Instant Pot sweet and sour spare ribs is a popular Chinese dish. Tender, fall of the bone pork with just a touch of sweet and tang. Add a little pineapple to make this dish Hawaiian style and have dinner on the table in under an hour.
Where’s all my rib lovers at? Now when you think of ribs, spare ribs may not be the first thing that pops into your mind, but let me tell you this recipe may help.
Sweet sour spare ribs is a popular Chinese dish and of course here in Hawai’i we’ve put or Hawaiian touch on it. And to take it one step further let’s make it in the Instant Pot.
The Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker and has swept the world in popularity. It has quickly become one of my favorite countertop appliances. This is the model that I have.
Local dishes like boiled peanuts, pork and peas, and chicken papaya can be made in the Instant Pot and are so delicious.
Ingredients for Instant Pot sweet and sour spare ribs
- Cooking oil of choice
- Spare ribs
- Onion
- Brown sugar
- Rice vinegar
- Shoyu
- Water
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Pineapple chunks and juice
- Cornstarch
What are spare ribs?
There are three common cuts of ribs that you’ll find, spare ribs, baby back ribs, and St. Louis style ribs. Spare ribs come from the belly of the pig, near the meat that is used to make bacon and pancetta.
Whereas baby back ribs come from the loin that runs along the back of the pig and St. Louis style ribs are a cleaned up version of baby back ribs. The extra cartilage and breast bone has been removed and makes for a more uniform shape.
How to buy spare ribs?
You can find spare ribs in most grocery stores in the meat or freezer section. The ribs can be found whole or already cut down into pieces perfect for sweet and sour spare ribs. If you can’t find pre-cut ribs you can ask your butcher to cut it down for you.
What is sweet and sour?
Sweet and sour includes various cooking sauces that are well sweet and sour, surprise. Some have the classic orange hue and are thicker like this sweet and sour chicken. And others have a more thinned out and brown look like this sweet sour spare rib recipe
How to make sweet and sour spare ribs Hawaiian style?
Pineapples have become a large part of local Hawaiian dishes. Although the pineapple is indigenous to South America, it has become popularly associated with Hawai’i thanks to Dole Plantation, Del Monte, and Maui Pine. While not truly Hawaiian and in no means does throwing pineapple on something make it Hawaiian, this recipe has been adapted from a classic Chinese style recipe to a local style recipe.
What to serve with Instant Pot sweet sour spare ribs?
Here in Hawai’i you can’t have a plate lunch dish without good old sticky, white rice and mac salad. Of course you can always add a lighter, fresh side like tossed greens as well.
How to store sweet and sour spare ribs?
Once the ribs have cooled, place in an airtight container and place in the fridge. This will keep for 3 to 4 days.
Can you freeze spare ribs?
You betcha. Cooked ribs will keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. These are best stored in an airtight container or zip top bag. Little tip, freeze the ribs flat for quick reheating.
How to reheat Instant Pot sweet and sour spare ribs?
There are a few ways you can do this. If frozen, defrost either in the refrigerator overnight or use the defrost setting in the microwave. You can then reheat in the microwave, on the stove top, or in the Instant Pot. You can also reheat in the Instant Pot from frozen.
One tip, if you plan to reheat your food in the Instant Pot you can freeze your food in a zip top bag set in a bowl or the Instant Pot inner pot. This will keep the rounded shape and allow it to fit back in the Instant Pot when you’re ready to reheat it.
How to make Instant Pot sweet and sour spare ribs?
- Set the Instant Pot to saute mode.
- Add oil and half of the spare ribs to the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Cook until browned. Remove the ribs and set aside.
- Add onions and saute until translucent. Then add the remainder of the spare ribs and cook until browned. Add the previously cooked ribs back to the Instant Pot.
- To a bowl add brown sugar, rice vinegar, shoyu, water, garlic, ginger, and the juice from the pineapple can. Do not add the pineapple chunks yet. Mix to combine and pour in to the Instant Pot.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to sealing.
- Cook on manual high pressure for 25 minutes. Allow 10 minutes natural pressure release then quick release.
- Mix the cornstarch and water then add it to the pot to help thicken the sauce.
- Stir in pineapple chunks and ENJOY!
Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Spare RIbs
Equipment
” class=”wprm-recipe-equipment-link”>Aloha Low Sodium Shoyu 24 Oz.
” class=”wprm-recipe-equipment-link”>Aloha Low Sodium Shoyu 24 Oz.Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil of choice
- 4 pounds spare ribs
- 1 small onion sliced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup shoyu
- 1/2 cup water
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 inch ginger sliced
- 1 can 20 ounces pineapple chunks
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to saute mode.
- Add oil and half of the spare ribs to the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Cook until browned. Remove the ribs and set aside.
- Add onions and saute until translucent. Then add the remainder of the spare ribs and cook until browned. Add the previously cooked ribs back to the Instant Pot.
- To a bowl add brown sugar, rice vinegar, shoyu, water, garlic, ginger, and the juice from the pineapple can. Do not add the pineapple chunks yet. Mix to combine and pour in to the Instant Pot.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set to sealing.
- Cook on manual high pressure for 25 minutes. Allow 10 minutes natural pressure release then quick release.
- Mix the cornstarch and water then add it to the pot to help thicken the sauce.
- Stir in pineapple chunks and ENJOY!
Notes
Nutrition
© Relle Lum for Keeping It Relle. Please do not copy and paste or screenshot recipes online or on social media. I’d love it if you share a link with a photo instead. Mahalo!
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An easy to make sweet and sour spare ribs recipe.
I love how easy the instant pot makes this and the sweet and sour sauce is delish!
Aloha Relle !
Seems like you left out making the slurry and I believe it should be added after the ribs pau cook ???
Aloha Doug. Mahalo. Looks like it didn’t make the final draft. I have updated it. Appreciate it!
These came out delicious! Instapot is the only way I’m cooking pork from now on. The flavors of the sauce were so delicious and this is recipe is definitely a keeper!
So awesome. Glad to hear. I love the Instant Pot. Thank you for sharing.
Making this for the third time! Seriously easy recipe with everything we already have on hand!
Love it. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Great but would cut back on the rice vinegar.
Appreciate your insight. Have a great day.
Wish you’d put the amounts of ingredients, tried it anyways, hope it works
Of course you have to have ingredient amounts in a recipe. The full written recipe with instructions and ingredients (including the amounts) is at the bottom of the page in a recipe card that can be easily read online or printed.
It was the first time I made this for a pot luck luncheon. There were no leftovers. Instead of browning the ribs in the saute mode, I air fried the ribs. I also refrigerated overnight and all the fat solidified on the surface that I removed. Last comment, the photo served with rice shows chopped green onions, but it’s no where in the recipe.
Aloha Cal. Glad to hear it went well. Green onions are just a garnish. You can add them if you’d like. Have a great day.
Aloha, Since I have baby back ribs, may I use that? I made a delicious sauce using Bing Cherries and seedless Rock Salt cherries. ‘ Ono!
Aloha Anne. Sure you can use that. Hope you enjoy!
I really like your recipe and your instructions very easy to follow Mahalo
Aloha Chris. Mahalo for you kind words. I appreciate it. Mahalo nui!