Instant Pot Braised Short Ribs Recipe
Ridiculously tender and easy to prepare, these fall apart Instant Pot braised short ribs are great for date night in, to serve to company, or when you're craving a comfort food classic.
How to Make the Best Instant Pot Braised Short Ribs
These Instant Pot braised short ribs are a game-changer for anyone who loves tender, fall-apart meat with rich, savory sauce. What would normally require hours of low-and-slow cooking in the oven is ready in about 45 minutes under pressure. The result? Incredibly tender, melt-in-your-mouth short ribs that will impress your dinner guests or satisfy a serious comfort food craving.
The magic is in the building of flavors. You start by searing the short ribs to develop a beautiful crust, then build a rich red wine and beef stock braising liquid with roasted garlic, fresh vegetables, and herbs. Once everything comes together in the Instant Pot, the pressure cooking breaks down the connective tissue in the meat, creating that prized tender texture while the sauce reduces into something absolutely divine.
Serve these over mashed potatoes, creamy polenta, or alongside roasted vegetables. The sauce is so good you’ll want extra on the side. For an even easier meal, use the optional sweet potatoes cooked directly in the Instant Pot—you’ll have a complete one-pot dinner ready to serve.
Instant Pot Braised Short Ribs
Ridiculously tender and easy to prepare, these fall apart Instant Pot braised short ribs are great for date night in, to serve to company, or when you're craving a comfort food classic.
Ingredients
Main
Optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Roast the garlic. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel off the papery outside layers and trim the very top of the head of garlic off. Place the head of garlic on a square of aluminum foil and drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Wrap the garlic in the aluminum foil and cook for 40 minutes until the garlic is fork-tender. If opting for raw garlic, skip this step.
- Trim and season. Trim off any excess fat from the top of the short ribs. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
Cooking
- Sear. Set the instant pot on 'saute' setting. Heat oil until it shimmers. Sear the short ribs for 3 minutes on all four sides. Remove the short ribs from the pan.
- Build the sauce. Add the carrots, onions, and celery to the pan and cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato paste and roasted garlic until the vegetables are well coated with tomato paste. Deglaze with red wine and stir in the beef stock and herbs.
- Cook. Place the short ribs and any juices on the plate in the braising liquid, bone side up. Optional: set the trivet over the short ribs and place sweet potatoes on top to cook at the same time as the short ribs. Lock on the lid and set to seal. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Natural release for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid once the pressure valve has gone down.
Finishing
- Finish the sauce. Remove the short ribs (and sweet potatoes) to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Set the instant pot to saute. Discard the herb stems. Transfer about 1/2 a cup of sauce to a small bowl and whisk in the flour, making sure there are no lumps then stir back into the sauce. Using a hand blender, blend the vegetables into the sauce or carefully transfer the vegetables and sauce to a blender to puree. Return to instant pot and continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Serve. Plate the short ribs over vegetables and spoon generous amounts of sauce over the short ribs.
Notes
- Sweet potatoes can be cooked directly on the trivet above the short ribs for a one-pot meal.
- Natural pressure release is key for tender results.
- The sauce can be made ahead and reheated before serving.