Air Fryer Ribs

These Air Fryer Ribs will be your new favorite way to make tender and juicy ribs in no time! Done in 30 minutes and so flavorful served with your favorite BBQ sauce.

Ribs in the air fryer come out juicy and tender every time, perfect for days when you crave ribs and you can’t grill or smoke them. Making ribs in the oven, grill, or smoker low and slow works great, but making them in the Air Fryer is just so much faster and so easy. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal! 

The ribs come out with a little bit of a tug to them, not fall-of-the-bone, but still tender so you might want to choose a different cooking method depending on your preferences. My family loves fall-off-the-bone ribs and still very much enjoys these air fryer ribs!

Reasons you’ll love this recipe

• Ribs come out tender and crisp (but not fall-off-the-bone)
• They are so flavorful and can be customized to your taste
• A super easy recipe that takes only 30 minutes in the Air Fryer

Ingredient Notes

Here is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom for quantities.

• Ribs – Bone-in pork ribs work best for this recipe. I like to use a rack of baby back ribs because they are the most tender, cook faster, and are perfect for the air fryer. Spare ribs will take a little bit longer.
• BBQ Sauce – You can use your favorite brand of BBQ Sauce for these. I like Sweet Baby Ray’s brand, but any kind will do.
• Spice Rub – I like to make my own BBQ seasoning with a few simple spices like paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and mustard. But you can also use about 1.5 Tbsp of your favorite spice rub or individual spices.

How to make this recipe 

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.

1. Prep: Preheat Air Fryer to 375 degrees F. Pat dry ribs with paper towels, remove the membrane, or score lightly with a sharp knife.
2. Combine: Combine BBQ seasoning ingredients and season ribs evenly on both sides.
3. Bake: When the Air Fryer is preheated, put ribs in the air fryer basket with the meat side down. Air Fry for 25 mins, turning the ribs halfway through. When time is up, slather BBQ sauce on both sides and cook ribs for 5 more minutes at 400 degrees F until the sauce has set.
4. Finish and serve: Let ribs rest for 5 minutes before serving with more BBQ sauce on the side.

Expert Tips

• Membrane: For more flavorful and tender ribs remove the membrane, kitchen paper towel works best to pull it off, but you can also score the membrane with three light cuts this works well enough
• Preheat: Make sure to preheat the Air Fryer so the ribs don’t stick.
• Air frying: Cook the ribs meat side down in the beginning for more flavor
• Internal Temperature: The ribs are done when the sauce has set and they are slightly crispy. Usually, you want to cook pork to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, but to get them tender in a short amount of time you want to essentially overcook these ribs. If you have an instant-read thermometer you want to aim for about 190 degrees F internally
• Spacing: My Air Fryer has a large basket and can fit one full rack cut into two pieces. If your basket is smaller you might need to cook the ribs in batches or cook them leaning onto the sides of the basket
• Different Air Fryers: Cooking times can vary depending on your Air Fryer! Keep an eye on the ribs especially in the last few minutes to make sure they don’t burn

Recipe FAQs

What to serve with Air Fryer Ribs

These Air Fryer Ribs will taste great with a variety of side dishes. Serve them with extra BBQ sauce on the side and some traditional BBQ side dishes like coleslaw, white bread, cornbread, baked beans, corn on the cob, or Macaroni Salad.

Here are a few more ideas:

• German Potato Salad
• Mashed Potatoes
• Oven-roasted potatoes
• German Cucumber Salad
• Air Fryer Fries
• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Leftovers

Store leftover ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 – 4 days. Reheat leftovers in the Air Fryer for a few minutes at 350 degrees F.

More air fryer recipes to try

Never Miss A Recipe! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more great recipes and all of the latest updates.