This quick and easy Instant Pot Pork and Sauerkraut made with boneless country-style pork ribs has flavorful, super tender meat and tangy sauerkraut that's ready to enjoy in just one hour!
Michelle's Recipe Rundown
My mom always made pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day, and I've carried on her tradition. In some cultures, it's believed to bring good luck and prosperity.
But I say this simple and delicious dinner is too good to save for just one day out of the year. We enjoy it all throughout the fall and winter months.
With just a few simple ingredients and an Instant Pot pressure cooker, you get flavorful and fall-apart-tender pork with sauerkraut in a fraction of the time of other cooking methods. I'm talking minutes versus hours!
Here are a few more reasons why you'll love this recipe too:
- Minimal prep. With the exception of slicing an onion, it's basically dump-and-go. Just put everything in the pot and set it to cook.
- Boneless country-style pork ribs are relatively inexpensive and budget-friendly. Because they are cut from where the shoulder and loin meet, they have sections of both higher-fat and leaner meat. And when cooked under pressure, they get nice and tender quickly.
- You don't need to brown the meat. I've tried it both ways, and I don't notice enough of a difference to justify adding that extra step.
If you love pork ribs, be sure to also check out my Instant Pot Bone-In Pork Ribs and Oven-Baked BBQ Pork Ribs!
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Ingredients & Notes
Here are the ingredients you need to make pork and sauerkraut in the Instant Pot, along with a few notes on preparation and making the best selections.
Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Boneless Country-Style Pork Ribs - This is my pick for the best cut of pork for Instant Pot pork and sauerkraut because they become tender and flavorful quickly. If the individual pieces are still connected together (they are often cut mostly but not all the way through), be sure to separate them before cooking.
- Sauerkraut - You can use refrigerated, jarred or canned sauerkraut. For this recipe, you should drain the sauerkraut before using, as the brine can be very salty and sour (no need to rinse it, though, unless you want a much milder flavor). I prefer refrigerated sauerkraut because it tends to retain its texture a bit better.
Substitutions & Variations
- Boneless pork shoulder (fattier) or boneless pork loin (leaner) can be used instead of the country-style ribs. Cut the meat into pieces that are about 2x6 inches so they approximate the size of the boneless ribs and will cook through in the same amount of time.
- Chicken broth base granules can be used instead of beef.
- Apple juice or apple cider could be used instead of water.
How to Make Instant Pot Pork and Sauerkraut
This is just a brief overview of the steps. The full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions is in the recipe card below.
Place the pork ribs into a 6 or 8-quart Instant Pot.
Evenly sprinkle the salt and pepper, granulated broth base, brown sugar, and dried minced onions over the pork.
Add the water to the Instant Pot.
Put the onions on top of the pork.
Add the drained sauerkraut on top of the onions.
Put the lid on the Instant Pot, set the steam release valve to sealing, and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure.
Recipe Tips
- When adding the water to the pot, pour it around the outer edges of the pork so you don't rinse off all of the seasonings.
- Allowing the pressure to naturally release for 20 minutes is key for keeping the meat tender and juicy. Don't skip that step!
- Always check the internal temperature of your meat to make sure it is properly cooked through. Boneless country-style ribs should be at least 145°F. With this recipe, it will likely be higher than that, but the meat will still be tender and juicy due to the cooking method.
Leftover Storage & Reheating
Storage: Once cooled, store leftover pork and sauerkraut, along with any juices, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer-term storage, freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: Leftover pork and sauerkraut can be reheated in a covered baking dish in a preheated 325°F oven until hot, in a covered pan on the stovetop over medium-low heat, or loosely covered in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave.
If you shred the pork or break it into pieces, it will reheat faster. Make sure to add some of the juices to keep the pork from drying out (if you don't have a lot of leftover juice to use, add a few splashes of water or broth).
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to serve pork and sauerkraut is over a bed of mashed potatoes (or you can put them on the side). Since the meat is so tender, I usually just go ahead and shred it first, but you can also leave it in whole pieces if you prefer.
Either way, don't forget to drizzle on some of that yummy juice from the pot. And for a little pop of green color against all that brown, I like to sprinkle on some chopped fresh parsley.
I hope you try this Instant Pot Pork and Sauerkraut recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Instant Pot Recipes to Try
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Instant Pot Pork and Sauerkraut
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs, separted into individual pieces if connected
- 1½ cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt, I use kosher salt (if using regular table salt, you may want to use a little less)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon granulated beef broth base, see Notes below
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon dried minced onions
- 1 cup sliced onions, about ¼ inch thick
- 2 pounds sauerkraut, drained; see Notes below
Special Equipment
- 6 or 8-quart Instant Pot (I used a 6-quart, but I have also tested it with an 8-quart pot)
- meat thermometer
Instructions
- Put the pork in the Instant Pot; try to get it all in one layer if you can.
- Evenly sprinkle the ribs with the salt and pepper, granulated beef broth base, brown sugar, and dried minced onions.
- Pour in the water, staying to the outer edges of the meat so you don't rinse all of the seasonings off.
- Put the sliced onions on top of the meat, then top with the sauerkraut.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot and set the steam release valve to sealing. Set the pot to cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. It will take the Instant Pot about 15 minutes to come up to pressure before the cooking time starts counting down.
- When the cooking time has finished, allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes. Then quick-release any remaining pressure. Check the internal temperature of the pork with a meat thermometer; it should be at least 145°F (note that it will likely be higher than that, but the meat will still be tender and juicy due to the cooking method).Allowing the pressure to release naturally is a very important step for keeping the meat tender and juicy. Don't skip it.
- Serve the meat either in whole pieces or shredded, along with the sauerkraut and some of the flavorful juices.
Notes
- I use a granulated beef broth base that calls for 2 teaspoons per 1 cup of water to make broth. Some brands of beef bouillon granules/powder only call for 1 teaspoon per 1 cup of water. In this case, you may want to use only ½ tablespoon in this recipe since the flavor may be more concentrated and it may be more salty.
- You can use refrigerated, jarred or canned sauerkraut. I prefer the refrigerated kind because it tends to keep its texture a bit better during cooking. Jarred and canned will be a little softer. Drain the sauerkraut before using, as the brine can be very salty and sour (no need to rinse it, though, unless you want a much milder flavor).
- This is excellent served with or on a bed of mashed potatoes!
- Estimated calories shown is based on 4 servings.
kathy says
One thing that screwed me up You did not mention that the beef base was to be stirred into the water. Bad.
Michelle says
Hi, Kathy. Actually, the beef base is not stirred into the water. The recipe clearly states that it is sprinkled over the pork along with the salt, pepper, brown sugar and dried minced onions. This is also shown in the step-by-step photos.