The Best Instant Pot Short Ribs Recipe

Name: Instant Pot Short Ribs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil (divided); 8 bone-in short ribs; salt and pepper; 1 large yellow onions (chopped); 2 large carrots (peeled and chopped); 2 ribs celery (chopped); 2 tablespoons garlic minced; ½ cup dry red wine (see note); 1 cup low-sodium beef broth; 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, not ground thyme); 1 dried bay leaf; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 3 tablespoons cold water; 1-2 tablespoons of butter (optional)

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These Instant Pot Short Ribs will knock your socks off when it comes to flavor! Braised in a rich sauce, this easy Instant Pot Short Rib recipe delivers the most delectable, restaurant-quality, fall-off-the-bone short ribs!

Instant Pot short ribs plated on top of mashed potatoes with Instant Pot in background.

For years, I reserved short ribs as a meal to be enjoyed only when dining out, as they traditionally take hours to braise and become fall-apart tender. As a busy mom, it was just not something I had the margin of time to make often.

However, just like my recipes for Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa and Instant Pot Carnitas, with the Instant Pot, it is now possible for me (and you!) to enjoy restaurant favorites at home easily and with much less cooking time.

Reasons To Love Instant Pot Short Ribs

The Best Short Ribs Ever. The combination of wine, balsamic, and soy sauce adds the most nuanced layers of flavor, resulting in a rich decadent braising liquid that infuses the short ribs with incredible flavor. This recipe for Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs delivers the most flavorful short ribs I have ever enjoyed.
Restaurant-Quality Results with Ease. Instant Pot Short Ribs are not only the most succulent, best-tasting short ribs, but they are also the easiest to prepare and will deliver a restaurant-quality meal effortlessly at home.
Adaptable. This short rib recipe can easily be made gluten-free and dairy-free.

Notes on Ingredients

Ingredients for Beef Short Ribs Labeled on counter.

Short Ribs: You can use boneless, or bone-in short ribs, but I highly recommend bone-in beef short ribs for the most flavor. The bones will add so much richness to the dish.
Red Wine: Use a dry red wine that is suitable for drinking, such as Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet. While the wine adds a significant amount of flavor to the dish, feel free to use additional beef broth in place of the wine, if desired.
Aromatics: Onions, celery, carrots, and garlic work to build a rich, deep gravy that pairs beautifully with the short ribs.
Beef Broth: Use low-sodium beef broth or stock to control the level of sodium in the dish.
Balsamic Vinegar: The richness and balance the balsamic vinegar adds to the braising liquid is insane. Do not skip this crucial ingredient.
Soy Sauce: The soy sauce will add incredible umami flavor to the short ribs. Be sure to use reduced-sodium soy sauce to control the sodium in the dish.
Brown Sugar: A little bit of sugar goes a long way to balance out the acidity and saltiness in this recipe.
Fresh Thyme: Use fresh thyme for the best flavor. In a pinch, use fresh thyme leaves. Do not use ground thyme, as the flavor is not the same.
Cornstarch: To thicken up the braising liquid to make a rich, irresistible gravy.

How to Make Short Ribs in the Instant Pot

The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post or follow along as I make this dish in the video below.

Step One: Sear the Short Ribs. Using the saute function, sear seasoned short ribs in a bit of oil until brown and caramelized on each side. You will need to sear the short ribs in two batches. This will let the short ribs have room to brown and caramelize on each side. Once browned on each side, remove the short ribs from the inner pot and repeat the process.

2 pictures showing before and after searing short ribs in instant pot.

Step Two: Saute Aromatics. After searing the short ribs, add in the onions, carrots, and celery. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until the onions begin to soften. Once the onions are softened, add in the garlic and saute for just 30 seconds. We don't want to burn the garlic, so be sure to watch closely.

Onions, celery, carrots, and garlic in inner pot.

Step Three: Deglaze the Inner Pot. With the Instant Pot still on the saute function, add in ½ cup of red wine, or broth, and scrape up the browned bits of the bottom of the inner pot. Not only will this add flavor to the inner pot but will prevent a burn notice from happening. Let the wine cook for just a minute or two to allow the alcohol to cook off.

Step Four: Layer Ingredients. Add the beef broth, thyme, bay leaf, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and soy sauce to the inner pot and give it a good stir. Add the browned short ribs into the liquid, arranging them so that they are all evenly submerged in the liquid.

Seared beef short ribs in brasing liquid in inner pot.

Step Five: Pressure Cook. Seal the lid on the Instant Pot and set it to cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes. This is key to keeping your short ribs tender.

Short Ribs in inner pot of Instant Pot after pressure cooking.

Step Six: Thicken the Gravy. If you would like to thicken the sauce, which I highly, highly recommend, turn the Instant Pot back to saute after removing the short ribs from the inner pot. Whisk a cornstarch slurry into the cooking liquid. Let that cook for 2-4 minutes, or until thickened, whisking constantly. If desired, finish the sauce with a tablespoon or two of butter to amp up the lusciousness of the braising liquid.

Step Seven: Serve. Serve these wine-braised short ribs with Instant Pot mashed potatoes, stovetop mashed potatoes, or creamy grits to soak up all the delicious gravy.

Step-by-Step Video

If you learn better through visual videos, be sure to check out my YouTube video where I will walk you through how to make these Instant Pot Short Ribs in detail.

Short Ribs plated with Instant Pot in Background.

Recipe FAQs

How many short ribs per person should I plan on?

I typically plan on 2 short ribs per person, but they are very rich, and most often I personally only eat one short rib. However, leftovers never hurt!

Are the celery, onions, and carrots necessary?

I highly recommend using celery, onions, and carrots, otherwise known as a Mirepoix, as it helps to develop a really rich braising liquid and rich gravy.

Can this recipe be made dairy-free?

Absolutely! Simply omit adding the butter to the gravy. It is completely unnecessary.