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Air Fryer BBQ Ribs

Air Fryer BBQ Ribs The Soul Food Way

Cooking BBQ ribs in the air fryer is a breeze! The preparation is as simple as seasoning, saucing, and air frying. Juicy, tender ribs will be ready in minutes instead of hours the oven-baked way.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 24 minutes
Total Time: 34 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Soul Food, Southern Food
Servings: 4
Calories: 1429kcal
Author: Shaunda Necole • The Soul Food Pot®

Equipment

  • Air fryer
  • Basting brush

Ingredients

  • 3 ½-4 pounds ribs beef or pork ribs - I used beef short ribs
  • 1 tablespoon seasoning Famous Dave’s Country Roast Chicken Seasoning, or similar (Yes – use CHICKEN SEASONING on the ribs! See the notes below for how to make a homemade dry rub.)
  • 1 tablespoon seasoning Weber Seasoning Roasted Garlic & Herb, or similar (See the notes below for how to make a homemade dry rub.)
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce Homemade BBQ sauce recipe HERE!

Instructions

  • Remove the white membrane from the back of the ribs.
  • Mix the chicken seasoning and the garlic & herb seasoning in a small bowl.
  • Rub the seasoning mixture on the ribs to coat them.
  • Then, baste the ribs with BBQ sauce, coating them evenly in the sauce on both sides.
  • Place the ribs in the air fryer basket or tray.
  • Air fry at 360 degrees for a total of 24 minutes.
  • Halfway through, after about 12 minutes, flip the ribs over in the air fryer and return to cooking.
  • Air fry at 360 degrees for the remaining 12 minutes.
  • When cooking is finished, brush more BBQ sauce on the cooked ribs.
  • Serve these air fryer BBQ ribs right away, and enjoy!

Notes

Homemade soul food BBQ ribs dry rub
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon of chicken bouillon
  • 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of black pepper

Nutrition

Calories: 1429kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 65g | Fat: 114g | Saturated Fat: 50g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 55g | Trans Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 298mg | Sodium: 949mg | Potassium: 1124mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 361IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 181mg | Iron: 10mg

❤️ Why trust this recipe?

Created + tested by Shaunda Necole, creator of The Soul Food Pot® (real cook, real kitchen). Rooted in African American culinary traditions, with modern shortcuts that don’t sacrifice flavor or legacy. No AI-generated instructions — measurements, timing, and techniques are written, cooked, and verified by Shaunda. Make-it-your-way guidance included, so you can cook confidently with the tools you have.

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