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Asian-Inspired Sweet and Savory Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs

Danielle Lima Posted on Updated on
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Say goodbye to hours of cooking time! These Instant Pot Short Ribs are the way ribs should be! Fall-off-the-bone tender with a sweet and savory Asian-inspired honey sauce, this short ribs recipe is packed with flavor and made in a fraction of the time in an instant pot.
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Sticky short ribs on a plate with mashed potatoes and broccoli.

Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs – ribs done right.

This instant pot recipe for short ribs is hands down my favorite. They’re sticky, extremely flavorful, and fall off-the-bone good. With a homemade dry rub and a honey sauce that’s sweet and savory, these are the perfect tender beef ribs.

Marry me chicken who, give these a try paired with broccoli and Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes and let me know how date night went.

Did you know pressure cooking is one of the best ways to make ribs? You get tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone ribs without hours of cooking time. Don’t worry though, I’ll give you the instant pot version and all the details on other methods too.

Beef short ribs are a high-fat meat making these ribs rich, flavorful, and caloric. This is a great recipe for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, football parties, or simply when rib cravings kick in.

If you love the idea of an instant pot but don’t want ribs, check out instant pot carnitas or instant pot shredded beef.

Sticky beef short ribs with a fork on a plate.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • Tender ribs in less time – no slow cooker needed!
  • Sweet and savory homemade flavorful sauce.
  • Perfect meal for special occasions!

Tracking macros and eating calorie-dense meals ..

If you’re tracking your macros, I know what you’re thinking, I’ve been there too, how on earth can these ribs fit in my macros? Well, that’s the beauty of tracking your macros. You get to eat what you love and make it work for you!

Better yet, this meal feels restaurant-worthy but since you made it, you know exactly what’s in it and that you’re tracking it correctly vs. guessing while eating out. There really is no true way to have accurate tracking when eating a meal out.

So hang with me here, release control, log this meal in your tracking app, and ENJOY every single bite. Everything in moderation, right?! If you want the ribs, eat the ribs. Log them first and fit the rest of your day around them.

Food is meant to be enjoyed and just because you’re tracking your macros it doesn’t mean you can’t have food you love and a dang good meal at that.

Ingredients for sticky beef short ribs:

These are the main ingredients for instant pot beef short ribs. See the recipe card below for the full recipe instructions and ingredients list.

Beef bone in short ribs with seasonings and sauce ingredients.

Variations and Substitutions

  • You can use bone-in beef ribs or boneless short ribs for this recipe.
  • Substitute the brown sugar for sugar substitute if preferred.
  • This recipe is dairy-free as written.
  • To make gluten-free use a gluten-free hoisin sauce.

How to make this short rib recipe (a visual step-by-step guide):

Step 1: dry rub the ribs

Dry rub ingredients in a small mixing bowl.

In a small bowl, add the dry rub ingredients (image 1).

Dry rub ingredients fully mixed and combined.

Mix to evenly combine (image 2).

Dry rub seasoning on a baking sheet.

Apply generously to the beef short ribs, ensuring all sides are coated. I like to do this by sprinkling the rub onto a baking sheet and pressing the ribs into the rub (image 3).

Ribs pressed into the dry rub and seasoned on the baking sheet.

Allow the ribs to marinate on a baking sheet for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator (image 4).

Step 2: brown the ribs

Ribs added to the hot instant pot to sear.

Turn on the Instant Pot’s ‘Sauté’ setting. Add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the ribs (image 5).

Ribs seared in the instant pot.

Sear the ribs on all sides until browned (image 6). Remove ribs and set aside. You may need to work in batches.

Broth pouring into the instant pot to deglaze the bottom.

Pour in a bit of beef broth to deglaze the bottom of the instant pot, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon (image 7).

Step 3: prepare the sweet and savory sauce

In a bowl, mix hoisin sauce, coconut aminos, brown sugar, honey, minced garlic, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and chili paste or sriracha if using (image 8).

Sweet and savory sauce ingredients mixed in a small mixing bowl.

Step 4: pressure cook

Seared ribs returned to the instant pot and sauce being poured on top.

Return the seared ribs to the Instant Pot, arranging so most, if not all, are in an even layer along the bottom of the pot. Pour the sauce ingredients over them (image 9).

Sauce and broth added to the pot with the ribs.

Add the remaining beef broth (image 10). Secure the lid and set the pressure release to ‘Sealing’. Cook on ‘Manual’ or ‘Pressure Cook’ high pressure for 40 minutes.

Once done, let the pressure natural release for 15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.

Step 5: thicken the sauce

Cooked ribs after the instant pot lid is removed.

Remove the lid and remove the ribs from the cooking liquid. They should be fork tender (image 11).

Cornstarch slurry added to the liquid in the instant pot to make the sauce.

Mix cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) with 4-5 tablespoons of cold water to form a cornstarch slurry. Stir this into the sauce and let it simmer until thickened to a sticky consistency (image 12).

Ribs returned to the instant pot with the sauce to coat.

Return the ribs to the pot to coat them in the sticky sauce (image 13).

Plate the ribs and drizzle with additional sauce. Garnish with sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds and red pepper flakes (optional).

How to serve and store sticky beef ribs

Always add extra sauce! It’s too good to not. Serve with roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, rice, cauliflower rice, or a simple green salad. This pairs great with a glass of Pinot Noir for a fancy dinner in.

Store your leftover short ribs in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave or the oven on low.

Ribs on a plate with broccoli and mashed potatoes with red pepper flakes and sesame seeds on top.

Other cooking methods for these ribs

  • Follow the same steps for preparing the ribs with the dry rub, marinating, and sauce. To brown the outside of the ribs, heat olive oil in a skillet. Sear the ribs on all sides until browned. Set aside.
  • Place the seared ribs in the crockpot. Pour the sauce mixture and beef broth over the ribs.
  • Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the ribs are tender.
  • Once the ribs are cooked, remove them from the crockpot. Mix cornstarch with water to form a slurry. Stir this slurry into the sauce in the crockpot. Cook on high until the sauce thickens to a sticky consistency. Return the ribs to the crockpot to coat them in the sticky sauce.
  • Follow the same steps for preparing the ribs with the dry rub, marinating, and sauce.
  • Preheat your oven to 325°F. In a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil. Sear the ribs on all sides until browned. Remove and set aside.
  • In the same skillet or Dutch oven, pour a bit of beef broth to deglaze the pot, scraping up the brown bits. Return the seared ribs to the skillet or Dutch oven. Pour the sauce mixture and the remaining beef broth over the ribs. Cover the skillet or Dutch oven with a lid or aluminum foil.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for about 2.5 to 3 hours, or until the ribs are tender.
  • Once the ribs are cooked, remove them from the skillet or Dutch oven. Place the skillet or Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat. Mix cornstarch with water to form a slurry. Stir this slurry into the sauce and let it simmer until thickened to a sticky consistency. Return the ribs to the skillet or Dutch oven to coat them in the sticky sauce.

Check out some of our other easy instant pot recipes!

If you make this recipe, please leave a rating and/or comment! Tag me on Instagram @ohsnapmacros, I love hearing from you!

Sticky short ribs on a plate with mashed potatoes and broccoli.

Instant Pot Short Ribs

Danielle Lima
Say goodbye to hours of cooking time! These Instant Pot Short Ribs are the way ribs should be! Fall-off-the-bone tender with a sweet and savory Asian-inspired honey sauce, this short ribs recipe is packed with flavor and made in a fraction of the time in an instant pot.
5 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 667 kcal

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You can find this recipe and many others on MyFitnessPal and MacrosFirst by searching: Ohsnapmacros – Instant Pot Short Ribs

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients
  

  • 4 lbs. beef short ribs, bone-in
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil for searing

Dry Rub

  • 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar or sugar substitute
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 tsp. onion powder
  • 2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • fresh cracked black pepper

Sauce

  • 1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
  • 8 oz. hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar or sugar substitie
  • 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tbsp. ginger minced
  • 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
  • 2 tsp. rice vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot (use more if needed) for thickening the sauce
  • 4-5 Tbsp. water mixed with cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp. chil paste or sriracha, for heat optional

Garnish

  • green onions
  • toasted sesame seeds
  • red pepper flakes

Instructions
 

  • Mix together all the dry rub ingredients. Apply generously to the beef short ribs, ensuring all sides are coated. I like to do this by sprinkling the rub onto a baking sheet and pressing the ribs into the rub. Allow the ribs to marinate on a baking sheet for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
  • Turn on the Instant Pot's 'Sauté' function. Add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the ribs and sear on all sides until browned. Remove ribs and set aside. You may need to work in batches.
  • Pour in a bit of beef broth to deglaze the pot, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
  • In a bowl, mix together hoisin sauce, coconut aminos, brown sugar, honey, minced garlic, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and chili paste or sriracha (if using).
  • Return the seared ribs to the Instant Pot, arranging so most, if not all, are in an even layer along the bottom of the pot. Pour the sauce mixture over them. Add the remaining beef broth. Secure the lid and set the pressure release to 'Sealing'. Cook on 'Manual' or 'Pressure Cook' high pressure for 40 minutes.
  • Once done, let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.
  • Remove the ribs. Set the Instant Pot to 'Sauté' mode. Mix cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) with 4-5 tablespoons of water to form a slurry. Stir this into the sauce and let it simmer until thickened to a sticky consistency.
  • Return the ribs to the pot to coat them in the sticky sauce. Plate the ribs and drizzle with additional sauce. Garnish with sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds and red pepper flakes (optional). 

Notes

  • Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary with substitutions. 
  • I am not providing grams per serving on this one because there is no way to get the same with every person with this one. Depending on the fat of your meat, the length you simmer the sauce the amount of liquid expressed during pressure cooking, and the bones in the ribs, the weight of this dish will vary greatly from person to person. I suggest weighing your total meat, dividing by 8, plating your serving, doing the same with the sauce, and adding the sauce if you want to be as accurate as possible.
  • If you’re not tracking or this is a special occasion you wish to not track, then eyeball and go for it!
  • For crockpot and oven cooking methods see the blog post under “other cooking methods.”

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 667kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 41gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 180mgSodium: 801mgPotassium: 73mgSugar: 28g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

9 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    WOW. Made these last night and they are PHENOMENAL. Our short ribs were rather meaty so I will say we needed to cook them for MUCH longer in the instant pot to get them so that they were falling apart (additional 25 minutes) but SUCH a rich dish. I couldn’t imagine eating 1/8 of the portion… Our serving sizes were much smaller due to how rich and fatty these were (we divided the meal by 16). We will definitely be making them again.

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe has become a family favorite and is now a staple to our weekly dinners. My husband and son look forward to Friday dinners because they know we’re having this!

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    This recipe is outstanding! There is so much flavor and appealed to my whole family (13 & 9 year olds included). We did it in the crockpot and the meat just fell off the bone. We had it with rice and green beans.

    Reply

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