Air Fryer Country Style Ribs
These air fryer country-style ribs make an easy way to cook up ribs for a busy weeknight dinner or a party with friends. The simple marinade adds flavor and tenderizes the meat before they cook up juicy and tender in the air fryer. It’s sure to be a winner!
Love to use your air fryer as much as I do? Try my Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin, Air Fryer Steak Bites, or Air Fryer Salmon.
Why You’ll Love These Country-Style Ribs!
- Perfect for All Types of Weather. If it’s too hot, the air fryer offers an easy way to avoid standing over a grill in the heat to cook ribs or heat up the house by turning on the oven. In the winter, it’s an easy way to enjoy ribs without freezing outside while trying to cook on the grill.
- Versatile Recipe. These easy ribs are perfect for game day, weeknight dinners, serving your favorite guests, or any party your hosting.
- Less Mess and Stress. No need to drag out the grill and create a plan for cooking outside!
- Delicious Tender and Juicy Ribs. The air fryer actually does a really great job at cooking country style pork ribs.
Ingredients
Before you can get cooking in the kitchen you need to grab all your ingredients. Here’s what you need to make country pork ribs in the air fryer.
- Low-sodium soy sauce. You can use any type of soy sauce but I prefer low sodium so that my ribs don’t end up too salty as they soak up the marinade.
- Apple cider vinegar. This mild vinegar with hints of apple works perfectly for the marinade for your pork ribs. The vinegar also works to break down the protein in the ribs to make them more tender.
- Brown sugar. Notes of sweetness balance out the acidity of the vinegar and savory flavors of the soy sauce.
- Spices. I am using a bit of ground ginger to give the marinade a bit of zing and some garlic powder for more depth of flavor.
- Country-style pork ribs. This style of rib technically isn’t a rib but looks like them. It is usually boneless and cut from a fatty, muscular area of the pork. It contains a nice amount of fat so your ribs cook up juicy and tender in the air fryer.
- BBQ sauce. We love to use my Homemade Honey BBQ Sauce but if your in a time crunch, we also love Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce.
Tips & Variations
- Don’t Over-sauce While Cooking. Add just enough to keep the outside of the ribs moist as any excess may start to burn.
- Discard the Marinade. It contains juices from the raw pork therefore I don’t recommend using it to paste the ribs as they cook and certainly not to add after they’re cooked. That’s what the BBQ sauce is meant for!
- Give Them Time to Marinate. This time isn’t just about infusing the ribs with flavor, it’s also about tenderizing the meat. Give them at least two hours but the longer the better.
- Add More Spices. Feel free to add more seasoning to the marinade if you prefer. Onion powder, mustard (dry or wet), cumin, thyme, and red chili flakes are just a few ideas depending on the flavor profile you enjoy.
How To Make Country-Style Ribs In The Air Fryer
Making air fryer country style ribs takes just a few steps but you do need to plan ahead for a bit of time to allow them to marinate. Here’s a look at the main steps.
- Make the Marinade. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic powder and water in a zipper plastic bag.
- Marinate the Ribs. Add the ribs to the bag and shake well to fully coat the ribs. Push all the air out of the bag and seal it. Refrigerate the ribs for at least two hours or up to eight hours. Be sure to turn the bag every now and then to redistribute the marinade so all the ribs soak up plenty of flavor.
- Prep the Sauce. Put the BBQ sauce in a small bowl for easy brushing.
- Cook the Ribs. Place the ribs in the basket. It’s ok to overlap them if it’s needed. Air fry at 350°F for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the rib, turning ribs every 10 minutes and brushing lightly with the BBQ sauce.
- Serve and Enjoy! Brush with the remaining BBQ sauce or add even more BBQ sauce depending on your preference and serve your ribs.
What To Serve With Ribs
Having a BBQ party, cookout, or simple weeknight dinner. Here are some ideas to help you meal plan.
- Appetizers: Get the party started with my famous Potato Chip Dip. These ribs are popular for game watching so enjoy them with other game-day favorites like my Ranch Pretzels, Taco Dip, and Queso Dip.
- Salads: A fresh salad always pairs perfectly with ribs. Try my Chef Salad or 7 Layer Salad.
- Bread: We love having Beer Bread with our ribs. Some other favorites are Air Fryer Garlic Bread, French Bread Pizza, or even Jiffy Cornbread.
- Sides: Ribs and Corn on the Cob are a match made in heaven. Other sides that go great with ribs are this Easy Coleslaw, Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts, or even my Easy Pasta Salad.
- Dessert: Some crowd-pleasing desserts are my Rice Krispie Treats, Funfetti Cake, and Potato Chip Cookies.
Recipe FAQ
Country style ribs take about 15-20 minutes at 350° F to cook in the air fryer. It will greatly depend on the thickness and size of your ribs. I suggest checking them at 15 minutes for doneness and then continue cooking in 5 minute intervals until they’re fully cooked.
Since pork can often stay pink even when cooked it’s best to use a thermometer to check for doneness. These ribs are fattier and meatier than other types of ribs and can be cooked to a slightly higher temperature than regular ribs which are safe to eat at 145° F. Cooking country style ribs to a slightly higher temperature of 195° F will give the meat more time to tenderize.
Yes, they do! But it’s important to take the time to marinate them in advance. The marinade starts the process of breaking down the protein in the meat so that when it cooks it will be more tender.
For this method, you want to use country style ribs. This cut of pork is fattier and meatier and doesn’t tend to dry out the way other ribs might in the air fryer.
Leftovers & Storing
- Store. Leftovers in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. They will last up to four days in the fridge and up to three months in the freezer.
- Reheat. If frozen, thaw them out in the fridge overnight. Place the leftover ribs in your air fryer and brush with a bit more BBQ sauce. Heat for 5 minutes and then enjoy.
More Air Fryer Recipes
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Air Fryer Country Style Ribs
Ingredients
- â…“ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- â…“ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup water
- 4-6 country-style pork ribs, about 2 pounds
- 5 Tablespoons BBQ sauce
Instructions
- In a heavy ziplock bag, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, ginger, garlic powder and water.
- Add ribs and shake to combine. Push out all the air and seal. Refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours turning the bag over occasionally.
- Drain and discard the marinade.
- Put BBQ sauce in a small bowl for easy brushing.
- Place ribs in the basket, overlapping if needed. Air fry at 350°F for 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the rib, turning ribs every 10 minutes and brushing lightly with the BBQ sauce. Don’t add too much sauce or the sauce will start to burn.
- After the ribs are cooked, brush with remaining BBQ sauce or add even more BBQ sauce depending on your preference.
Notes
- Don’t Over-sauce While Cooking. Add just enough to keep the outside of the ribs moist as any excess may start to burn.
- Discard the Marinade. It contains juices from the raw pork therefore I don’t recommend using it to paste the ribs as they cook and certainly not to add after they’re cooked. That’s what the BBQ sauce is meant for!
- Give Them Time to Marinate. This time isn’t just about infusing the ribs with flavor, it’s also about tenderizing the meat. Give them at least two hours but the longer the better.
- Add More Spices. Feel free to add more seasoning to the marinade if you prefer. Onion powder, mustard (dry or wet), cumin, thyme, and red chili flakes are just a few ideas depending on the flavor profile you enjoy.
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