Here by popular demand: Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs! It’s made in a jiffy and Whole30 and gluten-free, too!

An overhead shot of Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs in a serving platter.

Ever since the scales fell from my eyes and I became a raving Instant Pot evangelist a few years ago, readers have been asking me to convert their favorite recipes so they can be cooked in this magical device. Requests run the gamut from the simple (kalua pig!) to the impossible (fish ’n chips!). Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, folks, but not every dish can or should be cooked under high pressure. Here’s a good rule of thumb: if you can make the dish faster and/or tastier using a different method, don’t cook it in your pressure cooker. For example, if you insist on cooking delicate fish fillets in your Instant Pot, the statistical likelihood of overcooking those pricey pieces of protein is 99.99%. For the love of cod, people: reach for parchment paper (and the technique shown in this recipe) or a frying pan (and the method demonstrated in this recipe) instead. And to the reader who asked me for an Instant Pot kabob recipe: I hate to break it to you, but a pressure cooker is crap at grilling and/or broiling meat.

A collage of the cooking steps to make Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs.

That said, some recipes—particularly stews, braises, and soups—are forehead-smackingly perfect for converting into Instant Pot versions. Take this recipe, which is a super-straightforward adaptation of my classic Slow Cooker Korean Short Ribs recipe. This deeply flavorful, Asian-inspired dish has long been a fan favorite, but it turns out that my Korean Short Ribs are even simpler to prepare in the Instant Pot—and just as deliciously satisfying to eat. For the sake of speed and ease, you don’t even need to broil the ribs like in the slow cooker recipe: Just season the ribs, blitz the sauce, and cook everything for 45 minutes under high pressure. BOOM! (Note: That was an exclamation of triumph—not the sound of a pressure cooker exploding, because the Instant Pot is super-safe.)

Time to make Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 5 pounds bone-in English-style short ribs (don’t go above 5 pounds or it won’t fit in a 6-quart pressure cooker)
  • 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (use half the amount if you’re using a fine grain salt)
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup coconut aminos
  • 1 tablespoon rice, white balsamic, or coconut vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Red Boat fish sauce
  • 1 medium pear, Asian pear, or Fuji apple, peeled, cored, and chopped coarsely
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 scallions, roughly chopped
  • 1 hunk of fresh ginger, about 2 inches, peeled and roughly chopped
  • Small handful of roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Equipment:

Method:

Pat the short ribs dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Salting short ribs in a metal bowl for Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs

Use your hands to rub the salt and pepper all over the ribs.

Rubbing the salt evenly over the short ribs.

Transfer the seasoned ribs to a 6-quart (or larger) pressure cooker.

Placing the salted short ribs into the Instant Pot

You may have to play some short rib Tetris to make sure all the meat fits in the pot. Sometimes, I have to cut off the bone from the meat so I can fit the meaty pieces properly (but I still throw the bones on top for added flavor). Ideally, though, everything fits like a puzzle.

An overhead shot of rearranging short ribs into the Instant Pot.

Toss the coconut aminos, vinegar, fish sauce…

Pouring coconut aminos into a blender to make the marinade.

…pear/apple, garlic, scallions, and ginger in a high-speed blender or food processor…

An overhead shot of the Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs marinade in a blender.

…and blitz until smooth.

Blending the marinade for Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs in a high speed blender.

Pour the sauce over the short ribs in the pressure cooker, and stir everything around so the sauce reaches the bottom of the pot.

Pouring the marinade over the Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs

If the sauce doesn’t reach the bottom of the pot, the ribs might burn and you’ll get an “ovHT” or “BURN” error message on the Instant Pot display. (Got the error message even though the sauce hit the bottom of the pot? Turn off your Instant Pot, and add ¼ cup broth or water. Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom and then, restart the Instant Pot. That should clear the error.)

Using a spatula to mix the ingredients in the Instant Pot and to ensure liquid reaches the bottom of the pot

Shut and lock the lid, turn the valve at the top to “sealing,” and program the Instant Pot to cook under high pressure for 45 minutes.

Programming the Instant Pot to cook for 45 minutes under high pressure

Let the pressure release naturally. If the pressure hasn’t dropped after 25 minutes, release it manually by turning the top valve to the “venting” position. Pop open the lid and check that the ribs are fork-tender. If they’re not, cook ’em for another 5 to 10 minutes under high pressure.

Checking if the Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs are fork tender.

Transfer the ribs to a plate or platter, and taste the liquid for seasoning. Adjust if necessary with additional salt and pepper. Yes, there will be plenty of fat at the top of the liquid, which is totally normal and expected with this cut of meat. If you want, you can skim the fat off the top and then spoon the sauce on top of the ribs.

Garnish with cilantro before serving!

Garnishing Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs with fresh cilantro

This dish tastes even better the next day, so I recommend making it ahead of time. You can refrigerate it for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. It’s like a yummy, meaty gift to your future self!

After the stew has been refrigerated or frozen, the fat on top will solidify, making it easy to remove if desired. (I’m not fat-phobic, but I prefer to take it off ’cause I don’t like an overly greasy sauce.)

Removing the hardened fat from leftover refrigerated Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs

Plus, you can totally reheat the stew in an Instant Pot—simply dump the ribs and sauce back into the Instant Pot and cook under high pressure for 5 minutes. Keep the short ribs warm until you’re ready to serve!

Reheating Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs in the Instant Pot

Dig in!

A closeup shot of Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs in a cream colored serving bowl.


Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).


PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Korean Short Ribs

4.80 from 39 votes
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Behold: Instant Pot Korean Short Ribs! It turns out that my classic recipe for this deeply flavorful, Asian-inspired dish is even easier in an Instant Pot!

Ingredients  

  • 5 pounds beef short ribs don’t go above 5 pounds or it won’t fit in a 6-quart pressure cooker
  • 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt use half the amount if you’re using a fine grain salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup coconut aminos
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar white balsamic, or coconut vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Red Boat fish sauce
  • 1 medium pear Asian pear, or Fuji apple, peeled, cored, and chopped coarsely
  • 6 garlic cloves peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 scallions roughly chopped
  • 1 hunk of fresh ginger about 2 inches, cut into 2 pieces
  • Small handful of roughly chopped fresh cilantro
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Instructions 

  • Pat the short ribs dry with a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use your hands to rub the salt and pepper all over the ribs.
  • Transfer the seasoned ribs to a 6-quart (or larger) pressure cooker, making sure all the ribs fit in the pot. 
  • Add the coconut aminos, vinegar, fish sauce, pear or apple, garlic, scallions, and ginger in a high-speed blender or food processor. Blitz until smooth.
  • Pour the sauce over the short ribs in the pressure cooker, and stir everything around so the sauce reaches the bottom of the pot. If the sauce doesn't reach the bottom of the pot, the ribs might burn and you'll get an "ovHT" or "BURN"error message on the Instant Pot display. (Got the error message even though the sauce hit the bottom of the pot? Turn off your Instant Pot, and add ¼ cup broth or water. Scrape up the brown bits on the bottom and then, restart the Instant Pot. That should clear the error.)
  • Shut and lock the lid, turn the valve at the top to “sealing,” and program the Instant Pot to cook under high pressure for 45 minutes.
  • Let the pressure release naturally. If the pressure hasn’t dropped after 25 minutes, release it manually by turning the top valve to the “venting” position. Pop open the lid and check that the ribs are fork-tender. If they’re not, cook ’em for another 5 to 10 minutes under high pressure.
  • Transfer the ribs to a plate or platter, and taste the liquid for seasoning. Adjust if necessary with additional salt and pepper. If desired, skim the fat off the top.
  • Spoon the sauce on top of the ribs, and garnish with cilantro before serving.

Video

Notes

This is a great make-ahead dish. You can refrigerate the cooked short ribs for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to 3 months. After the stew has been refrigerated or frozen, the fat on top will solidify, making it easy to remove if desired. You can reheat the stew in an Instant Pot—simply dump the ribs and sauce back into the Instant Pot and cook under high pressure for 5 minutes. Keep the short ribs warm until you’re ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 522kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 28g | Fiber: 1g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

About Michelle Tam

Hello! My name is Michelle Tam, and I love to eat. I think about food all the time. It borders on obsession. I’ve always loved the sights and smells of the kitchen. My mother was (and is) an excellent cook, and as a kid, I was her little shadow as she prepared supper each night. From her, I gained a deep, abiding love for magically transforming pantry items into mouth-watering family meals.

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111 Comments

  1. I bought a smaller pack of short ribs before finding this… can I basically follow the recipe but with less meat (maybe cut the sauce in half)? No idea how cook times vary with amounts with this thing….

  2. Next up on my Whole30 Nom Nom voyage of discovery. I’ll be making this tonight but not sure what the difference will be if I use regular balsamic in place of white. Please advise and/or I will report back with the results!

    1. Amazing!!! Was so incredibly tasty and couldn’t have been any easier to prep and cook. This is going in the regular meal rotation for sure. FYI, I misread and didn’t see you could use just plain ol’ white vinegar, which is what I ended up doing.

  3. Thank you, THANK YOU, for this amazing recipe. It’s become an absolute family favorite. It’s simply perfect. People who didn’t like ribs before because they only had experienced tough burnt grilled ribs you had to chew for hours are now die hard fans of these falling-off-the-bone things of wonder!

  4. I DREAM of these – they are that good! I cook, refrigerate overnight, and remove the solidified fat from the top. Then, I remove the bones (they just fall out), shred the meat a bit, and put it in the IP to reheat for a few minutes. I serve over vermincelli rice noodles. SO GOOD!

    I also lucked out and found the aminos at my local grocery by the soy sauce. I made it with soy sauce the first time, cutting it by half, and it tasted just fine. I prefer the aminos for some reason though.

  5. I only have 2 pounds of short ribs in the freezer – should I proportionately reduce all the other ingredients and cooking time? Thanks!

  6. If you could choose would you recommend the instant pot version or crock pot version? Want to make a special meal for my boyfriend for valentines day! Thank you!

  7. Similar question as someone’s above -but I’m not FODMAP I’m allergic to apples and pears… any guesses on a fruit or other food that I could substitute (cooked sweet potato or butternut squash? Honey?) to keep the consistency/taste of the sauce or is it ok to just leave out? Doesn’t have to stay whole30 either. I want to make these for the family to nosh on while cheering on the US during the Korean Winter Olympics! Thanks!! 😀