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Home / Recipes / Short Rib Ragu

January 14, 2021

Short Rib Ragu

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Use this Short Rib Ragu recipe to make delicious beef short ribs in the Instant Pot or on the stove top. Simmer boneless short ribs in marinara to make a delicious and tender meat sauce.

above view of a bowl of short rib ragu over pappardelle pasta with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top

Simmer boneless short ribs in marinara until they are soft, tender and delicious

Amy and I like to joke that we are easily tricked by short ribs. We kept buying bone in short ribs over again and they never had enough meat.

We finally made the switch to thick, meaty boneless short ribs and they were perfect for this short rib ragu. The beef short ribs are first seasoned, then seared and simmered in a marinara sauce until tender enough to shred.

You can make these beef short ribs in the instant pot or on your stove top. Either way you will be left with a delicious shredded meat pasta sauce to enjoy with noodles or zoodles!

bowl of boneless short rib pasta sauce with noodles and parmesan cheese

What kitchen tools will I need to make this short rib ragu?

  • Large heavy bottom pot like a dutch oven or an Instant Pot – both methods are easy, but it is faster to make Instant Pot short ribs
  • Measuring spoons and measuring cups
  • Forks for shredding the cooked short ribs

How should I serve this boneless beef short rib sauce?

I like to serve my short rib ragu on pappardelle pasta, but it is delicious on any type of noodle even gnocchi! You could also serve this short rib ragu on zoodles.

above view of ingredients for instant pot short ribs

What ingredients will I need to make this short rib ragu?

You will be amazed at how easy it is to make this short rib ragu with just a few simple ingredients! You can use the same ingredients to make either

  • Boneless beef short ribs
  • Salt, pepper and dried parsley
  • Marinara sauce
step by step instruction images for making short rib ragu on the stove top

How do you make short rib ragu?

To begin, remove short ribs from fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. Mix salt, pepper, and dried parsley and season short ribs on all sides.

Then, heat pot over medium heat. When the pot is warm place the short ribs in the pot on their fattiest side first.

Let the fat render for a few minutes then rotates the short ribs to sear on all sides. Then, pour the marinara sauce into the pot and increase the heat to high.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot.

Allow the meat to continue cooking at a low simmer, turning and stirring occasionally, until the meat is soft and tender and ready to shred. This can take up to 3 hours depending on how big the short ribs are.

Once the meat is tender, remove it from the pot and shred with two forks. Return the shredded meat to the pot with the sauce. Mix to combine and serve over noodles!

spoon of parmesan cheese shaking over a bowl of pasta sauce made with boneless short ribs

How do I make Instant Pot short ribs?

To begin, remove short ribs from fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. Mix salt, pepper, and dried parsley and season short ribs on all sides.

Then, set instant pot to sear. When the instant pot is warm place the short ribs in the instant pot on their fattiest side first.

Let the fat render for a few minutes then rotates the short ribs to sear on all sides. Pour the marinara sauce into the instant pot, close the lid, set the vent to sealing, and set the instant pot on manual high pressure for 45 minutes.

Allow the instant pot to come to pressure and cook for 45 minutes. When the timer beeps, manually release the pressure. 

Remove the short ribs from the instant pot and shred with two forks. Return the shredded meat to the instant pot with the sauce. Mix to combine and serve over noodles!

three quarter view of plated instant pot short ribs with noodles

Storage and reheating

Once prepared, store this short rib ragu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store separately from noodles. Reheat slowly on the stove top.

Check out these other delicious pasta sauce recipes:

  • Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
  • Creamy Shredded Chicken Pasta Sauce
  • Veggie Packed Meat Sauce

You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!

Pinterest image for short rib ragu
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Short Rib Ragu

★★★★★ 5 from 10 reviews
  • Author: Madeline
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 3 hours
  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Sear and Simmer
  • Cuisine: Italian American
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Description

Use this short rib ragu to make boneless short ribs in the instant pot or on the stove top!


Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 lb boneless short ribs
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 32oz marinara sauce

Instructions

Stove Top Instructions

  1. Remove short ribs from fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. Mix salt, pepper, and dried parsley and season short ribs on all sides.
  2. Heat pot over medium heat. When the pot is warm place the short ribs in the pot on their fattiest side first. Let the fat render for a few minutes then rotates the short ribs to sear on all sides.
  3. Pour the marinara sauce into the pot and increase the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot.
  4. Allow the meat to continue cooking at a low simmer, turning and stirring occasionally, until the meat is soft and tender and ready to shred. This can take up to 3 hours depending on how big the short ribs are.
  5. Once the meat is tender, remove it from the pot and shred with two forks. Return the shredded meat to the pot with the sauce. Mix to combine and serve over noodles!

Instant Pot Instructions

  1. Remove short ribs from fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. Mix salt, pepper, and dried parsley and season short ribs on all sides.
  2. Set instant pot to sear. When the instant pot is warm place the short ribs in the instant pot on their fattiest side first. Let the fat render for a few minutes then rotates the short ribs to sear on all sides.
  3. Pour the marinara sauce into the instant pot, close the lid, set the vent to sealing and set the instant pot on manual high pressure for 45 minutes.
  4. Allow the instant pot to come to pressure and cook for 45 minutes. When the timer beeps, manually release the pressure. 
  5. Remove the short ribs from the instant pot and shred with two forks. Return the shredded meat to the instant pot with the sauce. Mix to combine and serve over noodles!

Keywords: short rib ragu, instant pot short ribs, boneless short ribs

Did you make this recipe?

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Filed Under: Dinner, Instant Pot, Low Carb, Recipes, Whole30

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laura says

    January 18, 2021 at 10:58 am

    This ragu is amazing!! I’ve been wanting to find a homemade short rib sauce and this one did not disappoint. It was really easy to make despite how impressive it is and the long cook time. Really only a few quick steps to actually make it come together. Definitely try this for your next pasta night!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      January 18, 2021 at 12:34 pm

      Amazng!! Thank you so much!

      Reply
  2. Julie says

    January 18, 2021 at 6:56 pm

    This recipe is so good and very easy to make! It seems fancy but the ingredients are simple. A great hearty winter meal.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      January 18, 2021 at 9:06 pm

      amazing!! thank you so much!

      Reply
  3. Kaitlin says

    January 19, 2021 at 8:42 pm

    This ragu was absolutely amazing! Might have to become a weekly staple. I served it with spaghetti squash and used Rao’s marinara — it was delicious. Tastes like so much work but was the easiest sauce to prepare!
    I accidentally bought bone-in but will definitely get boneless short rib next time. Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      January 21, 2021 at 9:25 am

      awesom!! I am so glad. and yes I think the boneless gives you a little more meat.

      Reply
  4. Caroline says

    January 24, 2021 at 7:06 pm

    So good!! This dish tastes like a lot of effort but was actually the easiest thing ever. I added in mushrooms and white onion because I had extra on hand and it was delicious, I’m sure it’s great as is too. I will be making this every time short rib goes on sale! Perfect cozy winter dish.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      January 25, 2021 at 10:36 am

      amazing!! thank you!!

      Reply
  5. Ashleigh says

    January 24, 2021 at 8:25 pm

    Made this and put it on spaghetti squash. It was amazing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      January 25, 2021 at 10:35 am

      wonderful! thank you!!

      Reply
  6. Maria says

    January 25, 2021 at 10:29 am

    Hello! This looks amazing. I’m planning to make it for Valentine’s Day. I don’t have access to that marinara sauce, do you have a recommendation for how I can make one myself? Thanks! I will review again once I make it.

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      January 25, 2021 at 10:34 am

      Hi Maria! You can use any kind of jarred pasta sauce. if you don’t have access to that you can use a can of tomato puree, but you will want to add some extra seasonings to this to get it to taste good!

      Reply
  7. Kelsey says

    January 27, 2021 at 10:51 am

    I made the instant pot version last night and it was seriously SO easy! The meat fell apart and it was delicious. I also used Rao’s – for the first time – and I think that also contributed to the overall flavor. I’ve never cooked short ribs, but this made it less intimidating. Will definitely make again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      January 28, 2021 at 9:26 am

      yay!! thank you! and agree Raos is soo good for a jarred sauce

      Reply
  8. Christol Mckernan says

    January 28, 2021 at 5:58 am

    I’ve never made short ribs before and was kind of intimidated but eager to try. It was so easy to make and minimal steps. The hardest part was smelling it cook and not being able to eat it. My 3 and 1 year old loved it and my 3 year old is extremely picky. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a fancy meat sauce! Served it over noodle with fresh Parmesan. Amazing job once again!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      January 28, 2021 at 9:21 am

      amazing!! Thank you so much!!

      Reply
  9. Lindsay says

    January 31, 2021 at 6:14 pm

    This was delicious! I accidentally bought bone in short rib but it worked out fine. Perfect Sunday night meal especially on this snowy night!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      February 1, 2021 at 9:04 pm

      amazing!! thank you!!

      Reply
  10. Taylor says

    February 2, 2021 at 11:35 am

    This recipe is AMAZING. It was SO easy to make yet tastes like pasta from a nice Italian restaurant (or even better!). I made this over a week ago, and my husband still can’t stop raving about how delicious this meal was. Can’t wait to make it again soon!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      February 3, 2021 at 11:51 am

      amazing!! thank you!!

      Reply
  11. Lauren says

    February 5, 2021 at 8:55 pm

    I’ve been trying to cook more new recipes and decided to try this recipe because it wasn’t intimidating. Holy crap it’s amazing!!! So simple but the outcome is so elegant. Served with homemade garlic bread and my boyfriend is currently in a food coma. Will definitely be adding this to the rotation!

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      February 8, 2021 at 1:51 pm

      amazing!!! thank you!

      Reply
  12. Alexa says

    February 14, 2021 at 8:55 pm

    I can’t emphasize enough how easy this recipe is and how delicious!! I used bone-in because that was all that was available and it actually was still a decent amount of meat. I rarely cook beef (no particular reason, chicken and fish are just more comfort zones) so I was a little intimidated but this recipe is as easy as it sounds and really helped take the fear out of it! I added half an onion and some red pepper flakes. Highly recommend to anyone.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      February 16, 2021 at 10:45 am

      amazing !! thank you!!

      Reply
  13. Kaitlyn says

    February 14, 2021 at 10:31 pm

    This recipe is a perfect blend of simple with that feeling of fancy. We made for our quarantine Valentine’s Day and it was absolutely decadent! We added sauteed mushrooms and onions because we had some on hand and used Rao’s marinara sauce. Great recipe for any night!

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      February 16, 2021 at 10:44 am

      yay!! thank you!!

      Reply

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Welcome to Mad About Food!

Madeline is a food blogger and recipe creator from Philadelphia, PA. She shares easy, healthy and delicious recipes that inspire people to cook at home. She shares information about her journey with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and how she strives to heal them holistically. Read More…

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