Best Damn Instant Pot Short Ribs

With a rich, savory sauce, these Instant Pot short ribs are so tender and delicious, you can’t believe they’re this easy to make. This recipe has instantly become a favorite and I think you’ll love it too.

What Are Short Ribs?

If you’re not familiar with short ribs, they’re cuts of beef taken from the chuck area of the cattle. They’re very popular in slow cooker recipes and now we can make the most amazing short ribs in our Instant Pot pressure cooker in a fraction of the time of a slow cooker.

For this recipe we’ll use boneless beef short ribs. You’ll want to make sure the package clearly says beef short ribs and not country ribs, which can look very similar. You will also want to look for short ribs that are well marbled. Short ribs that are too lean can often come out dry. The marbled fat will provide a tenderness and juiciness that’s simply awesome with this recipe.

We’ll start by seasoning our short ribs with some salt and pepper and browning them in a tablespoon of olive oil. Let them get a good sear for about 5 minutes and don’t touch them! Then flip them over and sear for an additional 3 minutes. This is the first step in building our flavor base. Next we’ll remove the short ribs to a plate, then add onion, celery, carrots and garlic powder to the pot and and saute for 5 minutes. By now, there should be some stuck on bits on the bottom of the pot which is loaded with flavor! Pour the broth into the pot and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon. This is called deglazing and it’s a big part of the flavor profile for the recipe.

Awesome Sauce

Our sauce is made with chicken broth and red wine vinegar as the base. Feel free to use a real red wine such as merlot as a substitute for the red wine vinegar. You can also use cranberry juice as a substitute. Place the short ribs back into the pot and add the red wine vinegar (or it’s substitute) and the oregano. Secure the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. When the cooking time is up, let the pressure naturally release for at least 15 minutes before quick releasing any remaining pressure.

Time to Rest and Thicken the Sauce

Carefully remove the lid after the pressure is released and the pin drops. Remove the short ribs to plate and cover with foil. Set the Instant pot to saute mode and stir in the butter. While the sauce is simmering, make a cornstarch slurry in a separate small bowl or cup by using 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water. Mix it well and then slowly pour it into the simmering sauce. Continuing simmering for a couple of minutes and sauce will thicken.

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