Easy Short Rib Ragu (Slow Cooker + Instant Pot) – an easy, set-it-and-forget-it short rib ragu recipe that you are going to LOVE! Serve with pappardelle pasta or mashed potatoes for the perfect cold-weather comfort food!
Best Short Rib Ragu
I tried a short rib ragu at an Italian 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!). This is just one of those dishes I come back to again and again and has quickly become my favorite short rib recipe (and is the perfect recipe for cold weather).
Love Ragu – try our Lamb Ragu or this Pappardelle Bolognese!
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 Friendly: I also love that it is Paleo/Whole30 when served with zoodles or spaghetti squash!
What You Will Need
- salt and pepper: to season the short ribs
- avocado oil: this is used to saute veggies in.
- garlic: because you gotta add a little garlic!
- celery + carrots + sweet yellow onion: these are sauteed together with the garlic to add depth of flavor to the ragu.
- 6-8 beef short ribs (bone-in): you will need approximately 3 pounds of bone-in short ribs. I
- marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought): this is my little short-cut! Makes it so easy! No need to add in all the ingredients that make up marinara sauce (like tomato paste, basil, etc. – this is so easy). You can definitely add in fresh herbs or even a parmesan rind to take things to the next level, but you don’t need to.
- (optional) red wine: if you want to add in a little red wine, that is encouraged!
- your favorite pasta: I tend to use pappardelle pasta here, but really any kind will do. Cook to al dente perfect and cover with this amazingly rich sauce that is packed with bold flavors.
How to Make Short Rib Ragu
Pat dry with a clean paper towel. Season short ribs on all sides with kosher salt and ground black pepper – make sure you get in every nook and cranny!
Sear on all sides in a cast iron skillet or large dutch oven on the stovetop. Transfer them to slow cooker or Instant Pot.
In the same cast iron skillet sauté the garlic and veggies. Transfer them to the slow cooker as well along with any brown bits left behind from the ribs.
Add everything to your slow cooker (or pressure cooker) along with some red wine (if using), bay leaf and an herb bundle. Cook per the times listed in the recipe card below (I like to put a little bit of the marinara sauce down first).
PRO TIP: 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!!!
Cook for 7-8 hours on LOW. You can shorten the time to approx. 5 hours on HIGH, but I recommend the low and slow method if you can!
After cooking, remove the short ribs from the braising liquid and discard the bones. The short ribs will be fork tender (and falling apart). Shred the meat and place back in the slow cooker. Make sure you find and discard any connective tissue.
Serve over your favorite noodle or with some spaghetti squash or zoodles!
What are short ribs
What is a short rib, you ask? Well, if you picture a cow, its ribs would obviously be found in the section of its body behind its shoulders. There are four defined areas there, the ribs, plate, brisket and chuck. Short ribs can be taken from any of these areas.
What types of short ribs are there
- Boneless: The meat from the ribs is cut away from the bone.
- English Cut: English style short ribs is what is pictured below and used in this recipe. This is probably what you will get if you simply ask for short ribs at your typical grocery store. It is a 2-3 inch bone with meat sitting on top of it.
- Flanken Style: Cut across several bones so you have a longer piece of meat with little chunks of bone throughout.
How to make it Whole30/Paleo/Gluten-Free
- 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!!
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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Short Rib Ragu Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 hours
- Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Description
Easy Short Rib Ragu (Slow Cooker + Instant Pot) – an easy, set-it-and-forget-it short rib ragu recipe that is cozy and delicious!
Ingredients
- 6–8 beef short ribs (approx. 3-4lbs)
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil (or butter), divided
- 2 teaspoons garlic cloves, minced
- 2–3 celery stalks, sliced
- 2–3 medium carrots, peeled, sliced and quartered (halved works too)
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
- 25oz marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- 1–2 bay leaves
- 1 herb bundle
- (optional) splash of red wine, 1/4 -1/2 cup works perfectly
- serving: pappardelle pasta or spaghetti squash
Instructions
- Prep + Sear Short Ribs: If possible, let short ribs sit out and come to room temp (approx. 1 hour). Pat dry short ribs with clean paper towels and season with salt and pepper all over; set aside. Add 1 tablespoon oil or butter to large cast iron skillet and bring to medium-high heat. Sear short ribs on all sides (do this in batches if you need to). Add approx. 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce to the slow cooker and spread out to coat the bottom. Transfer the browned short ribs to the slow cooker.
- Saute Veggies: In the same skillet the short ribs were in, add another tablespoon of oil or butter. Then add garlic and onion. Stir, allowing them to cook 1 minute on medium-high heat until the garlic is fragrant and the onion has softened. Add celery and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir and allow to cook 2-3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add Ingredients to Slow Cooker: Pour vegetable mixture into crockpot on top of the short ribs. Pour marinara sauce on top and add bay leaves, herb bundle and red wine (if using). Mix to coat the short ribs.
- Cook: Cover and let cook for 7-8 hours on LOW or 5-6 on HIGH.
- Shred Meat: Before serving, remove short ribs and place on a plate. Shred meat using two forks, discarding bones and connective tissue. Place shredded meat back into the crockpot and mix to combine.
- Serve: Serve with pasta, zoodles or spaghetti squash. Top with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Instant Pot Directions: Pour marinara sauce into Instant Pot. Set aside. Pat dry short ribs with clean paper towels and season ribs 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 the browned short ribs 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 browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour vegetable mixture into Instant Pot on top of the short ribs. Add bay leaves and red wine (if using). 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 and connective tissue. Place meat back into the Instant Pot and mix to combine. Serve with pasta, zoodles or spaghetti squash. Top with parmesan cheese, if desired.
- 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 sauté 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. Omit any red wine or parmesan rind.
- 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.
- Make it spicy: feel free to add in some red pepper flakes if you want more of a spice.
- Boneless short ribs: you can use boneless short ribs if you want, but a lot of flavor comes from having the bones being cooked as well.
Keywords: short rib ragu, slow cooker short rib ragu, short rib ragu recipe
Originally published November 14, 2019.
Libby says
Any changes you might make if using boneless short ribs? I have some in the fridge and would love to put this in my slow cooker!
Erin says
Hey Libby! I don’t think you need to change anything actually, the meat still needs the same amount of cook time whether it is on the bone or not – you might just lose a little extra flavor from the bones not being there, but it will still be delicious!!
Marina says
What a wonderful recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it! It was delicious.