Instant Pot Short Ribs

Ah, Instant Pot. So nice to see you again – it’s been a while! I was very excited to be able to incorporate you into Whole 30. If I ate things like you every night, I could do Whole 30 on a permanent basis. **Switching to you, readers, instead of continuing to be creepy and address only the short ribs.**

Short ribs were a first for me as of this month while doing Whole 30, and I am sad at the PURE TRAGEDY that I hadn’t tried them sooner. They are so flavorful and fun to make. The Instant Pot, the beautiful little creature that it is, takes away the looonngg oven braise time, and gives you wonderfully delicious, fall-apart tender short ribs in 50 minutes. That doesn’t include the sear time or the time it takes the pot to come to pressure, but even with those included, you’ve got a much shorter cook time than the traditional oven method.

And then there’s the sauce. You know the delicious, flavor-loaded cooking liquid that the short ribs braise in for those succulent 50 minutes? We use that, skim the fat off, and thicken it up to drizzle perfectly over each short rib. Which essentially feels like someone is taking your hand and leading you into comfort-food paradise. Take it, internet friend. TAKE THE SHORT RIB HAND.

The process here is super simple! Sear the short ribs in your Instant Pot, add your yummy extras (tomato paste, whole grain mustard, apple cider vinegar, and coconut aminos), pour in your broth, pop that lid on, and cook on high pressure for 50 minutes!

I love how easy the Instant Pot is…it takes zero maintenance. Put the lid on and fuhgettaboutit, yo. In the meantime, while those peaceful, maintenance-free 50 minutes are ticking away, I’ll be sitting in a comfy chair, sipping coffee with almond milk and pretending to like it since Whole 30 hates joy and refuses to let me have dairy. WHYYY?!

JK it’s not that bad *sips current mug of almond milk coffee and dies a little more inside.*

Annnyywho – the short ribs. Make them. Love them. Eat them forever and always. Buy an Instant Pot so your life can be awesome and dinners can be a breeze. Please and thank you. In order to further convince you, please note attached picture below of juicy, tender short rib bite…you is welcome.

Um…I have a bone to pick, MANHATTAN, KANSAS. What up with the weather? You so eagerly teased me with spring and 70 degree heat for multiple days in a row, and now you have torn that beauty away from my hands and given me multiple days of heinous, freezing, windy, rainy weather. WHAT UP?

Here’s the deal…at least be consistent so I don’t wear a short sleeved dress to church and end up clutching my arms together in cold-defying pain as I sprint to the car, leaving properly-dressed Seth and Ford in my wake. You’re giving me some serious trust issues when it comes to weather. It’ll be the dead middle of summer and I’ll still be looking over my shoulder skeptically, waiting for a cold front.

So I’ll be over here eating short ribs, and, if you don’t mind, give us some warm weather that actually stays warm and doesn’t plummet back down into the 20s…k? You da best.

Instant Pot Short Ribs

Paleo and Whole 30 approved!

• Author: Annie Chesson
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 3 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 6 short ribs
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon whole 30 compliant whole grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
• 2 cups whole 30 compliant broth (beef or chicken both work)
• A few tablespoons of arrowroot powder (optional – only needed if you decide to make the sauce)

Instructions

For the short ribs

1. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Turn Instant Pot onto the saute setting on high. Add your coconut oil to the pot
2. When hot, add your short ribs and sear until brown on all sides
3. When finished searing, remove the short ribs from the pot and add in your tomato paste, whole grain mustard, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos, and broth. Whisk to fully combine
4. Add your short ribs back in with the liquid and place the lid on your Instant Pot. Seal the vent, and cook on manual high pressure for 50 minutes
5. When the 50 minutes are up, release the pressure, remove the lid, and remove the short ribs to a plate

For the sauce (optional)

1. Skim the fat off of the braising liquid with a spoon. This is easier if you first remove the liquid into a clear bowl or tupperware so you can see the fat more easily
2. Place the liquid back into the Instant Pot and turn it to the saute setting on high
3. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder and a little water, so it makes a slurry. Stir this into your sauce and simmer for about 20 seconds. If it’s not thickened to your liking, add another tablespoon of arrowroot powder slurry. Continue adding until the sauce is the thickness you prefer*

To assemble

1. Plate your short ribs and drizzle the sauce over top. The short ribs are yummy with mashed sweet potatoes or regular potatoes!

Notes

Arrowroot powder amount varies because the amount of braising liquid you end up will will vary based on how much broth you lost while skimming the fat. Also, people have different preferences on the thickness they desire their ending sauce to be.

If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries!

Want more Whole 30 recipes? Check these out.