Name: Asian BBQ Instant Pot Beef Ribs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Asian Recipes
Ingredients: 3-4 lb beef short ribs, bone-in - 1 lb per person; 1 cup beef broth; Asian BBQ Sauce; 1/2 cup hoisin sauce (we used this GF brand, no refined sugar or starch); 3 Tbsp tamari sauce or soy (tamari is GF); 3 Tbsp ketchup (our favorite no sugar brand); 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar; 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp honey; 2 tsp garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced; 1/4 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder; Optional garnish- green onions, sesame seeds

Super tender and dripping in flavor, these instant pot beef ribs are about to become your favorite Asian-style BBQ rib recipe. We are combining fresh ginger and garlic alongside honey, tamari sauce, and hoisin sauce with beef short ribs to create a quick and tasty gluten-free dinner right in your pressure cooker that will have you licking your fingers and saying it’s a WHOLE LOTTA YUM with every bite!

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Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs

Beef short ribs are not something you commonly see. Tender and full of flavor, these ribs tend to be pricey because there just isn’t a lot for this particular cut on a single side of beef. However, for special occasions or simply when you feel like creating a fancier rib, short ribs are the way to go. With this instant pot beef rib recipe, we are going to ensure you lock in all the natural flavor the rib contains and complement it with an authentic Asian-syle BBQ that will enhance the meat and please whomever you are feeding tonight.

This quick and tasty pressure cooker short rib recipe is gluten-free and lower in carbs than traditional BBQ ribs, especially if you opt for no-sugar varieties of the ingredients listed below (there are links to the brands we love here at Whole Lotta Yum!).

Jump to:

Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs
What Are Beef Short Ribs?
Ingredients
Making Pressure Cooker Short Ribs
Recipe Tips
Common Questions
Asian BBQ Instant Pot Beef Ribs

Why This Short Ribs Recipe Works

Flavor-ful! This instant pot beef ribs recipe starts with ingredients known to pack a punch of flavor and combines the flavor-infusing power of the pressure cooker to ensure your final product is dripping with taste in each and every bite.
Opting for the 2-hour marinade enhances the flavor of the ribs and is well worth your time.
By making your own homemade Asian BBQ sauce, you are in control of the ingredients. Be sure you read the labels on your sauces to keep this final product gluten-free and as low-carb as possible.

Create a complete Asian-inspired meal by serving your short ribs with cauliflower fried rice, sauteed veggies, and eggdrop soup.

Looking for more flavor-packed, instant pot rib recipes?! Look no further than our instant pot baby back ribs, instant pot country-style pork ribs.

What Are Beef Short Ribs?

If you have never heard of beef short ribs, not to worry because we’ve got your back. Beef short ribs come from the lower section of the ribs and they naturally contain a lot of flavor. Short ribs contain more meat than beef back ribs do, but there are not a lot of them per animal – hence the higher price point.

Ingredients

Since we are all about the healthy here at Whole Lotta Yum, we have included the recipe to create a homemade Asian BBQ sauce. It’s a quick and easy sauce that you can use to marinate your meat prior to cooking. However, if you prefer you can purchase a bottle of ready-made Asian or Korean BBQ sauce. If you are following a specific eating plan be sure to read the label to make sure the sauce your purchase works.

Besides the BBQ sauce, this recipe contains just a few basic ingredients.

Now, let’s make some amazing instant pot beef ribs!

3-4 lb beef short ribs, bone-in – 1 lb per person
1 cup beef broth
1 cup Asian BBQ sauce or Korean BBQ (homemade version below)
Optional garnish– green onions, sesame seeds

Asian BBQ Sauce

1/2 cup hoisin sauce (we used this GF brand, no refined sugar or starch)
3 Tbsp tamari sauce or soy (tamari is GF)
3 Tbsp ketchup (our favorite no sugar brand)
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp honey
2 tsp garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/4 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder

Needed Supplies

A Pressure Cooker – This is the Instant Pot model that we used.

Making Pressure Cooker Short Ribs

The key to making your ribs as flavorful as possible is going to be in the marinating. Before you dig out your pressure cooker, whip up a batch of homemade Asian BBQ sauce and pour 3/4 of it over the ribs. Allow them to marinate for up to 2-hours to lock in the flavor.

However, if you are pressed for time (or are just finding this recipe at 5 pm) you can put the ribs directly into your instant pot.

Otherwise, this is a super simple recipe that will give you authentic tasting Asian-style BBQ beef ribs following just a few quick steps.

Let’s get pressure cooking!

Make the Asian BBQ Sauce

In a small bowl, mix together the sauce for the Instant Pot BBQ beef short ribs. That includes the hoisin sauce, tamari sauce (or soy sauce), ketchup, rice wine vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger, and Chinese 5 spice.

Marinate

For best results, take 3/4 of the sauce and marinate the meat for up to 2-hours in the fridge. This step is technically optional, but it adds terrific flavor throughout every bite of the ribs.

Set aside the remaining sauce to brush on the ribs after they’re done cooking.

Pull the meat out of the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to cook it. Starting to bring the meat up to room temperature before cooking helps to ensure the meat cooks evenly.

Pressure Cook

Add 1 cup beef broth to the bottom of the instant pot and insert the rack.

Add the beef short ribs on top of the rack. If you marinated your ribs, include the sauce you marinated them in. If not, add 3/4 of the Asian BBQ sauce to the pot covering the ribs as evenly as possible.

Place the lid on your pot and seal it. Set your instant pot to pressure cook High (Manual setting or Pressure Cook depending on model), and cook for 45 minutes. Natural release for 15 minutes then quick-release any remaining pressure.

The instant pot beef short ribs should be easily falling off the bone!

Finishing Touches and Serving

Remove the beef ribs from the pressure cooker and spread the remaining 1/4 of the Asian BBQ sauce over the top of the meat. Garnish and serve immediately OR broil for 1-2 minutes on an oven-safe dish to get that “just grilled” appearance.

Enjoy! Serves 4 people.

Recipe Tips

If the ribs are not fall off the bone tender when you remove them from your instant pot, put the lid back on and set them for an additional 5-minutes.
Be sure to take your ribs out of the fridge for 30-minutes prior to cooking to ensure they are done.
Marinating for up to 2-hours will produce the best flavor, but you can still make this recipe without marinating.
Serve your ribs with additional Asian BBQ sauce for dipping.

Adapting to Diet Restrictions

Gluten-free– Make sure to use gluten-free hoisin sauce and wheat-free tamari instead of soy to keep this dish gluten-free.

Low carb/keto– This recipe does contain honey. If you prefer, you can find a sugar free Asian BBQ sauce recipe.

Paleo– If you are strick paleo you are going to want to make a paleo Hoisin sauce.

Common Questions

How to Store Beef Short Ribs?

You can store your cooked short ribs in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

What to Serve with Short Ribs?

Short ribs are intensely flavorful! You could continue with the Asian-inspired theme or opt for tamer sides that allow the beef to shine.

White rice
Cauliflower rice
Fried rice
Garlic green beans
Stir-fry vegetables
Corn on the cob

Are Beef Ribs and Short Ribs the Same Thing?

No, they are not the same. Each rib comes from different cuts of beef. Beef spareribs ribs are beef back ribs similar to pork baby back ribs and are often cooked like a classic American BBQ dish.

Beef short ribs are from the plate cut and are often braised in a liquid. Marinating short ribs before cooking helps to tenderize them, but this is an optional step for pressure cooker beef ribs.

Why Are My Beef Short Ribs Tough?

Beef short ribs should be fall off the bone tender, if they aren’t, they haven’t cooked long enough. Put back in the pressure cooker and cook for 5 more minutes. The internal temperature of beef short ribs should be at least 190F.

More Asian Inspired Recipes

Instant pot egg drop soup
Chicken teriyaki bowls (Instant pot option included)
Low carb eggroll in a bowl
Cauliflower rice with chicken

More Instant Pot Rib Recipes

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