Start cooking delicious meals at the push of a button with this Instant Pot Korean Pork Ribs recipe. This recipe is so simple, using your favorite pressure cooker.

Pressure cooked Korean pork ribs are tender and delicious. What’s more, cooking with vegetables makes it a simple one-pot meal, so you’ll want to make it again and again for your easy weeknight dinner!

Table of Contents

Why Instant Pot Korean Pork Ribs

Braised Korean pork ribs, Dwaeji Galbijjim, is a popular Korean side dish along with its counterpart braised beef short ribs. Many people rely on a pressure cooker to make it quickly and easily, and Instant Pot is my favorite tool choice for this recipe.

By pressure cooking, the pork ribs are tender, retain all the flavor, and don’t make a fuss. It’s also really convenient.

My Best Cooking Tips

To make Korean pork ribs deliciously, here are some of the best tips.

This recipe is utilizing one of the easiest-to-use pressure cookers – the Instant Pot. However, you can use other pressure cookers too. Menu options and time settings may differ per brand.
The membrane on the pork ribs is often a tough, rubbery layer that can be hard to chew. Luckily, this can be removed. To do this, use a butter knife to lift the edge of the membrane and use paper towel to grab the corner and pull against it.
The best pressure cooking time for ribs can vary depending on the cut of the ribs (e.g. pork spare ribs vs baby back ribs) and the thickness of the ribs. If the ribs are on the smaller end, 10 minutes pressure cooking time might be enough to tenderize them, but if the ribs are thicker and bigger, it could take longer to tenderize them.
Many Koreans parboil ribs with spice vegetables in order to remove the gamey odor from the meat. This is a common cooking technique that is used when cooking meat such as this.
I broil/grill the ribs after they’ve been pressure cooked. This step is optional but it adds a nice chargrilled color and flavor.

How to Serve

You can serve the pressure cooked pork ribs with potatoes and carrots to form an easy meal. It also goes well with french fries.

Alternatively, you serve with a bowl of delicious purple rice, kimchi and other Korean side dishes for an authentic Korean dinner!

How to Store

These leftover pork ribs (and vegetables) can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a couple of days. You can reheat them in the microwave as needed.

I recommend keeping the sauce in a separate container and reheating it separately, so that you have enough sauce to drizzle it over the meat, vegetables or rice once they are all served.

Other Great Korean Pork Recipes

Many people love Korean pork dishes. If you are one of those, I highly recommend you try the recipes below.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Korean Pork Ribs

SAUCE

1/2 cup water
6 Tbsp soy sauce, regular (I used kikkoman brand)
170g / 6 ounces apple
60g / 2 ounces onion
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
A few sprinkles ground black pepper

MAIN

1/4 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 tsp black peppers, whole
60g / 2 ounces onion
50g / 1.8 ounces green onion
30g / 1 ounce garlic cloves
1.3 kg / 2.9 pounds baby back ribs or pork spare ribs
300g / 11 ounces baby potatoes, cut in large chunks
200g / 7 ounces carrots, cut in large chunks

* 1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250 ml

** If you want to learn more about Korean ingredients, check my essential Korean ingredients list!

*** This recipe is based off of my Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs recipe.

How to Make Korean Pork Ribs in Instant Pot

1. Blend the sauce ingredients in a food mixer or food processor until smooth. Set aside.

2. Prepare the pork ribs. Remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs, pulling it down the entire length. Separate the ribs by cutting the meat between the bones.

3. Bring a large pot of water to boil, enough to submerge the pork ribs. Once it is boiling, add mirim, black peppers, onion, green onion, garlic gloves and the pork ribs. Continue to boil for about 8 minutes, uncovered. Drain the water, remove any aromatic vegetables, and wash the ribs under cold running water.

4. Place the pork ribs in the instant pot and drizzle over the sauce. Add the potatoes and the carrots on top.

5. Close the lid, and make sure the vent is in the sealed position. To cook baby back ribs in an Instant Pot, set it to pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. For spare ribs, cook for 25 minutes. (It will take 15 to 20 minutes to build the pressure in the pressure cooker.) When the pressure cooking is done, natural release the steam for 10 minutes, then do a quick release and wait until the quick release cycle is complete. Be careful of contacting any remaining steam. Unlock and remove the lid.

6. Open the lid and set the Instant Pot to “Sauté” for 8 minutes. This will continue to make the pot simmer, cook, and reduce the sauce.

7. It is ready to eat, but if you want to add nice browning mark on the ribs and potatoes, transfer the them onto a baking tray or oven friendly dish. Brush the sauce on the ribs, potatoes and carrots and broil them for 2 to 4 minutes or until charred.

8. Serve with a bowl of rice and some kimchi.

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Instant Pot Korean Pork Ribs