Gluten-Free Instant Pot Ribs with Cornbread and Baked Beans

White plate with glazed BBQ spare ribs, two slices of golden cornbread and baked beans in tomato sauce on a wooden outdoor table

Gluten-Free Instant Pot Ribs with Cornbread and Baked Beans

These gluten-free Instant Pot ribs start with two racks of St. Louis-style spare ribs, rubbed with brown sugar, smoked paprika and spices, and pressure cooked for 35 minutes. They are brushed with gluten-free BBQ sauce and broiled for a few minutes until caramelized.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 15

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Calories: 1857

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

2 racks St. Louis-style spare ribs 2.3 to 2.7 kg (5 to 6 lb) in total
360 ml water, apple cider, beef broth or vegetable broth, for the pot 1½ cups (360 ml). Made here with Tellofix Gemüsebrühe (vegetable broth), which is gluten-free. If you use another broth, it must be labeled gluten-free; check the label
240 ml gluten-free BBQ sauce 1 cup, for brushing. Made here with Sticky Fingers BBQ sauce. Use a bottle labeled gluten-free; check the label
4 tbsp brown sugar, for the rub 60 ml, ¼ cup
2 tbsp smoked paprika, for the rub 30 ml. Check the label
2 tsp garlic powder, for the rub 10 ml. Check the label
2 tsp onion powder, for the rub 10 ml. Check the label
2 tsp chili powder, for the rub 10 ml. Check the label (spice blends can contain gluten)
2 tsp kosher salt, for the rub 10 ml
1 tsp black pepper, for the rub 5 ml
240 ml Schär Universal Flour (Mix It!), for the cornbread 1 cup. Check the label
240 ml certified gluten-free cornmeal (fine polenta), for the cornbread 1 cup
4 tbsp granulated sugar, for the cornbread 60 ml, ¼ cup
1 tbsp gluten-free baking powder, for the cornbread 15 ml. Check the label
½ tsp kosher salt, for the cornbread 2.5 ml
240 ml whole milk (or a dairy-free alternative), for the cornbread 1 cup
80 ml butter, melted (or neutral oil), for the cornbread ⅓ cup. Plus extra butter for greasing the pan and serving
2 large eggs, for the cornbread
1 can (about 800 g / 28 oz) certified gluten-free baked beans 800 g (28 oz). Check that the label says gluten-free

Method

Prep the ribs. Remove the thin white membrane from the back of the ribs: loosen an edge with a butter knife and peel it off with a paper towel. Cut each rack into 3 or 4 equal sections.
Apply the rub. Mix the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, kosher salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture generously over both sides of the ribs. If you have time, let the ribs sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
Prepare the pressure cooker. Place the metal trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot and pour in 360 ml (1½ cups) of water, apple cider or broth.
Pressure cook. Stand the seasoned rib sections on their sides, coiling them around the edge of the trivet. Close the lid, set the valve to Sealing and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
Natural release. When the time is up, do not touch the valve. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 to 20 minutes, then carefully turn the valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure.
Broil to finish. Carefully lift the ribs out with tongs and place them meat-side up on foil-lined baking sheets. Brush generously with the gluten-free BBQ sauce and broil in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until caramelized.
Cornbread: preheat. Heat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Grease a loaf pan.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the Schär flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Add the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk, melted butter and eggs. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Do not overmix.
Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serve. Let the cornbread cool slightly, then slice and serve warm with extra butter alongside the ribs and the baked beans.

Notes

Gluten check: this recipe is built from gluten-free products, but read the labels of the BBQ sauce (it must be labeled gluten-free), chili powder and other spices (blends can contain gluten), baking powder, cornmeal, Schär flour, broth if you use it, and the baked beans. Use clean pans, bowls, baking sheets and utensils to avoid cross-contact.

Food safety (general guidance): USDA guidance for whole cuts of pork is a minimum internal temperature of 63 °C (145 °F) with a 3 minute rest. Check the ribs with a thermometer, and wash hands, board and knife after handling raw pork.

Fitting the ribs: two racks cut into 3 or 4 sections each are stood on their sides around the trivet. Cooker sizes differ; if everything does not fit, cook in two batches.

Cornbread pan: the batter is baked in a loaf pan. A deeper loaf bakes more slowly than a thin sheet, so check with a toothpick: it should come out clean. Cutting the loaf into about 8 slices gives roughly 2 slices per plate for 4 servings.

Salt: kosher salt weighs less per spoon than fine table salt, so use kosher salt as written or reduce the amount if you use fine salt.

Optional side: a creamy coleslaw goes well with the ribs. Toss 1 bag (400 g, 14 oz) of shredded coleslaw mix with 120 ml (½ cup) gluten-free mayonnaise, 2 tbsp (30 ml) apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp (15 ml) honey and a pinch of celery seed. Not included in the nutrition estimate.

Nutrition values are an estimate calculated from ingredient data, not lab-analysed. They cover one of 4 servings: half a rack of ribs with rub and BBQ sauce, 2 slices of cornbread (8 pieces from the pan) and a quarter of the can of baked beans. The weight of the ribs, the cornbread slice count and the packaged products are assumptions. A share of the rib fat that renders into the pot liquid is deducted (30 %); the real values may still be lower, so treat the estimate as an upper bound. Butter for serving, salt and pepper are not counted.