes at 375°F/190°C.
Make the BBQ sauce: While the ribs are cooking, you can add bbq sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved.
Brush with BBQ sauce: Remove the basket from the air fryer and brush generously with barbecue sauce on all sides.
Place the basket back in the air fryer and cook for 3-5 more minutes** at 400°F/200°C, or until the sauce has set and darkened slightly. (It may take more or less time based on the thickness or your ribs)
Remove the ribs from the basket and let them rest for 3-5 minutes so that the juices can redistribute through the meat. Feel free to brush with more barbeque sauce if you like.

Notes

For the most tender ribs, I recommend removing the thin membrane covering the rack. It takes a few minutes and is easy. First, flip the ribs with rack-side facing up. Then carefully slide a knife under the silverskin. Lift and loosen the membrane off the bone, and then you can peel it off the back of the ribs easily.

**Check frequently during the last few minutes so that your ribs won’t get burned.
How to bake it in the oven? It takes much longer to cook ribs in a traditional oven. Preheat oven to 300°F and bake for 3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 185 deg F. Brush the ribs with BBQ sauce, and return to the oven. Bake for 30 more minutes. See my baked pork ribs recipe for detailed instructions.
How to store the leftovers? Allow them to cool down completely and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat: Preheat your air fryer to 350°F and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until they are heated through. You can also reheat them in the oven by placing them on a baking sheet and cooking at 350°F for 10-15 minute

Nutrition

Calories: 540kcal