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Instant Pot Sticky Asian Ribs
4.8 from 196 votes

Instant Pot Sticky Asian Ribs

This recipe for Instant Pot Sticky Asian Ribs features tender baby back pork ribs enriched with a dry rub including kosher salt, black pepper, and Japanese seven spice. After pressure cooking with water and apple cider vinegar, they’re coated in a sweet and savory sauce made from sake, mirin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, honey, ginger, and garlic. The ribs finish garnished with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onion, providing a flavorful Asian-inspired dish with a tender texture and sticky glaze.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Additional Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
Servings: 3 (to
Calories: 838 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese, American

Ingredients

  • 3½ lb pork baby back ribs (maximum amount for a 6-QT Instant Pot)
  • 1 cup water (for pressure cooking)
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (for pressure cooking)
For the Dry Rub
  • 2 tsp kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
  • 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 2 tsp Japanese seven spice aka shichimi togarashi
  • ¼ tsp white pepper powder
For the Sauce
  • ¼ cup sake
  • ¼ cup mirin
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar unseasoned
  • 4 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 Tbsp honey
  • 1 knob ginger
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ¼ tsp liquid smoke (optional, for a smoky flavor; I skipped for this recipe)
For the Garnish
  • 2 tsp white sesame seeds toasted
  • 1 green onion chopped diagonally, or scallion

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Gather all the ingredients.
To Prepare the Ribs
  1. In a small bowl, mix together all the dry rub ingredients: 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 2 tsp shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice), and ¼ tsp white pepper powder.
  2. Remove the membrane from the underside of 3½ lb pork baby back ribs, pulling it down the entire length of the rack with a paper towel (because it‘s very slippery!). You can ask the butcher to remove it for you. The rack on the right is shown without the membrane.
  3. Season the racks of ribs with the dry rub mixture on both sides. Here, I use UchiCook‘s Maraca Sifter. This is so convenient to sprinkle seasonings evenly! 
  4. Use the dry rub to cover all sides, and then rub in thoroughly. Set aside for 30 minutes.
To Prepare the Sauce
  1. In a small saucepan, combine ¼ cup sake, ¼ cup mirin, ½ cup soy sauce, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned), 4 Tbsp brown sugar, and 3 Tbsp honey.
  2. Grate 1 knob ginger (I use a ceramic grater) and mince 1 clove garlic (I use a garlic press). Add them to the sauce. If you want to add ¼ tsp liquid smoke, add it now.
  3. Cook/simmer the sauce on low heat for 30–40 minutes.
  4. Turn off the heat. The sauce still may be liquidy, but once it cools down, the sauce will get thicken further. You will have roughly ⅔ cup of sauce after it cools down.
To Pressure Cook the Ribs
  1. Place the metal steam rack into a 6-QT Instant Pot. Add 1 cup water and ¼ cup apple cider vinegar to the inner pot.
  2. Put the racks of ribs sideways on top of the steam rack, wrapping and bending the ribs in a circle.
  3. Select the Manual setting; adjust the pressure to High, and set the time for 25–30 minutes (if you want the meat to fall off the bone, select 30 minutes). If you are using spare ribs, set the time for 30–35 minutes.
  4. When finished cooking, natural release the pressure for 5 minutes, then quick release the pressure (be careful and cover your fingers with a kitchen towel).
To Broil the Ribs
  1. Preheat the broiler* with a rack placed about 6 inches (15 cm) away from the top heating element (in the center of the oven) for 5 minutes. When broiling, you don‘t control the temperature; instead, you control the distance between the broiler and the surface of the food. It‘s similar to using hotter and cooler zones on your grill. *Broiler setting: Low (450ºF/232ºC), Medium (500ºF/260ºC), and High (550ºF/288ºC). I usually use Medium (6 inches away) or High (8 inches away).
  2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Transfer the ribs from the Instant Pot to the wire rack.
  3. Brush with the sauce on both sides of the ribs.
  4. Place in the oven and broil until the sauce is caramelized, bubbly, and brown, about 3–4 minutes.
  5. Remove from the oven and brush more sauce on the ribs.
To Serve
  1. Sprinkle 2 tsp toasted white sesame seeds and 1 green onion/scallion (chopped). Serve immediately with the remaining sauce.

Nutrition Information

Calories 838kcal (42%) Carbohydrates 13g (4%) Protein 65g (130%) Fat 55g (85%) Saturated Fat 19g (95%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 230mg (77%) Sodium 1319mg (55%) Potassium 896mg (19%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 11g (22%) Vitamin A 313IU (6%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 142mg (14%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 3 (to

Amount Per Serving

Calories 838

% Daily Value*

Calories 838kcal 42%
Carbohydrates 13g 4%
Protein 65g 130%
Fat 55g 85%
Saturated Fat 19g 95%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 230mg 77%
Sodium 1319mg 55%
Potassium 896mg 19%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 11g 22%
Vitamin A 313IU 6%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 142mg 14%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.