Making Instant Pot Short Ribs couldn’t be easier! Try this recipe for tender, succulent, fall off the bone braised short ribs, made even more delicious with a secret ingredient! 🙂
These Instant Pot Ribs are a delicious & easy dinner recipe!
I first owned a pressure cooker in 2011, when I first moved into my own apartment. Instants pots weren’t around at the time, and it was simply called a “multi cooker”. Thanks to my lack of proper meal planning, I quickly learned to appreciate the pressure cooker function on my multi cooker. The fact that you can get a kick ass meal made in less than 30 minutes, starting from frozen meat was a god send to me!
I think I’ve come quite far now in terms of meal planning, but the Instant Pot is still a beast! 🙂
This Best Instant Pot Short Ribs recipe is one I’ve used countless times, and I’ve used this same recipe for lamb chops as well. It works beautifully for any kind of red meat, really, but it’s just perfect with beef short ribs. The flavors here are simple but robust, and complement each other well. Plus, I’ve got a secret ingredient that makes these pretty much the BEST instant pot short ribs in the world! 🙂
So what’s my secret ingredient?
BOURBON WHISKEY! You can use Scotch whiskey if you prefer as well, but bourbon is my choice over Scotch. The taste that it leaves behind is subtle, but it really adds to the depth of flavor in these instant pot short ribs.
Can I skip the alcohol?
If you’re worried about the alcohol content, you need not be.
Since the alcohol in this recipe is being used to deglaze, it does evaporate a lot. However, if you prefer the alcohol to be completely gone, cook it a little longer before adding the other liquids. You can also add less burbon.
I have also had readers who substituted the bourbon with wine (which has less alcohol), and even coffee.
These pressure cooker short ribs are braised in my own homemade beef and chicken stock, but you can braise them in a good quality beef stock instead too. These instant pot short ribs are cooked to perfection in a slightly sweet and slightly spicy base. I added cayenne pepper and paprika to give these short ribs a little spicy kick. I usually add up to 2 tsp of cayenne pepper (even then, it’s only slightly spicy for us). But I’ve adjusted it to a milder level in this recipe. But feel free to adjust the level of spice to your liking.
The first step to making these instant pot short ribs is preparing the short ribs. This step is all the labor required for this recipe on your part!
- Soak the beef short ribs in COLD WATER for just a couple of minutes to wash off any excess blood and bone dust.
- Pat dry each rib with paper towels. Wet short ribs take AGES to sear and to form that beautiful golden crust, so make sure they are dry.
- Season GENEROUSLY. You can even cover the short ribs and leave them to marinate for about one hour if you wish. But honestly, you don’t have to. The instant pot (or pressure cooker) will take care of that!
- SEAR each short rib in the instant pot. This step is important!
Searing the meat will caramelize the surface of these short ribs. The caramelization adds another layer of flavor to these braised short ribs. Make sure to do this in batches, so that you don’t overcrowd your instant pot. If the bottom of the pan is too crowded, you’ll end up “boiling” the short ribs instead of searing them. Not good. So this caramelization step requires a bit of patience and time on your part, but I promise the result will be deliciously tender, succulent, fall off the bone, braised short ribs!
After this step, everything else is hands-off. So while these pressure cooker short ribs are cooking, you can prepare the rest of the meal.
How do I serve these braised instant pot short ribs?
I served these with garlicky, creamy, mashed cauliflower. But here are some more ideas!
- Mashed potatoes
- Cheesy polenta
- Roasted root vegetables
- Roasted sweet potatoes
- Potato medallions
- Toasted crusty bread
I guarantee you will LOVE these instant pot short ribs! 🙂 What I cannot guarantee however are any leftovers! But just in case, here are some great options for leftover instant pot short ribs,
- AMAZING beef tacos
- Southwestern omelets
- Grilled cheese sandwiches with beef
- Steak and eggs with toast (for breakfast)
- Beef fried rice
If you liked this best instant pot short ribs recipe (braised short ribs), don’t forget to subscribe for new (and free) recipes by entering your email address on the side bar (and get all these recipes delivered straight to your inbox), so you don’t miss out on a thing.
Other recipes you may like,
Instant Pot Honey Soy Chicken Thighs
Korean BBQ Short Ribs (LA Galbi)
EQUIPMENT & TOOLS I USED FOR THIS RECIPE
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Instant Pot Short ribs
Ingredients:
- 6 lbs short ribs about 8 short ribs
- Salt to season generously
- 1 medium onion sliced thickly
- ½ cup bourbon
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper 2 tsp if you prefer it spicier
- 3 tbsp sugar use less if you prefer the dish to be less sweet
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 6 cloves of garlic
- Thyme 2 - 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 cup beef stock I used homemade chicken and beef broth
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour)
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions:
- Fill a large bowl or pot with cold water. Immerse the short ribs, and rinse the ribs in the cold water to wash off excess blood and bone dust.
- Drain and pat dry the short ribs with paper towels. Generously sprinkle salt on all the ribs, on both sides.
- Switch on the Instant Pot to the saute setting on high. When the instant pot is hot, pour about 2 tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot, place about 3 - 4 short ribs in the instant pot to caramelize or to sear. It's important not to overcrowd the bottom in order to get nice caramelization on your short ribs. Sear the short ribs on all sides, about 2 - 3 minutes per side. Place the caramelized short ribs on a plate.
- Repeat with the rest of the short ribs.
- For the next step, you will only need about 1 tbsp of oil in the instant pot. Discard the excess oil if there's more than 1 tbsp of it in the instant pot at this point.
- Place the thickly sliced onion in the pot, and add the boubon. De-glaze the bottom of the instant pot to make sure that all of the caramelized bits on the bottom are mixed with the bourbon (de-glazing is an important step, so don't skip it). Add the paprika, cayenne pepper, sugar and balsamic vinegar. Then switch off the saute function on your instant pot.
- Place the short ribs back in the instant pot, and add the garlic, thyme and a pinch of salt (how much salt to add at this point depends on how well you seasoned the short ribs earlier - be careful not to over-salt, since you can always add more salt at the end if needed).
- Pour the stock over the short ribs. Close the instant pot. Choose the manual high pressure function and set it to high. Cook the short ribs for 45 minutes, followed by a 10 - 15 minute natural release.
- Gently remove the short ribs on to a plate, and turn the saute function back on for the liquid/broth in the instant pot.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and add it to the liquid/broth in the instant pot. Mix it in and bring it to a simmer until the liquid has thickened. Taste and season the liquid with more salt or balsamic vinegar, if needed. Transfer the short ribs back into the instant pot and switch off the saute function.
- Optional step - once the short ribs have cooled off, place your instant pot cooker pot in the fridge (covered). Leave it overnight, or for at least 4 hours, until the fat has solidified on the surface. Then remove this layer of fat, and reheat the short ribs in the instant pot.
- Serve with creamy cauliflower mash or mashed potatoes.
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
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Marti says
Great recipe – substituted Scotch for the Bourbon – did not add any sugar – and used less balsamic. Bone-in ribs – cooked 50 minutes. Excellent.
Ramona says
These were amazing. Love them!!! The Bourbon added a lot of flavor, I used 1/3 Cup
Pam says
Thank you for sharing your tasty recipe! I used your recipe once as is, and then again with modifications.
I suggest adding “Oil” to the Ingredients list.
I modified the recipe by added two carrots to the onions, changing the flavor and thickening the gravy. I mixed the beef broth into the reduced sauce, before adding the short ribs; instead of simply pouring the broth over the ribs. All my ribs were 80% submerged in the sauce. I had extra time before dinner would be served, so I cooked 3lbs of small bone-in ribs for 50 minutes with warming and natural release. I skimmed the fat before thickening the gravy in a separate pan with cornstarch; more dishes to wash.
Beth says
Going to try this tomorrow. In your tips and tricks note, you said “if you are unsure then cook 45 and then add time if needed”. Does that mean after the natural release? I’ve never quite understood if you can begin the cooking again after releasing. Could I just go ahead and add cooking time or is there a chance of overcooking??
Dini says
Hi Beth
Yes, that is after the natural release. If your short ribs are much thicker then it may need more time, but so far I haven’t had any comments from my readers about needing more time with regular sized short ribs.
You can re start the cooking, but you will need to be careful about how much more time you add. Personally for us, we don’t like meat that is too “mushy” but this is a personal preference.
Patty K says
I’m so bummed I didnt thaw out my ribs sooner. I want to try this recipe but looks like it will have to wait till tomorrow.
Tonya C. says
The best reciept for ribs ever! I didnt have any alcohol in the house so I used beef stock instead along with a whisk, worked pefectly. My husband could not get enough which is surprising. He says some of the reciepts I get offline are not good but he loved this one. This will be one I keep and use often. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Mae A says
I love this recipe. I substituted a couple of ingredients, but it was still very tasty! Big plus is that my husband loved it too. I used a regular pressure cooker.
Jane Q says
Most excellent recipe!! Very delicious. Even added some baby potatoes and carrots, and served with white rice.
Pressure cooked for 45 mins, even though my largest rib was only 10 ozs. The beef was melt in your mouth tender. It seemed more tender cooked by IP than by oven.
First time using my Instant Pot to cook beef short ribs, and won’t be the last time.
Total time, from start to eating, was 2 hrs 15 mins (prep, brown, pressurize, cook, nat.release, skimming fat, thickening, etc).
Takes 4+ hours from start to finish when I use the oven to cook beef short ribs.
Who wouldn’t like to save 2 hours from slaving away in the kitchen??
Joanne says
These were so delicious. Loved the flavor of the sauce, fall apart tender. My husband had two plates full. Served with orange rosemary carrots and mashed potatoes. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe
Lisa Mariano says
These short ribs are to die for! And the leftovers make a delicious sub with some sautéed mushrooms and onions and melted cheese. I’ll be making this again!
Lisa Mariano says
As an FYI – if you are not a big drinker, like me. 2 nip bottles of bourbon equals 1/2 cup. The nips were $1.00 each as opposed to $15 for a small bottle of bourbon.
Holly Slomski says
Seriously excellent. I used cabernet instead of bourbon, since that was all I had, and it was still very good. Honestly, I can’t believe how tasty these were!! My ribs were huge, and I definitely had to add time, but that didn’t matter. Having them as leftovers tonight, so I’m gonna learn how to reheat in the instant pot! Thank you!
Jayne says
This was a fantastic recipe! I just changed the sugar to monk fruit sugar and just 2 tbsp. Super easy and ohhhh so tender and delish!
Reacy Waller says
This was sooo easy and delicious fall of the bone tender.
Heather says
If you put the instapot in frig overnight, do you leave ribs in or out?
Dini says
Hi Heather
You can do either.
I prefer to keep the ribs in, so that they mingle with all the flavors. The next day the fat layer can be removed and then reheat the dish and it’s ready to eat.
Hope that helps!
Gretchen says
I am making these for Thanksgiving. Can you help me understand how to best reheat them for a crowd? I’d like to make them the day before, but do I heat them up in the IP or put them in the oven? Please advise. 🙂
Dini says
Hi Gretchen!
You can heat them up in either the instant pot or the oven!
I prefer the oven, just for ease (for me personally), but you can use either!
Hope that helps!
JessinIA says
This was amazing! I followed the recipe almost exactly but used Jim Beam Maple Bourbon instead. Fantastic!!
Marti Bowland says
Husband Pat made this with our Scottish Highland short ribs. It came out perfectly wonderful. The gravy really developed as though it had been roasted all day. This is the first instant pot recipe we’ve tried that exceeded our expectations. We will look at more of your recipes now. Thank you.
Matt Engel says
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it on new years eve! At have 2 lbs of bone in short ribs though, cut into 4 large pieces… How would you suggest modifying the other ingredients and cooking time? Thanks so much!
Dini says
Hi Matt
With an instant pot, you have a minimum liquid requirement. So I probably wouldn’t want to change the other ingredients depending on the size of your instant pot.
This means you may end up with a larger amount of liquid vs the short ribs. I might add a little salt, so I can season it later as well.
I hope that helps!
Jo says
I followed all instructions, lovely sauce!! But my ribs were still tough…. should I have cooked for longer?
Dini says
Hi Jo
If your short ribs were thicker, then it will need more time to cook in the pressure cooker option in your Instant pot. I hope that helps!
Josie says
This is the 5th time I made this recipe and my family and I absolutely loved it! I used bone-in short ribs and add 10 more minutes of cooking time. I also used flour instead of cornstarch but made sure I mix it with the water really well before adding it to the pot. Also used a whisk to mix and no lumps!
Nicole says
Can I substitute the cornstarch with flour?
Dini says
Hi Nicole
To use flour as a thickener you have to make a roux with it, to cook out the flour taste first. Otherwise, adding flour straight into the liquid, might result in a less than desirable flavor from the flour, especially since you have to add more to get the same thickening powder as the cornstarch.
You can make a roux with butter and flour separately and then add some to thicken it if you like.
Hope that helps!
Stelios says
Does it work for boneless short ribs??
Dini says
Hi Stelios
Yes. Boneless ribs can work. You may need to reduce the cook time a little though.
I hope that helps
Barry Prowell says
I pretty much mad it as it except also poured 2 oz Bourbon into the cook. Do to my wife’s medical problems I used no pepper and less salt. Outstanding dish. Love it
Theresaq says
Okay, I admit that I took liberties. Only ribs, but they weighed two pounds. Half red, half white onion. Masala wine instead of bourbon. One teaspoon of agave syrup instead of the sugar. Au jus saved from a brisket cooked with spices including juniper. Flour paste instead of corn starch. Otherwise, I kept it all. The ribs were astounding.
Theresaq says
I meant to say, only four ribs. Not six or eight.
Jay D says
I made this yesterday and it came out fantastic. They rival any short rib meal I’ve had a fine restaurant.
Lea says
These short ribs were absolutely delicious!! Will definitely be making again! Like some of the other reviewers I didn’t have bourbon so I substituted red cooking sherry, the flavour was amazing and the ribs were so tender.
Kenna Blair says
Fabulous Recipe even though we substitute Port as Bourbon is not a Canadian thing! Many compliments!
Sue says
I made this the other night for dinner. It was so so good. Thank you so much
Esther H Vandergugten says
I’m planning to make this tonight…just curious, did you cook them from frozen or thaw first? Thanks!
Dini says
Hi Esther
I do thaw out the short ribs before cooking them. I find that it is easier to sear short ribs that are thawed.
I hope that helps!
Chris Z says
Perfection. Honestly, I feel like this meal dominates my instapot usage.
Dawn says
My husband begs me to make this over and over. Delicious and fairly easy
Donna R. says
I made this exactly as written. I did not weigh my ribs, They were 5 inches long X 3 inches thick. I only had 3. There was plenty of sauce. The large onions broke up into smaller pieces while cooking. Great flavor! This will go into my “go to” recipe book for future meal. Thanks!
Barbara says
Wonderful; (used sherry instead as that was on hand and doubled cayenne)
E C says
This recipe is easy to follow & the result is amazing
Nancy E says
Followed directions with one exception: used red wine to deglaze IP instead of bourbon. The ribs were so tender and delicious. And the gravy after adding cornstarch was marvelous. An excellent recipe with delicate yet scrumptious flavors.
Margaret says
I used this recipe and my short ribs sooo good!! I skipped the ingredients I didn’t have: the balsamic vinegar & the thyme sprigs. I used some Worcestershire sauce instead.
I sent the recipe to my daughter with a package of short ribs. She has an Instant Pot, too but doesn’t know much about it.This may change her mind!
Charles Butterfield says
I couldn’t figure out from the recipe whether you place them on top of a trivet out of the liquid or place in the liquid. Let me know and thank you
beef ribs
Dini says
Hi Charles
I don’t think I mentioned a trivet in the recipe? please let me know if I have, so I can fix it.
The short ribs are placed in the liquid with the rest of the ingredients.
I hope that helps!
Charise Edwards says
I followed the recipe except I added some carrots, celery and fingerling potatoes. I used 1/2 cup of Cabernet Sauvignon because I didn’t have Bourbon. Unfortunately, this was not my best stew. We just thought it was too sweet. It tasted like bbq not beef stew. I had something else in mind. Next time I would omit the sugar & balsamic, and add Worcestershire sauce.
Dini says
Hi Charise
Yes, this is a sweeter recipe with 3 tbsp of sugar added to the dish. However wine does make it even sweeter (especially as it is reduced at the end).
Another substitute my readers have made is to use coffee instead of bourbon. But for a less sweet version, I do recommend reducing the sugar – but not the balsamic, as it adds a nice sour flavor to balance the other flavors.
Electric Violin Lady says
It’s a winner for me. I followed the recipe to the tea and everything came out wonderfully. A few bones detached from the meat, but that’s a good thing. Can’t wait to serve these for Sunday dinner tomorrow.
Tina says
This recipe was fantastic.
Deb sampson says
♥️This is a great recipe. My husband requests this all the time
Aaron Johnson says
I mistakenly bought sliced short ribs. Can I still follow this recipe?
Dini says
Hi Aaron
You could, but since the ribs will be much thinner, the cook time will reduce alot too. Unfortunately I’m not sure how much time should be reduced to get the same results.
I do also prefer to grill sliced short ribs (LA style ribs), after marinading them overnight, because they cook very quickly.
I hope that helps
Nandita says
Amazing recipe! Didn’t use the broth…just plain water but followed everything else. Came out gorgeous.
Pamela Smith says
Delicious! I made the short ribs a day before serving to get rid of the fat in the sauce as you suggested.
Marianna says
Hello,
The ingredients include “6 ibs short ribs about 8 short ribs”.
This sentence confuses me because I am not sure how much total ibs of short ribs you mean.
Do you mean to have “about 8 short ribs” in parenthesis?
Is this what you mean to say: 6 ibs short ribs (about 8 short ribs)?
Thanks!
Marianna
Dini says
Hi Marianna,
That is correct. It’s 6 lbs of short ribs (i.e. about 8 short ribs). That’s why the “about 8 short ribs” part is in a lighter colored font. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Deborah says
My husband requested it for tonight. Delicious!!
Mark W says
Quick, easy, and delicious.
Jan H says
Made it. Used the whole amount of cayenne. Did not rinse off meat in cold water and dry. They had already been wrapped in paper for 4 days and looked pretty aged and dry.
Did not have bourbon, so used half dry vermouth and half dry sherry.
Used organic beef stock and 2 little packs of concentrated jellied beef stock. Came out super good!
RichD says
This is a fantastic recipe for an instant pot. I substituted dry red wine for the bourbon & it was delicious. I had to boil down the liquid a bit after the pressure cooking phase to thicken the sauce a little more. The flavor of the sauce makes this one of my favorite instant pot recipes.
JJ says
Top notch just as it is. Go to from now on
Beth Eisbrenner says
Very Good!
Jay says
Absolutely a hit!
Sue says
Best ribs ever and so easy to make