Air Fryer Ribs

You can never go wrong with a good homemade rack of ribs like this Air Fryer Ribs recipe.

This recipe isn’t the fastest, but that’s because it delivers flavor-packed, tender pork ribs with a delicious rub and sticky BBQ finish—totally worth the wait!

Ingredients and Supplies You’ll Need

Ingredients

• 5–6 pounds baby back pork ribs
• Favorite BBQ Sauce (homemade version)

Sweet & Spicy Rub

• Kosher salt
• Chili powder
• Packed dark brown sugar
• Paprika
• Garlic powder
• Ground mustard
• Freshly ground black pepper

Supplies

• Paper towel
• Paring knife
• Sheet pan
• Aluminum foil
• Small bowl
• Cosori Pro II Air Fryer
• Pastry brush
• Instant read thermometer

Tips About the Spices

Use freshly ground black pepper for a stronger, more vibrant flavor than the pre-ground version.

Do I Remove the Membrane?

Yes—slide a knife under the thin membrane on the back of the ribs, lift it, then use a paper towel to grip and peel it away for tender ribs.

Light vs. Dark Brown Sugar

Dark brown sugar has more molasses and flavor, but light brown sugar is a fine substitute.

How to Make Air Fryer Ribs

Step 1: Prep

Stir rub ingredients. Pat ribs dry. Remove membrane. Cut into thirds or fourths.

Step 2: Season

Coat ribs in rub. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Step 3: Wrap

Bring to room temp. Wrap in foil with ½ tsp water for moisture.

Step 4: Preheat

Preheat air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Cook (Round 1)

Cook at 380°F for 25–30 min until internal temp hits 180°F. Remove foil and add BBQ sauce.

Step 6: Finish

Return ribs to air fryer. Cook 10 more min at 380°F until internal temp reaches 190–203°F.

What to Serve With Air Fryer Ribs

• Mac & Cheese
• Coleslaw
• Air Fryer Broccoli
• Roasted Veggies
• Potato Salad
• Cornbread Muffins
• Corn on the Cob

Final Thoughts

Air fryer ribs deliver that BBQ flavor without the hassle—tender, delicious, and perfect for a weeknight dinner or casual gathering.

More Easy Air Fryer Dinners

• Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken
• 5 Ingredient Teriyaki Chicken
• Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
• Crispy Fried Chicken
• Honey Garlic Chicken & Veggies
• Chicken Street Tacos

Air Fryer Tips & Tricks You’ll Love

• Air Fryer 101
• Avoid These Mistakes
• Best Accessories
• How to Clean
• Adapt Any Recipe
• Free Air Fryer Temps Chart
• Air Fryer Buying Guide
• YouTube Recipes

Air Fryer Ribs

Perfectly fall-of-the-bone, tender Air Fryer Ribs made with a delicious homemade sweet and spicy rub that is finger-licking good!

5 / 5 ( 2 Reviews )

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 55 minutes minutes

Serves: 8

Adjust Servings: 8

Equipment

• Paper towel
• Paring knife
• Sheet pan
• Aluminum foil
• Small mixing bowl
• Air Fryer
• Pastry brush
• Instant read thermometer

Ingredients

• 5-6 lbs full Racks baby back pork ribs about
• Favorite BBQ Sauce

Sweet & Spicy Rub

• 1 ½ tablespoons Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoons Chili powder
• 1 tablespoons Dark brown sugar packed
• 1 tablespoons Paprika
• ½ tablespoon Garlic powder
• 1 teaspoons Ground mustard
• ½ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Stir together the rub ingredients together.
• Pat the ribs dry with paper towels.
• If needed, remove the thin membrane attached to the underside of the ribs by doing the following: Flip the ribs over so they’re bone-side up. Starting at the end of 1 rack, slide the tip of a paring knife between the membrane and the bone, then lift and cut through the membrane. Grasping the membrane with a paper towel, pull it toward the other end of the rack and completely remove it.
• Cut the rack into thirds or fourths.
• Evenly coat both sides of the ribs with the spice rub. Let the ribs rest for 1 hour in the fridge.
• Remove the ribs from the fridge and let ribs come to room temp (about another hour or so)
• Cover each set of ribs in tin foil. You may need to do two sheets of foil to cover it securely. Make sure the tin foil is tight around the ribs.
• Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400 °F.
• Can add a ½ tsp of water to each wrapped rib package to help keep the meat moistened.
• Air fry at 380 °F for 25-30 minutes, or until the temperature is near 180F
• Carefully remove the foil. Brush on BBQ sauce to ribs.
• Place the ribs back in the air fryer. Air fry for 10 more minutes at 380 °F, or until the ribs are charred and the internal temp is 190 °F-203 °F.

Nutrition

Calories: 564kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 47g | Sodium: 1487mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g

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