Tiana Walters 
Korean BBQ Ribs are so simple, because of the Instant Pot and full of flavor. They are amazingly tender and juicy. Perfectly sweet, salty, and savory. Done in 45 minutes. They are excellent straight out of the Instant Pot. However, for mind blowing flavor make a BBQ sauce from the marinade and meat drippings. Next, use that to baste the ribs. Then crisp and caramelize them under the broiler. The BBQ sauce can be saved in the fridge for about 3-5 days or stored in the freezer for months.
Doesn’t this plating look amazing? Check out this perfectly paired side dish Asian Collard Green Salad.
In South West Georgia, Mother Nature has been teasing us. First its Summer in February. Then a frost. Then the days are perfectly 75 degrees and the nights drop down to the 40’s. I’m confused, and so is my thermostat. One right thing, its Spring! And to me, that means breaking out the grill. Who doesn’t crave grilled food as soon as the weather starts hinting at warmth? Since being cold sucks, and sometimes life gets busy. I made an indoor hands off version of my Korean BBQ Ribs.
Is This Dish Spicy?
This recipe is actually pretty mild. To make it more spicy switch out some of the ketchup for more gochujang.
What is Gochujang?
Gochujang is a spicy paste that is used in Korean food. This stuff is Korea’s answer to the popular Sambal Oelek made by the Sriracha guys. It’s spicy but not burn your mouth hot. It has a nice slow burn. Similar to miso it uses fermented soybean paste for a funky umami flavor bomb. Lasts forever too! You can find this in Asian grocery stores. Sorry if you live in an area like I do and weren’t prepared for this magical ingredient. I guess you could use Sambal Oelek, but it wouldn’t be the same nor would it be Korean. Absolutely worth a trip to a market.
Korean BBQ Ribs (Instant Pot)
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 2 tsp fresh ginger minced
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 4 tbsp ketchup
Ribs:
- 5 lb pork spare ribs
- 1-2 tbsp arrowroot powder or corn starch
Instructions
- Incorporate all marinade ingredients to a microwave safe bowl.
- Because the gochujang will not mix well, heat the sauce up in the microwave in 30 second intervals, until it can be incorporated.
- Next carefully cut ribs along the bone to fit in IP later on. Then place ribs and marinade in a bowl or Ziploc. Marinade 30 minutes to 24 hours.
- Once ready to cook place trivet, marinade. and ribs in IP. Stand ribs up vertically, on top of trivet. *See pics below
- Close lid and seal. Cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes.
- Let Naturally Release at least 15 minutes.
Optional:
- Pour the leftover marinade from IP into a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to simmer. Cook for about 5-10 minutes or until liquid has reduced to half.
- To thicken pour some of the sauce into a small bowl and with a fork whisk in 1 tbsp corn starch or arrowroot powder.
- Then gradually stir the corn starch mixture back into sauce until blended. You can keep repeating this process until desired consistency is reached.
- To crisp, line a baking sheet with foil and spray with oil. Baste the ribs with BBQ sauce and broil on High for 3 minutes watching carefully.
Step By Step Photos
Incorporate all ingredients except ribs in a microwave safe medium sized bowl. Because the gochujang is thick straight out the fridge, it will not mix well. You need to heat the sauce up in the microwave in 30-second intervals until it softens and blends well.
Depending on the size of your IP and your marinade vessel you may have to cut the ribs smaller.
Place ribs in a bowl or Ziploc for marinading. Careful with using a Ziploc, as the bones can puncture easily. Add sauce to the ribs and marinade for at least 30 minutes to 24 hours.
Once ready to cook place trivet, the sauce, and the ribs in IP. Stand ribs up vertically, to fit. Close lid and seal. Cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes. Let Naturally Release at least 15 minutes or until pin drops.
To get a crispy brown skin line a baking sheet with foil and spray with oil. Baste the ribs with BBQ sauce and broil on High for 3 minutes or until desired crispness.
