How To Make Low Carb Baby Back Ribs In The Air Fryer

If you like to ribs, nothing is easier that making low carb baby back ribs in the air fryer. Using a low carb bbq spice rub you can just set them in the air fryer and comeback to crisp meaty ribs in just 30-40 minutes. I also have a low carb bbq sauce to go with it. 

You might also like these slow cooker low carb Middle Eastern ribs recipe.

In the summer we tend to eat ribs rather frequently. The other day I bought a rack of baby back ribs for my husband to smoke. We started them in the Instant Pot and then finished them in the smoker. They were the best ribs ever. 

So the next time we got them, I made a double batch but I could not fit all of them in the Instant Pot and therefore put the rest in the air fryer. What a happy accident! They were so much easier in the air fryer and tasted so good! That’s why I’m sharing with you today my low carb baby back ribs in the air fryer. 

Some day I will post the Instant Pot / smoker rib recipe but this was so easy I just had to share.

What Kind Of Ribs To Use

We made both St. Louis ribs and baby back ribs and in various ways. I my opinion I like baby back ribs much better than the St. Louis ribs. They were meatier and more tender so I would highly suggest you use the baby back.

Baby back ribs are just called baby because they are shorter ribs. These will fit much better in an air fryer too than the larger St. Louis style ribs. Check out this post to learn more about the difference between the two type of ribs.

LOW CARB BBQ RUB FOR Air Fryer Ribs

I’ve made this rub numerous times and used it for short ribs, salmon and chicken. I like to make a big batch so I can use it a few times. For instance if you use tablespoons for the following recipe you could use for 3 batches of ribs. Make a big batch for easy summer barbecues.  

Here is my low carb bbq rub recipe:

• 1 part paprika
• 1 part cumin
• 2 parts salt
• 2 parts chili powder
• 3 parts onion powder
• 3 parts garlic powder
• ½ part black pepper
• ¼ part cayenne powder
• 3 parts brown sugar sweetener (Swerve or Lakanto Golden) 

Let’s Make Keto Baby Back Air Fryer Ribs!

First thing you want to do is cut the rack into 3-4 rib pieces. Above you can see how I cut 2lbs or about ½ rack of baby back ribs. You really can’t make more than that unless your air fryer is much bigger. You don’t want overlap the ribs because they won’t cook well. 

Next you can mix the spices to make the rub.  Use the recipe above or your own favorite blend. Rub them all over your ribs and then place them into the air fryer basket. 

How Long Should You Cook Ribs In The Air Fryer?

I set mine to 350°F and cooked mine for 40 minutes. You can see they get pretty browned and crispy. It depends how you like your ribs. My father in law likes them a bit chewy and I like them to fall of the bone. This amount of time made them half way between those two textures. They were tender but did not fall of the bone. 

If you want them to fall of the bone, I would cook them longer at a lower temperature. Try 300°F and for 50 minutes. 

For A Low Carb BBQ Sauce Recipe

I’ve made a low carb bbq sauce for lots of my recipes.  I didn’t think these ribs need it but if you are interested you can make some and either add it to the side or coat the ribs 10 minutes before they are done and baste them. 

•  2 tablespoons brown sugar sweetener (Swerve Brown or Lakanto Golden)
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 5 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¾ cup water
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried mustard

MY AIR FRYER & More Recipes

I have 2 air fryers right now. This is my old air fryer which I used to day is great but I not sure they are making that model any more. And I have a new air fryer ( which is a Chefman 6.3 qt model) that I’m just starting to use. I can honesty recommend both. 

I also have a low carb air fryer recipe page if you are interested. There are all kinds of keto air fryer recipes from cheesecake to chicken nuggets so go check it out!

Well the next time you are craving ribs I hope you try to make some low carb baby back ribs in the air fryer. It’s much quicker and easier in my opinion and taste great! The nutritional information for ribs are as follows:

if using teaspoon measurements 1 teaspoon in this 15 teaspoon batch of rub has:

5 cals / 0g fat / 0.8g carbs / 0.1g fiber / 0g protein = 0.7g net carbs per teaspoon

The nutrition for 1 tablespoon of the sauce is:

37 cals / 3.3g fat / 3.1g carbs / 0.4g fiber / 0.3g protein = 2.7g net carbs

You might also like this air fryer pork belly recipe from my friend Taryn.

Print

How to make keto baby back ribs in the air fryer.

If you like to eat ribs, nothing is easier that making low carb baby back ribs in the air fryer. Using a low carb bbq spice rub you can just set them in the air fryer and comeback to crisp meaty ribs in just 30-40 minutes. I also have a low carb bbq sauce to go with it. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Air Fryer, bbq, ribs

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 3

Calories 519 kcal

Author Denise

Ingredients

• 2 lbs baby back ribs (about ½ rack of ribs)

Low Carb BBQ Rub

• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar sweetener (like Swerve Brown or Lakanto Golden)

Instructions

1. Cut the ribs into 3-4 rib sections. I had 3 pieces total from a ½ rack of ribs.

2. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray and set aside.

3. Mix spices together and then rub all over the ribs.

4. Place the ribs into the air fryer and cook at 350°F for 30-40 minutes. Mine took 40 minutes and were crispy and tender. They were not fall apart tender though. If you want them fall apart tender, try cooking them at 300°F for at least 50 minutes.

5. Times may vary with differnt air fryers. The nice thing about air frying is that you can open them and look at your food without ruining the cooking process.

Recipe Notes

The nutritional information for ⅓ of the spices and ⅓ of a rack of ribs is:

519 cals / 45.2g fat / 4.5g carbs / 0.9g fiber / 43.4g protein = 3.6g net carbs