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Air Fryer Ribs are so easy to make and you’ll be surprised how well they turn out, with tender meat and perfect crispy edges.
My preferred method for making baby back ribs has always been oven-baked, because it’s so simple and produces the most tender ribs, but once I started cooking ribs in the air fryer, I’m now of two minds when it comes to ribs.
Why You’ll Love It
- These Air Fryer Ribs turn out so amazing after just 25 minutes in the air fryer. It’s so simple. They’re done quickly and get crisped just the way you like.
- For the amount of time you’ll spend cooking these baby back ribs in the air fryer, you will be absolutely amazed at how well they turn out.
Jen says: 
Thank you for this incredible recipe! I love that I can enjoy delicious, restaurant-quality ribs at home thanks to my air fryer. This is definitely a recipe I’ll be making again and again.
» You might also like these Air Fryer Short Ribs.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ribs – This recipe is for 1 rack of ribs between 1 1/2 – 2 pounds.
- Seasoning – We make this dry rub with paprika, brown sugar, salt, freshly ground black pepper, chili powder, mustard powder, garlic and onion powders. You can also use a different dry rub that you like.
- BBQ sauce – You can use any bbq sauce that you like. We love this homemade smoky bourbon bbq sauce.
Equipment Information
- Air fryer: I use the 5.5-quart Ninja MaxXL basket-style air fryer. Angie uses this 5-quart Cosori Pro LE air fryer. We also both occasionally use the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill that has an air fryer setting.
- Kitchen tongs: It’s very easy to remove food from your air fryer with kitchen tongs. I use these kitchen tongs that are silicon coated so they don’t scratch the interior.
- Meat thermometer: The only way to tell if meat is fully cooked to the right temperature is to use a meat thermometer. I use this Instant Read thermometer. It’s so quick to open the basket and check the temp.
Ninja® Foodi®XL 2-Basket Air Fryer
- 2 independent XL air fryer baskets
- Integrated Foodi® Smart Thermometer
- Cook 2 foods 2 ways that finish at the same time
Dry Rub and BBQ Sauce for Ribs
One of the keys to giving these ribs intense flavor is the dry rub. A perfectly balanced dry rub does wonders for flavor, but also seals in the juices and keeps the ribs from drying out. I swear by this BBQ rib rub.
It’s actually great on all types of meat, not just ribs, plus things like cauliflower and pork belly. I think it adds just the right amount of spice to ribs.
The second most important thing is the bbq sauce. Once you air fry the ribs, slather them with BBQ sauce and set them on the highest setting for a few minutes and they crisp right up with a nice char that will make you think you’ve just cooked them on an open flame.
Expert Tips to Follow
- The thin silver skin or membrane along the back of the ribs needs to be removed before cooking.
- The amount of time needed to cook may vary depending on the size of your ribs and the size of your air fryer.
- These times are for a 1.5 pound rack of pork baby back ribs cooked in a 4.8L air fryer.
- You can cook up to 2 racks of ribs at a time in a large air fryer (5L or larger). You will need to cook them for 30 minutes, changing the arrangement of the pieces every 10 minutes
- You can let it sit overnight in the refrigerator with the rub for even more flavor, but it’s not necessary.
- Pre-heat the air fryer for 3-5 minutes before adding the ribs.
How to Make Baby Back Ribs in the Air Fryer
1. Remove the Silver Skin (membrane)
One thing you have to remember about preparing ribs is that there’s a thin silver skin or membrane along the back of the ribs. The membrane is a thick skin that holds the ribs together. It can be leathery and tough, so you want to remove it before cooking.
It’s not great to leave it on, because the ribs will be less tender and not as fun to eat.
To remove it is easy. Just turn the ribs over and look for a piece of the membrane around the edges of the meat that you can grab hold of. You can also slide a small knife blade between the silver skin and the ribs and pull up to loosen it.
It is silver in color and forms a very thin layer over the back. When you catch a piece, pull it back, like peeling off a piece of tape. If you get it just right, you can pull the entire membrane off in one piece. Here’s a pictorial to help.
Note: If you can’t locate the membrane, it’s possible the butcher has already removed it.
2. Add the Rib Dry Rub
Next, sprinkle the dry rub across the ribs and rub it all over. Try our dry rub recipe. It’s easy to make and adds tons of flavor.
You can let it sit overnight in the refrigerator with the rub for even more flavor, but it’s not necessary.
The rub adds an extra layer of intense flavor to the ribs. I highly recommend using it. However, if you prefer, you can use a different rub that you like, or just use salt and pepper. Season the ribs liberally.
3. Air Fry the Baby Back Ribs
It’s important to pre-heat the air fryer before putting the ribs in to cook. This allows it to come up to temperature for even cooking, and it keeps the food from sticking to the basket. Set it to 380° F (195° C).
I pre-heat for around 3-5 minutes. Once it’s heated, you can set the ribs into the basket. There’s no need to spray the basket with oil.
You will need to cut the rack of ribs in half, or even in thirds, to fit it into the air fryer, depending on the size of your air fryer. I use a 4.5 quart air fryer and I can fit it when cut in half. The halves overlap a bit in the center, but that doesn’t affect the cooking.
Place meat side down in the air fryer tray and cook for 20 minutes, turning the ribs over after 10 minutes.
4. Baste the Ribs
After the 20 minutes is up, pull out the basket and baste the ribs on both sides with BBQ sauce. Return them, meat side up, to the air fryer.
Crank up the heat to 390° F (200° C) and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until they are a bit charred on top. Brush with additional BBQ sauce and serve.
Why Use an Air Fryer
An air fryer is an incredibly easy way to cook just about anything. You place the food in a fryer-style basket and hot air rapidly circulates all around the food, making the food crisp – much like deep-frying, but without the oil. You can cook anything you’d make in the oven.
- I use a Ninja MaxXL air fryer (pictured left). If you don’t have an air fryer yet, check out these options to find one that fits your needs.
- See reviews and prices for air fryers on Amazon.
- Here’s a printable Air Fryer Cooking Times Cheat Sheet to get you started.
- Click to find more recipes to make in your Air Fryer.
- Learn how to make fun things in the air fryer, like potato wedges, pork belly bites, and chicken wings.
Questions About the Recipe
What temperature should ribs be cooked at in the air fryer?
In this recipe, we cook baby back ribs in the air fryer at 380° F for 20 minutes. The biggest decider of how long they must cook at this temperature is the size of the rack of ribs. A rack that is on the small side will likely take around 18 minutes, while a larger rack will take up to 30 minutes. If you cook two racks at once, add 5-8 minutes to the cooking time.
Should I cover ribs when cooking in the air fryer?
No. There’s no need to cover the ribs or put any parchment paper underneath them. The air fryer circulates air around the food to cook it evenly. Covering them will prevent the air flow.
How do you know when ribs are done in the air fryer?
The ribs are done when the internal temperature reaches 175° F (80° C). This is when the meat is tender, but not dried out. The meat won’t recede from the bone or fall apart like it does with slow cooking, so don’t use that as an indication.
Don’t ribs get more tender the longer they cook?
Yes, ribs become more tender the longer they cook, which is why long, slow cooking is preferred to faster cooking like in the air fryer. However, this is a fast and easy preparation for ribs and the meat turns out juicy and tender without becoming dry.
Should ribs be cooked bone side up or down?
The bony side of the ribs should be facing up for the first 10 minutes of cooking. Then for the last half, you flip the ribs over and cook them with the boney side down. This allows for even cooking, and for crunchy bits to form on the top of the meat.
What is an Easy Way to Reheat Ribs?
We might be biased because we love our air fryer so much, but having reheated ribs in many different ways, I honestly believe the best way is in the air fryer.
There’s no need to waste energy by turning on the oven, and you don’t have to wait for the unit to preheat. Just pop the ribs in the air fryer, set the temperature, and wait. It’s true that you should flip the wings at the halfway mark, but that will only take a few seconds.
Since the air fryer preserves the crispy texture of the ribs, so it’ll taste almost as fresh as when they were first made.
More Air Fryer Ribs to Try
What to Serve With Air Fryer Ribs?
You can serve some really easy side dishes with your main dish cooked in the Air Fryer. Sometimes, you can cook them together in the air fryer to make it even faster.
Some of our favorite side dishes to serve include:
- Air fryer cauliflower
- Air fryer baked potatoes
- Brussels sprouts
- Corn on the cob
- Crispy smashed potatoes
- Cottage fries
Here are 28 more air fryer side dishes to try
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
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Easy Air Fryer Ribs
Equipment
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 380° F (195 C), for 5 minutes.
- Peel off the silver membrane from the back of the ribs. Season the ribs with the dry rub on both sides.
- Cut the rack of ribs in half to fit in the air fryer. Place meat side down in the air fryer tray and cook for 20 minutes, turning the ribs over halfway through the cooking.
- After the 20 minutes is up, pull out the basket and baste the ribs on both sides with BBQ sauce. Return them, meat side up, to the air fryer. Crank up the heat to 390° F (200° C) and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until they are a bit charred on top. Brush with additional BBQ sauce and serve.
Notes
- The amount of time needed to cook may vary depending on the size of your ribs and the size of your air fryer.
- These times are for a 1.5 pound rack of pork baby back ribs cooked in a 4.8L air fryer.
- You can cook up to 2 racks of ribs at a time in a large air fryer (5L or larger). You will need to cook them for 30 minutes, changing the arrangement of the pieces every 10 minutes
All air fryers have different wattage and may cook at different rates. You may need to adjust the time or temp for the best results.
Nutrition
Laura is a passionate foodie and owner of Air Fry Anytime She is dedicated to sharing delicious recipes and helpful tips for using air fryers at home. With years of experience in the kitchen and a love for healthy, flavorful cooking, Laura has become an expert at using air fryers to create amazing meals that are both nutritious and delicious.
These look incredibly juicy and delicious! Thanks for sharing
You had me at tender meat and perfect crispy edges. These ribs are mouth-watering indeed!
I love ribs and I love the sound of these! Tender meat and delicious flavour? Count me in!
WOW!!! These ribs look so unbelievably scrumptious; I literally want to lick my fingers!
Thanks so much for sharing.
Can’t go wrong with ribs. Though, quite curious and glad to read that you can make them in an air fryer. That’s easy and the way to go. Delish indeed.
This was out standing I just want to say leave the napkins on the shelf. You will find a way to get the sauce off your fingers
That’s fantastic, Paul! I’m glad you liked them and I like your philosophy.
Little by little I’m being convinced to buy an air fryer as I sit here waiting for 2 hours to oven bake the ribs tonight
I oven bake and air fry ribs, so I get it. It’s super fast in the air fryer.
have ribs defrosting for tomorrow will try your recipe and I do have a large air fryer it is a pampered chef one
These were, not so great, they were cooked, but it was just blah cooked pork. Thanks for the idea but I wouldn’t make them again.
Did you use the dry rub? I agree that they aren’t as good cooked in the air fryer as when they are smoked or slow cooked in the oven but they do still have a lot of flavor, thanks to the dry rub and the bbq sauce.
Delicious
Loved your recipe! I didn’t have an air fryer, so I adapted it for my convection oven and still got amazing results. The ribs were juicy, tender, and full of flavor – a new favorite in my home!
The air fryer method is so much faster and easier than traditional methods, and the end result is just as delicious. My family loves them!
How can I adjust the cooking time if I want to prepare a larger batch of ribs?
You don’t need to adjust the cooking time for more ribs, unless they are all stacked on top of each other, which isn’t a great way to cook them.
I love the idea of using an air fryer for ribs – so convenient!
Wow, these ribs turned out amazing!
Glad to hear that!
I can’t believe how juicy and tender they are, and the flavor is unbeatable.
The ribs were scrumptious, and everyone in the family loved them! Thanks for a fantastic recipe.
Your easy air fryer ribs recipe is a game changer! I was wondering, can I use both baby back and spare ribs for this method, or do you recommend one over the other?
Either works well, though I’ve found that spare ribs can be a bit too big for the air fryer basket sometimes. If they fit in your basket, they’re good to use!
Wow, these ribs look amazing and so simple to make in the air fryer!
Thank you for this incredible recipe! I love that I can enjoy delicious, restaurant-quality ribs at home thanks to my air fryer. This is definitely a recipe I’ll be making again and again.
My air fryer is really small. I can only fit 3 ribs sort of stacked up. Is that okay?
Yes, that’s still fine. You can always cook in 2 batches, if necessary.
I followed your easy air fryer ribs recipe but used a dry rub with smoked paprika, garlic powder, and brown sugar instead of a marinade.
That’s great. You can use your own homemade rub or the one we recommend on the recipe. A marinade isn’t necessary for these ribs.
The ribs came out flavorful and tender – definitely a hit in our house!
What type of marinade or dry rub do you recommend for getting the most flavorful result?
I don’t think they need a marinade. I just use the rub that’s suggested in the recipe. It adds a ton of flavor.
They turned out amazing, with a great balance of crispy exterior and tender meat. Can’t wait to make them again!
So glad to hear it!
I’ve always been intimidated by making ribs, but your air fryer recipe was so easy to follow and the ribs turned out perfectly.
It’s pretty surprising that ribs can be good when made in the air fryer, isn’t it.
I never knew you could make ribs in an air fryer, but this recipe has completely changed my mind. The ribs were perfectly cooked and had a delicious flavor.
I was a skeptic too, Sarah. But the proof is good enough for me.
Your air fryer ribs recipe was delicious! I decided to use beef ribs instead of pork and followed your instructions.
I’m so glad I found this recipe – it’s now my go-to way of making ribs!
I made your air fryer ribs recipe with a few tweaks – I added a touch of honey to the marinade for a sweet twist and also sprinkled some sesame seeds on top before serving.
Those sound like great additions!
These air fryer ribs look incredibly delicious! Can you please share how long it takes for the ribs to reach that perfect tenderness in the air fryer?
Depending on the size of your ribs it will take between 20-30 minutes of cooking.
I tried your air fryer ribs recipe and absolutely loved it! I made a small change by using my own homemade BBQ sauce instead of store-bought, and it turned out fantastic. Thanks for the inspiration!
I’m so glad to hear that you loved them! We do too.
Which setting should I use?? Air, roast or bake on my air fryer? Thanks GVB
Hi Gordon, my air fryer has a bunch of settings as well. I have always used the air fry setting for ribs. I hope they come out great for you!
I’ve always been a bit intimidated by cooking ribs, but this easy-to-follow guide made the process a breeze
As a busy mom, I’m always looking for quick and delicious recipes, and this one hit the mark perfectly.
That is great to hear!
My family couldn’t get enough of these ribs, and I’m already planning to make them again for our next get-together
That’s great Luvern! Thanks for letting us know.
The simplicity of the recipe doesn’t compromise the incredible taste and texture of the ribs
Instead of the suggested rub, I opted for a homemade smoky paprika and cumin blend. The ribs came out with a unique, savory flavor that I loved
That is the great thing about a spice rub. You can use just about any ingredients and your meat tastes great!
Thanks for the inspiration – this recipe has definitely become a versatile favorite in my kitchen!
You’re welcome. Glad you liked it!