My faster smoked pork ribs let you have all the rib flavor and tenderness you crave, without devoting your whole day to the project. We utilize an electric pressure cooker for this recipe and it cuts the cook time of your ribs down significantly without sacrificing any of the flavor from the smoke that you are craving.
Shortcut Smoked Pork Ribs
Do you want amazing smoked pork ribs but don’t have 6+ hours to devote to it? Shave the time in half using my easy shortcut method that utilizes a pressure cooker for part of the cook to help tenderize the ribs without sacrificing the wood-fired flavor that pellet grills impart.
Shortcut Traeger Pork Ribs are slow-smoked for 2 hours, pressure cooked in the Instant pot for 30 minutes, and then coated with barbecue sauce and put back on the Traeger to grill at 325° for 30-45 minutes.
It cuts down the cooking time significantly, but the smoke and the final grill time still leaves behind the smoke flavor and grilled BBQ texture on the meat.
Better than 3-2-1 Ribs
I know that 3-2-1 ribs are all the rage in the Facebook groups, but I’ve never personally found them to be tender enough for MY liking. I like my ribs JUST short of fall-off-the-bone, and if they do fall off the bone, I’m not complaining.
These ribs come out faster than 3-2-1 ribs with only about 3 hours on the grill and 30 minutes in the pressure cooker.
Make your next ribs faster!
Taking shortcuts to cook pork ribs doesn’t mean shortcuts on flavor. You can achieve wonderfully smoky pork ribs in less than half the time it would take normally.
In terms of smoky flavor and grill marks, no one can tell the difference. For those times when considerations make low and slow impossible, then take this quick and easy path to create great smoked pork ribs that have all the smoky flavor and juiciness you need.
All my Pellet Grill Pork Recipes here!
Use your pressure cooker for quicker smoked pork ribs
At first, it sounds counterintuitive.
How does anyone grill ribs in a pressure cooker?
Well, through the Instant Pot, you find a shortened path to smoked and grilled barbecue ribs.
In the Instant Pot (or other electric pressure cooker), use a trivet to keep your ribs out of the liquid you’ll be putting into the pot. You don’t want to braise them, so this step is important.
I highly recommend beer or hard cider for the liquid in the pot, but if you don’t have either you can use water or chicken broth. You’ll need about a cup to a cup and a half depending on the size of your pressure cooker. Remember, you don’t want the ribs submerged. You just want the liquid to help build that steam (and pressure).
Get our 75 ESSENTIAL Traeger Recipes here!
Shortcut Pork Ribs shopping list
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Baby back ribs
- Homemade bbq rub (or your favorite ready-made variety)
- Hard apple cider
- Homemade barbecue sauce (or your favorite bottled variety)
More easy Traeger Recipes here!
How to make Smoked Pork Ribs faster
This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
1
Preheat
Fire up your grill, and get the temperature to about 200-250°. Your primary goal during the first part of this recipe is to get that natural smoke flavoring into the meat.
2
Prep
First, make sure to remove that silver skin from the back of the rib. Some butchers or prepacked ribs have it already removed, but if it is there then you can easily remove it.
Just run a slim knife under one end and create a flap that you can easily grab and rip the whole thing off.
Next, smother the ribs in the rub. The more you pack into the ribs the better. Not only does it add great flavor, but it also helps retain the moisture to help the pork ribs stay nice and juicy. A grilled smoked rib that isn’t juicy might as well be a piece of wood.
3
Smoke
With the grill ready to go and plenty of smoke to curl around your rack of ribs, set them in your smoker. The ribs cook in the smoke for about two hours. This may not be enough time to get that fall-off-the-bone doneness, but it is plenty of time to impart enough smoke flavoring to the meat.
Once you pull them off the grill, you’ll need to cut them into 3-4 bone sections before putting them into your Instant Pot.
4
Pressure Cook
Add the ribs to the Instant Pot, add the hard cider, and then set the timer for 30 minutes of cooking at high pressure.
5
Finish
The last step is to carefully remove the ribs from the Instant Pot, and coat them with barbecue sauce.
I like my barbecue sauce recipe because I know it will work perfectly with the dry rub that we started with, and it is amazing. If you don’t want to make your own, you can go with the bottled barbecue sauce of your choice.
Get the Traeger grill temperature up to about 325°, and then take your grilled ribs thick with sauce and lay them on the grill.
The ribs will finish in about an hour. You’ll want to pull them when the sauce is bubbly and hot and the ribs are at YOUR desired tenderness level. That’ll depend on your specific rack of ribs, so don’t cook to time, cook to FEEL. Stick a skewer or fork in the meat to gauge tenderness.
Get all my recipes for RIBS here!
Smoked Pork Ribs FAQ
What kind of ribs are best for smoking?
There are a few types of ribs depending on where they come from.
Baby back ribs are the smallest. Then spare ribs which are larger. St. Louis-style ribs are the same type of rib, only cut slightly differently and they have more fat and less meat than spare ribs. Lastly, the country-style ribs are large and have more meat on the bone.
You can use any type of ribs for this recipe. The cook time might be a bit longer or shorter depending on the ribs, but not by much. The type of rib is less important than what you do to prepare them first.
Try my dry barbecue rub recipe. It is easy and will work really well with these ribs.
Don’t forgot to whip up a few of our 18 Amazing BBQ Side Dishes too!
Serve this with…
Here are some dishes I recommend for sides and salads that go great with smoky grilled ribs hot off the pellet grill. You can find these and more recipes on my site:
Want some traditional smoked pork ribs?
Don’t want a shortcut? You’ve got to try my super popular Traeger Grilled Ribs recipe! It takes a while, but if you’ve got the time it is worth the effort!
We’ve also got some Cherry Coke Ribs, Smoked Beef Ribs, and our popular 5-4-1 Smoked Ribs which are fall-off-the-bone amazing, and these Traeger No-Wrap Pork Ribs too.
Shortcut Traeger Grilled Pork Ribs
My Shortcut Traeger Grilled Pork Ribs are faster than my 5-4-1 and the 3-2-1 rib methods but aren't lacking in flavor or tenderness, at all. Great way to put ribs on the table in less time!
Ingredients
- 2 racks baby back ribs
- 1 cup homemade bbq rub {or your favorite ready-made variety}
- 1 12-ounce bottle hard apple cider
- 1 batch homemade barbecue sauce {or your favorite bottled variety}
Instructions
- Turn your grill to smoke (or 180-200 degrees if you don't have a smoke setting.)
- Remove the membrane from the rib, and then coat with the barbecue rub.
- Smoke for 2 hours between 180-200 degrees.
- Remove the ribs from the grill, place them into your Instant Pot that has a trivet in the bottom to keep the meat out of the liquid. Place enough hard cider into the pot to create the pressure but not cover the ribs.
- Run the pot on high pressure and set the time to 30 minutes. Let it naturally release pressure for 10-15 minutes before venting the excess and removing the ribs.
- Turn your grill up to 325° (or there-abouts, exact temp isn't important) and place the ribs on. Coat with BBQ sauce and cook for an hour, turning occasionally and recoating with sauce.
- Remove from grill and eat!
Notes
Your ribs might take a little longer than an hour during that final cook, depending on the makeup of your meat and what type of ribs you chose. Cook them until they reach your desired tenderness.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 753Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 176mgSodium: 1231mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 2gSugar: 36gProtein: 53g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!
Nicole Johnson
Nicole Johnson, a self-taught expert in grilling and outdoor cooking, launched Or Whatever You Do in 2010. Her blog, renowned for its comprehensive and creative outdoor cooking recipes, has garnered a vast audience of millions. Nicole's hands-on experience and passion for grilling shine through her work. Her husband, Jeremiah Johnson, also plays a pivotal role in recipe development, adding his culinary flair to the mix. Together, they form a dynamic duo, offering a rich and varied outdoor cooking experience to their followers.
Rhiannon
Thursday 15th of September 2022
Thanks for the great short cut! I made goat ribs and pressure cooked prior to smoking then grilling. I used the juices from the pressure cooker during smoking and the bbq sauce during the grilling. They were crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Turned out really well! Will do again.
Marya
Tuesday 1st of June 2021
I made these this weekend and they were the best ribs I’ve ever made! My family has always liked when I’ve pressure cooked them because they stay moist and tender. I always thought they lacked flavor. This is the best of both worlds and will be my go-to method from now on!
Nicole Johnson
Tuesday 1st of June 2021
Awesome!! Thanks for letting us know. I really like this method also!
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