Easy Short Rib Ragu (Slow Cooker + Instant Pot) – an easy, set-it-and-forget-it meal that is Whole30-friendly!!
Fire up those slow cookers!!!
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!).
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Set-It-And-Forget-It: Just put in a little work in the morning and dinner will be ready and waiting for you when you get home! Nothing beats that!
- Cozy: I look forward to making this every Fall/Winter. It is totally comfort food!
- Paleo/Whole30: I also love that it is Paleo/Whole30 when served with zoodles or spaghetti squash!
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. There are so many compliant brands out there now – it will be easy to find one! 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.
Recipe FAQs + Tips
- Preferred Method: I have made this multiple times both ways …. it is just a little bit better in the slow cooker 🙂 But I totally get it – sometimes we don’t have that much time!
- Marinara Sauce: For the marinara sauce, I tested it with both my own homemade marinara and some Whole30 compliant store-bought sauce from Primal Kitchen.
- Instant Pot: 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 – it’s hard to fit them into the pot and maneuver them around.
- Whole30/Paleo: 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.
- Cooking Time: cooking time will vary greatly between slow cooker and instant pot – I just used the slow cooker cooking time on the recipe card.
- Spaghetti Squash: For spaghetti squash here is how to roast it in the oven and here is how to cook it in the Instant Pot!
- Freezer-Friendly: This freezes really well!
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Other recipes you might like:
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Love,
E
Easy Short Rib Ragu
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 hours
- Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker + Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Description
Easy Short Rib Ragu – 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, pat dry with clean paper towel and season with salt and pepper all over; set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to large cast iron skillet and bring to medium high heat.
- Sear short ribs on all sides. Transfer them to the slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of oil. Then 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, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Pour vegetable mixture into crockpot on top of the short ribs.
- 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 shredded meat back into the crockpot and mix to combine.
- Serve with pasta, zoodles or spaghetti squash.
Instant Pot
- Pour marinara sauce into Instant Pot. Set aside.
- Place short ribs on a large plate, pat dry with clean paper towel and season with salt and pepper all over; set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to large cast iron skillet and bring to medium high heat.
- Sear short ribs on all sides. Transfer them to the Instant Pot.
- In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of oil. Then 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, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Pour vegetable mixture into Instant Pot on top of 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. 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
- Marinara Sauce: For the marinara sauce, I tested it with both my own homemade marinara and some Whole30 compliant store-bought sauce from Primal Kitchen.
- Instant Pot: 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 – it’s hard to fit them into the pot and maneuver them around.
- Whole30/Paleo: 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.
- Cooking Time: cooking time will vary greatly between slow cooker and instant pot – I just used the slow cooker cooking time on the recipe card.
- Spaghetti Squash: For spaghetti squash here is how to roast it in the oven and here is how to cook it in the Instant Pot!
- Freezer-Friendly: This freezes really well!
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Keywords: short rib rage, slow cooker ragu
Emily says
Made it and loved it! I’m a beginner cook so this is might be a silly question, but what would happen if you skipped searing the meat and sauteeing the veggies, and just threw everything straight into the crock pot?
★★★★★
Erin says
So happy you enjoyed it, Emily! Good question – sautéing the veggies and searing the meat really do add to the overall flavor. I have had people skip the sautéing step before and have reported back that it is still good, but the depth of flavor just isn’t quite the same. Hope that helps! And thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback – I really appreciate it!
Jessica says
How do you think I could make this in a dutch oven?
Erin says
Hi Jessica! I have never tried making it in a dutch oven so I am not sure how it would work. Definitely let me know if you try it though!
Patty says
Just wondering about the fat that gets rendered from the short ribs. I love short ribs and this recipe sounds great, but I typically factor in an overnight in the fridge so I can get the fat layer off. Any input is appreciated!
Erin says
Hi Patty! The fat from the short ribs definitely gets rendered through the cooking process (particularly if you do the slow cooker method which is my favorite/preferred method). But feel free to cut some of it off if it bothers you! I think it just adds to the flavor, but do what works best for you 🙂
Patty Eggen says
So good! I did make a day before and then took the fat off before reheating..personal preference. Served over polenta. I did use the Rao’s marinara. It was really flavorful. Great recipe. Thank you!
★★★★★
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Patty! Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out – I really appreciate it! 🙂
Sarah says
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.
Erin says
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!:)
Sarah says
Thank you! I’ll let you know what I do and how it turns out 🙂
Kristen says
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!
★★★★★
Erin says
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!
Kaitlin says
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 🙂
★★★★★
Erin says
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!
Tim says
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!
★★★★★
Erin says
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!
Heidi says
Is the cooking time less with boneLESS short ribs since the recipe uses bone-IN?
Thank you!
Erin says
I actually don’t think you would reduce the cooking time much, if at all. The meat of the short ribs is what is a little of the tougher side, thus it is a great cut of meat for long, slow cooking. I think choosing the bone-in just adds even more flavor to the dish! Hope that helps!
Brooke says
Is the marina sauce enough “liquid” for the instant pot or do we need to add any additional water?
Erin says
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! 🙂
A_kay says
Adding to the to-do list for this weekend!!
Erin says
Yay!!! You won’t regret it! 🙂