Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs yield fall-off-the-bone meat in a fraction of the time as the slow cooking method. They’re cooked in a decadent red wine and beef broth gravy and served over a bed of Creamy Polenta. Every bite has mouthwatering flavors!
If you love short ribs but not the amount of time it takes for them to cook, then I have good news: these Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs cook in a fraction of the time!
Table of Contents
Making short ribs in the Instant Pot is far from the classic slow cooking method. Traditionally, the ribs are braised low and slow in the oven or crockpot to produce juicy, tender, and fall-off-the-bone meat. It’s a tried and true method (it works wonders for my Balsamic Braised Short Ribs) but not when you’re running low on time.
These pressure cooker beef ribs are beautifully marbled and juicy, and are done cooking in just over 1 hour. The ribs are cooked in a luscious red wine sauce along with fresh herbs and hearty carrots and served over a bed of creamy and cheesy polenta for layers of gourmet flavors. It’s hard to believe it all comes together with simple, budget-friendly ingredients!
Ingredients and substitutions
The short ribs with polenta are cooked in a layered red wine sauce, soaking in heaps of flavors from fresh herbs, aromatic vegetables, and broth. This is what you need:
- Short ribs – I recommend using bone-in short ribs, as the bone deepens the beefy flavor. If you use boneless short ribs, you’ll need to decrease the pressure cooking time. Are you having trouble finding short ribs? Instead, make my Instant Pot Beef Stew or Instant Pot Oxtail to still indulge in the rich, beefy flavors.
- Onion, garlic, and carrots – This trio of aromatics bring rich and savory undertones to the finished dish.
- Red wine – A dry red wine is best for cooking short ribs, like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine not only deglazes the pot but also adds a complex acidic element to the sauce. To make this recipe without alcohol, use soy sauce or coconut aminos instead of red wine.
- Flour – All purpose flour thickens the broth into a gravy-like consistency. Gluten free flour or almond flour will work just as well.
- Beef broth – Beef broth is the best option here and I don’t recommend using another substitute. Feel free to use storebought beef broth or make it yourself for a boost of collagen and flavor.
- Fresh herbs – I like adding fresh thyme and bay leaves to the pot to enhance the flavor and aromas. Also, garnish the finished dish with fresh cilantro, parsley, or thyme to take these fresh aromas up a notch.
- Carrots – Roughly chopped carrots are cooked along with the short ribs for added texture. Feel free to substitute these with another hearty vegetable, like potatoes, parsnips, shallots, winter squash, celery, or peas.
- Creamy polenta – The entire meal is made complete with a bed of creamy and cheesy homemade polenta. Most polenta recipes are made with water but mine features water and milk for a rich texture.
How to cook beef short ribs in the Instant Pot
The Instant Pot makes this recipe easy to prepare without getting your hands too dirty:
Step 1: Blot the ribs dry with paper towels and season them generously on all sides with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Heat the oil in the Instant Pot on Saute mode. Sear the ribs in the pot until they’re browned on all sides.
Step 3: Transfer the seared ribs to a plate and add the onions, garlic, and shredded carrots to the pot. Saute until the onions are soft and fragrant.
Step 4: Afterward, deglaze the pot with the tomato paste and red wine. Be sure to scrape up any browned beef bits stuck to the bottom!
Step 5: Stir in the flour next, and continue stirring until the mixture thickens. Finally, pour in the broth and give it a good stir.
Step 6: Transfer the short ribs back to the pot. Cancel Saute mode and add in the bay leaves, fresh thyme, and chopped carrots.
Step 7: Secure the lid and seal the pressure valve. Cook on high pressure. When the timer stops, allow the pressure to release naturally.
Step 8: Take off the lid and toss in a handful of fresh herbs. Place the lid back on top to help seal in those flavors, then serve!
How to make creamy polenta
You can make the polenta while the short ribs cook in the Instant Pot. It’s easy to make at home in one pot using corn grits and a handful of flavor-boosters:
- Bring the water up to a boil. Pour in the milk and bring it back up to a boil.
- Slowly whisk in the corn grits until it’s fully incorporated and no lumps remain.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer, frequently whisking until the polenta thickens.
- To finish, stir in the cheese, butter, and a pinch of salt.
Tips and tricks
- Take time browning the meat – Searing the meat caramelizes the surface, creates a delicious crust, and makes the meat extra moist and flavorful.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot – Leave space in between each short rib. You may need to brown the short ribs in batches.
- The natural release is important – The key is patience here. Naturally releasing the pressure for 15 minutes at the end will give you the softest and juiciest meat.
Serving suggestions
Short ribs are a sensational protein to serve over a bed of creamy polenta. Include crusty bread, cornbread, or dinner rolls on the side to soak up every bit of the sophisticated red wine sauce and enjoy.
If polenta isn’t your thing, swap it for a bed of mashed potatoes, egg noodles, butternut squash risotto, or sweet corn risotto. Alternatively, keep the meal Whole30-friendly and enjoy your short ribs over spaghetti squash, spiralized vegetable noodles, or cauliflower rice.
Storing and reheating
To store: Let the ribs cool, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Keep the polenta in a separate container and store for up to 3 days in the fridge.
To reheat: You can reheat the leftovers in the microwave, but they’ll taste best when reheated in a covered baking dish in a 350ºF oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
In my experience, one method isn’t better than the other. An Instant Pot and crockpot will both produce exceptional beef short ribs with fall-off-the-bone meat and spectacular flavors. However, the pressure cooker offers a quicker cook time without compromising flavor.
Short ribs come from the front, lower section of the cow’s ribcage. The meat is well marbled, just like a steak, but is much more budget-friendly. Short ribs are ideal for braising, which is achievable in a pressure cooker, slow cooker, and the oven.
Hungry for more juicy beef recipes?
- Beef Stew with Carrots, Peas, and Polenta
- Red Wine Braised Beef
- Carne de Panela (Stew Beef)
- Dutch Oven Beef Stew
- Brazilian Beef Stew
Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb bone-in short ribs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 carrot shredded
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos or red wine use coconut aminos for whole30
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour sub for GF flour for gluten-free + whole30
- 2 cup beef broth sub for bone broth wtih added collagen
- 2 bay leaves
- fresh thyme
- 1 lb carrots cut into large chunks
Instructions
- Season meat on all sides with a generous amount of salt and pepper
- Turn pot on sauté mode and brown meat on all sides (about 3 minutes on each side = 12 minutes). Transfer short ribs to a plate
- Add in onions, garlic and shredded carrots. Saute until onions are translucent and fragrant. Stir in tomato paste. Add coconut aminos or wine and let it reduce (3 minutes). Then stir in flour until mixture thickens (1 minute). Add broth and give it a good stir.
- Transfer short ribs back to the pot. Add some fresh thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Toss in carrots and cover the pot. Cook on high pressure (HP) FOR 40 minutes when done allow for 15 minutes of natural pressure release (NPR).
- Once you open the pot garnish with fresh cilantro, parsley or thyme and cover for just a minute or two. Serve over polenta, mashed potatoes or rice
Notes
- Take time browning the meat – Searing the meat caramelizes the surface, creates a delicious crust, and makes the meat extra moist and flavorful.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot – Leave space in between each short rib. You may need to brown the short ribs in batches.
- The natural release is important – The key is patience here. Naturally releasing the pressure for 15 minutes at the end will give you the softest and juiciest meat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks great, so comforting and flavourful and this time of year!
Exactly! The flavors are amazing, I think you would love it! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
The amount of thyme is missing in the recipe. This lacks richness.
So sorry to hear Kelly, I felt that it was plenty flavorful. You can definitely adjust to taste tho!
I thought flour or any thickening agent, should not be put in the pot until after everything was cooked?
I don’t think so Patricia, I’ve always added the flour in the beginning of cooking and always turned out amazing. Actually not sure how it would work if added afterwards… Try this way and see what you think! 🙂
You are correct. I added the flour as per instructions and scorched the bottom of the pot. The “burn food” message went off and I ended up removing everything, cleaning the burnt material off adding additional broth then re-cooking. Won’t make that mistake again.
Have you ever doubled this recipe? If so what did you do different?
Hi Alena! If you are going to double the recipe, cook for 50 minutes instead. Hope you like it 🙂
Unfortunately this recipe kept throwing a “burn” error on my instant pot. I’m determined to eat before 10pm tonight, so I threw it in a roasting pan and put it in the oven. It smells amazing, so hopefully that will do the trick. I wonder if I should have waited to thicken the sauce after the meat had cooked? I would advise making this early in the evening so if it doesn’t work out you have time to make it in the oven, instead…
Mmm I am so sorry you run into this issue Shannon! I mean, next time you can try to thicken the sauce afterwards but honestly I make this recipe all the time, thicken my sauce prior to going under pressure and never had this problem. Yikes! Glad you still had a good meal tho! Also make sure you stir things up really good before going under pressure.
In a recipe like this we also tend to add cubed sweet potatoes. They add a bit of filling to the meal and absorb the flavors of the meat, wine, and herbs. We also will use rendered beef fat, duck, or bacon grease to brown the ribs in. Either way, this recipe is great to start with.
Definitely is Butch! I often add potatoes and use bacon fat that I save. You can definitely add your own twist to make it even better!
I cannot use bone broth and wine. Do you know what I could use as a substitute? Thank you!
Hello, for the bone broth you can substitute for any broth, beef, vegetable or even water it will still taste great. For the wine you can just add a little bit of soy sauce or coconut aminos instead. Hope this helps