Instant Pot Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine and Guinness is a simple, sophisticated recipe that features fall-apart tender beef short ribs with a rich and flavorful sauce that tastes as though it simmered for hours! I love to serve these beef short ribs over creamy cheese polenta, which is so easy to make in the Instant Pot.
I recently adapted this red wine braised short ribs recipe to the Instant Pot. The original recipe comes from Ina Garten’s newest cookbook Cook Like a Pro: Recipes and Tips for Home Cooks and it was a big hit with my family.
Tips and Substitutions
Leeks can have dirt hidden between the layers. So be sure to clean the leeks very well. I like to use all the white parts and the light green parts but you can even use some of dark green parts because they become soft with pressure cooking.
The recipe uses wine and beer, but upon pressure cooking, there will be no alcohol remaining. If you substitute other liquids, the flavor won’t be as complex.
There are two ways to brown the short ribs:
- in the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- in the Instant Pot on ‘Saute’ mode.
I actually prefer doing it in the oven because it’s less messy and it gets done much quicker. I like to deglaze the baking sheet after transferring the short ribs and I add that liquid to the inner pot prior to pressure cooking. Lots of flavor in there!
Keep these tips in mind if you brown the short ribs in the Instant Pot:
- The inner pot should be very hot.
- The meat will sizzle when added.
- Don’t overcrowd the inner pot, or the short ribs will end up boiling. That’s why it’s important to work in batches.
- Sear the meat without stirring, for 1–2 minutes, until nicely browned.
- Use tongs or a silicone spatula to gently try to release the pieces – if they stick firmly, let them cook some more. Turn the short ribs once they release from the bottom.
The short ribs can release quite a lot of fat and so I like to remove most of the fat. There are a few ways to separate the fat from the cooking liquid:
- I highly recommend using a fat/gravy separator to separate the fat from the rest of the liquid. I have a 2 cup version, but I would recommend a 4 cup fat/gravy separator. They’re not too expensive and a worthwhile investment.
- Remove the solids after pressure cooking and place the liquid in the fridge until the fat rises to the top and solidifies. You can then discard the fat. If you’re using this method, you might want to make the Instant Pot short ribs a day ahead and reheat before continuing with the recipe.
- Use a large ladle or fat skimmer to skim the fat off the top. I don’t know why but I have a hard time doing this although I know many people who use this technique!
The bones do add a ton of flavor but if you want to substitute boneless short ribs, decrease pressure cooking time to 35 minutes.
Short ribs are an expensive cut of meat. If you want to make this recipe more economical, you can substitute 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes of beef chuck (trimmed of fat) and pressure cook for 25 to 30 minutes.
Serve over Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or Creamy Polenta.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, please read the Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Quick Start Guide or the Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Quick Start Guide first and then come back here to learn how to make these Short Ribs in the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Short Ribs Recipe Ingredients
How to Make Instant Pot Short Ribs Recipe (Step-by-Step Instructions)
You have two options for browning the beef. You can either bake them on high heat in the oven for 10 minutes or you can brown them in the Instant Pot. I give you both options below.
OPTION 1
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Coat baking sheet with two teaspoons olive oil.
- Place short ribs on baking sheet, meaty side up and evenly spaced.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Brush with olive oil.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Transfer short ribs to a large platter.
- Add a few tablespoons of hot water to the baking sheet and scrape with a spatula to deglaze.
- Carefully pour drippings into a small bowl and reserve for later.
- Instant Pot DUO: Select the ‘Saute’ function.
- Instant Pot ULTRA: Select the ‘Saute’ function and press ‘Start’.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over the meaty side of the short ribs.
- Once the Instant Pot has pre-heated, heat a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Brown both sides of the short ribs in batches, making sure not to crowd the inner pot. (Use a splatter screen to prevent splatters.)
- Transfer the short ribs to a plate, cover lightly with aluminum foil and set aside.
CONTINUE WITH RECIPE AFTER BROWNING SHORT RIBS
- Select ‘Saute’ mode (See above)
- Add remaining olive oil to inner pot.
- Stir in onions, celery, and leeks. Saute till soft, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- This step should also take care of deglazing the inner pot; there should be no brown bits remaining.
- Stir in garlic, salt, black pepper, and thyme and saute briefly. *
- Press ‘Cancel’.
* If necessary, deglaze with a couple of tablespoons of broth. Stir to remove any brown bits.
- Stir in broth, beer, and wine.
- Add reserved short ribs and carrots to the liquid and push down to submerge.
- If you browned short ribs in the oven, add in the reserved drippings.
- Add tomato sauce on top; but don’t stir.
Instant Pot DUO Pressure Cook:
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
- Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until the display reads ‘40′ (40 minutes).
Instant Pot ULTRA Pressure Cook:
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 40 minutes (00:40).
- Press ‘Start’.
- Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down from 40 to 0; it will then switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’ or ’00 00′ and begin to count up.
Instant Pot DUO 15-minute Natural Release:
- Wait for 15 minutes.
- Move the steam release handle to ‘Venting’. I like to place a folded towel over the steam release handle and move it to the venting position. Remove the towel after turning the knob.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press ‘Cancel’ and open the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot ULTRA 15-minute Natural Release:
- Wait for 15 minutes.
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press ‘Cancel’ and open the Instant Pot.
- Remove as much of the solids from the inner pot as possible, using a slotted spoon.
- Separate fat from the liquid. See tips above for details.
- Stir together the cornstarch and water till they form a smooth paste.
- Select ‘Saute’ mode (See above)
- Once the liquid is simmering, add in cornstarch slurry.
- Allow the sauce to cook for another 2 minutes, or until thickened.
- Add back reserved meat and vegetables and heat through.
- Press ‘Cancel’.
- Serve with roasted carrots, and polenta.
Instant Pot Red Wine and Guinness Braised Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 1/2 lbs beef short ribs - bone-in
- dash salt - for browning short ribs
- dash black pepper powder - for browning short ribs
- 1 cup onion - chopped
- 2 cups celery - chopped
- 1 1/2 cups leeks - chopped
- 2 Tbsp garlic - minced
- 1 tsp salt - or to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup Guinness Stout beer
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 1/2 cups carrots - cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce - *
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 to 3 Tbsp cold water
Instructions
BROWN SHORT RIBS
Option 1
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Coat baking sheet with two teaspoons olive oil.
- Place short ribs on baking sheet, meaty side up and evenly spaced.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Brush with olive oil using a pastry brush.
- Bake for 10 minutes and use tongs to transfer short ribs to a large platter. Cover lightly with aluminum foil and set aside until ready to add to Instant Pot.
- Add a few tablespoons of hot water to the baking sheet and scrape with a spatula to deglaze.
- Carefully pour drippings into a small bowl and reserve for later, if desired.
Option 2
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over the meaty side of the short ribs.
- Select the ‘Saute’ function and pre-heat the Instant Pot.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil and brown both sides of the short ribs in batches. Make sure you don't crowd the inner pot. Add more olive oil as needed. (Use a splatter screen to prevent splatters.)
- Transfer short ribs to a large platter. Cover lightly with aluminum foil and set aside until ready to add to Instant Pot.
CONTINUE WITH RECIPE
- Select 'Saute' mode and add remaining olive oil to the inner pot.
- Stir in onions, celery, and leeks.
- Saute till soft, about 1 to 2 minutes. (This step should also take care of deglazing the inner pot; there should be no brown bits remaining.)
- Stir in garlic, salt, black pepper, and thyme.
- If necessary, deglaze with a couple of tablespoons of broth.
- Stir to remove any brown bits.
- Press ‘Cancel’ to turn Instant Pot off.
- Stir in broth, beer and wine.
- Add reserved short ribs and carrots to the liquid and push down to submerge.
- Add tomato sauce on top but don't stir.
- If you browned short ribs in the oven, add in the reserved drippings.
- Close the lid and pressure cook for 40 minutes.
- Wait for 15 minutes after pressure cooking is complete and release remaining pressure. (15-minute natural pressure release - NPR 15).
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the solids from the inner pot to a large bowl.
- Separate fat from the cooking liquid. **
THICKEN THE SAUCE
- Stir together cornstarch and water to form a smooth paste.
- In 'Saute' mode, heat the contents of the inner pot and gradually add in cornstarch slurry.
- Simmer the sauce for about 2 minutes, or until thickened.
- Return reserved meat and vegetables to the inner pot and heat through.
- Press 'Cancel'.
- Serve with roasted carrots, over polenta, if desired.
Notes
- * American tomato sauce (also known as tomato passata), not tomato ketchup
- ** Skim fat using a fat skimmer, fat/gravy separator, or cool in refrigerator. (See recipe tips for detailed options to separate fat from cooking liquid.)
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. minced garlic, cut vegetables, etc.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips.
Nutrition
I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
If you loved this recipe, please give it a 5 Star rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!
You might also like to try these Instant Pot Recipes:
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Pam
Out of curiosity, is there a way to make this recipe without the beer? My husband has celiac and cannot have gluten. Since both barley and wheat contain gluten, beers made from either are not gluten-free. Thank you in advance.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Pam, thanks for your question. I’m thinking you can just omit the beer and be fine – I think there’s enough liquid to come to pressure. Good luck 🙂
Gene
I made this with pork short ribs. I made it the day before which enhanced the flavor and thickened the sauce. The next day I heated it up by pressure cooking it for 1 minute. I also served it with Haitian-style polenta and steamed broccoli. The meal was subtle in flavor and quite tasty. The texture of the meat was perfect. Fell right off the bone. I’ll definitely make this again.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Gene – glad to hear you were able to use pork short ribs. Thanks for the rating too 🙂
Dennis
NIna
This sounds really good….but I don’t eat beef!!!! I printed out the recipe anyway maybe some other cut of meat will work with it. Hope your weather is not as bad as the rest of the country is having.
Dennis
Paint the Kitchen Red
Dennis, thanks for commenting – too bad you can’t make the recipe with beef, but maybe another type of meat might work – not sure how it would be. Let me know! Nope, not as cold here – thank goodness!