Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (2024)

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This Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù is everything you want in a Sunday pasta sauce: Rich, decadent, and zero percent fussy. It was made for Pappardelle, but Gnocchi or Polenta go just as well with the sauce. And it was made for leftovers, because it tastes even better on the next day!

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (1)

Can you really resist a lush, thick, simmered bowl of Ragù over pasta? I definitely can’t. The making, the eating, the feeling of actually having my life together and being a good adult/mother/person… Just an all-around wonderful dish.

And while short ribs are most definitely a food that needed redemption from my childhood days, I’m happy to report that this is it. And I would gladly eat it any day of the week.

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (2)

Ingredient notes

  • Short ribs: If you can’t source short ribs, this also works great with beef shank or oxtail.
  • Red wine: I recommend a hearty red wine for this recipe. I used a Merlot because that was a decent one I had on hand (and it works great!), but a Chianti would be great.
  • Pecorino cheese: This is for serving, feel free to use parmesan in place of the pecorino, if you can’t find any.
  • Fresh herbs: I absolutely recommend you use plenty of fresh parsley on the finished dish – it adds a nice freshness and cuts the richness of the sauce. If you don’t have dried thyme, however, feel free to substitute 1 teaspoon dried.
  • Pappardelle: This sauce really works with any robust pasta shape – rigatoni or Mafaldine are great. But like I said, it’s also great over creamy polenta or with gnocchi.

How to make Short Rib Ragù

1. You start by seasoning the short ribs with salt and pepper.

You can trim off the fat, but I find it’s easier (and more flavorful/the meat is more tender) to leave it on for the pressure cooking, and then skim most of the fat off the top once the pressure cooking is done. Your call!

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (3)

2. Then, brown them in your instant pot on sauté until they’ve got that lovely crisp on them. The meat doesn’t have to be cooked through at this point, it just has to be browned on the outside.

You’ll want to do the browning in two batches, to give the meat enough space.

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (4)
Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (5)

3. Once you remove the meat and set it aside, you’ll sauté this whole onion/celery/carrot situation.

4. Then, you’ll want to stir in the tomato paste until it’s coating the vegetables (don’t burn it though!), then pour in the red wine and simmer until the wine has reduced while scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.

This is called deglazing if you want to get all fancy with your cooking terms.

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (8)
Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (9)

5. Finally, stir in the tomatoes and beef broth. Add the short ribs, you’ll want to make sure they are mostly submerged in the liquids. Add the bay leaves and thyme and you’re ready for the pressure cooking!

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (10)
Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (11)

6. We’re in the home stretch now! You’ll want to get every last bit of meat/bone/beefy thing out of the instant pot.

Then, skim the fat off the top if you didn’t trim it off beforehand (I remove between 1 and 1.5 cups of oily fat from the top with the help of the ladle that came with the instant pot – it’s easy peasy and works very well).

7. Set the instant pot to sauté to allow the sauce to reduce and thicken as you remove the bones from the meat and shred it.

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (12)
Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (13)

8. You’ll want to stir the sauce from time to time to keep it from burning. It will take about 10-15 minutes to reduce to a thick, luscious sauce you add the shredded meat to.

9. Finally, very important if you’re serving your Short Rib Ragù with pasta: You must toss the almost-done pasta in the sauce with the instant pot on sauté. Keep tossing that pasta in the sauce for 1-2 minutes until it’s coated. Perfection!

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (14)

Recipe tips

  • You don’t need to cook through the short ribs when you brown them, they will fully cook during the pressure cooking time. You just want to get a nice color and a crispness on them.
  • If you want to avoid alcohol, replace the wine with additional beef broth (you’ll also want to reduce the 1 cup of beef broth you’re using in place of the wine first before adding the crushed tomatoes and additional broth).
  • Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. I reheat them as a pasta casserole with some added tomato sauce if needed (eg if the pasta feels dry) and add some cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes at 400°F, or until fully heated.
  • You can also freeze the Ragù without the pasta for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and then reheat gently on the stove with some extra broth added.
Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (15)

Other cooking methods

Oven: Prepare the recipe in a large Dutch oven. Instead of pressure cooking, place it in a 325°F oven for 2-3 hours.

Finish the recipe on the stove (the reducing etc).

Be VERY careful when removing the Dutch oven from the oven. It’s hot, and so is the lid. Always use oven gloves while handling it afterwards, and keep kids and pets at a safe distance (eg do not serve the Ragù from the pot on the table).

Slow cooker: Do all of the sautéing and wine reducing in a Dutch oven or large pot on the stove. Transfer everything to a large (about 6 quart) slow cooker.

Instead of pressure cooking, cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

You can either reduce the sauce by switching the slow cooker to HIGH and leaving the lid off, or transfer the sauce VERY carefully to a pot to reduce and simmer on the stove.

More pasta recipes

  • One Pot Rigatoni Bolognese
  • Baked Feta Pasta with Olives and Capers
  • Easy Italian Meatballs
  • Vegetarian Mushroom Stroganoff

PSIf you try this recipe, please leavea review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along onPinterest,FacebookorInstagram.

Yield: 6 servings

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (20)

his Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù is everything you want in a Sunday pasta sauce: Rich, decadent, and zero percent fussy.

Prep Time30 minutes

Pressure Cooking35 minutes

Extra Time45 minutes

Total Time1 hour 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lb bone-in beef short rib, cut into 8 pieces
  • 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
  • cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small-medium yellow onion, peeled and finely diced (about ¾ cup)
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced (about 1 ¼ cups)
  • 3 sticks celery, trimmed and finely diced (about ½ cup)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomato
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1.5 lb pappardelle pasta, cooked according to package directions just before serving
  • fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
  • grated Pecorino cheese, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Season beef with salt and pepper all over.
  2. Set instant pot to "sauté" and add olive oil. Brown beef in two batches until crispy-browned, about 3 minutes on either side (meat doesn't need to be cooked through yet). Remove to a plate and set aside.
  3. Place onion, carrots, celery and garlic in instant pot. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste until vegetabels are coated.
  4. Pour red wine into instant pot, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Simmer for a few minutes, until wine has reduced.
  5. Switch off instant pot. Stir tomatoes and beef broth into pot. Add meat back in, making sure it is mostly submerged in liquid. Add bay leaves and thyme.
  6. Close lid, setting the valve to the "seasaling" position. Choose "stew" setting (pressure cook for 35 minutes). Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure manually.
  7. Open lid and remove all of the beef to a plate. If you didn't trim the fat off your short ribs before cooking, skim as much oil off the top of the sauce as you like (I remove about 1 cup with the ladle that came with my instant pot - it's quick and easy).
  8. Set the instant pot to sauté to simmer and reduce the sauce. In the meantime, remove all bones, skin tissue and rendered fatty parts from the beef. Shred the meat.
  9. Once the sauce has reduced and is nice and thick (this takes about 10-15 minutes), return shredded beef to sauce and stir well.
  10. Add pappardelle to the pot, tossing as the sauce simmers. Toss for 1-2 minutes, until pasta is covered in shiny sauce. Serve immediately with chopped parsley and grated pecorino cheese.

Notes

Ingredient notes

  • Short ribs: If you can’t source short ribs, this also works great with beef shank or oxtail.
  • Red wine: I recommend a hearty red wine for this recipe. I used a Merlot because that was a decent one I had on hand (and it works great!), but a Chianti would be perfect.
  • Pecorino cheese: This is for serving, feel free to use parmesan in place of the pecorino, if you can’t find any.
  • Fresh herbs: I absolutely recommend you use plenty of fresh parsley on the finished dish – it adds a nice freshness and cuts the richness of the sauce. If you don’t have dried thyme, however, feel free to substitute 1 teaspoon dried.
  • Pappardelle: This sauce really works with any robust pasta shape – rigatoni or Mafaldine are great. But like I said, it’s also great over creamy polenta or with gnocchi.

Recipe tips

  • You don’t need to cook through the short ribs when you brown them, they will fully cook during the pressure cooking time. You just want to get a nice color and a crispness on them.
  • If you want to avoid alcohol, replace the wine with additional beef broth (you’ll also want to reduce the 1 cup of beef broth you’re using in place of the wine first before adding the crushed tomatoes and additional broth).
  • Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. I reheat them as a pasta casserole with some added tomato sauce if needed (eg if the pasta feels dry) and add some cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes at 400°F, or until fully heated.
  • You can also freeze the Ragù without the pasta for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and then reheat gently on the stove with some extra broth added.

Other cooking methods

Oven: Prepare the recipe in a large Dutch oven. Instead of pressure cooking, place it in a 325°F oven for 2-3 hours.

Finish the recipe on the stove (the reducing etc).

Be VERY careful when removing the Dutch oven from the oven. It's hot, and so is the lid. Always use oven gloves while handling it afterwards, and keep kids and pets at a safe distance (eg do not serve the Ragù from the pot on the table).


Slow cooker: Do all of the sautéing and wine reducing in a Dutch oven or large pot on the stove. Transfer everything to a large (about 6 quart) slow cooker.

Instead of pressure cooking, cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

You can either reduce the sauce by switching the slow cooker to HIGH and leaving the lid off, or transfer the sauce VERY carefully to a pot to reduce and simmer on the stove.

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragù Recipe - Savory Nothings (2024)

FAQs

Why is my short ribs tough in the Instant Pot? ›

If the short ribs are not cooked for long enough, they might have a tough texture, so don't short-change the cooking time. Also, be sure to let the Instant Pot naturally release pressure before using the quick-release to let out any remaining pressure to retain maximum moisture and tenderness.

Does short rib get more tender the longer it cooks? ›

Either way, short ribs require long, slow cooking for tender results because they start out so tough. That's why braised short ribs are common. When shopping for short ribs, look for pieces that are meaty—there should be more meat than fat, and the meat should cover the bone.

Why are my braised short ribs tough? ›

If they aren't braised long enough, they can be super tough to eat; if they are cooked too long, the meat will just fall apart. The key to preparing short ribs is to cook them until they reach a point that is just before they would fall apart.

How do you make short ribs less tough? ›

A meat tenderizer doesn't do much for ribs, especially pork ribs. The problem is the amount of collagen. The best way, in fact the only way I know for sure, it to cook them low and slow. You can use the oven, braise them in a slow cooker, smoke them in a smoker, or even cook them indirectly on a grill.

Is it better to slow cook or pressure cook ribs? ›

Nothing that a little sauce can't fix, and it does mean you get more of the pork flavor, but they're not as nuanced. And the winner is: The slow cooker, but just by a hair (by a rib?). If you're pressed for time, pressure cooker is the way to go.

What makes short ribs tender? ›

When properly braised, the otherwise-tough meat of short ribs becomes soft, tender, and delectably gelatinous. That texture, combined with the deep, warm sauce in which they braise, is a perfect recipe for wintertime comfort. Oh, and we're not talking about the short short ribs, either.

Can you put too much liquid in short ribs? ›

Short ribs that are cooked completely submerged in liquid will come out with a thin, watery sauce, while those cooked in just a thin layer of liquid—enough to provide a moist environment under your Dutch oven's lid—will produce a rich, flavorful sauce.

Are short ribs better in the oven or pressure cooker? ›

Short ribs are one of the best cuts of beef to cook in a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot ~ it cooks ribs to fall off the bone tender in about 1/3 the time you'd need in a conventional oven.

Why do you rinse short ribs? ›

When the butcher cuts through bone, there is always a lot of bone fragments and sediment that sticks on to the meat. You do not want to eat this so that is why you always rinse off beef short ribs after they are cut.

Is it possible to over braise short ribs? ›

Don't Overcook the Beef.

Believe it or not, it is possible to braise short ribs for too long.

What is the difference between short ribs and braising ribs? ›

Butchers cut beef short ribs in two dominant fillets: flanken and English. We also know flanken short ribs as crosscut ribs, kosher ribs, and Korean-style ribs. Chefs may refer to English cut short ribs as braising ribs, barbeque ribs, or fancy cut ribs because of the dense slab of meat perched atop their bones.

Should short ribs be submerged when braising? ›

Add the ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add the thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid. 6Cover with the lid and place the Dutch oven in the oven. Cook at 350°F for 2 hours, then reduce the heat to 325°F and cook for 30 to 45 minutes more.

How to tell when braised short ribs are done? ›

Beef ribs are fully cooked at 160–165 F. However, they are not tender until 205–210 F.

How do you fix chewy short ribs? ›

How to Fix Dry, Chewy Ribs. Moist, gentle heat and a wet vinegary sauce can save dry ribs. Here's what to do: Make a 50/50 mixture of your favorite BBQ sauce and apple cider vinegar and coat the ribs in this mixture. Then wrap the ribs tightly in foil and put them in a low oven (say 300°F) for about an hour.

Why are my short ribs not tender in a slow cooker? ›

Slow-Cooker Short Ribs Tips

Braise short ribs for six to eight hours in a slow cooker set on low. Don't try to speed up the cooking process. Short ribs can become tough and chewy if they're cooked too quickly.

How to make the Best Instant Pot Short Ribs ...The Flavor Benderhttps://www.theflavorbender.com ›

Making Instant Pot Short Ribs couldn't be easier! Try this recipe for tender, succulent, fall off the bone braised short ribs, made even more delicious with...
Making short ribs in the Instant Pot is not only quicker than a traditional braise, but they turn out more perfectly than any other way I've tried. You'...
A chef friend of mine recently propositioned me to cook up a "family-style" meal for some of our cooking colleagues. We happened to have some short ri...

How do you fix tough meat in an Instant Pot? ›

If it's still tough, you will need to cook it longer. The pressure cooking process breaks down tough meat, making it tender. Put the lid back on, seal the pressure cooker, and cook at high pressure for another 10 to 20 minutes. The provided nutrition facts are estimates.

Why is my pork tough in Instant Pot? ›

Can You Overcook Pork in the Instant Pot? It is more common to undercook pork in the Instant Pot than overcook it. If the meat seems tough, it is most likely undercooked and needs additional time.

How do I stop my ribs from being tough? ›

Pretty much every rib recipe out there calls for using a low and slow, indirect grilling method. Grilling them over direct, high heat is a great way to overcook them and have them turn out tough. Indirect, low heat will help create tender meat that will easily tear off of the bone.

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