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.”
shawn kelly says
Looks great as well as taste great
Kelly E says
By far the best recipe I have used in my Instant Pot. I have made these three times already, leftovers also freeze well.
Dini says
Thank you so much for letting me know Kelly, so glad you liked it! 🙂
Paul T Lenser says
Excellent. So much better than the all day slow cooker recipe that i tried last month. I used Canadian Whisky. I can’t wait to make again.
Lynn Hughes says
Made these last night. I followed the recipe exactly, and they were perfect! Fall apart tender, and just a hint of spice from the cayenne. Will make these again!!
GiGi says
Whoa! 3 tbsp sugar is way too much! I didn’t think about it as I was adding it but the end result made my taste buds confused about whether or not I was supposed to be eating dessert or not. It really detracted from the savory aspect of the dish. I would suggest cutting this back to 2 tsp. I will try this next time as the other aspects of the recipe I feel were right on!
Krysta says
This is soooooo good! I only had red wine vinegar and didn’t use the whole amount that was called for. Used about 2 1/2 lbs of boneless short ribs. They were thick so I did 50 mins. Perfect and falling apart. Yum thank you!
Jessica says
Planning on making this tomorrow for a nice Sunday dinner!!
I usually cook beef short ribs in the slow cooker with 1 cup of diced celery and 1 cup of diced carrots, and 12-15 button mushrooms- Do you think I could still do this?
When would you add these in?
Dini says
Hi Jessica!
I’m sorry for the late reply.
With instant pot recipes, you have to add everything along with the stock. But it will make the vegetables INCREDIBLY soft when you cook them for 30+ minutes (not the mushrooms, but the carrots and celery). You may have to add larger pieces to prevent them from over cooking and disintegrating into the stew.
Dede says
These turned out so yummy! I did add a little cumin (1 good shake) and about 3 glubs of beer to the sauce before I thickened it though. Because I used only 1/2 of the garlic that the recipe called for (the smell of garlic comes out of my pores if I eat too much), I felt like it needed a little more flavor. The cumin and beer added good flavor back.
I loved this recipe and will use it again. Now I will look at the rest of your recipes. 🙂
Thanks so much!
Dini says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Dede! 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know!
Eva says
Do you think this recipe would go well with pork? If so, would a roast be ok?
Dini says
Hi Eva
I haven’t made this recipe with pork, so I can’t be sure. The amount of liquid, seasoning and cook time will change depending on the cut and size.
Eva says
Thanks so much for letting me know! It was amazing with short ribs – thats for sure!
Melissa says
I don’t normally take the time to comment on recipe blogs because I’m honestly just lazy. I made these last night for husband’s birthday and they were AMAZING. Like I can’t wait to have people over for dinner and impress them with my culinary skills, amazing. I didn’t have any bourbon so just had to use red wine and they still tasted excellent. I was literally standing in the kitchen after dinner eating fork fulls of potatoes dipped in the sauce left in the instant pot. This recipe was so simple but the results were impressive, like you worked REALLY hard. Cant wait to make them again! Thanks for sharing!
Mila says
This is a wonderful recipe; didn’t have exactly everything on the recipe list but had most. This was easy and only took a short time to make. This is definitely a keeper, and will be making this again and soon. Will also be sharing with my family and friends.
Dini says
Thank you so much Mila! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
Cristina Kelley says
A couple of weeks ago I bought an Instant Pot. I have to say that it was the best investment. I bought short ribs today and was hoping to find a recipe for my Instant Pot. Yours was the first one I clicked on. This was a super easy recipe and oh so delicious! The meat fell off the bone and I really liked the bourbon with the cayenne pepper combination. My mouth was doing the dance of joy. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you.
Dini says
Thanks so much for letting me know Cristina! The IP is definitely a great investment, I agree. So glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Mary says
We were given beef short ribs some time ago (frozen, obviously), and I finally pulled them out today. There wasn’t enough for our family to have any leftovers, so I supplemented with fresh ribs too. The ribs from the freezer were bone-in, but the ones I bought today were boneless. I decided to go for it anyway. MAN am I glad I did! This recipe is perfect!
Dini says
So glad you liked the recipe Mary. 🙂 Thank you so much!
David Cooper says
I don’t see where you add the bourbon in the steps listed. Do you deglaze with it?
Dini says
Hi David!
The bourbon is included in the recipe instructions actually (step 6) 🙂 Hope you like the recipe!
adam bilek says
That looks amazing.. hope mine will turn out looking just as great:) I used only 1 tbsp of Cayenne and still the ‘sauce’ (before adding the broth) tasted a little too hot… hopefully the short-ribs turn out much milder…
anyways.. WELCOME to Canada:)
Dini says
Thank you Adam! We are loving it in Canada. 🙂 And hope the recipe turned out well for you!
Carolyn says
Hi, did you mean tsp or tbsp? The recipe calls for 1 to 2 tsp, If you added one tbsp as you state above, this could explain the spiciness 🙂