Name: Instant Pot Black Pepper Beef
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 3 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided; 1 green bell pepper, cored and sliced; 1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced; 1 pound boneless beef short ribs; 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper; ½ tsp kosher salt; 1 medium onion, halved and sliced; ½ cup beef broth; 2 Tbsp soy sauce; 1 Tbsp rice vinegar; 2 Tbsp oyster sauce; 1 Tbsp minced garlic; 2 tsp grated ginger

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

Vegetable oil–or canola or sunflower oil

Green bell pepper–or another color of pepper you like

Red bell pepper–or another color of pepper you like

Boneless beef short ribs–or you can use country style pork ribs

Freshly ground black pepper–I like using my pepper grinder*

Kosher salt–or sea salt

Onion–I used a yellow onion but white onion will also work

Beef broth–or water and Better than Bouillon Beef Base

Soy sauce–I used low sodium soy sauce so you still get flavor but it’s not overly salty

Rice vinegar–I like seasoned rice vinegar the best

Oyster sauce–or fish sauce. For another way to use oyster sauce try beijing beef and Panda Express chow mein

Minced garlic–jarred or fresh (I like using a garlic press*)

Ginger–I keep mine wrapped in foil in the freezer and grate it* right into the pot. No need to peel! Another recipe that uses ginger is Instant Pot Mushroom Chicken with Green Beans.

Steps (Instant Pot)

Season the short ribs on both sides with 2 tsp pepper and ½ tsp kosher salt. I like to press the seasonings into the meat.

Sauté the bell peppers. You won’t be pressure cooking the bell peppers because they will get too mushy. So we will sauté them first and set aside until later.

Brown the short ribs. For extra color and flavor brown the short ribs for a few minutes on two sides.

Sauté onions. Add in the onions and toss for about 2 minutes, scraping up browned bits on the bottom of the pot.

Deglaze the pot. Add the broth into the pot and scrape to make sure nothing is sticking. I like to use my saute paddle*.

Add in sauce ingredients. Add in the soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, minced garlic and ginger. Stir. Then add in the short ribs.

Pressure cook. Pressure cook for 35 minutes with a 15 minute natural pressure release. Short ribs take a little bit of time to get tender. The natural pressure release will help the meat stay tender.

Serve: Stir the peppers into the pot. Serve beef, peppers and sauce over rice.

Notes/Tips

If you’d like to make pot-in-pot brown rice at the same time you can. Add a long-legged trivet* into the pot around the beef. Then add rice and water to a pot-in-pot dish* (1 cup rice to 1.25 cup water ratio). Cover the dish and place it on top of the trivet.

You can also make this recipe with beef stew meat. Use a 25 minute pressure cook time instead of a 35 minute pressure cook time.

If you don’t like bell peppers try sautéing some zucchini, carrots, broccoli or cauliflower instead.

If you’d like to double the amount of meat you can. Brown the meat in batches. Keep the same cooking time. You can double the sauce or not, it’s up to you.

Serve the meat, sauce and veggies with rice, fried rice or chow mein noodles. For a lower carb option try using riced cauliflower.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container* for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Prep the night before for an easy dinner! Do steps 1-5 and then cover the Instant Pot liner and place in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to cook start with step 6.

This recipe can be gluten-free if you buy gluten-free soy sauce and gluten-free oyster sauce. Check out all my gluten-free recipes.

This recipe is dairy free.

I used my 6 quart Instant Pot* but you can also make this in your 3 quart pot. For the 8 quart pot you’ll need to increase broth to 1 cup.

Want More Tried And True Instant Pot Recipes?

boneless beef short ribs recipe in the Instant Pot

*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Comments

Florence says

April 22, 2022 at 5:57 pm

Thank you for the recommended tips, I used 1 lb of grass fed/finish beef stew meat. I also have a shellfish allergy, so thank you for the substitution. You didn’t mention at what pressure to cook the beef, High or Low? So I cooked it on high for 25 minutes, natural release all the way. I ended up cooking the peppers at little more because they weren’t soft after 5 minutes. I also added fresh, sliced, button mushrooms while sauteing the peppers. Very good

★★★★

Reply
- Karen says
  
  April 23, 2022 at 9:32 pm
  
  Yes you’re right it is high pressure
  
  Reply
Pamela R. says

March 24, 2022 at 6:17 am

Can you use other cuts of beef successfully? Our small town grocery does not carry beef short ribs on a regular basis. Thank you!

Reply
- Karen says
  
  March 24, 2022 at 12:24 pm
  
  I would try using beef stew meat. Use a 25 minute pressure cook time instead of a 35 minute pressure cook time.
  
  Reply
  - Pamela R. says
    
    March 24, 2022 at 12:36 pm
    
    Thank you very much for your reply! Can’t wait to try it!
    
    Reply
Debbie says

March 24, 2022 at 4:28 am

Is there a substitute for oyster sauce? Can it be left out without changing the flavor/consistency? We are allergic to shellfish. Thanks!

Reply
- Karen says
  
  March 24, 2022 at 12:22 pm
  
  Maybe just add in a little extra soy sauce with a Tbsp of brown sugar.
  
  Reply

Instant Pot Black Pepper Beef