• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Food Courage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • AIP Resources
  • Autoimmunity
  • Contact
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • Wellness
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Resources
    • Wellness
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home > Recipes > Paleo

    Air Fryer Pork Ribs with AIP BBQ Sauce (Paleo, Gluten-Free)

    Published: Mar 20, 2022. Modified: Oct 6, 2022 by Arika | FoodCourage·This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email
    • Print
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    pinterest pin with air fryer pork ribs with aip bbq sauce on a cream colored platter

    These delicious, tender air fryer pork ribs are rubbed with a flavorful seasoning, cooked to perfection in an air fryer, then smothered with an awesome AIP BBQ sauce. It's a fairly easy recipe and only takes about 30 minutes to make.

    **Just a quick heads up- this post contains affiliate links which means if you click on them and buy something,  I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) to help continue maintaining this site. 

    Ingredients for Air Fryer Pork Ribs

    • Pork Ribs (St. Louis style or baby back)- I used my St. Louis style pork ribs from ButcherBox for this recipe. This type of ribs tends to be fairly thin ribs. If you are using thicker ribs, it's worth noting that you may need to extend your cooking time a little longer to make sure they are done. The internal cooking temperature of ribs should be at least 145° F.
    • Garlic Powder- The garlic powder, sea salt, and onion powder are combined to make a rub which will be applied to both sides of the ribs.
    • Sea Salt
    • Onion Powder
    • AIP BBQ Sauce- The barbecue sauce I created for this recipe is cherry-based (cherries to the rescue again!). It's pretty easy and I think it tastes pretty close to actual BBQ sauce.

    I also have a couple of other barbecue sauce recipes on this site if you are interested in checking them out: Pineapple Bacon Dipping Sauce and Nightshade Free BBQ Sauce. 

    If you don't feel like making a barbecue sauce, the rub on these ribs is amazing and they will be super flavorful even without a sauce. 

    Your other option is to go with a store-bought BBQ sauce. KC Naturals has an AIP-friendly barbecue sauce. Of course, if you're not doing AIP/ Paleo there are plenty of other barbecue sauce options out there.

    BBQ Sauce Ingredients:

    • Sweet Dark Frozen Cherries- I just use frozen cherries because they are easy to find any time of year and they are already pitted. I just put them in the microwave for about a minute and then they are ready to go. You can of course use fresh cherries if you prefer- just be sure to remove the pits
    • Canned Pumpkin Puree
    • Balsamic Vinegar- You could sub in apple cider vinegar if necessary but I'd recommend using the balsamic for best results.
    • Sea Salt
    • Garlic Powder
    • Dried Ginger
    • Coconut Aminos- This really helps to pull the BBQ flavor together.
    bbq sauce in a food processor made with cherries.

    How to Make Air Fryer Pork Ribs

    1. Remove the silverskin from the back of the ribs (see below on how to do this).
    2. Cut the rack of ribs into 2-3 sections so they can fit into the fryer basket.
    3. Make the spice rub. Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a small bowl.
    4. Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
    5. Pat the ribs dry and rub the mixture onto all sides of the ribs.
    6. Once the air fryer is ready/hot, place the ribs into the fryer basket meat-side down and cook for 12-15 minutes minutes.
    7. Make the BBQ sauce while the ribs are cooking. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small food processor or blender cup. Blend until smooth.
    8. Flip the ribs with tongs, brush with BBQ sauce and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temp of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
    9. Remove the ribs from the basket and allow them to cook for a few minutes before serving. Add more sauce if desired.
    raw butcherbox pork ribs on a white and gray marble counter

    What Kind of Ribs to Use for the Air Fryer

    This recipe calls for St. Louis style ribs (I got mine from ButchBox) or spare ribs but you can also use baby back ribs. Note that baby back ribs are generally smaller than St. Louis style and spare ribs so the cooking time will be lower. 

    What's the Difference Between St. Louis Style Ribs and Spare Ribs?

    St. Louis-style ribs are basically just spare ribs that have been cut down to form a more uniform shape. St. Louis style are a little easier to cut and work with but either will be fine for this recipe. 

    What is Silverskin and How Do You Remove It?

    Silverskin is the thin white layer of connective tissue found on the back of most ribs. To remove it, flip the ribs over meat-side down then use a butter knife to get under the silverskin from one of the edges. Once you get under it slightly, use a finger to separate the two layers and pull it off. 

    gloved hands peeling the silverskin off the back of raw pork ribs

    Notes

    *Note that cooking times will vary depending on the size and thickness of your ribs. The ones I used for this recipe were fairly thin. If you find that your ribs are not quite done cooking at the end of the recommend cook time, just continue cooking a little longer until the internal temp of the ribs is at least 145 degrees F.

    If you enjoyed this post, you may also like: 

    Honey Lemon Pepper Wings- Air Fryer Chicken Wings

    Air Fryer Eggless Meatloaf

    Easy Air Fryer Asparagus

    The Best Instant Pot Pulled Pork

    Crispy Instant Pot Bacon

    Conclusion:

    I hope you love this recipe  Please leave a comment below and let me know what you thought!

    Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @foodcourage for the latest AIP/Paleo recipes, autoimmune nutrition info, and Food Courage happenings!

    air fryer pork ribs covered in bbq sauce on a tan platter with sweet potato fries in the background.
    air fryer pork ribs with bbq sauce on a tan platter surrounded by sweet potato fries, brussels sprouts, a dish of bbq sauce, and a plate of ribs and veggies.

    Air Fryer Pork Ribs with AIP BBQ Sauce

    Arika | FoodCourage
    These delicious, tender ribs are rubbed with a flavorful seasoning, cooked to perfection in an air fryer, then smothered in an amazing homemade BBQ sauce. It's a very easy recipe and only takes about 30 minutes to make.
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 683 kcal

    Equipment

    • air fryer
    • Small Food Processor or blender

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 lbs pork ribs (St. Louis style or spare ribs)
    • 2 tsp garlic powder
    • 2 tsp sea salt
    • 2 tsp onion powder

    AIP BBQ Sauce (or use BBQ sauce of choice)

    • 2/3 cup sweet dark frozen cherries thawed
    • 3 tbsp canned pumpkin puree
    • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
    • 1/4 tsp dried ginger
    • 1 tsp coconut aminos

    Instructions
     

    • Remove the silverskin from the back of the ribs. See below on how to do this.
    • Cut the rack of ribs into 2-3 sections so they can fit into the fryer basket.
    • Make the spice rub. Mix the garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a small bowl.
    • Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Pat the ribs dry and rub the mixture onto all sides of the ribs.
    • Once the air fryer is ready/hot, place the ribs into the fryer basket meat-side down and cook for 12-15 minutes minutes.
    • Make the BBQ sauce while the ribs are cooking. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small food processor or blender cup. Blend until smooth.
    • Flip the ribs with tongs, brush with BBQ sauce and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temp of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Remove the ribs from the basket and allow them to cook for a few minutes before serving. Add more sauce if desired.

    Video

    Notes

    *Note that cooking times will vary depending on the size and thickness of your ribs. The ones I used for this recipe were fairly thin. 
    Silverskin is the thin white layer of connective tissue found on the back of most ribs. To remove it, flip the ribs over meat-side down then use a butter knife to get under the silverskin from one of the edges. Once you get under it slightly, use a finger to separate the two layers and pull it off. 
    *Note- I tweaked the BBQ sauce recipe a bit more after making the video so the ingredients in the recipe are slightly different than those shown in the video.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Air Fryer Pork Ribs with AIP BBQ Sauce
    Serving Size
     
    4 ribs
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    683
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    56
    g
    86
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    18
    g
    113
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    1
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    9
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    20
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    191
    mg
    64
    %
    Sodium
     
    1502
    mg
    65
    %
    Potassium
     
    660
    mg
    19
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    6
    g
    2
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    4
    g
    4
    %
    Protein
     
    37
    g
    74
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    890
    IU
    18
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    2
    mg
    2
    %
    Calcium
     
    42
    mg
    4
    %
    Iron
     
    2
    mg
    11
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Keyword air fryer ribs, babyback ribs, pork ribs, ribs
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @foodcourage or tag #foodcourage on Instagram!
    « Nightshade-Free Green Chicken Enchilada Soup (AIP, Paleo, Whole30)
    Crispy Instant Pot Bacon »
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email
    • Print

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    HI! I'm Arika and I'm a Nashville-based registered dietitian with Hashimoto's. I founded Food Courage in 2019 as a way to share delicious and practical AIP/Paleo recipes and strategies for thriving with autoimmunity. Check out my about page to read more.

    Popular Posts

    • 100+ AIP Breakfast and Brunch Ideas and Recipes
    • Easy AIP Meals for Beginners: 55+ Stress-Free Weeknight Meals
    • Instant Pot Sirloin Tip Roast with Vegetables and Gravy (Paleo, AIP Option)
    • AIP Cauliflower "Oatmeal" with Cinnamon and Apples (Paleo, Vegan, Grain-Free)

    Fall Recipes

    • No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Pie (AIP, Paleo, Gluten-Free)
    • Easy AIP Bread Stuffing (Paleo, GF, Whole30)
    • Simple Sweet Potato Casserole with Cinnamon Crumble (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)
    • AIP Beef Stew (Instant Pot, Paleo, Whole30)

    Featured On

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • About

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Food Courage

    196 shares