For the most amazing Italian Short Ribs, this recipe will wow you. One bite of these juicy, fork-tender, & flavorful boneless beef short ribs and you will be smiling. Plus my recipe doesn't take hours braising, so let's get cooking!
Instant Pot boneless beef short ribs with a red wine gravy is comforting & amazing. Not only does the pressure cooker ensure the meat is succulent but it cuts down the cooking time.
Don't braise for 3-4 hours when you can be done in half the time with better results! You get perfectly braised Italian beef short ribs in a savory red wine gravy that you will want to enjoy every last drop of.
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What are Short Ribs?
Many ask if short ribs are beef or pork. Short ribs are beef ribs usually meatier and larger than pork spare ribs. Short ribs can be either boneless or bone-in. Boneless short ribs are cut from the chuck or plate.
Bone-in short ribs consist of a short portion of the rib bones near the short plate, the last 7 ribs of a cow. My recipe for Smoked Beef Short Ribs uses bone-in short ribs. You can use country-style chuck ribs for this recipe too.
How to Make Italian Short Ribs
Here is a summary of the steps for making Italian Short Ribs in the Instant Pot. See the recipe card below for full instructions, ingredients, & amounts.
1 - Season & Sear the Short Ribs
To begin, season both sides of the short ribs with the first 5 ingredients. Select the "Saute" setting on the Instant Pot / electric pressure cooker and adjust it to High.
Once it reads HOT, add olive oil. By letting the pot come to high heat, the meat will cook faster and also not stick to the bottom.
Add 3-4 short ribs to hot oil, you want to sear the short ribs in batches, in one layer in the Instant Pot.
When they come away from the pot easily, they are ready. About 2 minutes on each side will brown them and add flavor.
Transfer browned short ribs to a plate and cover with foil. Repeat cooking with remaining short ribs. Saute onions until brown, about one minute. Hit the Cancel Button. The first stage is done in about 15 minutes.
2 - Add Ingredients & Set Instant Pot
Once all is done, add the remaining ingredients to the insert and whisk to come together. Add meat back into the pot. Put the lid onto the Instant Pot and seal it, making sure the vent on top is in the correct position.
Cook on MANUAL high pressure for 50 minutes. It took mine about 15 minutes to come to pressure. (we are now at 80 minutes total time so far)
3 - Natural Release
When it's done cooking, let it release naturally for 20 minutes, and then use the quick release on top to depressurize the Instant Pot. Be careful when moving the valve to release the pressure, the steam will be very hot!
DO NOT use the quick release without letting it release naturally. You want the meat to retain the natural juices and letting it come down slowly ensures the meat rests versus seizing up. (we are now at 100 minutes total time so far)
4 - Make the Red Wine Gravy
To make the gravy in the Instant Pot, remove the ribs from the pot using a slotted spoon. They may fall apart as you remove them and if you used bone-in, they will likely fall off the bone.
If you used bone-in short ribs, remove any bones from the pot and discard if there is no meat still attached. This is a good sign and how you know it will be incredible. Place on a serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm while making the gravy.
In 5 minutes, the gravy will be ready. Remove the bay leaf and discard. In a small bowl mix together 3 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of tapioca starch together. Pour into the braising liquid still in the pot and whisk to ensure it is smooth.
Hit the saute button, cook, and stir until thickened and bubbly. The beef short rib gravy will be a reddish-brown color. It will be thick once ready and time to turn it off and spoon the gravy over the short ribs. In just 105 minutes the boneless ribs and gravy are ready - from start to finish!
Substitutions
Here are some alternate recipe ideas & ingredients you can use for making this recipe.
- Keto/Low-Carb - omit the honey & cut the tapioca starch in half when making the gravy.
- Red Wine - if you prefer to not use wine or any type of alcohol, you can use Dr. Pepper or Coca-Cola as your braising liquid instead of wine.
- Boneless Short Ribs - you bone-in beef short ribs or boneless country-style chuck ribs if that is all you can find. The cooking time will be the same for the chuck ribs. For Bone-in short ribs, add 20 more minutes to the Instant Pot.
Storing & Reheating
This recipe for short ribs and gravy stores well. Place leftovers in an air-tight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pot on the stove with the grave over medium heat until heated through.
Short ribs also freeze well. Place short ribs and gravy in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag & seal. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator for best results.
What to Serve with Boneless Short Ribs
This meat & gravy recipe is great served on top of potatoes or pasta. It goes well with polenta, noodles, or my recipe for homemade ciabatta bread to soak up all that gravy. Or try one of these side dish favorites:
More Instant Pot Recipes
Looking for more meals to make in the instant pot, try these recipes:
Product Recommendations for this Recipe:
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FAQ
If you followed the directions and the beef short ribs came out tough in the Instant Pot, it could be 1 of 2 reasons. It could be your Instant Pot isn't coming to pressure all the way or the cooking time was not set for the right amount of time.
The other reason is that the short ribs you used were much thicker and bigger than described in the recipe. If you are using ribs bigger than 2 ½" long as described, the cooking time needs to be extended.
This recipe if for making beef short ribs in an electric pressure cooker. If you do not own one, you can make them in a slow cooker. Here is a recipe that you can try for CrockPot Short Ribs.
Both are ideal for braising and either will work wonderfully for this recipe. For this instant pot recipe, I used boneless short ribs that I got at Costco.
The time does not need to be adjusted, each takes the same amount of time to cook; therefore, follow the recipe just as is no matter which cut you have.
Italian Short Ribs
Equipment
- pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 3-4 pds boneless beef short ribs, or 4-5 pounds of English-cut bone-in short ribs cut crosswise into 2-½-inch-long pieces
- 2 TB olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic peeled & smashed
- ½ medium onion small dice
- 1 C red wine
- 1 C beef broth
- ½ C tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoon tamari
- 2 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce do not add if you want Paleo
- 2 tablespoon tapioca starch
- 3 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Season short ribs with the first 5 ingredients.
- Select the “Saute” setting on an electric pressure cooker and Adjust it to High. Once it reads HOT, add olive oil. Add 3-4 short ribs to hot oil, you want to sear the short ribs in batches, in one layer in the Instant Pot. When they come away from the pot easily, they are ready.
- Cook until the bottom is browned, about 2 minutes each side. Transfer browned short ribs to a plate and cover with foil. Repeat cooking with remaining short ribs. Saute onions until brown, about one minute. Hit the Cancel Button.
- Once all done, add the remaining ingredients to the insert and whisk to come together. Add meat back into the pot.
- Put the lid onto the Instant Pot and seal it, making sure the vent on top is in the correct position. Cook on MANUAL high pressure for 50 minutes.
- When it’s done cooking, let it release naturally for 20 minutes and then use the quick release on top to depressurize the Instant Pot.
- Be careful when moving the valve to release the pressure, the steam WILL BE VERY HOT! Also please DO NOT use the quick release without letting it release naturally. You want the meat to retain the natural juices and letting it come down slowly ensures the meat rests versus seizing up. Remove lid.
- To make the gravy in the Instant Pot, remove the ribs from the pot using a slotted spoon. Place on a serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm while making the gravy.
- Remove the bay leaf and discard. In a small bowl mix together 3 tablespoon water into 2 tablespoon tapioca starch until dissolved. Pour into the braising liquid and whisk. Hit the saute button, cook, and stir until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Spoon gravy over the plated short ribs.
- Enjoy the short ribs and red wine gravy as is or with cauliflower mash, polenta, mashed potatoes, green beans, or any of your favorites.
Notes
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 6 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 544 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 19.1g | 25% |
| Saturated Fat 6.1g | 30% |
| Cholesterol 203mg | 68% |
| Sodium 777mg | 34% |
| Total Carbohydrate 11.2g | 4% |
| Dietary Fiber 0.7g | 2% |
| Total Sugars 5.8g | |
| Protein 70.9g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 20mg | 2% |
| Iron 43mg | 241% |
| Potassium 1095mg | 23% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Did you make this The Short Order Cook Recipe?
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I would love to see your latest creations and kitchen adventures.
Matt Epley says
Oh boy...I know what I'm eating this weekend! LOL!
Angela says
I hope you love them as much as we do, Matt. Would love to hear what you think and have you post on Facebook to share you photos.
jen says
Love a good recipe like this that an inept cook such as myself can do...
Angela says
Ah Jen, give yourself credit - you can totally do this and I am sure you are better than you think in the kitchen.
Tricia Snow says
Shortribs are one of my favorite meals! I can't wait to try it! Thanks!
Melissa Parcel says
Cooking any type of ribs in the Instant Pot has been a game changer for me! So amazingly tender!
Angela says
You need to try these, they are amazing and fancy enough for company (when you do not want to use your hands to eat other types of ribs)
Kendra says
Short ribs are one of my all time favorite comfort meals. This looks amazing! I also learned something I didn't know about the Instant Pot. I had no idea you could adjust the temperature on the Saute setting. Doh! Game changer! Thank you. 🙂
Angela says
Great to learn something new!
J says
Would like to make this tonight, but I need to know a couple of things. Can I use more beef stock/broth instead of the wine? Secondly, can I use corn starch or Wondra instead of tapioca? I have no interest in purchasing something I'll never use again after one use.
Angela says
Yes, great questions. You can absolutely make both of those substitutions. It may be a bit saltier due to the doubling of the broth vs wine so taste test to be sure it is ok for you before you try and add any additional seasoning when you serve it.
Robin says
This looks amazing! I can't wait to get an instant pot!
Jody says
The instant pot is a life saver and you can cook so much in them this looks yummy.
Lisa Manderino says
I love using the instant pot and this recipe looks amazing!
Amy says
I love my Instant Pot. This sounds delicious, and perfect for a busy night!
Jen says
Looks delicious! I will have to try this!
Melissa Jones says
Thanks for sharing! I'm always looking for new things for our Insta Pot!
Suzan says
Another great recipe...now to get an IP 🙂
Lisa says
Oh my goodness these look amazing! We will definitely give them a try.
judean says
While I am not keen on short ribs. my husband would love these and he loves the instant pot! I'm sharing this with him.
Angela says
Great, I hope he loves this.
Ramae Hamrin says
These look delicious, and I don't think I've ever had short ribs! I use my instant pots for everything these days except fish and pasta.
Maria Gustafsson says
I have got to unpack my brand new Instant Pot and get to using it.
Angela says
Yes you do!
Heather says
I love ribs! I have an Instant Pot but struggle with using it. I think I will break it out and give these a try. Do you make a lot of things with your Instant Pot?
Angela says
I do not make a ton of things with the Instant Pot but for some things it really makes sense. I can do huge artichokes for 1/2 the time it takes on the stovetop. I also like it for potatoes, stews, and anytime I want the meat to be super tender and slow-cooked. I will say I am not a fan of a lot of the saucy meat dishes, such as chicken stir fry etc. They are just too "soupy" to me. Get yours out and try this one, you will be happy you did!
Kathy Phillips says
This recipe sounds amazing. It looks so good. I can't wait to try it. Thanks
Malia says
Ok, I really need to get on the instapot bandwagon. This recipe looks delicious and so easy! I would try tweak it a bit to use seitan and veg broth, but I bet it would be just as easy!
Christina Furnival says
This looks mouthwateringly delicious!
Lisa says
I've been looking for more recipes for my instant pot! Thank you!!! This looks delicious.
Angela says
You found a great one!
Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says
With winter closing in, this looks like a perfect warming meal. Love that it's little effort too! #whatsfordinner
Lina Thao says
Thanks for sharing! I need to use my Instant Pot more often and this is perfect.
Karla Petersen says
Another mouth watering recipe! I have not used an instant pot yet. I haven't done the research to see if I can feed 8 people out of one pot. But I live by my slow cooker... I have a large one! Is the slow cooker version on your blog somewhere?
Angela says
NOt for this but I will try a slow cooker version soon as this is so good.
Cindy says
Isn’t the instant pot amazing?’ I use mine almost daily. I love how it saves me time and creates healthy meals in minutes.
Pauline says
These look delicious. I have fallen in love with my Instant Pot. I'll have to try these when the weather is cooler.
Chris says
Looks amazing! I can't wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing it.
T.M. Brown says
Oh, that looks mouth-watering!! I seriously need to get myself an Instant Pot!!! (going on the Christmas List)
Julie says
I have to admit I'm a little afraid of my pressure cooker. But I can't wait to try this short rib recipe and I love the reduction in time it takes to make them. I may just take you up on that suggestion and go get a pedicure!
Angela says
Sounds great! Nothing better than a great home-cooked meal while you are getting pampered.
Miz Helen says
Your Instant Pot Short Ribs with Gravy look fantastic, we will really enjoy your recipe! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday and come back to see us soon!
Miz Helen
Dee | Grammy's Grid says
Looks yummy!! Thanks so much for linking up with me at #AThemedLinkup 12 for Crock Pot and Instant Pot Recipes, open February 28 to March 10. All entries shared on social media if share buttons installed. My Unlimited Monthly Party 10 is open March 1 to 26 if you’d like to link up for more views and shares. Won’t you join me at my Short Story Prompt Party for fun and creativity? Open March 2 to 9. Just start typing, see what you come up with! Remember, no story is too short! The prompt is: I woke from a long nap to see…
Dee | Grammy's Grid says
CONGRATS! Your post is FEATURED at #AThemedLinkup 13 for Vegan Recipes from my previous linkup for Crock Pot and Instant Pot Recipes! Party open March 15 to 25.
Angela says
Great thank you!
Beth Shields says
This looks delicious. Haven't tried doing this setting before. Saving for the fall. Recipe pinned.
Angela says
Comfort food at it's best!
Jasper says
I have to say this was a very easy recipe and it exceeded our expectations. I accidentally bought boneless short ribs instead of boneless tri tip at Costco. I had no idea what to make so I am glad I found this recipe. I will accidentally buy short ribs more often.
Angela says
Oh, I love happy accidents. I am so glad you found this recipe and something new to love.