Pork Baby Back Ribs (Air Fryer)

airfryer-babybackribs These are the best Air Fryer Ribs - so tender, crispy, and flavorful but not fall-off-the-bone. It’s a super easy recipe that takes 30 minutes to make. Baby back ribs are seasoned with a simple dry rub, and then cooked in the air fryer, finally coated with a homemade sticky barbecue sauce. They are juicy, finger-licking delicious pork ribs and so addictive.

Ribs and Dry Rub:
3 lbs baby back pork ribs (1 rack)
3 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. ground paprika
1 tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
½ tsp. cumin

Sweet and Sticky BBQ Sauce:
½ cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp. ground cumin
kosher or sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Peel off the silverskin from the back of the ribs. Cut the rack of pork ribs into 2-3 sections so that it can fit into your air fryer basket.

Make the Spice Rub:
In a small bowl, mix garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper and cumin.

Pat the ribs dry and rub the ribs on all sides with the spice rub.

Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C) for a few minutes.

Once hot, place the ribs into the basket with the meat side down and cook for 15 minutes. (It's important to let the air fryer to heat up first to avoid the ribs from sticking to the basket.)

Flip the ribs using kitchen tongs and cook for 10 more minutes.

Make the BBQ Sauce:
While the ribs are cooking, you can add barbecue sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved.

Glaze the Ribs:
Remove the basket from the air fryer and brush generously with barbecue sauce on all sides.

Place the basket back in the air fryer and cook for 3-5 more minutes at 400°F (200°C), or until the sauce has set and darkened slightly. (It may take more or less time based on the thickness or your ribs).

Remove the ribs from the basket and let them rest for 5 minutes so that the juices can redistribute through the meat. Feel free to brush with more barbeque sauce if you like.

Makes 4 servings.

Cook's Notes:

You can also use spare ribs for this recipe, but make sure to cook for a longer time as spare ribs are usually larger.
Check frequently during the last few minutes so that your ribs won't get burned.