These Instant Pot short ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender with a rich, savory gravy made with red wine, beef broth, mushrooms, and herbs. Pressure cooking gives you the deep flavor and tenderness of traditionally braised short ribs in about 90 minutes instead of several hours.
I brown the bone-in short ribs first, deglaze the pan with red wine, then pressure cook everything until the beef is exceptionally tender. The cooking liquid gets skimmed and thickened with potato starch into a silky gravy that's especially good over mashed potatoes or creamy polenta.
This is one of my family's favorite special-occasion dinners-we make it for Christmas, New Year's Eve, and birthdays-but it's just as good for a cozy weekend dinner. It also works especially well as a make-ahead meal because once the sauce chills, the rendered fat solidifies on top and is easy to remove before reheating.
Recipe Overview: Instant Pot Short Ribs
- ⭐⭐️ Difficulty: Moderate
- 🕒 Total Time: About 1½ hours
- 👥 Serves: 2 generous servings or 3 modest servings
- Flavor: Rich, savory + herbaceous
- Texture: Fall-off-the-bone tender
- Method: Brown + pressure cook
- Main Ingredient: Bone-in beef short ribs
- ✅ Diet: Gluten-free; easy dairy-free
⚠️ Most Important Tip: Brown the short ribs well before pressure cooking. The caramelized crust and browned bits left in the pan add much of the deep, braised flavor to the finished gravy.
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FEATURED REVIEW ★★★★★
These short ribs are so tender and this is the perfect holiday dinner! I'm glad I have leftovers 😋
- Jen
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Why This Recipe Works
- Pressure cooking replaces hours of braising. The short ribs cook under high pressure until exceptionally tender while the wine, broth, vegetables, and herbs create a deeply flavored braising liquid.
- Browning builds the flavor first. Searing the short ribs creates a caramelized crust and browned bits that get lifted from the pan when you deglaze with red wine.
- The braising liquid becomes the gravy. After cooking, the excess fat is skimmed and the flavorful liquid is thickened with potato starch instead of flour.
- It's particularly good made ahead. Once chilled, the rendered beef fat solidifies on top of the sauce, making it much easier to remove before reheating.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
You need 10 simple ingredients to make this easy Instant Pot Short Ribs recipe with red wine.
Bone-in Beef Short Ribs
This recipe is written for thick, meaty bone-in beef short ribs rather than thin cross-cut ribs. I use 2½ pounds. Because short ribs contain a significant amount of bone and fat, the edible yield is smaller than the package weight suggests. If serving hearty eaters, I recommend doubling this recipe to 5 pounds of short ribs.
Most grocery stores will carry them around the holidays, but you may want to call ahead to make sure they are in stock, especially at other times of the year. I usually get them directly from the butcher department.
A 6 quart Instant Pot can handle a double batch, and you don't need to change the cooking time. However, to ensure an extra tender batch, you can allow the pressure to release naturally for an extra 10 minutes.
Red Wine + Balsamic
Dry red wine deglazes the browned bits from the pan and adds depth to the gravy. The balsamic vinegar is optional, but I like the extra acidity and richness it adds.
Don't want to cook with wine? I've also made this without it; simply omit the wine and continue with the recipe.
Beef Broth + Potato Starch
Beef broth forms the base of the gravy, while potato starch thickens it without wheat flour. If you're cooking for someone with celiac disease, check the broth label carefully because some broths and bouillons contain gluten ingredients.
Vegetables, Herbs, + Aromatics
Onion, carrot, and mushrooms add flavor and body to the braising liquid. Garlic, thyme, and bay leaf give the gravy a classic braised-beef flavor without overpowering the short ribs.
Optional creamy gravy: Stir in heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk at the end. I use coconut milk for the dairy-free version; in this recipe, the finished gravy doesn't taste noticeably like coconut.
See the recipe card for full ingredients with quantities.
How to Make Instant Pot Short Ribs
- Brown the short ribs. Brown until deeply golden, not just gray.
- Sauté the vegetables. Cook until they begin to soften and pick up some color.
- Deglaze with red wine. Scrape up all the browned bits from the pan.
- Pressure cook. Cook on High Pressure for 55 minutes; natural release 10-15 minutes if you have time.
- Skim and thicken. Remove the ribs, skim excess fat, then thicken the cooking liquid with the potato-starch slurry.
- Finish and serve. Return the ribs to the gravy and serve over mashed potatoes or polenta.
See full detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
When you make this recipe, please leave a rating and review below. I always appreciate the feedback! ❤️
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or vegetable oil
- 2 ½ pounds bone-in beef short ribs
- salt and pepper as needed
- ½ large yellow onion roughly chopped
- 1 medium carrot peeled and roughly chopped
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 3 cloves garlic halved lengthwise
- ¼ cup dry red wine
- 1 ¼ cup beef broth (check for gluten-free)
- ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar optional for extra depth
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon potato starch
- ½ cup heavy cream or full fat coconut milk - optional for a creamy gravy
Instructions
- Brown the short ribs: Season the short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Then add 1 teaspoon of avocado oil or vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the ribs for 4-5 minutes per side. Then transfer them to the Instant Pot.*
- Sauté the vegetables: Leave about 1 tablespoon of rendered fat in the skillet and discard the rest. Add the onion, carrot, and mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat for 4-7 minutes, until beginning to soften.
- Deglaze with red wine: Add the red wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, then transfer everything to the Instant Pot.
- Add the liquids and pressure cook: Add the garlic, beef broth, balsamic vinegar, bay leaf, and thyme. Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 55 minutes. You can carefully vent immediately when the cook time ends, but when I have time, I prefer a 10-15 minute natural release before venting for even more tender short ribs.
- Skim the fat and thicken the gravy: Transfer the short ribs to a plate. Use a spoon or ladle to skim as much excess fat as possible from the cooking liquid, and trim excess fat from the ribs. Whisk the potato starch with 1 tablespoon cold water, then stir the slurry into the cooking liquid. Use Sauté and simmer for up to 5 minutes, if needed, until the gravy thickens. Stir in the cream or coconut milk, if using.
- Finish and serve: Return the short ribs to the Instant Pot. Taste the gravy and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm over mashed potatoes or creamy polenta.
Jen says
These short ribs are so tender and this is the perfect holiday dinner! I’m glad I have leftovers 😋