Chili Lime Instant Pot Short Ribs Recipe | What Great Grandma Ate (2025)

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What are Short Ribs?

Short ribs are a flavorful and tender cut of beef. They’re best prepared through slow cooking methods like braising in the oven, resulting in rich, delicious meat that falls off the bone. Braising, however, is a time-consuming process.

Today I will show you how to pressure cook short ribs in the Instant Pot! They turn out just as juicy and tender as braising methods but require less time and work!

What Makes This Recipe Great

If you’ve cooked with an Instant Pot before, you already know how quick, easy, and brilliant this gadget is. Personally, I find it to be my go-to for so many weeknight dinners for these exact reasons. It speeds recipes up, cooks them perfectly, and has all of the functions in just one pot, meaning fewer dishes!

These Chili Lime Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs are inspired by a dish I had at a Mexican restaurant a few weeks back, and I’ve been thinking about them ever since. They are ridiculously tender and jam-packed with so much flavor! Plus, this recipe is gluten-free, keto, whole30, and paleo!

While the process of cooking them is quite easy, you’ll never guess that when you taste these short ribs. The wonderful combination of the spices, along with lime zest and juice, is mouthwateringly delicious. And using the Instant Pot to cook the meat will have it fall off-the-bone tender in no time.

• bone-in beef short ribs: As the beef cooks, it will become tender and fall off the bone. You can remove the bones before serving.
• chili powder
• cumin
• onion powder
• dried oregano
• sea salt
• ground black pepper
• coriander
• cayenne
• garlic cloves
• ​​juice and zest of 2 limes
• coconut oil: Or your favorite cooking oil.
• apple cider vinegar
• chopped cilantro

1. If the short ribs aren’t cut up already, slice them across into sections so each section contains a bone.
2. Combine chili powder, cumin, onion powder, oregano, sea salt, black pepper, coriander, cayenne, garlic cloves, and lime zest in a small bowl and mix together.
3. Sprinkle and press down the spices all over the short ribs until the short ribs are evenly covered.
4. Set a 6qt Instant Pot to Sauté setting and heat coconut oil for 5-10 minutes until fully heated.
5. Add the short ribs to the Instant Pot and sear on all sides, about 5 minutes. Work in batches if needed.
6. Leave the beef in the Instant Pot and turn it off.
7. Pour in the lime juice and apple cider vinegar.
8. Close the pressure cooker lid and make sure the valve is set to SEALING. Set the Instant Pot to MEAT/STEW for 35 minutes.
9. Once done cooking, let it sit for 10 minutes until the pressure naturally releases and you can open the lid easily.
10. Sprinkle with cilantro and more lime juice before serving.

Expert Tips

• Even though this recipe doesn’t require a lot of liquid, the Instant Pot will come to pressure and cook the short ribs. The meat will also release a lot of liquid during the cooking process, so you don’t need to add more liquid.
• If you use an 8 qt Instant Pot, I recommend adding 1 cup of beef broth with lime juice and apple cider vinegar so you don’t risk burning the beef.
• This recipe is super versatile and can be spiced up or down depending on preferences.

Serving Tips

• I recommend serving these short ribs with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower.
• Because they have a Mexican-inspired twist, you can also serve them with corn tortillas and taco toppings or make a taco salad and serve with a cilantro dressing/sauce.

Storage Tips

• Store leftover short ribs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or stove top and serve with your favorite side dish.
• We enjoyed the leftovers as taco meat, and it was fantastic. They reheat really well, so make sure to cook up a double batch and enjoy it for several days!

Why are my ribs tough in an Instant Pot?

Ribs may turn out tough in an Instant Pot due to insufficient cooking time, lack of liquid, or inadequate seasoning. For tender beef, increase the cook time and ensure enough liquid.

How do you make short ribs tender?

To make tender short ribs, don’t forget to season and sear them with the saute function of the Instant Pot. Then, cook them in the specified amount of liquid until fork-tender. Let rest before serving.

More Instant Pot Recipes

Barbacoa

Chicken Fajitas

Pulled Pork Mole

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Balsamic Short Ribs