Instant Pot Chinese Pork Ribs
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Chinese red-braised pork ribs (红烧排骨, hóngshāo páigǔ) are bite-size rib pieces simmered in a glossy, sweet-savory soy braise until tender and sticky — and the Instant Pot makes them weeknight-fast. After a quick blanch, you build the braise with ginger, garlic, star anise, Shaoxing wine, light and dark soy, and rock sugar, pressure-cook for about 15 minutes, then reduce the sauce on Sauté until it clings to each rib in a shiny lacquer. The pressure cooker delivers fall-off-the-bone ribs in roughly 40 minutes total instead of an hour-plus of stovetop simmering. Ask your butcher to cut a rack of pork ribs crosswise into 1.5-inch pieces (or use riblets), which is how this dish is traditionally served. It's comforting, glossy, and a guaranteed favorite over steamed rice.
Why you'll love this instant pot chinese pork ribs
- Fall-off-the-bone ribs in about 40 minutes, with a glossy sticky glaze that tastes slow-cooked.
- Mostly hands-off: blanch, pressure-cook, reduce, done.
- A balanced sweet-savory soy braise that's a guaranteed hit with kids and adults alike.
- Every hard-to-find ingredient is flagged with an exact US-grocery substitute.
Ingredients
Ribs
- 2 lb pork spare ribs or baby back ribs, cut crosswise into 1.5-inch pieces
- 3 slices ginger, for blanching
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, for blanchingsubstitutes →
Braise
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 4 slices ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1 star anisesubstitutes →
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing winesubstitutes →
- 2.5 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, for colorsubstitutes →
- 1.5 tbsp rock sugar, or 1 tbsp regular sugar
- 1 tsp Chinkiang black vinegar, brightens the glazesubstitutes →
- 1 cup water
To finish
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 scallion, sliced
Missing an ingredient?
AITell us what you have and what you're making — get the best US-grocery swap, with ratios.
Hard-to-find ingredients, delivered
Stock the pantry once and you can cook this anytime: Shaoxing wine, star anise, Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, Chinkiang black vinegar. Asian groceries deliver nationwide.
Equipment
- Instant Pot (6-qt) — Any multicooker with Sauté and high-pressure modes works.(shop →)
Instructions
Blanch the ribs
Blanch the rib pieces in boiling water with the ginger and 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine for 2–3 minutes, until scum rises. Drain and rinse the ribs clean.
💡 Blanching removes blood and impurities so the braise stays clear and the glaze tastes clean, not gamey.
Bloom aromatics
Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (High). Add the oil, then the ginger, garlic, scallions, and star anise; stir 1 minute until fragrant. Add the ribs and toss to coat for 1–2 minutes.
Build the braise
Pour in the 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine and scrape the bottom of the pot clean. Add the light soy, dark soy, rock sugar, black vinegar, and water; stir to combine.
💡 Scraping the bottom clean after sautéing prevents the dreaded Burn warning under pressure.
Pressure cook
Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and Pressure Cook (Manual) on High for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release the rest.
Reduce to a glaze
Switch to Sauté (High) and simmer the sauce uncovered, stirring often, for 6–10 minutes until it reduces to a thick, glossy glaze that coats the ribs. Watch closely at the end so the sugar doesn't scorch.
💡 The glaze thickens fast once most of the water cooks off — stir constantly in the last couple of minutes.
Finish & serve
Turn off the heat and toss the ribs to coat. Plate and scatter with sesame seeds and sliced scallion. Serve hot with steamed rice.
Tips & notes
- Ask the butcher to cut the rack crosswise into 1.5-inch pieces (or buy pre-cut riblets) — short pieces are traditional and let the glaze coat every side.
- Rock sugar gives the glossiest, most professional-looking glaze; granulated sugar works but reduce slightly faster.
- For a sweet-and-sour (糖醋排骨) twist, double the black vinegar and add 1 tbsp ketchup to the braise.
- Don't skip the reduce step — it's what turns a watery braise into the sticky lacquer that defines this dish.
- Gluten-free: swap tamari for the soy sauces and confirm your black vinegar is wheat-free (or use a touch of rice vinegar).
Recipe wording too vague?
AIPaste any fuzzy step (少许, 火候正好, 焯水) and get exact amounts, temps and times.
Instant Pot Chinese Pork Ribs
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Beginner
Ingredients
- 2 lb pork spare ribs or baby back ribs, cut crosswise into 1.5-inch pieces
- 3 slices ginger, for blanching
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, for blanching
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 4 slices ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1 star anise
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 2.5 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, for color
- 1.5 tbsp rock sugar, or 1 tbsp regular sugar
- 1 tsp Chinkiang black vinegar, brightens the glaze
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 scallion, sliced
Instructions
- Blanch the rib pieces in boiling water with the ginger and 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine for 2–3 minutes, until scum rises. Drain and rinse the ribs clean.
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (High). Add the oil, then the ginger, garlic, scallions, and star anise; stir 1 minute until fragrant. Add the ribs and toss to coat for 1–2 minutes.
- Pour in the 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine and scrape the bottom of the pot clean. Add the light soy, dark soy, rock sugar, black vinegar, and water; stir to combine.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and Pressure Cook (Manual) on High for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release the rest.
- Switch to Sauté (High) and simmer the sauce uncovered, stirring often, for 6–10 minutes until it reduces to a thick, glossy glaze that coats the ribs. Watch closely at the end so the sugar doesn't scorch.
- Turn off the heat and toss the ribs to coat. Plate and scatter with sesame seeds and sliced scallion. Serve hot with steamed rice.
Nutrition (est., per serving): 480 cal · 32 g protein · 14 g carbs · 32 g fat
Instant Pot Chinese Pork Ribs FAQ
How long do pork ribs take in the Instant Pot?
Cut into 1.5-inch pieces, pork ribs become tender in about 15 minutes at high pressure plus a 10-minute natural release. With blanching and reducing the glaze, the whole dish is ready in roughly 40–45 minutes — much faster than the hour-plus a stovetop red braise takes.
What's the difference between red-braised and sweet-and-sour ribs?
Red-braised ribs (红烧排骨) are savory-forward with a balanced touch of sugar and a deep soy color. Sweet-and-sour ribs (糖醋排骨) lean tangy and sweet, using more vinegar and sugar (and sometimes ketchup). This recipe is red-braised, but a note shows how to tip it toward sweet-and-sour.
Can I use baby back ribs or spare ribs?
Both work. Spare ribs are meatier and a bit fattier (great for braising); baby back ribs are leaner and slightly quicker to turn tender. Either way, have them cut crosswise into short 1.5-inch segments so the glaze coats every piece.
Why isn't my sauce sticky?
The glaze only thickens once you reduce it. After pressure cooking, switch to Sauté and simmer the sauce uncovered until most of the water evaporates and it turns syrupy — usually 6–10 minutes. Rock sugar and a final hard stir help it cling to the ribs.
Do I have to blanch the ribs?
It's strongly recommended. Blanching raw ribs in boiling water for a few minutes removes blood and scum that would otherwise cloud the braise and dull the flavor. It takes five minutes and makes a clean, glossy, restaurant-quality result.
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