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Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Short Ribs

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Instant Pot Bone-In Beef Short Ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender, coated in a flavorful, smoky-sweet sauce, and ready in a fraction of the time when you cook them in your pressure cooker.

Bone-in pressure cooker Short Ribs plated with broccoli and mashed potatoes in front of an Instant Pot.

Short ribs are one of my go-to fancy meals. They have a rich, fabulous flavor that will impress your guests, but my favorite traditional oven-baked beef short ribs take two days to make.

This pressure cooker beef short rib recipe has the same rich flavor, but calls for just 40 minutes at High Pressure.

Plus, you can make it the day before and warm it up in your pressure cooker just prior to serving! (I actually think it tastes better this way!)

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Pressure Cooker Short Ribs made quick and easy in your Instant Pot!

How to Make This Instant Pot Short Rib Recipe in Any Brand of Electric Pressure Cooker

This Beef Short Rib Instant Pot recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Power Pressure Cooker XL.

I love this recipe because I generally have most of the ingredients on hand.

  • In my fridge, I keep a tube of tomato paste and a container of beef base to make beef stock,
  • I keep a package uncooked bacon in the freezer,
  • In the pantry, I almost always have fresh onions and garlic, and
  • I usually have apple juice on-hand for the grandkids (though I often make a stop because I prefer using the red wine).

The bacon adds a nice smoky flavor to the sauce, and the wine gives it a little bit of sweetness.

What to Serve with Beef Short Ribs

These short ribs have such a flavorful sauce, you'll want to drizzle it all over your side dishes. I prefer to serve short ribs with my Creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.

Round out your meal with some fluffy old-fashioned dinner rolls and some Roasted Green Beans.

(If you have any leftovers, I love to cook up egg noodles to serve with them on the second day.)

How Many Short Ribs per Person?

I like to plan on 1 to 2 bone-in short ribs, or about 1 pound of meat, per person. (If you have big eaters, you'll want to cook more.)

You can double the recipe, with no change to the cook time, as long as the ribs are not crammed into the pressure cooker.

Short ribs seasoned and ready to cook in the pressure cooker.

What Kind of Meat to Use?

Bone-in beef short ribs are marbled and meaty, which make them perfect for the pressure cooker!

I prefer English-style beef short ribs, where each rib has only one bone and there's at least 1 inch of meat above the bone.

You can use boneless short ribs, if you prefer. If the short ribs are wide and thick (at least 1-inch), keep the same cook time. If they're skinnier, I'd cut the cook time by half and add extra time if needed.

Browning beef short ribs in an Instant Pot.

Do You Have to Brown Short Ribs?

Browning the short ribs really boosts the flavor of the sauce. You can skip the browning in a pinch or if you're cooking from frozen, but it will make a difference in the finished flavor.

You can cook short ribs from frozen without changing the cook time, but be aware that it will take longer for the pot to come to pressure.

Use an instant-read thermometer to verify your ribs are at least 165°F after cooking.

If you wish, you can finish these ribs on the grill to give them a nice char.

Beef Short Ribs finished cooking in an Instant Pot.

Make Ahead Instant Pot Short Ribs

I love to make these short ribs ahead of time! After cooking, I just let them cool in the cooking pot and refrigerate them overnight.

About an hour prior to serving, remove the short ribs from the fridge. Use a spoon to skim the solidified layer of fat from the surface.

Reheat the short ribs in the pressure cooker by selecting High Pressure and 2 minutes cook time. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then finish with a quick pressure release.

Ingredients

  • 4 large English cut bone-in beef short ribs (about 1 pound each)
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, for seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 slices bacon, finely chopped
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine (such as a zinfandel)*
  • 1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • Prepared mashed potatoes or prepared noodles, for serving

Instructions

  1. Season ribs generously with salt and pepper. Select Saute to preheat the pressure cooking pot, then add the oil. When oil is hot, brown the ribs in small batches, do not crowd. Remove to a plate.
  2. Add bacon to pressure cooking pot and cook until brown and crisp, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add onion to pressure cooking pot and sauté until tender about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
  3. Add the red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the pot. Add Stir in the beef broth, tomato paste. Add the ribs and accumulated juices to pressure cooking pot.
  4. Lock lid in place. Select High Pressure and 40 minutes cook time.
  5. When the cook time ends, use a natural pressure release. Carefully remove the lid. Check ribs for doneness. If your ribs are not tender enough for your liking, return the lid and cook at High Pressure for additional time until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. Use at least a 10 minute natural pressure release.
  6. When the ribs are cooked, use tongs to remove ribs to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Place a mesh strainer over a fat separator and separate the fat and solids from the juices in the pot. Return the strained juices to the cooking pot.
  7. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Add to the juices in the cooking pot. Select Sauté and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until juices thicken. Turn the pressure cooker off.
  8. Add the short ribs and stir to coat with the sauce. Put the lid back on the pressure cooker. Let the ribs rest for about 10 minutes to absorb some of the sauce, stirring occasionally if sauce is still bubbling.
  9. Serve over mashed potatoes or noodles.

Notes

*In a pinch, you can substitute apple juice.

You can make the ribs the day before you want to serve them. Cool ribs to room temperature and refrigerate. The next day, remove the solidified fat and reheat for a few minutes in the pressure cooker.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 675 Total Fat: 46g Saturated Fat: 17g Trans Fat: 2g Unsaturated Fat: 27g Cholesterol: 168mg Sodium: 221mg Carbohydrates: 12g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 6g Protein: 47g

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Picture collage Instant Pot Short Ribs made quick and easy!

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