Country Style Ribs in the Air Fryer

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Country Style Ribs in the Air Fryer are meaty and flavorful pork ribs that cook up tender and juicy in less than 20 minutes in your air fryer.

Boneless Pork Ribs in Air Fryer Recipe

I’ve been having a blast cooking and testing all kinds of meat in my new air fryer.

We love this recipe because there’s very little prep work required ahead of time for air fryer pork ribs.

I also like eating pork because I know that when I buy pork at any grocery store across the United States, you are supporting family farms in Utah and the United States.

If you enjoy spare ribs or baby back ribs, you are going to adore country style ribs in the air fryer.

This is another easy air fryer meat that I can have ready in under 30 minutes, start to finish.

You have to love that!

Country Style Ribs in the Air Fryer recipe ingredients

• Country-style pork ribs: approx. 6-7 meaty ribs, preferably boneless. I like to look for the ones that say “shoulder” on the package. This means they have extra fat and flavor and will be very tender.
  
• Dark brown sugar: substitute light brown sugar if that’s what you’ve got on hand.
  
• Seasonings: smoked paprika (may substitute sweet paprika), kosher salt, garlic powder, cumin
• Salsa: Choose your favorite kind.
  
• Balsamic Vinegar or Balsamic glaze: You’ll know if it’s a good quality balsamic vinegar by doing a taste test. If you enjoy sipping it, it’s a good one. If you taste the balsamic vinegar and it makes you cringe, you need to pitch that brand. Find one that’s delicious, mild, and sweet!
  
• Garnish: chopped cilantro, optional

How to cook country style ribs in the air fryer

Remove the ribs from refrigeration and unpackage on the counter.

In a large flat bowl, combine the spices.

Then rub the spice rub onto all sides of each rib, gently but firmly pressing it into the surface.

Let the ribs rest, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes at room temperature.

Don’t skip this resting step. It’s way more important than you may realize.

Resting is important since the relaxed meat fibers can accept the heat more easily. In turn, the ribs will cook much more evenly to be juicy and tender.

Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 385 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the salsa with the balsamic vinegar. Set this aside.

Place the seasoned ribs onto the rack in the air fryer basket.

Leave a bit of air-flow space between each rib and around the sides of the air fryer.

This allows the heat to easily circulate to cook the meat more quickly and evenly.

Cook the ribs for 7 minutes at 385 degrees F.

Turn the ribs and cook for 7 minutes on the second side.

If your country-style ribs happen to have a bone plate attached on one side, cook them bone-side-up first, then turn to cook the meaty side second.

Using a silicone basting brush, baste the ribs generously with some of the prepared salsa mixture.

Then cook the ribs 2 minutes longer at 385 degrees F.

The ribs will be caramelized and bubbly on top.

Let the ribs rest in the closed, warm air fryer (it should be turned off at this point) for 3 minutes so the juices can redistribute and the protein fibers can relax.

The ribs will continue to cook from residual heat as they rest.

Garnish the ribs with chopped cilantro, if desired. Serve at once with additional sauce on the side.

How long to cook country style ribs in the air fryer?

This recipe instructs to air fry the ribs for 7 minutes on each side followed by 2 more minutes once you’ve basted them with sauce.

Make sure to rest the ribs in the closed up air fryer for 2-3 minutes more to finish cooking while they rest.

Don’t you dare skip this part!

If your country style ribs seem to be cut exceptionally large in size, you may want to add an additional minute or so of air frying time on each side.

What are country style ribs?

Some people say that country style ribs aren’t really RIBS. Technically, this is totally true, but do not worry!

Country style ribs are cut from the rib end of the pork loin or from the shoulder of the pig.

To find out where your ribs come from, look for the word “loin” or “shoulder” on your package.

I prefer the shoulder cuts because they have the most fat and flavor and tend to be the most tender.

Country style ribs taste great, are very meaty, and are a fabulous value in the meat case at your grocer or butcher shop.

What’s the difference in country-style ribs and regular ribs?

The best difference between country style ribs and regular ribs is that they offer more meat!

Country style ribs come cut individually as elongated pieces of pork (usually about 5-6 inches long and about 1 1/2-inches thick).

Baby back ribs and spare ribs come in a rack where all the ribs are connected as one big slab of meat with bones that are all connected.

What are country style ribs good for?

Country-style ribs are a fantastic choice for home cooks and anybody who enjoys their air fryer, grill, or smoker.

These ribs are very meaty and the extra fat content makes them way less likely to dry out when cooking.

Country-style ribs have a lot of great pork marbling which is what contributes to how deeply flavorful they are!

Is pork belly the same as country style ribs?

No. Country style ribs are cut from the shoulder area or the pork loin of the pig.

Pork belly is the boneless cut of pork that comes from the pig’s belly and remains once the loin and spareribs have been removed.

What is the best temperature to cook country-style ribs?

I was surprised at how delicious the country-style ribs turned out when air fried at 385 degrees F. since this is a fairly high temperature.

They were still wonderfully tender and juicy on the inside and yet very crispy on the outside – just delicious!

Before slathering with the sauce as part of the last steps of the recipe, don’t be alarmed if the ribs look kind of dry on the outside.

This is from the meat rub that you applied as the first step and is deceiving.

The country style ribs will still be moist and juicy inside.

Why are my country style ribs tough?

Cooking the ribs while they are still chilled instead of letting them rest a bit at room temperature to remove some of the chill from refrigeration can result in a chewy rib texture.

To help understand this better, think of how we react when we are cold – our bodies are tense, constricted and shivering.

When meat is like this, it’s very difficult for the heat from the cooking source to make its way where it needs to go: the center!

Or, if the ribs are overcooked, this can make them tough and chewy, too.

Because country style ribs are not truly “ribs” they need to cook until the internal temperature if 140-145 degrees F. at the center, followed by a 3 minute rest.

What if my country style ribs have bones?

If the country style ribs have a bone in the meat or even a piece of bone plate attached along one side, do not worry.

If the bone-in country style ribs seem especially large, you may need to increase the air fryer time by a minute or so on each side since bones can make the meat cook a little more slowly.

Bones in the ribs are actually a bonus since they always add more flavor to the meat.

Can I reheat country style ribs in the air fryer?

Air fryer country style ribs reheat perfectly in the air fryer and we do it all the time so they can get crispy on the outside once again.

Place the ribs into the air fryer basket in a single layer leaving space between each one and also the sides of the basket.

Air fry at 250-300 degrees F. for 8-10 minutes or until hot.

Is pork a good source for protein?

Pork is packed with protein.

Eating 20 – 30 grams of protein per meal helps fuel your body and may help you feel fuller.

That being said, every 3 ounces of pork is packed full of 22 – 24 grams of protein depending on the cut.

More air fryer meat recipes

Tender and juicy Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin cooks in less than 20 minutes and slices into savory pork tenderloin medallions with a big flavor!

A boneless pork roast oven-baked in a tangy sauce seasoned with a Mexican spice blend and a quick squeeze of fresh lime juice makes a perfect Pork Ribeye Roast.

Pork Nachos in the air fryer are made with cooked pulled pork, baked flour tortilla chips, plus all the Mexican-inspired toppings your family loves.

Sticky Oven Baked Country Style Ribs are tender, boneless ribs in the oven paired with a sweet, sticky barbecue sauce, making these baked country ribs the perfect pork ribs.