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These Instant Pot short ribs are insane and SO EASY. I’ll show you how to cook short ribs in the best and fastest way with this easy beef short ribs recipe. Pressure cooker short ribs become so tender – without all of the cooking time that’s normally needed to transform boneless beef short ribs.
It’s an incredibly tough cut of meat, but when it’s cooked properly, you can cut them with a fork. And in addition to being super easy, this beef short ribs recipe needs just FIVE ingredients. Head to your butcher shop ASAP!
I don’t know about you, but when I first got my Instant Pot, I was scouring the internet for all sorts of easy low carb pressure cooker recipes. I loved that they made cooking dinner so fast!
When it came time to figure out how to cook boneless short ribs, I was so glad I had the pressure cooker practice in my back pocket, because using the Instant Pot makes this a quick short rib recipe – no hours upon hours of braising time necessary!
What Are Beef Short Ribs?
What kind of meat is short ribs? It’s not what you might think!
Surprisingly, boneless beef short ribs are not actually rib meat. They are cut from the chuck, or shoulder, but can be harder to find.
Bone-in short ribs come from the belly and are a much fattier cut of meat. Many butchers will actually remove the bones from bone-in short ribs for you, which is what I did for this boneless short rib recipe.
TIP: If you’re using bone-in short ribs, you will need to increase the pressure cook time to 50 minutes. Short rib meat takes a bit longer to cook with the bones than without.
How To Cook Short Ribs
Let’s get to the best beef short ribs recipe, I’m getting hungry!
First, we’ll season the meat with salt and pepper. This step helps to build flavor throughout the cooking process. Don’t skimp, you need a generous amount!
Next, we’re going to sear the short ribs and get a nice crust on them – we’ll do this right in the Instant Pot using the Saute setting. Be sure to do this in batches. We don’t want to crowd the pan too much or they will steam instead of brown.
After cooking short ribs on the outside to get a brown crust, remove them and saute the garlic with some oil in the Instant Pot for just a minute.
TIP: This is a basic 5-ingredient beef short ribs recipe – that’s the point. You can definitely up the flavor by adding some sauteed onion before adding the garlic, or adding fresh herbs such as thyme or rosemary.
Add some beef broth and coconut aminos to the pressure cooker, and use a spoon to de-glaze the pan. This means getting all the yummy browned bits off the bottom! Place the short ribs back in there, along with a bay leaf.
Then, we’ll let the pressure cooker do its magic. For boneless Instant Pot short ribs, set the time to 40 minutes, or increase to 50 minutes for bone-in pressure cooker short ribs.
After the instant pot short ribs are done, let the natural release do its thing for 10 minutes before switching to manual release.
TIP: You need the natural release, because this helps the beef short ribs finish cooking and helps them come out tender.
Finally, you can thicken the sauce by simmering it with gelatin powder (it’s easy and worth it!), or just eat them up.
Do You Have To Brown Short Ribs?
You don’t have to brown short ribs. But you should! Browning takes just a few minutes, and will help add rich flavor to the pressure cooker short ribs. It makes a huge difference!
Can You Make Slow Cooker Short Ribs Instead?
Yes, you can make the same easy short ribs recipe in a slow cooker. It will take approximately 8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High.
But, it’s more cleanup because you’ll have to sear the short ribs separately on the stove first. Plus, the slow cooker takes longer. I really prefer cooking beef short ribs in the Instant Pot!
Can You Make Boneless Beef Short Ribs Ahead?
Yes, you can make boneless beef short ribs ahead of time. In fact, it’s a great meat to make the day before you are serving, as it just gets better with time.
You can reheat braised short ribs in a saucepan (or using the saute function in the Instant Pot!). Just be sure to reheat together with the sauce, so that they turn out tender.
How To Freeze Beef Short Ribs
First we covered how to cook short ribs, now let’s freeze them for later. Let the ribs cool completely, then place in a freezer-safe glass dish. Cover with the sauce/cooking liquid and then freeze.
Let them thaw in the fridge overnight, then simply reheat in a sauce pan when you’re ready to serve them.
What To Serve With Short Ribs
This beef short ribs recipe goes well with so many different side dishes. I’ve got a ton of low carb/keto side dish recipes on my site, here are some of my favorites for pressure cooker short ribs:
- Keto Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes – This the classic side dish pairing. You can’t go wrong with mashed cauliflower and it’s perfect to soak up any excess sauce. I have a new recipe (that’s shown in the pictures) coming soon!
- Keto Creamed Spinach with Cream Cheese – This will give your boneless beef short ribs a steakhouse feel.
- Air Fryer Keto Onion Rings – Onion rings go well with anything, but especially this beef short ribs recipe. This meal feels like something you’d find at a gourmet gastropub.
- Jicama Tortillas – Beef short rib tacos… yum!
Tools To Make Pressure Cooker Short Ribs:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Instant Pot 7-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker – This is the pressure cooker that I use and love. It’s a great pressure cooker but I also love that you can also use the saute function to brown meats in the same pan.
- Porcelain White Serving Platter – You’ll definitely want to put these pressure cooker short ribs on display. They are a sight to be seen.
Pressure Cooker Instant Pot Short Ribs Recipe:
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Easy Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs Recipe (Paleo)
Wondering how to cook short ribs? This pressure cooker Instant Pot beef short ribs recipe makes it EASY with just 5 ingredients. Use bone-in or boneless beef short ribs - both will work.
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Instructions
Get RECIPE TIPS in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Click on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Instant Pot Short Ribs:
Use sea salt and black pepper to generously season the short ribs on both sides.
Set the Instant Pot to Saute on High (or "More"). Add oil and let it heat up until hot.
Once oil is hot, add the short ribs in a single layer. Sear for about 5 minutes per side, until browned. You will need to do this in two batches, so that they are not too crowded. Set all the short ribs aside outside the pan as you get through them.
Add the minced garlic to the empty Instant Pot, and saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the broth and coconut aminos to the Instant Pot. Use a wooden spoon to release any browned bits of garlic from the bottom of the pan (deglaze it). Shut off the saute function.
Place the short ribs back into the Instant Pot, crowding them together in a single layer. Push the bay leaves into the broth, if using (optional). Close the lid and set the pin to Seal. Cook on High pressure for 40 minutes. Use Natural Release for 10 minutes, then Quick Release if there is any pressure left.
At this point, you can shred the short ribs or leave them whole.
Optional Steps For Thicker Sauce:
Remove the short ribs, leaving the liquid behind, and cover the short ribs with foil to keep warm. Set the Instant Pot to the Saute function.
Sprinkle gelatin (don't dump it) over the liquid in the Instant Pot, one tablespoon at a time, whisking rapidly and immediately after each sprinkle.
Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens. If it's still not as thick as you like, add more gelatin and repeat.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 lb meat + sauce
How to make bone-in short ribs: You can make this a bone-in short rib recipe, too. The weight will be approximately 3-3.5 lb, and you will need to increase the cook time to 50 minutes.
Video Showing How To Make Instant Pot Short Ribs:
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Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Net carb count excludes fiber, erythritol, and allulose, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. (Learn about net carbs here.) We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
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71 Comments
Diana
Hello there, I do not own an insta-pot (for my own safety, I’m quite clumsy), would you be able to quickly recommend how to cook this delicious recipe in a crockpot/slow-cooker by any chance? 🙂
Thank you!!!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Diana, You can make your short ribs in a slow cooker, but they will take quite a bit more time to cook. On the low setting, they will need approximately 8 hours, on the high setting around 4. You can read more about making this recipe in a crock pot in the section of this post called, ‘Can You Make Slow Cooker Short Ribs Instead?’
Diana
Oh my goodness thank you!!! 😀
Kerri Kirkland
Turned out so freaking good I’m going to be making these all the time.
Terra
Great!
Andrea
I have an IP Duo Nova. I am cooking bone in short ribs. When you say “High” heat, is it “High-Normal” or “High-More”. I’m asking because some people said theirs was tough, and I’m wondering if the problem was not high enough pressure. Thank you
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Andrea, That’s not the model I have, so I don’t have those options. I would suspect you will want the highest pressure for the recipe, so I would try the “High-More” setting.
Kristin
The flavor was delicious but my bone-in came out tough still, I was so sad after all the 5-Star reviews, although I’m sure it’s not due to this recipe. I cooked them on high pressure for 50 minutes then checked and added another 15 minutes, still pretty tough and fat not rendered. ♀️ I used nearly 2 cups of liquid (broth/wine/coco aminos). Any suggestions?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Kristen, Did you use roughly the same weight I had listed? (3 – 3.5lbs) If you had over that amount, then the cook time would likely need to increase.
FooBoo
Absolutely delicious! Super tender and flavourful.
Emily Knouse
If you can’t squeeze them into one layer, can you stack them…in bone
tehillah
hi – I’m making this for dinner tonight = it looks delicious & all the 5 star reviews have me excited.
Question: I just bought an instant pot (brand AURA) but it doesn’t have a ‘release’ function. What do I do?
TIA!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Tehillah, It sounds like you purchased the Instant Pot slow cooker. This model does not have the pressure cooker function (so it will not have a quick release on it). You will be able to sear your short ribs, but the process will differ from there. The best option after searing the short ribs and sauteeing the garlic would be to use the slow cook function and let your short ribs cook for several hours. You will not get the same final result as you would with a pressure cooker, but you can still follow to recipe for a similar outcome and flavor profile.
Canadian Chick
5 stars for sure!
Made my own coconut aminos: 1 c beef broth, 1Tbsp balsamic vinegar, ½Tbsp fish sauce, 1tsp tomato paste, 1 tsp maple syrup & a dash of salt. (This makes more than you need here, keep in fridge for two weeks – don’t be afraid to use fish sauce, it’s not what you think…no fish taste!).
I have had beef short ribs in the freezer but keep avoiding then simply because I didn’t know how to cook them! IP method turns out to be a winner!
I decided to remove the bones. Mine were large pieces with 3 to 4 bones in each piece. I cut the meat between the bones and cut off any silver skin. I also removed some of the thick fat – I didn’t want super greasy ribs. (I will be pressure cooking the bones later for bone broth – I’ll throw the fat in with that for added flavor and remove fat when cooled).
I made the recipe as written. Browned first. No optional onions as I can’t eat them. Since I had only 2 lbs of meat I figured I would reduce time to 30 mins plus 10 mins natural release. They were PERFECT! Soft melt in your mouth goodness! Gravy was super too! Love that I can do it ALL in one pot!
Thank you!!!
Kathryn
I used the basics of this recipe as part of another recipe and the sauce was amazing. I also added some chopped onion when sautéing the garlic and fresh thyme with the broth and the bay leaf. Loved it! I had roasted grape tomatoes in red wine and roasted shallots, too. Pour it all over the meat and makes a beautiful presentation. Top off with blue cheese crumbles. Perfect with red wine.
Michele
Hello Maya, I just got my first instant pot, this was my 4th recipe I made WOW , the ribs fell off the bone, so tender, great flavor. I only made 4 in my pot just to try it, next time my pot will be full. Thanks for the recipe, it was perfect.
I dont know how I ever got by without this pot.
Tanya Floyd
mine came out a little tough. Can I pressure cook additional time ?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Tanya, Yes that’s fine. Be sure there is enough liquid in the pot so it doesn’t dry out your short ribs.
Camille R
Love this recipe, but this website page is honestly so riddled with ads it’s hard to get to the recipe itself, let alone the screen has about an inch of viewing area because of all the ads and video pop ups.
You made a fantastic recipe, don’t let your website go to crap and redirect people elsewhere.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Camille, Thanks for your feedback. Ads keep the Wholesome Yum website running and allow me to develop recipes that readers like you can access absolutely free. However, you may be interested in Wholesome Yum Plus, which includes an ad-free version of the website, along with other perks.
Mary Jo
I have never made short ribs before and wanted to give them a try. Super simple and easy as well as delicious. I added onions with the garlic and sautéed. I made the coconut aminos since I did not have on hand according to a previous comment. Definitely will be making from time to time. Served with egg noodles and sautéed squash medley.
Ornia
This was incredible! I followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfect! I can’t wait to make it again.
Marisa
I made this tonight and added in a small onion and a handful of sliced mushrooms. It was my first time making boneless beef short ribs and an easy process. My boyfriend commented that this tasted like something he’d order at a restaurant, and was impressed (but not surprised!) that I made it 🙂
Chelsea
This was absolutely amazing! I used bone-in ribs for 50 minutes and they came out unbelievably tender. I sautéed a half chopped onion before adding the garlic, added a little red wine while deglazing, and some chopped mushrooms in right before cooking. My husband said it was the best short ribs he’s ever had! Will be making this from now on – thanks!
Valerie
This was really easy and good. We added some fresh rosemary and red wine – had to add an extra 15 minutes to get it tender. We will make it again!
Cinnamon A Flowers
First this rib recipe is SO delicious!!I did not have any ribs but wanted to make this recipe with our new Instant pot. So I thawed one of my beef chuck roasts and cut it into boneless short ribs. Flavor was amazing. I added the onion you said was optional. I give the recipe 5 stars on tender and flavor alone. I had 1 small change that did not effect the rating. I hate when people give a high rating and did so many adjustments it’s not the recipe listed. Your 5 star is absolutely because your recipe is that good! So only small change was I made roux to make the gravy 3Tbsp gf flour 3Tbsp butter. Will be making this again.SO GOOD!
Zoe
If I cook from frozen should I still brown the ribs first? Are there any other tips for cooking from frozen?
Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Zoe, I don’t recommend cooking from frozen. For best results, let your short ribs thaw overnight in the fridge first before preparing.
Toni
Hi Maya, I bought an Instant Pot over a year ago and used it once to make rice and somehow burned the rice and I haven’t used it since until tonight. I made these ribs using your recipe and they were out of this world good! Tender as can be and melt in the mouth tender. Amazing! Can’t wait to try another recipe! Thank you, Toni
Sherri
It was delicious! The meat was SO tender. Please post more low carb IP recipes. Thank you!
Monica R
Delicious! My first meal ever using my Instant Pot and I am so pleased. Falling off the bone goodness! I didn’t have beef broth so I did half cup light soy sauce, half cup water. Instead of the Coconut Aminos, I used 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 water. added some onions during saute and a sprig of rosemary to liquid. Thank you for an awesome recipe!
Kelli
I loved this recipe for short ribs soooo much! I also did the same for oxtail last night..omg amazing! Followed it all the same way. 3.5lbs of oxtail… I picked the biggest meatiest pieces from the butcher.
Came out perfect!!
Thank you Maya!!
Would love more instant pot meat recipes if you come up with them. You’re the best!
Betsy
If I am using 1 lb of short ribs should I adjust the cooking time?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Betsy, No need to adjust the cooking time, continue with the recipe as written.
Amy B
Turned out great! I used bone-in and adjusted the coming time as suggested. To the cooking liquid I added cut up dried mushrooms and some pear relish, like chow chow. After cooking, I removed the meat and then used a stick blender before adding the gelatin. Everyone was super impressed!
Barbara Orshoski
I only have 1 lb of boneless ribs. Do I need to adjust the time?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Barbara, Cook time should remain the same.
Jerrod
Is this for the 10qt IP if not how should I adjust recipe
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Jerrod, This recipe was done in a 6 quart Instant Pot.
Jennifer
If I don’t have an Instant Pot – can I make this recipe in the oven? I have BONE-IN short ribs… How would I modify?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Jennifer, The easiest way to translate this recipe is with a pressure cooker. Short ribs can be done in the oven, but it will take several hours in the oven for them to break down like they do in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot.
Zoe
My meat cake out very tough. I could barely chew it. Im new to the instant pot so I know it’s a product of my in experience not your recipe. Do you know what could of caused that? Thanks?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Zoe, Did you use boneless or bone-in short ribs? Was your IP set to low or high pressure? This recipe requires high pressure.
Andrew
Made this for my wife’s birthday and it came out amazing! I subbed in soy sauce for the aminos, and added the optional onion. My wife has been talking every day about how delicious it was! One question, if I were to double the recipe, should I double all the liquids as well? And should cook time be increased?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Andrew, I’m so thrilled you loved it! Yes, if you are doubling the recipe, that would include the liquids too. Cook time will remain the same.
Scooter Johnson
Hiya, just an observation and a question. Your carb count is 1 but my coconut aminos (Trader Joe’s) has 5 g of carbs and 5g of sugars in 1 Tbs – a quarter cup is 4 Tbs making 40g in just the Aminos…Does this change the totals?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Scooter, Some brands of coconut aminos have sugar added so that would increase the carb count quite a bit. I recommend this brand which is 1g carbs per serving.
May
This was absolutely delicious!!! I doubled the liquids (broth and aminos) so that I could use the trivet. and subbed liquid aminos (soy) for the coconut. I added in about half an onion and some rosemary, and it was amazing! Great recipe!
Therese Cunningham
Soooooo delicious…Finally got myself an Instant Pot. This is my second time using it and my first time making short ribs. The recipe was simple & easy to follow. Was stumped by the coconut aminos, but one of your reviewers provided a substitute formula. Very pleased with the outcome. This is definitely a keeper recipe.
Sarah
This is a winner!! It’s almost impossible to find a recipe that everybody in my household likes, especially since I’m following a modified AIP diet and the rest of my family isn’t. I make a side of carrots and mashed potatoes, and can have an amazing, delicious meal on the table in under an hour (that everybody will actually eat and enjoy!).
Robert C Lambing
Great instruction. I remembered I had a bunch of bone in short ribs so I thought I’d check your recipe. I will be using it next week. Think I’m going to add a touch of a garlic marinade also. Thank you.
JimmyB
I made this last night and it was DELICIOUS! I did not have and had never heard of coconut aminos. I looked up what they are and made a substition of 1 TBL Soy Sauce, 1TBL Worcestshire sauce & 1 TBL brown sugar. I don’t know whether or not that made a big difference but the flavor was wonderful. I used corn starch at the end for thickening. I used something called beef chuck riblets. They were very meaty. I used an Instant Pot and browned the ribs before pressure cooking. Since I used bone-in I cooked it for the 50 minutes with a natural release of 10 – 15 minutes. Those timings were perfect. I used the trivet with handles and that made it easy to remove the ribs out of the bottom of the pan. Thank you for such a great recipe. I will certainly be making it again.
Iris
Just tried this recipe ans tweak it a bit by using 2 inch thick bone in rib, added chili pepper powder and regular light soy sauce because I can’t find coconut amino. It is amazing and quite simple. Thank you.
Romana
This was the 2nd time I made these with boned ribs. Very tender and flavorful. I used guar gum for the thickener though.
We ate it with shirataki rice to stay low carb.
Sharon
Amazing and so simple. Bone in for 55 mins, doubled the liquid since I had so many ribs so they could all be immersed. Added a thinly sliced onion with the garlic so used my immersion blender before adding the gelatin. Beef heaven. Served with your creamed spinach recipe – divine.
Tabatha
This is THE BEST beef recipe I’ve ever cooked, and I’m 43 years old!
Faith
Hi. Can I use soy sauce instead of coconut a aminos?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Faith, Yes, you can. I try to avoid soy but if that’s not an issue it absolutely works.
Michelle Cartwright
I tried this recipe today. I followed all the directions except adding the beef gelatin. We did not need a gravy. I was serving this with baked acorn squash. I used ribs with the bone. I cooked the ribs for 55 minutes in the instant pot. The meat fell off of the bone. I was making this because my husband had asked for beef short ribs. We had not made them in quite some time. He was very happy and asked me to keep the recipe. The meat was flavorful and paired well with the squash. I had never cooked with coconut aminos before. Now you have me looking into cooking with that for future dishes. Thanks again for sharing!
Joi
OMG! This recipe was very easy, and tasted delicious. My husband said that he could eat this everyday! I will definitely be using this again….
Chihyu
OMG! This is so good.
Raia Todd
The Instant Pot does amazing with short ribs! I love the addition of aminos to your recipe.
Linda
I love how easy this recipe is and the way it can be done in an instant pot. This recipe was so tasty and flavorful.
Kari
These short ribs are incredible, and I love how easy they are in the Instant Pot!
Celeste
I love short ribs and have been looking for more instant pot recipes. These made a great Sunday dinner!
Alisa
You just made short ribs much less intimidating! And they were so darn flavorful – it’s hard to believe they came from such simple ingredients!
Pam Greer
The Instant Pot makes the best short ribs and this recipe is perfect! They come out tender and so flavorful!
Adrianne
Your food is always so beautiful and the photos make the food look so appealing. I love having different meat dishes and these beef short ribs are one I am adding to my to do list to try. Cheers!
Lisa
Yum! These braised short ribs were so delicious and so easy to make. Thanks for sharing! Can’t wait to make them again!
Dannii
This was total comfort food. One for us to make for a cosy Sunday lunch.
Jacqueline Debono
I don’t have an Instant Pot (yet) but I have a slow cooker and I think these short ribs were so delicious I didn’t want to wait 8 hours for them!