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Seriously blown away. One of my families new favorite recipes. Thank you so much. Will be recommending this to legit EVERYONE. YUMMMMM
Gill
In This Post
- Jump To Recipe
- Why I Love This Recipe
- Visual Walk-Through of the Recipe
- Video
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Ratings
Watch How To Make This Recipe
This Is Truly The Easiest Short Rib Ragu.
Short Rib Ragu?! Who am I right now, making SHORT RIBS?
I am a pillowy-gnocchi-loving-pasta-eater, that’s who.
Carbs 100% dictate my life, and my current carbs wanted short rib ragu.
Did you know that short rib ragu is so good, end of story, but also not end of story because it just takes pasta to a whole nother level? Saucy, tangy, and just so tender and luscious all at the same time? This was a new discovery for me.
As a less-savvy meat cooker (<- this is who you’re dealing with), I was a little intimidated by making short ribs. But then I remembered how we had this at our dinner club all those years ago, and I remembered how good it was with our tiny pillows of homemade gnocchi, and then I got brave with it because a) Instant Pot, and b) food motivation.
So that’s what’s happening today – short ribs, shortcut, Instant Pot, RAGU!
How To Make This Short Rib Ragu
1
Brown The Short Ribs.
Starting with the short ribs. We’re starting with the saute function on the Instant Pot to get a nice browning on the short ribs.
2
Sauté Onion and Garlic.
You have all the browned bits in the bottom of the pan, right? So you throw some onions and garlic in, and you start working those browned bits off into your sauce. Oh my gosh, YES.
3
Add Some Wine.
A splash of red wine pulls all your browned bits, sauteed onions, garlic, and spices into something so good that it should be illegal.
4
Add Tomato Sauce and Cook.
Now the shortcut part. Add your short ribs back in with a jar of your favorite tomato sauce. And now the Instant Pot gets to work.
5
You’re Done!
One hour later? This is what is sitting in front of your face. You are your own favorite person right now for making this happen.
Ingredients You’ll Need
In an effort to keep this in the fast and easy category, this recipe also has a shockingly short number of ingredients.
- Short ribs
- Garlic + onion
- Red wine
- Jarred spaghetti sauce
- Salt
- Spices
Now let’s get to it!
What Is Ragu?
Ragu can mean a little something different depending on your preference, but primarily: it’s an Italian meat-based sauce that’s typically made with veal, beef, lamb, pork, fish or poultry.
This recipe veers a little away from the traditional due to the fact that it’s not a classic slow-simmered ragu, but rather made quickly in the Instant Pot to make it doable on a weeknight!
You might ALSO be familiar with ragu alla Bolognese, which is a variation of ragu. This is also a meat-based sauce, but uses white wine and less tomatoes than a traditional ragu.
About Short Ribs
Short ribs are perfect for braising or slow cooking (or Instant Pot, in this case!) because they’re high in fat. You typically need to cook them low and slow, which is why I love that the pressure of an Instant Pot can achieve the same result in way less time.
They come bone-in or boneless, and I prefer bone-in short ribs for this ragu recipe. If you can’t access short ribs, I’d recommend trying this recipe that uses flank steak instead!
What To Serve with This Short Rib Ragu
The options are truly endless here, but I love to pile this on storebought gnocchi, freshly-made gnocchi, cauliflower gnocchi, or some delicious pasta like pappardelle. This could also work on polenta or rice. All of the above are also delicious with a big dollop of ricotta or parmesan on top. YUM.
For sides, this Simple Green Salad is my go-to – it provides the perfect little bite of freshness against the comfort-heavy ragu and carbs.
Short Rib Ragu: Frequently Asked Questions
Do steps 1-3 in a pan on the stove, and then cook everything in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Sear the short ribs on all sides until browned, but not cooked through. Remove from pot. Add in the onion and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes until tender. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan and scrape up the brown bits. Add in the short ribs, tomato sauce, salt, and crushed red pepper. Use 1 cup of water to rinse out the jar and add to pot (1/2 cup more than original recipe states). Bring everything to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook on low for 2 hours until the beef is fork tender.
Yes! Make this recipe as written, and then let it cool and store in the fridge. One bonus of doing this is that a lot of the fat will rise to the top and turn solid which makes it easy to remove. When you’re ready to serve, reheat it on the sauté setting in the Instant Pot or in a pot on the stove.
I like to serve this on top of gnocchi, pappardelle pasta, or polenta!
Absolutely! Just adjust to be 1 lb. of boneless short ribs (vs. 2 lbs. of bone-in).
Yes! Just freeze it in an airtight bag or container, and then thaw in the fridge for at least 24 hours before reheating on the stove.
Yep, just sub in the same amount of broth or water!
We haven’t tested this recipe specifically with other cuts of beef, but the Instant Pot can be quite forgiving. We also have a recipe for a beef ragu made in the slow cooker with flank steak if you want to give it a try!
Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu! Ready in an hour. AMAZING on gnocchi, pasta, polenta, rice, potatoes, and more.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs bone-in short ribs (or 1 lb boneless)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- one 25-oz jar store bought marinara/spaghetti sauce (I use DeLallo tomato basil sauce)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 lb. pasta or gnocchi
Instructions
- Get ready: Turn instant pot on to the sauté setting. While it heats up, trim any excess fat from the short ribs, then pat dry with a paper towel. Generously season the meat with salt and pepper.
- Brown those short ribs: Add oil to the Instant Pot. Add the short ribs to the hot oil and sear on all sides until brown. (The meat does not need to be fully cooked. Just browned.) Remove from pot and set aside.
- Onions, garlic, and wine: Use tongs & paper towel to remove any excess oil from the pot. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Pour wine in to deglaze (*sizzzles*) and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Go-time: Add short ribs, tomato sauce, salt and crushed red pepper to pot. Use 1/2 cup water to rinse out sauce jar and add to pot. Set Instant Pot to the stew/meat setting (35 mins). When it’s done, let it sit untouched for a natural steam release.
- Finish up: Remove meat to sheet pan. Shred into bite size pieces, removing bones and any large pieces of fat. Meanwhile, set the Instant Pot to sauté again to reduce/thicken the sauce. Skim any fat off top of sauce and add meat back in. Taste and add salt & pepper if needed.
- Serve: Serve over cooked pasta or gnocchi. Yummmo!
Notes
Slow Cooker Instructions: Do steps 1-3 in a pan on the stove, and cook everything in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours.
Stovetop Instructions: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Sear the short ribs on all sides until browned, but not cooked through. Remove from pot. Add in the onion and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes until tender. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan and scrape up the brown bits. Add in the short ribs, tomato sauce, salt, and crushed red pepper. Use 1 cup of water to rinse out the jar and add to pot (1/2 cup more than original recipe states). Bring everything to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook on low for 2 hours until the beef is fork tender.
Initially, the meat will stick to the stainless surface of the Instant Pot, but once it’s got a nice sear on it, it should release pretty easily.
If you make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge, a lot of the fat will rise to the top and turn solid. This makes it easy to remove.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: instant pot short rib ragu, short rib ragu, ragu
More Favorite Italian Pasta Recipes
- Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with Pappardelle
- Crockpot Braised Beef Ragu with Polenta
- Spicy Sausage Rigatoni
- Three Cheese Baked Ziti
- Creamy Tomato Lasagna Florentine
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our best Instant Pot recipes page. Check it out!
I served this over linguine which I think was not the best choice. The sauce didn’t really stick to the pasta so it was hard to get a bite of the pasta AND the meat in one forkful. If I try it again I’ll put it over thick mashed potatoes instead. I did try skimming the fat off the top of the sauce but it still felt very greasy to me as well as soupy. I let it simmer for quite a while and it didn’t thicken up to my liking. Flavor was good though. The meat was a good texture. My husband liked it. My kids did not. I was so so. I could see trying it again but leaving enough time for of the water to evaporate from the sauce. Maybe adding carrots and peas at the end of cooking to make a sort of shepherds pie sort of dish to serve over mashed potatoes.
I made this last night 03/04/26. We tried it with Gnocchi and they didn’t like it, they liked the meat and sauce. My daughter said it tasted more like spaghetti than anything. What went wrong with sauce?
We’re going to try it again but with some adjustments.
Mashed potatoes instead of gnocchi.
Pork loin instead or ribs. Less fat. No bones.
Amazing recipe- I think I have made this 5+ times. Add caramelized onions, double the short rib and top with parmesan
Made this last night, great flavors. Used Mutti Marinara for the sauce. I also upped the instant pot cooking time to 1hr and omitted adding the 1/4c of water because we like a thick sauce.
Hello!
Long time enjoyer of all of your recipes here. Pinch of Yum is really the only website I bother looking at for recipes each week anymore. First time posting and I have a question-
I have tried making this twice and both times I got the burn warning once I added the sauce and everything to the instant pot as it’s heating up to pressure. So I have to give up and do it on the stove. Any suggestions? Thank you!
I made the short rib ragu recipe and it was delicious for the entire family. I’d like to double the recipe next time. If so, would the stewing time remain at 35 min or do I need to extend the time?
Wow! So easy and amazing flavor! Hubby loved it- definitely making it again!!
I was looking for a recipe that used short ribs and this was one of the first ones I stumbled upon – I like that all the ingredients are things I had on hand and the flavor was amazing. I halved the recipe, but still cooked for the 35 minutes and the meat came out very done – it was a little hard to separate the meat from the hard fat. I definitely would reduce the cooking time next time to try to remedy that. I added a splash of heavy cream and some Parmesan cheese the sauce after skimming the fat and it came out great. Definitely excited to try it again and share with others!
Fantastic recipe! Served over pappardelle pasta and topped with shaved parm.
So good and so easy! We couldn’t find short rib and used chuck roast which was delicious, we’ll try this recipe again with short rib when we can find it!
YUM! This is such a delicious recipe. I’ve made it half a dozen times. I increased the short ribs to 3.5 lbs for extra beefy flavor. I also find that the next day, the sauce tastes better and is less oily as you have the opportunity to skim the fat off of the top after it sits in the fridge overnight. Delicious. This is a keeper recipe. Thank you!
No timing at all
First meal I attempted in my brand new Instant Pot, very pleased with how it turned out. Followed the recipe with only minor deviations (olive instead of veg oil, Classico sauce, added a little extra basil). My pot does not have a stew/meat button, so I guessed regular pressure cook at high pressure. After 35 minutes I was able to pull the bones, but the meat was clearly not done, ended up cooking for an hour. Very good over pasta, will try leftovers over potatoes tomorrow. Will make again, thanks.
anyone done this with a ninja foodi? it doesn’t have a meat/stew function , so torn between trying to take stab at this using the pressure cook function or giving in and doing the slow cook function.
Healthy And Easy recipe in instant Pot. Without Potato it will be more delicious.
Hi Lindsay,
I was wondering what cut of short rib you used? The pictures look like Korean style cut. Could you use English style and if so, should I adjust the cooking time up? I’m wondering if others used that style and that’s why they weren’t fall off the bone tender after 35 minutes.
Dying to try this recipe, it’s one of the highest rated instant pot recipes I’ve seen. I’m an avid home cook but new to the Instant Pot, Thanks!
I made this for the first time yesterday. I love that it was so easy to put together – and wow, my family looooved it, too! Thanks, Lindsey!
This was fantastic and perfect for a snowy night. It came together quickly and was great in the instapot. I served it over parmesan polenta and will make it again.
Hi! This is not a review yet nor is it on the recipe … just a question – do you have any tips on avoiding the “burn” setting on Instantpot ? Could not get it to pressure for this reason . I used boneless short ribs b/c that’s all my butcher had today – could that have been the issue? I believe I fully deglazed the pan before adding the seared meat & sauce. Any tips/tricks welcome! 🙁
Made this for our NYE dinner and it was incredible! Super easy and flavorful. Paired with brown butter gnocchi. I’m so looking forward to the leftovers!
We enjoyed this so much and it was easy. Definitely going into my list of favorite dinners.
Made this tonight and everyone loved it. Kids had real gnocchi while dad and I had cauliflower gnocchi. Would make again. Easy and tasty!
We made this with some modification. I bought 2 lbs of short ribs on sale, but when looking for short rib recipes this was the first one I found to not require a Dutch oven.
So we modified this to have 3 cloves of garlic, a large onion, and 2 lbs of wagyu short ribs (we’ve never bought wagyu anything haha). We also added about half a tablespoon of cayenne pepper.
We also saved half a cup of starchy water and added it to the sauce in the pot after a bit on sauté to try to get it to thicken more.
One thing we did which we would change is we used a hand mixer to shred the meat. This wasn’t the best choice. I also wish I had let the meat develop more when browning.
Overall this is great. I do wish it said how long to do certain things, like we had no clue how long it would take to thicken the sauce, that sort of thing. Overall though this is a fantastic recipe.
Made for dinner tonight, first time
I’ve cooked short ribs -whole family declared – “Delicious!” Will make again 🧡
I don’t have 8 hours to cook this in the slow cooker (on low). Would it work out if I put the temp on high for 5 hours?
That may work, yes!