Name: Spare Ribs and "Secret" Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 3-4 pounds boneless ribs; Salt; Pepper; Onion powder; Garlic powder; 1 cup brown sugar; 1 cup ketchup; 8 oz crushed pineapple (drained); 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 2.5 oz baby food prunes

These Easy Spare Ribs Have My One True “Secret” Ingredient

Jill Nystul · May 15, 2022 · Updated: April 23, 2024

19 Comments

3.94 from 15 votes

Everyone raves about the sticky-sweet sauce on these ribs, thanks to one surprising secret ingredient!

Jump to Recipe Pin Email

I realize that most of the recipes I post on here seem to come from my mom’s recipe files, but what can I say? They are all “tried and true,” not only by Mom herself, but by me as well! I’ve been making many of them for my own family for over 30 years now.

Because my mom’s recipes have been such a fixture throughout my life, it feels especially meaningful to be able to share them with you. And today I have another of my mom’s recipes to share—super easy and delicious spare ribs (with a super secret twist!)

These spare ribs are great because they’re packed with delicious barbecue flavors, but don’t require you to use a barbecue or grill. I make them in my Instant Pot, which makes this meal so fast and easy! But honestly, the thing that really makes these spare ribs special is the sauce, which contains an honest-to-goodness “secret ingredient” that I refused to reveal to my kids for years!

The secrecy started back when my kids were going through that “fun stage” (not!) of refusing to eat any and all unfamiliar ingredients. I knew without a doubt that they would refuse to eat the spare ribs if they knew about the “secret ingredient” in the sauce, which, oddly enough, is a container of prunes baby food!

The prunes add a delicious sweetness and depth of flavor to the sauce and make the finished ribs deliciously sticky. I did eventually let the kids in on the secret once they had gotten a bit older, and by that time not even baby food could scare them away from what had become one of their favorite dinners.

Easy Barbecue Spare Ribs And “Secret” Sauce

Ingredients:

For the ribs:

3-4 pounds boneless ribs
Salt
Pepper
Onion powder
Garlic powder

For the sauce:

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained*
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (2.5-ounce) container baby food prunes

*Note: Feel free to use fresh crushed pineapple instead, especially if you find one on sale. (Not sure how to cut a whole pineapple? It’s easier than you think!)

Directions:

Season the ribs generously with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Use the Sauté program to sear the ribs on both sides, then set aside.

To a mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, ketchup, crushed pineapple, garlic powder, and prunes. Stir to combine.

Brush about 1/2 of the sauce over the seasoned ribs, coating them on all sides. Place the sauced ribs in your Instant Pot along with 1/2 cup of water.

Select “Pressure Cook,” and set the timer for 25 minutes. Once the timer goes off, allow the pressure to release naturally until the pressure indicator on the lid drops.

Brush most of the reserved sauce onto the cooked ribs, then stick them under your broiler for a minute or two, just until the sauce starts to get sticky and caramelized.

Serve the ribs warm with any leftover sauce (and plenty of napkins!)

Slow Cooker Method: Season the ribs, cook them on Low in your crockpot for about 8 hours, then cover them in the sauce and broil until they’re nice and sticky.

Do you have any family recipes with secret ingredients?

Spare Ribs and “Secret” Sauce

Jill Nystul

These spare ribs are packed with delicious barbecue flavors, but don’t require you to use a barbecue or grill. I make them in my Instant Pot, which makes this meal so fast and easy!

3.94 from 15 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Pressure Release Time 25

Total Time 35

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 531 kcal

Ingredients

For the ribs:

3-4 pounds boneless ribs
Salt
Pepper
Onion powder
Garlic powder

For the sauce:

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
8 oz crushed pineapple drained
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2.5 oz baby food prunes

Instructions

Season the ribs generously with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Use the “Sauté” program to sear the ribs on both sides, then set aside.
To a mixing bowl, add the brown sugar, ketchup, crushed pineapple, garlic powder, and prunes. Stir to incorporate.
Brush about 1/2 of the sauce over the seasoned ribs, and coat them on all sides. Place the sauced ribs into your Instant Pot along with 1/2 cup of water.
Select “Pressure Cook,” and set the timer for 25 minutes. Once the timer goes off, use the Natural Release method until the pressure indicator drops.
Brush most of the reserved sauce onto the cooked ribs, and stick them under your broiler for a few minutes. You just want to broil them long enough that the sauce starts to get sticky and caramelized.
Serve the ribs warm with any leftover sauce (and plenty of napkins!)

Crockpot Method:

Season the ribs, cook them on Low in your crockpot for about 8 hours, then cover them in the sauce and broil until they get nice and sticky.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 531kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 43gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 427mgPotassium: 945mgSugar: 33gVitamin A: 155IUVitamin C: 1.2mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 5.2mg