Instant Pot Short Ribs
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Making Instant Pot Short Ribs may be fast and easy, but this decadent recipe results in a gourmet dinner! The silky, savory sauce is to die for. Perfect for Christmas Dinner or a special birthday dinner.
Or try our Slow Cooker Short Ribs instead.
3 Reasons to Make Short Ribs in the Instant Pot
While short ribs aren’t cheap (look for sales!), this recipe is worth it for at least these 3 reasons…
- Braised beef short ribs make for one of the most meltingly tender, fall-off-the-bone pot roasts around.
- Like our Instant Pot Bourbon Chicken, this recipe is truly a gourmet dump-and-go recipe! The sauce comes together fast but has complex flavor in the end.
- Works well for holiday meals or a special birthday dinner. Serving over Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with the silky sauce drizzled over the top is sure to impress!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this sweet and savory braised short ribs recipe…
Ingredient Notes
- Balsamic vinegar – A little acid in any sauce enhances the flavor.
- Soy sauce – Adds savory-salty umami flavor. For gluten-free, use coconut aminos or gluten-free Tamari Soy Sauce.
- Honey – Perfect amount of sweetness to offset the saltiness.
- Bone-in English-style beef short ribs – Find these at the meat counter (or call ahead to order them). Ask your butcher to trim off some excess fat and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces*. Look for them to go on sale!
- Cornstarch – To thicken the sauce at the end. This is optional but recommended.
*We have instructions below for how to cook the longer 4-inch ribs if you don’t get yours cut.
How to Make Instant Pot Short Ribs
Find the full, printable recipe is at the bottom of this article. But first, let’s walk through each step together…
Prep Marinade
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the beef broth, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
Pressure Cook the Short Ribs
Place the 2-inch ribs in the Instant Pot. Pour the marinade over the top and stir to coat the ribs. Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes (or longer if you prefer), then quick release the remaining pressure. Use tongs to transfer the ribs to a serving platter.
Tip: How Long to Cook 4-Inch Short Ribs
If you weren’t able to get your short ribs cut into 2-inch pieces by your butcher, never fear. We tested the longer, 4-inch short ribs in the Instant Pot.
Stack them on end, cover in sauce, and pressure cook on high for 70 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes and then quick release the rest of the pressure.
Thicken the Sauce
Optional, but recommended: Set the Instant Pot to “Saute” setting. In a small bowl, stir the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Whisk this into the sauce. Cook, whisking regularly, until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Press “Cancel”.
Serve
Drizzle some of the sauce over the ribs (and hopefully some Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or Healthy Mashed Potatoes too) and garnish with chopped parsley. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired.
Serve warm with extra sauce on the side. Tip: These are delicious served over warm mashed potatoes or polenta.
Alternative Way to Serve Short Ribs
Shred the meat off the bones and serve with the thickened sauce over mashed potatoes or polenta.
Side Dishes That Pair Well With Beef Short Ribs
Make It a Freezer Meal
Like with most of our recipes, we’ve figured out the best way to prep it ahead and freeze for later…
To Freeze For Later:
Mix up the marinade in a bowl. Place the ribs and marinade in either a 2-gallon or two, 1-gallon freezer bags. Seal tightly and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen:
Note: You will need cornstarch and parsley on hand to complete this meal. Thaw in the refrigerator completely*. Cook according to Steps 2-4 in the recipe below.
(*We found in our tests that this recipe cooks unevenly from frozen in the Instant Pot, so we recommend thawing before cooking for best results.)
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Check out our recipe for Crock Pot Beef Short Ribs for a full tutorial and a printable recipe.
For 2-inch pieces: Cook at high pressure for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes (or longer if you prefer), then quick release the remaining pressure.
For 4-inch pieces: Stack them on end, cover in sauce, and pressure cook on high for 70 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes and then quick release the rest of the pressure.
While developing recipes for our second cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker, we learned a LOT about which frozen meals work and which ones don’t in the Instant Pot. We found in our tests that this recipe cooks unevenly from frozen in the Instant Pot, so we recommend thawing before cooking for best results.
More Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Like
Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart
After testing hundreds of Instant Pot recipes, we have honed in on the best timing and methods for cooking different types of meals in the Instant Pot.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs
Making Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs may be fast and easy, but this decadent recipe results in a gourmet dinner! The silky savory sauce is to die for. Perfect for the holidays or a special birthday dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (Gluten-free: Use coconut aminos or gluten-free Tamari Soy Sauce)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons pre-minced garlic)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (increase if you want more heat)
- 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 5 lbs bone-in English-style beef short ribs, trimmed of excess fat and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces*
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional, but recommended)
- Fresh parsley, chopped (as garnish)
*Ask your butcher to do this for you! You might even want to call ahead.
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Prep Marinade: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the beef broth, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
- Cook: Place the ribs in the Instant Pot. Pour the marinade over the top and stir to coat the ribs. Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes (or longer if you prefer), then quick release the remaining pressure. Use tongs to transfer the ribs to a serving platter.
- Thicken Sauce: Optional, but recommended: Set the Instant Pot to “Saute” setting. In a small bowl, stir cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Whisk this into the sauce. Cook, whisking regularly, until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Press “Cancel”.
- Serve: Drizzle some of the sauce over the ribs and garnish with chopped parsley. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm with extra sauce on the side. Tip: These are delicious served over warm mashed potatoes or polenta.
To Freeze For Later:
Follow Step 1. Place the ribs and marinade in either a 2-gallon or two 1-gallon freezer bags. Seal tightly and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen:
Note: You will need cornstarch and parsley on hand to complete this meal. Thaw in the refrigerator completely*. Follow Steps 2-4.
(*We found in our tests that this recipe cooks unevenly from frozen in the Instant Pot, so we recommend thawing before cooking for best results.)
Notes/Tips
- Crockpot Version: Make this same recipe in your slow cooker instead with our Crockpot Beef Short Ribs recipe.
- Try This Recipe with Chuck Roast Instead: If you love this sauce but want a cheaper cut of beef, try making our Balsamic Shredded Beef. Delicious!
- How Long to Cook 4-Inch Short Ribs: If you weren’t able to get your short ribs cut into 2 inch pieces by your butcher, never fear. We tested the longer, 4-inch short ribs in the Instant Pot. Stack them on end, cover in sauce, and pressure cook on high for 70 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes and then quick release the rest of the pressure.
- Alternative Way to Serve Short Ribs: Shred the meat off the bones and serve with the thickened sauce over mashed potatoes or polenta.
- Where We Get Our Beef: We get our beef from ButcherBox. The beef is grass-fed and curated from trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, chicken, and wild salmon–and have used it for years ourselves.
Another Short Ribs Recipe You’ll Love!
Looking for another well-tested short ribs recipe?
Our second cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker, features one of my personal favorite recipes in the book: Asian-Style Beef Short Ribs. The sauce has a complex, sweet-spicy combo of flavors that pairs perfectly with the short ribs. Serve over rice.
Every recipe in this cookbook works in the Instant Pot or the slow cooker. And…we’ll show you how to make each recipe into a freezer meal, too!
Are you kidding me? This was amazing. My husband couldn’t get it in his mouth fast enough, and neither could I.
So glad you enjoyed it Karen! Thanks so much for a fun review. 🙂
Absolutely delicious! So flavorful! We had these with mushroom risotto. A wonderful Sunday dinner!!
That does sound like a wonderful Sunday dinner Laura! Thanks so much for leaving a review.
This worked great! Loved the flavor.