Easy Short Rib Ragu (Slow Cooker + Instant Pot) – an easy, set-it-and-forget-it meal that is Whole30-friendly!!
Fire up those crock pots!!!
Easy Short Rib Ragu
Anyone else forget how good short ribs are?! Me!
I tried a short rib ragu at a restaurant a while back and immediately went home and starting testing recipes to try and recreate it – once I got it right I tested it in the slow cooker and the instant pot so you guys can decide how you want to cook it! (Slow cooker is my favorite, but either work!).
How I made it extra easy
So I kind of took a short cut 🙂 Instead of buying cans of tomatoes and spices ….. I just used a jar of homemade marinara sauce (and then I tested it with some store-bought as well).  Such an easy short cut!! And it tastes SO good!!!
Can I freeze this Beef Ragu?
Yes!! This would be perfect to make ahead and freeze!
How to make this Short Rib Ragu Whole30/Paleo
First just pay attention to the marinara sauce you use. Â There are so many compliant brands out there now – it will be easy to find one! Â Second, serve with zoodles or spaghetti squash!!
How long can I store this?
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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Love,
E
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A simple and delicious meal that you can make in the slow cooker or Instant Pot! Whole30/Paleo friendly!
Ingredients
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2–3 celery stalks, sliced
- 2–3 medium carrots, peeled, sliced and quartered (halved works too)
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
- 6–8 beef short ribs
- 25oz marinara sauce (homemade or store bought)
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- Place short ribs on a large plate and season with salt and pepper all over; set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to cast iron skillet and bring to medium high heat.
- Add garlic and stir, allowing it to cook 1 minute.
- Add celery, onion and carrot.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Stir and allow to cook 2-3 minutes.
- Pour vegetable mixture into crockpot.
- In the same skillet, add the other tablespoon of avocado oil and ensure skillet is on medium high heat.
- Sear short ribs on all sides.
- Transfer short ribs to crock pot and pour marinara sauce on top.
- Mix to coat the short ribs.
- Cover and let cook for 7-8 hours on low.
- Before serving, remove short ribs and shred meat, discarding bones. Place meat back into the crockpot and mix to combine.
- Serve with pasta, zoodles or spaghetti squash.
Instant Pot
- Place short ribs on a large plate and season with salt and pepper all over; set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to cast iron skillet and bring to medium high heat.
- Add garlic and stir, allowing it to cook 1 minute.
- Add celery, onion and carrot.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Stir and allow to cook 2-3 minutes.
- Pour vegetable mixture into Instant Pot.
- In the same skillet, add the other tablespoon of avocado oil and ensure skillet is on medium high heat.
- Sear short ribs on all sides.
- Transfer short ribs to Instant Pot (no need for the trivet) and pour marinara sauce on top.
- Mix to coat the short ribs.
- Cover and ensure Instant Pot is set to Seal. Cook on High Pressure for 1 hour (60 minutes).
- Allow to naturally release for 10-20 minutes. Â Then (carefully) manually release per manufacturers instructions.
- Remove short ribs and shred meat, discarding bones. Place meat back into the Instant Pot and mix to combine.
- Serve with pasta, zoodles or spaghetti squash.
Notes
- For the marinara sauce, I tested it with both my own homemade marinara and some Whole30 compliant store-bought sauce from Primal Kitchen.
- For the Instant Pot, you can saute the vegetables in the Instant Pot, but I would recommend still searing the Short Ribs in the cast iron.
- For Whole30/Paleo just make sure you are checking your marinara ingredients (for store-bought I used Primal Kitchen) and serve with zoodles or spaghetti squash.
- Note: cooking time will vary greatly between slow cooker and instant pot – I just used the slow cooker cooking time on the recipe card.
- For spaghetti squash here is how to roast it in the oven and here is how to cook it in the Instant Pot!
Keywords: short rib rage, slow cooker ragu
Adding to the to-do list for this weekend!!
Yay!!! You won’t regret it! 🙂
Is the marina sauce enough “liquid” for the instant pot or do we need to add any additional water?
It is enough – no additional liquid needed! I have tested several times (and so have many other people) and no issues with a burn notice or anything like that! 🙂
I made this in the Instant Pot with Costco boneless short ribs and Rao’s Homemade Marina from Costco as well. Used about 1.5 lbs of the boneless short ribs and it was fantastic! We paired with some sauteed Power Greens (also from Costco) and the bitterness of the greens was great with Ragu! Making another batch today to freeze! The 28oz marinara gave the right amount of liquid. Great recipe!
★★★★★
So happy to hear that, Tim! This really is one of my favorite recipes! And thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback – it really means a lot to me!
Made this tonight, and it was a-m-a-z-i-n-g! I was only able to get 4 short ribs from my grocer, so I added 8oz of thinly sliced mushrooms to the recipe in place of the missing ribs! They added a nice “meatiness” while also making it a little cheaper in overall cost. Definitely will be making this again in my instant pot. Thank you 🙂
★★★★★
Hi Kaitlin! So, so happy you loved it! And loving the idea of adding in mushrooms!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback, it really means a lot!
I love this recipe! I had never even tried short ribs before making this recipe, but now I am definitely a fan! This recipe takes very little active time, and is so incredibly delicious! I’ve made it a few times now. It’s also great for meal prep. I just freeze individual portions and thaw as needed. Thanks for the terrific recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Kristen! I am so glad you love it! And I LOVE the meal-prep idea! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your feedback – I really appreciate it!
If I don’t have marinara/don’t want to make it before tomorrow when I plan to make these, can I just use a can of tomatoes? I feel like the mirepoix will flavour it nicely as it is. Maybe some garlic and oregano or something.
Hi Sarah! I haven’t tested this using just a can of tomatoes so I can’t guarantee anything – but if you do just use a can of tomatoes I would definitely add some typical marinara herbs such as basil and oregano as well as some diced onion and some red wine (or pomegranate juice). I would also make it in the slow cooker as opposed to the IP, if you can, just because I don’t know if you would run into an issue with a burn notice or not. Again, I can’t guarantee results since I haven’t tested it, but that is what I would do! Good luck!:)
Thank you! I’ll let you know what I do and how it turns out 🙂