Instant Pot Short Ribs
If you’re need in of a dinner recipe that’s worthy of a special occasion, look no further than these Instant Pot Short Ribs! The tender, flavorful beef short ribs are braised in red wine and aromatics, they’re dairy and gluten-free, and they cook up in about 1 hour! Slow cooker instructions included.
During the cold winter months, there’s nothing like braised beef in a flavorful sauce with veggies. It’s the ultimate comfort food!
My beef bourguignon and Irish beef stew recipes are perfect examples of this. They’re both incredibly hearty and soul warming.
If I had to choose one cut of beef to braise for the rest of my life, however, it would be beef short ribs. They’re rich, luxurious and are my favorite special occasion dinner!
I’m definitely not alone, because my short rib risotto has been a reader favorite for years.
In that recipe, they’re cooked in the slow cooker, so they take a minimum of 4-5 hours to become tender.
I love having quicker options, and that’s where these Instant Pot Short Ribs come in. They’re falling off the bone tender in about one hour, and cooking them in the pressure cooker intensifies the flavor.
I’ll take faster and even more flavorful any day of the week. 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Beef short ribs cook up so incredibly fast in the Instant Pot, and the flavors are intensified because of the high heat and the moisture is sealed in.
- It’s an elegant dinner worthy of a special occasion, date night or holiday.
- This meal can be customized with your favorite aromatics, herbs and liquid.
- It includes a rich sauce that’s dairy and gluten-free.
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Beef short ribs. Use bone-in short ribs as the bones add extra flavor. You’ll need 3 lbs., or roughly 8 short ribs.
- Aromatics/herbs. The classic mirepoix of onion, carrot, celery and garlic is added to the short ribs to add flavor to both the short ribs and the sauce. The vegetables are quite delicious and may be served with the short ribs if desired.
- Beef stock. Use good quality beef stock or even bone broth, which adds flavor to the short ribs.
- Red wine. Red wine adds great depth of flavor, but if you prefer not to cook with alcohol, you can simply substitute it with more beef stock.
- Cornstarch. The cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce. This is completely optional, but it’s great to have a sauce to serve over the short ribs.
- Added flavorings. Tomato paste and balsamic vinegar give the short ribs and sauce more layers of flavor. They’re both very savory and add umami to the dish.
How to make red wine braised short ribs
Cooking beef short ribs in the Instant Pot is a quick and easy way to get them on the table faster, but that’s not all.
Because the food cooks faster and little moisture escapes, richer, more intense flavors are developed.
Pro tip: Brown the beef and aromatics before pressure cooking to add even more flavor, and don’t forget to scrape the brown bits or fond from the bottom of the pan after adding the liquid. Fond equals flavor!
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
- Brown the short ribs on all sides.
- Sauté the vegetables just until softened.
- Deglaze the pan with red wine (or more beef stock) and scrape up the brown bits. Cook for 1 minute to allow some of the alcohol to cook off. Add the beef stock, balsamic vinegar and tomato paste and stir well. Add the short ribs back to the pot along with the bay leaf and rosemary, then secure the lid and close the venting valve.
- Cook at High Pressure for 45 minutes, then naturally release the pressure for 10-15 minutes, then quick release from there if necessary. Remove the lid when safe to do so.
- Combine the cornstarch with water until smooth.
- Discard the bay leaf and rosemary sprigs. Remove the short ribs from the pot, then remove the vegetables from the post using a slotted spoon. Select Sauté mode and add the cornstarch, stirring well, cooking until the sauce has thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
FAQs
While it’s not necessary to brown short ribs before cooking, it’s highly recommended as it builds a ton of flavor.
When the short ribs are browned, brown bits or fond is developed on the bottom and sides of the pot. Fond is essential to transforming your dish from good to great because of the tremendous amount of flavor that it adds.
Once the liquid has been added, be sure to scrape up those brown bits!
Use a dry red wine that is drinkable quality. If you don’t like it when you drink it, you won’t like it in your dish.
Cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, merlot, malbec and zinfandel are all great choices.
If beef short ribs are tough, they simply haven’t been cooked long enough.
If your short ribs aren’t completely tender after 45 minutes, simply pop the lid back on and cook at High Pressure for another 5-10 minutes or until tender.
Serving suggestions
Instant Pot short ribs can be served with your favorite side dishes to round out the meal.
- Serve over yukon gold mashed potatoes or baked risotto.
- Change things up with a lower carb side dish such as mashed cauliflower or parsnip purée.
- Include a fresh salad such as butter lettuce salad or tricolore salad.
- Serve with a simple vegetable side such as air fryer broccoli or oven roasted asparagus.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Brown the beef and aromatics before pressure cooking to add even more flavor, and don’t forget to scrape the brown bits or fond from the bottom of the pan after adding the liquid. Fond equals flavor!
- Slow cooker instructions: Brown the short ribs on the stove top, followed by the vegetables, then deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up the brown bits. From there, place everything except the cornstarch in the slow cooker and cook on High for 4-5 hours or on Low for 7-8 hours or until tender. Remove the short ribs, vegetables and herbs from the pot and add the cornstarch slurry, cooking at High heat for 1-2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.
- The vegetables add a ton of flavor, but if you don’t have celery and carrots on hand, they may be omitted.
- The red wine may be substituted with your favorite alcohol such as sherry, brandy or madeira, or simply use more beef stock.
More Instant Pot recipes you’ll love:
- Instant pot black beans
- Instant pot chickpea curry
- Instant pot chicken and rice
- Instant pot chicken wings
- Instant pot corned beef
- Instant pot mashed potatoes
- Instant pot mashed sweet potatoes
- Instant pot minestrone soup
- Instant pot ribs
- Instant pot risotto
- Instant pot polenta
- Instant pot pulled pork
- Instant pot shredded chicken
- Instant pot spaghetti by Kristine’s Kitchen
- Instant pot white chicken chili
- Instant pot vegetable soup
- Instant pot vegetable stock
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Instant Pot Short Ribs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. bone-in beef short ribs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup dry red wine such as cabernet sauvignon; drinkable quality; sub with the same amount of beef broth if you prefer not to use alcohol
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar sub with soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1.5 teaspoons dried; sub with your favorite herbs
- 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Season the short ribs generously with salt and pepper to taste. Select the Sauté button on the Instant Pot and add the olive oil. Add as many short ribs to the pot as you can without overcrowding (it will take two batches) and brown each side for 2-3 minutes. Flip the short ribs when they release easily. Once browned, remove to a plate and set aside.3 lbs. bone-in beef short ribs, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pot and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the red wine and deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook for 1 minute to cook off some of the alcohol, then add the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and beef stock and stir well. Add the bay leaf and 2 sprigs rosemary, then add the short ribs back to the pot along with any accumulated juices on the plate. Secure the lid, close the venting valve and cook for 45 minutes at High Pressure. Naturally release the pressure for 10-15 minutes and quick release the pressure from there as necessary, then remove the lid when safe to do so.1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 stalks celery, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 cup beef broth, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Discard the bay leaf and rosemary, then transfer the short ribs to a plate. Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables from the pot and place in a bowl or along with the short ribs. Skim off any pools of fat on top of the sauce.
- Place the Instant Pot on Sauté mode and combine the cornstarch with 1.5 tablespoons water. Add it to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened to the desired consistency, about 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and adjust the seasoning as necessary.1.5 tablespoons cornstarch
- Serve the short ribs along with the vegetables and your favorite side dish as desired, and top with the sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- Pro tip: Brown the beef and aromatics before pressure cooking to add even more flavor, and don’t forget to scrape the brown bits or fond from the bottom of the pan after adding the liquid. Fond equals flavor!
- Slow cooker instructions: Brown the short ribs on the stove top, followed by the vegetables, then deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up the brown bits. From there, place everything except the cornstarch in the slow cooker and cook on High for 4-5 hours or on Low for 7-8 hours or until tender. Remove the short ribs, vegetables and herbs from the pot and add the cornstarch slurry, cooking at High heat for 1-2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.
- The vegetables add a ton of flavor, but if you don’t have celery and carrots on hand, they may be omitted.
- The red wine may be substituted with your favorite alcohol such as sherry, brandy or madeira, or simply use more beef stock.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.