Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu is ready in just one hour and it’s so easy to make! With simple ingredients and tender beef, the rich and flavorful sauce is truly the perfect winter meal. Serve it on pasta, mashed potatoes, gnocchi, and more.

about this instant pot short rib ragu recipe

Who in their right mind could turn down a warm bowl full of short rib ragu?

To me, this is 100% the perfect winter meal whether it’s a cozy weeknight dinner or a special occasion meal (kind of like how I feel about Instant Pot Pot Roast). Making a great ragu is usually something so time-intensive. However, with the Instant Pot, a 3 hour+ project turns into a meal that you can get on the table in an hour.

With all the rich and hearty flavor you love, it’s ideal on a cold night in the dead of winter.

Speaking of which, our family has taken a vote and we are ready for no more snow in February. Anyone else?

This short rib ragu sauce takes your favorite pasta to a whole new level of deliciousness! It’s luscious, it’s decadent, and it’s totally warming. If I had to pick one ultimate comfort food meal to live off for the rest of winter, trust me, this would definitely be it. With all the Italian flavors you love, it’ll become your favorite too!

here’s why you should make beef short rib ragu

As someone who loves Italian food in all forms, I cannot begin to explain all of my love for this particular dish. Here are just a few reasons why you and your family are sure to fall in love with it:

• Depth of flavor – Ragu is a term that is used to describe an Italian meat sauce that’s been simmered slowly. While this is the traditional way to make the recipe, you can get that same slow-simmered flavor from the Instant Pot in much less time! Don’t worry, though. For you traditionalists out here, I’ve included instructions to make the recipe on the stovetop in the recipe card below.
• Rich and comforting – when you are looking for a comfort food, you want something that is both rich and hearty. This dish has that covered with braised beef short ribs, an assortment of vegetables, aromatics, tomatoes, and red wine. The layers of flavor that develop as it cooks are ideal for serving with your favorite pasta.
• Ideal for a gathering – whenever I host, I want to bring out a meal that is flavorful, but also one that won’t keep me in the kitchen for hours. I don’t want to be exhausted by cooking before my guests even arrive! Therefore this is a fantastic solution for a dinner party or a special occasion. It tastes special enough for an celebration, but takes much less time and effort than other ragu recipes.

why should I use the Instant Pot?

Rich and hearty beef short ribs are usually slowly braised with vegetables, aromatics, tomatoes, fresh herbs and a bit of red wine. Typically these fall-apart tender short ribs are slowly cooked for hours. While I love to slowly cook meals in the winter, I rarely actually have the time to make those recipes on a weekly basis.

To me, comfort food should be easily accessible, even if it is tender braised short ribs. Therefore, I decided to use the Instant Pot to make this recipe more approachable on a weeknight for any busy family.

Not to mention, it also is a real showstopper of a recipe so it can be an easy way to host a dinner party without putting too much stress on yourself!

Like so many traditional Italian recipes, this one is easy and straightforward to prepare. The only difference is that the entire mixture is cooked under pressure instead of being slowly braised on the stovetop or in the oven!

ingredients

short ribs. You can use either bone-in or boneless beef short ribs for this recipe. Bone-in tend to have more flavor, but boneless short ribs are less work since you don’t have to worry about removing the bones after cooking.

salt and pepper. Use coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to season the short ribs.

oil. Either canola oil or olive oil will work in this recipe.

vegetables. The variety of vegetables used in this recipe really build the flavor of the sauce. You will need a yellow onion (you can use white, but yellow has a nice sweet flavor), shallot (don’t skip this!), 2 carrots, and 2 sticks of celery.

garlic. Garlic is a must for EVERYTHING, so I have a jar of minced garlic living in my fridge at all times. No smelly hands, no peeling garlic. The best shortcut to pay for, in my opinion.

tomato paste. I highly recommend buying your tomato paste in a tube instead of a can! The flavor is better (less tin-y) and it lasts so much longer.

red wine. Reach for a dry red wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir.

crushed tomatoes. Use plain crushed tomatoes for this recipe, but you can also use 100% tomato puree if that’s all you have on hand.

beef stock. The richness of the beef stock is what creates the best flavor for this ragu!

spices and herbs. You will need bay leaves, dried basil, and sprigs of fresh thyme for this recipe.

Don’t forget the pasta for serving! I recommend pappardelle pasta, it’s the ideal pairing.

this recipe’s must haves

To make this short rib ragu sauce, you will need an Instant Pot! I love my Instant Pot Duo Crisp Ultimate Lid – it’s officially my favorite Instant Pot model ever. The Instant Pot Duo and Instant Pot Pro are also solid options.

You’ll also need a cutting board and chef’s knife to prep the ingredients for the recipe.

For cooking, I make sure to have tongs and a wooden spoon.

instant pot favorites

Instant Pot Duo Crisp Ultimate Lid

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Instant Pot Duo

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Instant Pot Pro

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here’s how to make instant pot short rib ragu

sauté

Trim the short ribs, pat them dry with paper towels, and season short ribs well with salt and pepper.

Turn on the Instant Pot to Sauté and heat oil. Once oil is hot, add short ribs and brown them on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the browned short ribs to a plate and set aside.

Add in onion, shallot, carrots, and celery. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant.

deglaze

What does “deglaze” mean? The term “deglaze” is used to describe the process of adding liquid to a pan to loosen the browned bits at the bottom. By adding in the wine and tomato paste, steam is created which helps you scrape up those browned bits that hold so much flavor.

Stir in tomato paste and red wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the insert.

Turn off the Instant Pot and add in tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaves, thyme, and dried basil. Stir to combine.

Add the short ribs to the mixture, nestling them into the sauce.

pressure cook

Seal and cook on High pressure for 35 minutes.

Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure.

Remove the meat to a cutting board.

Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, as well as any bones and fatty parts of the meat that ay have fallen off if you are using bone-in short ribs.

shred meat

Shred the meat using two forks.

While you are shredding the meat, set the Instant Pot to the Sauté setting. Let the sauce reduce until thickened.

Add meat back to the sauce and bring to a simmer.

Add in cooked pasta and toss for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot and serve.

tips for success

don’t forget to scrape the bottom. If you are already familiar with the Instant Pot, you know that you need to scrape any browned bits off the bottom to avoid the infamous “burn” warning. In Step 4, when you add the tomato paste and red wine, it’s time to deglaze and scrape up any browned bits. Use a wooden spoon as its the best tool for the job!

don’t worry about cooking the short ribs through right away. You don’t need to cook the short ribs all the way through when you brown them! They will fully cook during the pressure cooking time.

other cooking methods. This short rib ragu can be made in a large dutch oven over the stovetop and also in a slow cooker! I’ve noted the instructions at the bottom of the recipe card below in detail.

More tasty instant pot recipes to dive into: Instant Pot Pulled Pork | Instant Pot Pumpkin Chicken Curry | Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup | Instant Pot Carne Asada Chili

should I use boneless or bone-in short ribs?

You can use either in this recipe! If you use bone-in, you will need about 2 lbs. If you use boneless, use 1 3/4 to 2 lbs. Finally, don’t forget to remove the bones at the end of cooking when you remove the meat to shred it!

what kind of wine goes in short rib ragu?

I recommend using a dry red wine. Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Cabarnet Sauvignon are the ones I usually turn to. You can also use a Zinfandel or Shiraz!

Note that the alcohol will cook out of the wine as the sauce cooks. However, if you want to avoid using red wine, you can use beef broth in its place in this recipe.

do I have to sear the short ribs before pressure cooking?

In a short answer, yes. Taking the time to brown the short ribs in the Instant Pot is a step that adds a ton of flavor to the sauce. The short ribs get a gorgeous brown crust on the outside when seared, which gives the meat a deeper flavor. In addition, the browning process leaves little browned bits on the bottom of the insert. There’s a lot of flavor in all those bits as well!

Do not skip this step when you are making this recipe. It’s the base of the sauce and it is well worth the time it takes to sear them.

can I make this instant pot short rib ragu ahead of time?

You certainly can! This recipe is ideal for making ahead and storing in the fridge, or freezing. If you are making it ahead, you can store the sauce in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days. Simply heat it up and toss with your favorite pasta. See my notes in the recipe card below for more detailed information on how to store.

what does the term “ragu” even mean?

Ragu is one of those terms that I didn’t know the definition for until I lived in Italy for a few months. Originally, I thought it meant the brand (yikes, right?), because any ragu cooked in my house was always called “meat sauce” when I was growing up.

Still wondering what ragu means? As I describe earlier in the post, in very brief terms, a ragu is a term used to describe a slowly cooked Italian meat sauce. Usually ragu is served with pasta, gnocchi, or over a heap of polenta.

Any ragu will be a very flavorful and rich recipe that simmers meat in a marinara or tomato sauce. The sauce is all about the meat! You could make a ragu with beef, pork, duck, lamb, or wild board. However, there are now vegetarian options that can be made with mushrooms or eggplant!

what’s the best pasta to serve with ragu?

When you are serving a meaty sauce like this, keep in mind that you want a thicker or wider pasta. Thinner pasta is best served with lighter sauces. With a ragu, the meat sauce is quite hearty, but it is also heavy.

My favorite pasta to use is pappardelle. It’s a wide noodle that is made with more egg and has a delicious flavor and texture. You could allso use fettuccine or bucatini for a long pasta.

If you like a shorter pasta, I recommend using rigatoni or orecchiette. Ideally you want a shape that will be able to hold little pieces of meat so you can get all that deliciousness in every single bite.

Other serving ideas include gnocchi or polenta!

Need more inspiration for pasta dishes? Check out my pasta recipes page!

what to serve with instant pot short rib ragu

When serving this instant pot short rib ragu, make sure that you reach for your favorite pasta! I personally love to use pappardelle! You can also use spaghetti, linguine, gnocchi, etc. This dish also works well when spooned over mashed potatoes if you want to go that route.

Make sure that you have crusty bread to sop up the rest of the sauce in your dish, like my easiest no knead overnight bread! It’s the best pairing, especially when said bread is spread with some really high-quality butter and a sprinkle of fleur de sel.

Finally, if you want a little something more, I recommend either serving this with a side salad or a side of green vegetables:

Spicy Sweet Roasted Broccolini

Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Bacon Cranberry Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

For dessert, try stuffed baked apples filled with dates and granola or a truly decadent white chocolate cheesecake for a stunning finish to the meal.

how to store and reheat

Store. This sauce can be made up to 4 to 5 days ahead of time. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container and placing in the refrigerator. The flavor actually gets even better the longer it sits!

Reheat. Heat it up either on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until warmed through. Toss with your favorite pasta and serve with parmesan cheese.

Freeze. Place cooled short rib ragu in a freezer-safe container. I personally like to freeze mine in smaller portions for quick individual meals in the future. To serve, thaw the sauce in the refrigerator overnight, and then warm through completely on the stovetop or in the microwave. Toss with your favorite pasta and serve!

Finally, if you make this instant pot short rib ragu, please be sure to give this recipe a rating or leave a comment! I love to hear when you all make recipes, and I do take the time to respond to every single comment. Feel free to drop questions below too, if you have them!

Oh and be sure to tag me on Instagram if you make the recipe! I love being able to see these recipes come to life in your homes – it’s my favorite thing to look through those photos. It really means the world to me!