Air Fryer Beef Back Ribs

4.68 from 107 votes

Air Fryer Beef Back Ribs turn an ordinary rack of beef back ribs into a fast, flavor-packed BBQ dinner. The air fryer does a great job cooking ribs until they are tender with just enough bite, then a layer of Kansas City style BBQ sauce gives them a sticky finish without heating up the oven or firing up the smoker.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Rest time10

Total Time35

Course: Air Fryer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Air Fryer Ribs, Beef Ribs

Servings: servings

Author: Joshua Boquist

Equipment

Ingredients

2 lb beef back ribs
1 cup Kansas City style BBQ sauce
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp black pepper

Instructions

Prepare the ribs

Remove the ribs from the packaging and place them bone side up on your worktop. Use a butter knife and slide it under the membrane. Use a paper towel to grip the membrane and slowly peel it away from the bones. The membrane may come off in small pieces.
See if you can fit the entire slab of ribs in your air fryer. Trim the ribs down into smaller slabs that can comfortably fit into the air fryer. If you have a smaller air fryer, this may mean you need to trim them down pieces with 1 or 2 bones.
In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Rub the seasoning all over the ribs on all sides.

Air fry the ribs

Preheat your air fryer to 375°F. Place the ribs bone side down in the air fryer basket and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 195°F.
Slather the BBQ sauce onto the ribs. Be sure to coat all sides of the ribs. Increase the temperature of your air fryer to 400°F and cook for another 5 minutes. The internal temperature of the ribs should be around 203°F.
Remove the ribs from the air fryer and cover them with aluminum foil. Allow them to rest for about 10 to 20 minutes. Slice them into individual ribs and dig in!

Video

Notes

Cut Ribs To Fit

If the ribs are too large for your air fryer, cut them into smaller sections that fit comfortably in the basket. Keep the sections as large as possible so the ribs stay moist.

Do Not Burn The Sauce

After brushing on the BBQ sauce, avoid cooking much longer than 5 minutes. The sugars in the sauce can burn quickly, especially if the ribs sit close to the heating element.

Rest Before Slicing

Let the ribs rest under foil before slicing. This helps the juices settle and makes the ribs easier to cut into individual portions.

Nutrition