These Rustic Instant Pot Short Ribs are an easy, delicious dinner alternative that will surely impress everyone at your kitchen table!
This was the first dish I made for the Fall season because I couldn’t think of any better way to ring it in than with a hearty serving of rustic instant pot short ribs. Short ribs are one of those proteins that I will ALWAYS order off a menu or admire when a friend makes them for dinner. For some reason, they’ve always intimidated me. The process of getting that perfectly flaky meat with the perfect robust seasoning/sauce seemed …like magic. THEN, when I was dreaming up our first Fed & Fit recipe for the month of October, I decided that it’s high-time I pull on my big girl pants and learn how to short-rib.
Boy Howdy was I surprised by how easy these were to pull together! I opted for a “rustic” flavor profile (vs. Asian, a close runner up) because I just needed something with rosemary and balsamic vinegar.
They come together so easily, especially if you own an Instant Pot. If you DON’T own an Instant Pot and you have no idea what that is, allow me to introduce you …to the most revolutionary kitchen gadget since the single-serving blender (aka. the Nutra Bullet). The Instant Pot is a branded multi-cooker, but it’s not just ANY multi-cooker. It’s the BEST multi-cooker I’ve ever gotten my hands on. With the touch of a few buttons, you can sear, pressure cook, slow cook, and keep warm. As much as I love my stove-friendly slow-cooker, the Instant Pot allows me to make certain dishes (ahem, short ribs) that have the perfect NOT over-cooked texture. The slow cooker is ideal (in my opinion) for meats that we want to shred: chicken taco meat, slow cooker barbacoa, pulled pork for nachos, corned beef, etc. The Instant Pot, however, still saves us time/energy, allows us to build big flavor, but does so in a way that we can fine-tune our desired end texture.
To make these Instant Pot Short Ribs, we start off by browning the ribs in a little fat via the “sear” button on the Instant Pot. Once the meat is nicely browned, we add in the sauce ingredients (red wine, vinegar, other yummy things), secure the lid, and let the pot do its magic. While the pressure cooker cooks, I recommend whipping up some mashed potatoes to serve these ribs on top of! I have a recipe for “old fashioned mashed potatoes” in my Fed & Fit Book, if you’re looking for a slam-dunk (page. 289).
Once they’re done, scoop out your prized short ribs and BEHOLD your awesome food transformation powers. Place a few of those tasty morsels on top of a scoop of potatoes, add an extra spoonful of that magical sauce, and enjoy.
Instant Pot Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 3 pounds short ribs
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup red wine
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons or 1 lemon juiced
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprigs sage
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to ‘saute’ mode and add ghee.
- Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Once ghee is melted, add short ribs to the Instant pot to brown, 4-5 minutes per side. You will need to work in 2-3 batches to make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Once the short ribs are browned, remove them from the pan and add the garlic, and saute until fragrant.
- Next, add the red wine, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Then, add the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. Add the short ribs back to the pot along with the rosemary and sage.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set it to “manual” and adjust to 45 minutes. Let the pressure release for about 15-20 minutes, then open the pot.
- Serve!
Recipe Notes
- Pat ribs dry with paper towels.
- Rub with salt and pepper.
- Lay meat-side up in slow cooker {or crockpot}.
- Pour the remaining ingredients over the ribs and cook on high for 7-8 hours.
Nutrition
Is there a recommended red wine for this recipe?
Hi Cameron! Any dry, red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Zinfandels, Merlots, Pinot Noir, etc.) will work great! -Team FF
Another fabulous recipe…thank you!
Awesome! So glad to hear that, Michelle. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Can’t wait to make these tomorrow night! If I have more than 3 pounds(closer to 6) does that affect the cooking time? Thanks!
45 minutes should be fine, and I’d recommend doing natural release! If you open the pot and they still aren’t fall-apart tender, cook them for an additional 5-10 minutes.
My family LOVES these short ribs!! They are super easy and full of flavor! I make them pretty much every other Sunday and it satisfies my bodybuilder family. Thanks for this recipe!
What would the directions be for a regular crockpot?
I would go ahead and sear the short ribs then cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4.
Could you do these in a traditional pressure cooker? Would the time be the same?
I would think so, but we haven’t used a traditional pressure cooker before so I’m not positive on the time!
So I’m new to instant pot. When you say let the pressure release 15-20 mins what does that mean? Do i let it release naturally or turn that pressure to release at the top? Thanks!
Release naturally!
What is your estimated calorie count on this item?
Hello! I’m making these tomorrow night and I’m new to the IP world..can I do all the steps up until step 5 in the morning, pop it in the fridge and cook it when I get home to save time?
Thanks!
I think that browning the refrigerating and cooking the short ribs would be problematic from a food safety standpoint, BUT if you want to save time you could skip the browning step. This would yield a little less flavor but would still taste good!
Just did this recipe in IP for dinner tonight. Used boneless because the butcher did not have bone in. Cooked at the same time as recipe called for. My wife loved them; could not believe how tender and tasty they were. Definitely one that I will do again.
So glad you enjoyed it Wayne!!
What could I substitute for the red wine?
You could do 1/4th balsamic vinegar with 3/4’s broth
hi! Can we use boneless short ribs for this? would it reduce the cooking time?
I would still cook it for the same amount of time.
Would it be possible to cook in coconut oil! My wife and I keep kosher in our house so I can’t use ghee and cook for her. *tear*.
You can! Coconut oil is a one-for-one substitute for any savory dish on my blog. Hope that helps!