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featured air fryer bbq ribs
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5 from 3 votes

Air Fryer BBQ Ribs Recipe

Air Fryer BBQ Ribs are seasoned with a homemade dry rub and brushed with BBQ sauce for the ultimate sweet, smoky, sticky combination. They are easy to make, healthier and gets ready in 45 minutes for the ultimate family dinner.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Author: Becky Hardin

Ingredients

  • 3-3 ½ pounds baby back pork ribs
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ⅓ cup BBQ sauce plus more for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat the air fryer to 370°F for 5 minutes. Spray the inner basket of the air fryer with nonstick spray.
  • Remove the silverskin membrane from the back of the ribs. Pat dry the ribs and cut them into 4 equal portions.
    3-3 ½ pounds baby back pork ribs
  • In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and cumin. Set aside.
    1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • Rub the spice mixture all over the ribs.
  • Place the ribs meat side down in the air fryer basket.
  • Cook the ribs for 30 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes.
  • Brush the ribs with BBQ sauce and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with more BBQ sauce, as desired.
    ⅓ cup BBQ sauce

Video

Notes

  • Ribs: To remove the silverskin membrane from the back of the ribs, use a sharp knife to lift it away from the ribs and pull to remove it. Your butcher can also complete this step for you!
  • Air fryer Version- You may not find these “fall-off-the-bone” tender like oven baked or smoked ribs but you will still be able to clean the bone. I would not recommend to continue cooking further thinking they will get more tender. Once temperature inside the ribs hit 190F they’ll start to dry out. So if you are looking for “fall off the bone” tenderness, I would recommend using other cooking methods.

Nutrition

Calories: 622kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 173mg | Sodium: 1047mg | Potassium: 725mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 605IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 3mg