The Best Instant Pot Char Siu Ribs

Make these easy char siu ribs using a combination of the instant pot and your oven’s broiler. I make my char siu marinade from scratch using my Chinese grandma’s recipe.

This instant pot Chinese pork ribs recipe is potentially the best instant pot recipe I’ve crafted so far. I know, instant pot char siu is maybe a misnomer – real char siu is Chinese pork that is roasted for HOURS, and this is obviously a shortcut. Jeremy says it also reminds him of honey bbq dishes at Chinese restaurants, so maybe that’s a more accurate name. However, it IS based off of my Chinese grandma’s char siu recipe. It has the same flavor, but it’s made in a quarter of the time! And every time I make it, Jeremy says it smells like a Chinese restaurant inside the house. So there you go.

What are Char Siu Pork Ribs?

Char siu is Cantonese style roast meat. It can be made from pretty much any cut of pork, but one of my favorite ways to eat it is pork baby back ribs. You would typically eat it as an entree with rice and vegetables. Traditionally, char siu is marinaded and roasted for hours in the oven. But I don’t know any second or third generation Chinese Americans my age who regularly make it that way. Yes, we all know it tastes good, but we just don’t have the time. My recipe uses the instant pot to make it in about a quarter of the usual time.

Chinese Ingredients for Instant Pot Char Siu

This recipe is basically two parts – the glaze and the actual cooking of the ribs. The glaze recipe uses some Asian ingredients that I think you should be able to find at any grocery store. The only one that may elude you is the black bean garlic paste, but I highly recommend going out of your way to find it. The fermented black bean gives it that extra funk and umami flavor. I don’t actually know if black bean is normally in a traditional char siu recipe, but it’s ALWAYS in my grandma’s. If you can’t find it in an Asian market, there’s always Amazon, although I’m sure it’s actually cheaper in person.

Why is Char Siu Red?

The char siu that you see sold at Chinese restaurants and markets usually has a distinct red color. Did you know the reason for this is simply red food coloring? Both my grandma and I omit the red food dye for our char siu because we find it doesn’t really add anything. But if you feel like it isn’t char siu unless it’s red, feel free to add some.

Making Chinese Pork Ribs in the Instant Pot

You can make char siu pork ribs in the Instant Pot the exact same way you would make other types of ribs! Place your baby back ribs on the steamer rack in the pressure cooker along with 1/2 cup water. I also put in 1/2 cup of the marinade brushed or drizzled on top of the meat. If you think about it ahead of time, you can definitely marinade your meat overnight, but I almost always forget and it’s fine. Pressure cook on high for 18 minutes and quick release. You can do a natural release too, of course. I find 18 minutes with quick release makes the meat tender but still on the bone; longer than that makes the meat practically fall off. So it’s just up to your preference!

Place the cooked meat on a lined baking tray, meaty side up. Brush it with half your remaining glaze and broil it until it starts to bubble and caramelize. Brush with the remaining glaze and broil again. You’re done! Super flavorful, tender, and moist char siu pork ribs every single time.

For more Asian-inspired recipes, be sure to check out my recipe page. And let me know how your ribs turned out! Happy cooking!