Air Fryer Brown Sugar BBQ Baby Back Ribs

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Tender, sticky baby back ribs done entirely in the air fryer basket in about 45 minutes — no smoker, no oven, no foil-wrapped waiting. A simple brown sugar and smoked paprika rub does the flavor work, and a final blast with barbecue sauce lacquers the edges into that caramelized, chewy-crisp bark everyone fights over.

Ingredients

• 2 lb baby back pork ribs (1 rack)
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce

Instructions

1. Pat the rack dry. Slide a butter knife under the thin white membrane on the bone side, grip it with a paper towel and peel it off, then cut the rack into 3 or 4 sections that will fit in your air fryer basket in a single layer.
2. Stir the brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper together in a small bowl, then rub the mixture firmly all over the rib sections, front, back and edges.
3. Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (175°C). Arrange the ribs meaty side down in a single layer, not overlapping, and cook for 25 minutes.
4. Flip the sections meaty side up and cook another 12 to 15 minutes at 350°F, until the meat has pulled back from the bone ends by about 1/4 inch and a knife slides into the meat with no resistance.
5. Brush the tops generously with barbecue sauce, raise the temperature to 400°F (205°C) and cook 4 to 5 minutes more, until the glaze is bubbling and darkened at the edges. Rest 5 minutes, then slice between the bones and serve with any remaining sauce.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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