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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.
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!
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.
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
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!
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!
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:
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!
Short Rib Ragu
- 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
Description
Use this short rib ragu to make boneless short ribs in the instant pot or on the stove top!
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
- Remove short ribs from fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. Mix salt, pepper, and dried parsley and season short ribs on all sides.
- 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.
- 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!
Instant Pot Instructions
- Remove short ribs from fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. Mix salt, pepper, and dried parsley and season short ribs on all sides.
- 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!
Keywords: short rib ragu, instant pot short ribs, boneless short ribs
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!
★★★★★
Amazng!! Thank you so much!
This recipe is so good and very easy to make! It seems fancy but the ingredients are simple. A great hearty winter meal.
★★★★★
amazing!! thank you so much!
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!
★★★★★
awesom!! I am so glad. and yes I think the boneless gives you a little more meat.
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.
★★★★★
amazing!! thank you!!
Made this and put it on spaghetti squash. It was amazing!
★★★★★
wonderful! thank you!!
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.
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!
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!
★★★★★
yay!! thank you! and agree Raos is soo good for a jarred sauce
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!
★★★★★
amazing!! Thank you so much!!
This was delicious! I accidentally bought bone in short rib but it worked out fine. Perfect Sunday night meal especially on this snowy night!
★★★★★
amazing!! thank you!!
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!
★★★★★
amazing!! thank you!!
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!
amazing!!! thank you!
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.
★★★★★
amazing !! thank you!!
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!
yay!! thank you!!
Made this in the Instant Pot and it did not disappoint! Super easy to make and tasted amazing. May try it on the stovetop next time to see if it changes the tenderness of the meat. Regardless, will definitely make this again.
★★★★★
amazing!! thank you!!
So good! Not only was this incredibly easy to make, the flavor was perfect. I will definitely make this again and again!
★★★★★
wonderful!! thank you!!
Easy and delicious!! Made it on the stovetop and found it to be a simple meal to make for a crowd and still be able to socialize. Even better, leftovers for the next week!
★★★★★
that is so great to hear! Thank you!
This recipe is simply amazing!!! Seems so fancy but it’s the easiest dinner ever. Just takes some time (on the stove) It’s been put on regular rotation in our house. 10/10 recommend!
★★★★★
amazing!! Thank you so much!!
So delicious and so easy! Tastes like it would’ve taken so long to make, but it takes just 10 minutes of work and then just letting it sit and simmer. Great on pasta and cauli gnocchi too!
★★★★★
OOO gotta try this on cauli gnocchi!! Thank you!!
Made this meal for my husband and he loved it! He asked for it again the following week! Very delicious, the meat was tender, cooked in Instant Pot.
Highly recommend!!!
★★★★★
wonderful!! thank you so much!
Making this recipe again tonight and wanted to give a helpful hint. My Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods don’t sell “boneless short rib” but they said that Denver Steak is the same thing which is what I used last time!
★★★★★
oh WOW! I had no idea!! thank you!!
This sauce is insanely good. It tastes like one I used to get at my favorite little Italian restaurant in Chicago (that I’ve been trying to replace since I moved away!) I used bone in short ribs and it still worked perfectly, I just pulled the bones out when it was tender enough, about 90 min in. Also used egg noodles because I couldn’t find pappardelle anywhere and it was a good substitute. Will be making this at least monthly for the foreseeable future! A perfect seems fancy but low effort dinner.
PS-it makes fantastic leftovers too! The flavors really have time to meld in the fridge and I think it tasted even better the next day. Love love love this recipe!
amazing!! thank you!!
I made this last weekend after you put a swipe-up on Instagram and it was sooooo good I couldn’t wait to eat the leftovers the next day. I’m defrosting more short ribs now so I can make it again tomorrow! It was incredibly easy in the instant pot but tastes super fancy and special. This one is going into regular rotation for sure!
★★★★★
wonderful!! thank you!!!