Talk to moms regularly because they have the best ideas
Recently, the fella was on the phone catching up with his mom in the midwest when she mentioned she recently bought some boneless beef ribs and wasn't sure what she was going to do with them. After looping me in on the convo I said "I'd throw them in the pressure cooker first to cook and tenderize, then slather them in BBQ sauce and finish them under the broiler or on the grill to crisp up the edges." quickly followed by "Gosh, now I want boneless beef ribs too!" Cut to me purchasing 3lbs of boneless beef ribs that very afternoon for dinner the following night because I had rib envy (that's a thing, right?).
How to use salt to create tender, flavorful meat
In addition to fat, much of the flavor of a well-prepared piece of red meat is often dependent on how it's salted. Cooks often disagree as to whether you should salt immediately before cooking meat or well in advance, but in my experience, I've had the best results salting (unground) red meat a minimum of 1-hour before cooking and up to a night before if you're planning ahead. This allows the meat to have ample time to fully absorb the salt, leading to a more flavorful and tender piece of meat.
Atleast one-hour before (ideally the night before) pull out the boneless ribs and salt them liberally on each side. When cooking red meat in my pressure cooker, I use roughly ¾ teaspoon of sea salt per pound of meat.
If salting more than an hour in advance, I like to wrap the ribs in parchment paper (3-4 per packet), stack them on a plate, and return them to the fridge. Pull the ribs out of the fridge one-hour before you intend to use them. If salting one-hour prior to cooking, leave the meat to rest on the counter at standard room temperature.
I prefer to use this coarse sea salt from Jacobsen, but I know many cooks who also swear by a Kosher salt, like Diamond. I always like to steer clear of traditional table salt because it generally contains additional additives to prevent caking and I just don't think it tastes as good. *If you do, ultimately, choose to use table salt (for some unknown reason), you'll want to decrease the amount of salt used per pound by nearly half as the salt crystals are generally much smaller than their Kosher or sea salt counterparts, and thus each measured amount has much stronger salting power.
Broiling vs. Grilling
Though the meat cooks fully in the pressure cooker, I love to finish this dish with a quick turn under the broiler or on top of the grill to produce just a little bit of the char and caramelization to the outside of the ribs. I personally prefer to stick to broiling in the cooler months and grilling in the warmer months, but either method works nicely for these ribs:
Broiling: Place the ribs in a high-heat oven-safe casserole dish or sheet pan. Broil on high for 4-8 minutes total or until ribs have reached your desired level of char. Broil temperate can vary between ovens, though most range between 500-550 degrees F / 260 – 290 C on high. Therefore, I like to check on them after about 4 minutes to gauge their progress -- and every 2 minutes thereafter until I'm happy with the way they look.
Grilling: Bring your grill up to high heat (450-500 degrees F / 232-260 degrees C). Grill the ribs on one side for 2-4 minutes (depending on your preferred char-level) with the grill lid open, then flip and cook the opposite side for an additional 2-4 minutes.
*If you don't mind losing those lovely crisp edges, this recipe is perfectly delicious if you want to skip the broiling or grilling step after pressure-cooking, slather these bad boys in some BBQ sauce and call it done.
The magic is in the sauce
Don't get me wrong, salting and cooking the meat properly is the most important aspect of this recipe, but the sauce is what truly takes these Pressure Cooker Boneless Beef Ribs over the top! Though you can easily substitute your favorite bbq sauce in this recipe, my favorite option to use is this Carolina Gold Mustard BBQ Sauce. This mustard-based sauce comes together in less than 5-minutes and is the perfect balance of zingy vinegar + pinch of sweet + just the right amount of spice to make these ribs really sing!
If mustard-based bbq sauce isn't really your thing, check out my Spicy Red BBQ Sauce or my Chipotle Peach BBQ Sauce.
How to serve these Pressure Cooker Boneless Beef Ribs
My favorite side dish for these ribs is a simple coleslaw, like this 5-minute Spicy Cabbage Slaw recipe. A good slaw pairs well whether you're aiming for a low-carb dish or if you'd like to carb-it-up for the night and layer everything on a sandwich roll.
What tools do I need to make this recipe?
- An electric pressure cooker (preferably with a rack insert)
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons
- A basting brush
- If broiling: A high-heat oven-safe casserole dish or sheet pan
- If grilling: Grilling tongs
Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.
Which pressure cooker do I use?
This recipe is titled “pressure cooker” rather than “Instant Pot” intentionally because I want it to be flexible for the other models outside of the Instant Pot brand. I personally use an Instant Pot Ultra 6qt, but these Boneless Beef Ribs can easily be made in other electric pressure cookers as well. The reason I mention this is because each brand varies, and with that cooking times may vary slightly. These Pressure Cooker Boneless Beef Ribs cook in my Instant Pot on high for 45 minutes and have produced fall-apart tender results.
A note for special diets
These Pressure Cooker Boneless Beef Ribs are gluten-free, grain-free, low-carb, and SIBO friendly. In order to make this dish Paleo and Keto friendly, there are some small swaps you can make to the Carolina Gold Mustard BBQ Sauce below. These are additionally outlined in that post as well.
For those following a strict Paleo diet, a simple swap for Worcestershire sauce is coconut aminos. For those following a strict Keto diet who do not want to consume the (tiny amount of) honey contained in this BBQ sauce, you may substitute the honey for 1 tablespoon monkfruit or equivalent sweetener. Please note that these swaps may slightly change the flavor of the bbq sauce.
Estimated nutrition facts for this recipe when swapping honey for monkfruit in the BBQ sauce (per ½ lb serving of ribs): cal: 551, fat: 39g, chol: 152mg, sod: 1010mg, carb 0g, fib: 0g, sug: 0g, prot: 46g
PrintPressure Cooker Boneless Beef Ribs
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 51 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hours 56 minutes
- Yield: 3 lbs 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Pressure Cooker Boneless Beef Ribs with Carolina Gold Mustard BBQ are a deliciously easy way to enjoy BBQ all year long.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless beef ribs (sometimes referred to as "Country beef ribs")
- 2 ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 1 cup Carolina Gold Mustard BBQ Sauce (plus more to top at the end if you like things saucy)
Instructions
- Atleast one-hour before (ideally the night before) pull out the boneless ribs and salt them liberally on each side.
- If salting more than an hour in advance, I like to wrap the ribs in parchment paper (3-4 per packet), stack them on a plate, and return them to the fridge. Pull the ribs out of the fridge one-hour before you intend to use them. If salting one-hour prior to cooking, leave the meat to rest on the counter at standard room temperature.
- Fit your electric pressure cooker with the rack insert. Add the beef broth to the bottom of the pot then lay the beef ribs on top of the rack, packing them next to each other in one layer, if possible, rather than piling them on top of each other.
- Secure the lid (and valve if your machine doesn't have an auto valve) and set the machine to high pressure for 45 minutes.
- When the pressure cooker has nearly finished it's cooking cycle, preheat your oven by setting it to the broil setting on high.
- When the cooking cycle has finished, quick release the pressure. Transfer the ribs to an oven-safe dish, leaving the broth behind in the pressure cooker.
- Using a basting brush, baste the ribs in BBQ sauce, taking care to coat them evenly.
- Though the meat cooks fully in the pressure cooker, I love to finish this dish with a quick turn under the broiler - OR - on top of the grill to produce just a little bit of the char and caramelization to the outside of the ribs.
- If broiling: Place the ribs in a high-heat oven-safe casserole dish or sheet pan. Broil on high for 4-8 minutes total or until ribs have reached your desired level of char. Broil temperate can vary between ovens, though most range between 500-550 degrees F / 260 – 290 C on high. Therefore, I like to check on them after about 4 minutes to gauge their progress -- and every 2 minutes thereafter until I'm happy with the way they look.
- If grilling: Bring your grill up to high heat (450-500 degrees F / 232-260 degrees C). Grill the ribs on one side for 2-4 minutes (depending on your preferred char level) with the grill lid open, then flip ribs and cook the opposite side for an additional 2-4 minutes.
- Once the ribs have reached your desired level of crisp edges and have been removed from heat, top them with additional bbq sauce, if desired.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ lb
- Calories: 565
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 2180 mg
- Fat: 39 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Protein: 46 g
- Cholesterol: 152 mg
Jean Choi says
I recently discovered Caroline Mustard BBQ sauce and I've been putting it on EVERYTHING so you know I'm so on board with this recipe. Looks fantastic!
Whip & Wander says
It's such a gorgeous sauce for summer!
paleoglutenfreeguy says
That sauce tho! But also I don't think I've ever had boneless beef ribs and now it's all I want. Thanks for this recipe!
Whip & Wander says
They're so much more convenient (and in my opinion, tender) than bone-in. I hope you love them!
jennifer says
These look amazing, a must make in my Instant pot for sure -- we are a beef loving family! And that sauce caught my attention, we don't do it like that here in Texas but I'm willing to try (it looks and sounds delish
ChihYu says
Not only delicious and tender, but the pressure cooker makes it quick and perfect for hot summer days!
Whip & Wander says
It's really convenient in the pressure cooker! Thanks, ChohYu!
Joni Gomes says
Absolutely delcious recipe! Yes, the broiling step is not to be missed! And the Carolina Gold Mustard BBQ Sauce is out of this world!
Whip & Wander says
Thanks, Joni! It's a favorite sauce for the summer around here!
Megan Stevens says
Love this cut of beef, and that sauce! What a gorgeous meal. We love pressure cooked short ribs, so I look forward to trying this recipe.
Lathiya says
Pressure cooker have definitely made the cooking a breeze...You have explained beautifully and the dish looks delicious
Holly says
Oh..this looks so yummy. I'll have to try it!
Trish Bozeman says
I am totally drooling over that mustardy bbq sauce. Can there be rib envy AND sauce envy? LOL! Seriously though, this is a must try this summer in my Instant Pot. I don't cook a lot of beef but your tips make it seem so approachable. Thank you!
April says
Incredible how healthy and delicious these boneless beef ribs are! I can't wait to try your recipe now. I had one I have been using for years but it is time to challenge it 🙂
Dana says
I would've never thought to start ribs off in a pressure cooker! Such a great idea. I'm not a fan of throwing ribs directly on the grill. Anytime I've eaten them that way, they're dry and leave you gnawing on the bones like a caveman. Falling off the bone is how I want my rib meat! And that sauce looks to die for. I love how bright and summery it is, and it's something different than the usual BBQ sauce!
Tracy says
Rib envy is DEFINITELY a thing because I have it right now! And that sauce... wow. I can't wait to try it - my toddler loves EVERYTHING mustard so I think she'll love it, too!
Debra says
This is a great way to make ribs. It's great to be able to pull together the rest of the meal while the ribs are cooking. I love the slaw idea. Sounds like a winning combo.
Maman de sara says
These boneless beef ribs look absolutely delicious and topped with mustard sauce, yummy.
Marisa F. Stewart says
I don't have a pressure cooker but the boneless ribs with the spices and sauce looked too good to pass up. So, I made them in our Dutch oven and I have to say that they were fork tender and the seasoning was perfect. Thank you.
Jagruti Dhanecha says
Pressure cookers are boon for us foodies and who love to create so many dishes. The dish looks perfect and your pictures are so clear.
Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says
These sound amazing and my husband will be particularly appreciative of the fact that they're boneless (which is always his chief complaint with ribs). Can't wait to give this a try!
Kathryn says
I'm really into my pressure cooker lately so these are going on the must-try list. I love the extra step of broiling them for a nice crisp finish!
Marisa F. Stewart says
As huge meat eating fans those ribs look so tantalizingly good. They look like they are cooked to perfection and I agree with giving them a little bit of char to caramelize the outside. That gives it a lot more flavor. The sauce you put on them is perfect. Love mustard and beef.
Jacqueline Debono says
Your boneless beef ribs look perfect. I would definitely put them under the broiler too. I love slightly chard ribs!