One of the first things I ever made in my pressure cooker was Instant Pot short ribs. These braised beef short ribs take a while, but using the Instant Pot is still quicker than doing them the low and slow way in the oven.
How to Make Instant Pot Short Ribs
Beef short ribs differ from Pork spare ribs, but they have similarities in how you go about pressure cooking them.
I suggest removing the short ribs from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking to let them get to room temperature. The ribs are first sauted in the Instant Pot, as are some onion, garlic, and carrots.
The ribs are pressure cooked in a mixture of broth, balsamic, red wine, and honey. This makes for a really nice red wine braised beef short ribs recipe but done in the Instant Pot instead of in the oven.
Cut your carrots pretty big for this recipe, otherwise they will get over cooked. You can also add carrots to a bit of broth in the pot and pressure cook for just a few minutes if you want firm carrots for serving
Be sure to allow for at least 20 minutes of natural release with this recipe. The natural release helps keep the meat tender and important when cooking meet in the Instant Pot, especially with beef.
Serving Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs
I like to serve short ribs over a bed of Instant Pot mashed potatoes with carrots. Be sure to serve with the blended juices form the pot as well. If you want to make that into a gravy, you can do so my adding a slurry of cornstarch and water to it and allowing it to thicken. I like it more akin to a broth though, so I don’t thicken mine.
Instant Pot Short Ribs
Instant Pot short ribs. These braised beef short ribs are perfect for pressure cooking. The recipe is easy and incorporates red wine for a decadent dinner dish!
Ingredients
- 4-6 beef short ribs (around 4 pounds)
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, sliced into chunks
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- ½ c. beef stock or broth
- ¼ c. balsamic vinegar
- ¼ c. dry red wine
- 2 T. honey
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
- Remove short ribs from refrigerator at least 30 minutes, before cooking. Season generously with salt and black pepper, to taste, and set aside.
- Select the “Sauté” function on the Instant Pot and add one tablespoon olive oil once hot. Add seasoned short ribs and sear on each side, approximately 2-3 minutes per side, working in batches, if necessary. Transfer seared ribs to a plate and set aside.
- Add remaining olive oil, onion, and carrots to the pot. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables become golden brown, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another 60 seconds.
- Pour in beef stock, balsamic vinegar, red wine, and honey. Stir to combine, gently scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon in the process. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes before turning the unit off.
- Return seared short ribs to the pot and add bay leaves and fresh herbs. Add lid and lock into place.
- Pressure cook on manual high pressure for 45 minutes.
- When cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes, then manually quick release any remaining pressure, if necessary.
- Remove the lid and discard the bay leaves and woody stems from the rosemary and thyme. Carefully transfer the short ribs and carrots to a serving platter and cover to keep warm. Set aside.
- With an immersion blender or whisk, blend the pan sauces until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired.
- Serve short ribs and carrots immediately over a bed of mashed potatoes. Drizzle with some of the sauce and serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
Notes
You can omit the honey and serve without potatoes to make this recipe keto.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 451Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 219mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 1gSugar: 9gProtein: 24g
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David Brauksieck
Tuesday 22nd of March 2022
Having recently bought the air fryer lid to my Instant Pot Duo, I'm wondering if the first 3 steps in the recipe could be done with the air fryer lid and then pick up with the pressure cooking for the following steps. Any hints on the air fryer temp and length of time is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Carleen
Tuesday 22nd of March 2022
I think they most likely could be done using the air fryer lid. My only concern is that the meat might not get the good equivalent of a sear like it would get from directly touching a hot surface. For temp you would want to as hot as it will go. You want to brown the outside without fully cooking it. For time I have no idea, so check every few minutes. It would definitely be an experiment. If you try it come back and let me know how it goes!
M
Tuesday 28th of September 2021
No I did quick release. Thanks for the response; didn't think it mattered this much.
M
Friday 24th of September 2021
I did PC for 52 min to make sure and they were still too tough. PC for 30 min more and it was still tough. I won't be making these in the PC anymore as clearly it doesn't yield the same result as braising. any thoughts or suggestions?
Carleen
Friday 24th of September 2021
Hi! Did you do a natural pressure release? A quick release will almost always yield tough meat. It is also possible to overcook with the pressure cooker, which can also make meat tough.
Bob
Sunday 25th of July 2021
Do I need to adjust the cooking time if I only have 2lbs of short ribs? Do I use the same amount of other ingredients? Thanks
Steve
Wednesday 16th of June 2021
Great recipe,made it tonight and it was a big hit.