Garlic Butter Instant Pot Short Ribs

Garlic Butter Instant Pot Short Ribs are flavored with a simple combination of butter, garlic, and fresh thyme. Now you can enjoy fall apart, incredibly tender and succulent short ribs in a fraction of the time.

This post contains affiliate links. See our Disclosure Statement for more information.

Usually, I would make Red Wine Braised Short Ribs but after a life-changing experience (too far?) with Garlic Butter Chicken, the next time I was planning on making short ribs, I decided to try using garlic and butter with beef bone broth to flavor them.

It does make total sense though. Steak topped with Garlic Herb Compound Butter is so tasty. 

I also wanted to make short ribs in the Instant Pot, since the traditional method of slow cooking them in the oven takes hours. These short ribs turn out perfectly tender and flavorful.

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe makes it super easy to make juicy short ribs. It is so much quicker too, when using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker.

These short ribs come out very tender and flavorful.

Instant Pot Short Ribs are low carb, keto friendly and gluten free.  

How to Make Garlic Butter Instant Pot Short Ribs

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds boneless short ribs: trimmed. You can also use 2-3 pounds of bone-in short ribs, if preferred. The only change will be a slight increase in cook time.
• 2.5 cups beef stock: give or take. You need enough stock to cover the short ribs. 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic: fresh is best.
• 1 tablespoon thyme: fresh is best but 1/2 tablespoon of dried can be used instead, if needed. 

Prep!

Trim any excess fat off of the short ribs and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Mince the garlic and strip the leaves from the thyme.

Create!

Turn your Instant Pot on to sauté. Once the screen reads “HOT,” add the butter and allow to melt.

Next, add the short ribs and sear on all sides until browned. This will take about 3-4 minutes per side. 

Add the garlic and thyme to the Instant Pot. Cook for one minute, then add a splash of the bone broth to deglaze the bottom of the pot, using a wooden or silicone spoon to scrape any bits off of the bottom.

Turn off the sauté function and add the ribs back to the pot. Pour in the bone broth until the ribs are just covered. You may need more or less than the recipe calls for depending on the size of your short ribs and which Instant Pot you are using.

Place the lid on the instant pot and make sure the valve is in the seal position. Set to pressure cook on high for 35 minutes, followed by a natural release of 15 minutes.

After the natural release time is up, carefully turn the valve to vent, then open the pot.

Optional: you can turn your Instant Pot on to the soup function and bring the leftover liquid to a boil to reduce by half. This can take up to 30 minutes. The broth will likely be salty, so a small amount goes a long way to add even more flavor to your short ribs.

Present!

Serve these Garlic Butter Instant Pot Short Ribs topped with extra sauce from the pot and fresh thyme. They are especially delicious over mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower for a completely low carb meal!

Tips and Techniques for Making the Best Garlic Butter Instant Pot Short Ribs

• If you are using bone-in short ribs, increase the cook time on the Instant Pot to 45 minutes.
• While fresh thyme gives the best results, you can used dried thyme instead. Reduce the amount to 1/2 tablespoon when using dried thyme.
• Serve these Garlic Butter Instant Pot Short Ribs over mashed cauliflower for a meal suitable for low carb, keto, and gluten free diets. They also taste great with carrots, broccoli, and mashed potatoes.
• Store any leftover short ribs in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-4 days.

FAQ’s

Are Short Ribs Beef? 

Yes, short ribs are beef.

Can You Freeze Cooked Short Ribs? 

Yes, wrap them tightly before storing cooked short ribs in the freezer.

Are Short Ribs Keto? 

Yes, short ribs are keto so long as the ingredients that you choose to prepare them with are keto as well. The carrots in this recipe are a gray area depending on how strict you are.

More Instant Pot Beef Recipes

Instant Pot Homemade Beef Stew

This easy recipe for Instant Pot Beef Stew makes this comfort food simpler and quicker to prepare than old fashioned beef stew while retaining all its deep flavor and tenderness. It’s a healthy dish to make during the wintertime using real ingredients such as root vegetables, stewing meat, and beef stock.

Get The Recipe

Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa

Instant Pot Chipotle Beef Barbacoa is tender, smoky, and moderately spicy. Serve it with all your favorite Mexican dinners for a complete meal that can be made in about an hour.

Get The Recipe

Instant Pot Smoky Beef Chili

Instant Pot Smoky Beef Chili is loaded with ground beef, kidney beans, and smoked paprika to give it a unique flavor you will love. It’s ready in less than an hour, but tastes as if it’s been simmering all day.

Get The Recipe

Love this recipe for Garlic Butter Instant Pot Short Ribs? Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more!

If you try this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would please leave a comment and star rating. Thanks!

Print

Garlic Butter Instant Pot Short Ribs

Garlic Butter Instant Pot Short Ribs are flavored with a simple combination of butter, garlic, and fresh thyme. Now you can enjoy fall apart, incredibly tender short ribs in a fraction of the time!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American, Beef, Gluten Free, Low Carb

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Natural Release 15 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 372kcal

Author Lauren Vavala

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless beef short ribs (see notes for bone-in)
• salt
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 2 1/2 cups beef bone broth (or beef stock)

Instructions

• Trim any excess fat off of the short ribs and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  1 1/2 pounds boneless beef short ribs, salt, pepper
• Turn your Instant Pot on to sauté. Once the screen reads “HOT,” add the butter and allow to melt.
  2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Next, add the short ribs and sear on all sides until browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the ribs and set on a plate.
• Add the garlic and thyme to the Instant Pot. Cook for one minute, then add a splash of the bone broth to deglaze the bottom of the pot, using a wooden or silicone spoon to scrape any bits off of the bottom.
  4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 2 1/2 cups beef bone broth
• Turn off the sauté function and add the ribs back to the pot. Pour in the bone broth until the ribs are just covered. You may need more or less than the recipe calls for depending on the size of your short ribs and which Instant Pot you are using.
• Place the lid on the instant pot and make sure the valve is in the seal position. Set to pressure cook on high for 35 minutes, followed by a natural release of 15 minutes.
• After the natural release time is up, carefully turn the valve to vent, then open the pot.
• Optional: you can turn your Instant Pot to soup and bring the leftover liquid to a boil to reduce by half. This can take up to 30 minutes. The broth will likely be salty, so a small amount goes a long way.
• Serve ribs topped with extra sauce from the pot and fresh thyme.

Notes

Tips and Techniques

• If you are using bone-in short ribs, increase the cook time on the Instant Pot to 45 minutes.
• While fresh thyme gives the best results, you can used dried thyme instead. Reduce the amount to 1/2 tablespoon when using dried thyme.
• Serve these Garlic Butter Instant Pot Short Ribs over mashed cauliflower for a meal suitable for low carb, keto, and gluten free diets. They also taste great with carrots, broccoli, and mashed potatoes.
• Store any leftover short ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-4 days.

** Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 459mg | Potassium: 633mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 259IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 4mg