Look, it’s no secret I’m obsessed with Better Than Bouillon. They have the best flavored bouillon bases, not to mention they’re the most economical in cost and longevity. And their flavor varieties are unmatched. Their chili base is part of what made my Blue Ribbon Chili the international hit it became. But I wanted to take my chili game to the next level and replace the ground meat with one of the most succulent around: short ribs.
Folks, I’m proud to say I’ve teamed up with BTB once again to bring you the best and most flavorful Short Rib Chili you’ve ever known.
This post was sponsored by Better Than Bouillon/Summit Hill Foods.
Instant Pot Short Rib Chili
Yield: 6
Instant Pot Short Rib Chili
Folks, I'm proud to say I've teamed up with Better Than Bouillon once again to bring you the best and most flavorful Short Rib Chili you've ever known.
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Additional Time
20 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds short ribs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable, canola or extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) of salted butter (see Jeff's Tips)
- 1 Vidalia (sweet) onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper (you can use a poblano pepper as well), diced
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers, finely diced with seeds removed (optional as this is a medium hot pepper)
- 1-2 cherry peppers, finely diced with seeds removed (optional as this is a medium hot pepper)
- 3 cloves (1 tablespoon) garlic, minced or pressed
- 1/4 cup of a dry red wine (like a Cabernet - see Jeff's Tips)
- 1/4 cup beef broth (I use 1/4 teaspoon Beef Better Than Bouillon + 1/4 cup water)
- 1 (8-ounce) can of tomato sauce (not the same as pasta sauce)
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can of diced tomatoes
- 1 (10-ounce) can of Rotel (or a 7-ounce can of diced green chiles will do - they're not spicy)
- 1/4 cup taco sauce
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans of red kidney beans, drained & rinsed (I used low-sodium and a can of light and dark red, but feel free to leave them out if you want it “Texas” style)
- 1/2 cup jarred sliced banana peppers, drained - plus more for topping (optional)
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1-2 tablespoons Chili Better Than Bouillon
Instructions
- Lightly rub the kosher salt and black pepper on the short ribs.
- Add the vegetable oil to the Instant Pot and hit Sauté and Adjust so it's on the More or High setting. After 3 minutes of heating, sear the short ribs on each side for 30 seconds. Remove with tongs and set aside.
- Add the butter to the pot. Once melted, add the onion and peppers and sauté for 3 minutes until lightly softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer.
- Add the wine and deglaze (scrape) the bottom of the pot to get any browned bits up. Once cleared, add the broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Rotel, taco sauce, cumin, chili powder, Italian seasoning, basil, seasoned salt, garlic salt and garlic powder. Stir until well combined.
- Nestle back in the short ribs and top with the beans and banana peppers, but do not stir! Just let them rest on top of the short ribs. Secure the lid and move the valve to the sealing position. Hit Cancel and then hit Manual or Pressure Cook for 35 minutes. When done, allow a 15-minute natural release followed by a quick release.
- Using tongs, remove the short ribs and let them rest on a plate. Meanwhile, stir in the tomato paste and Chili Better Than Bouillon (start with 1 tablespoon and work your way up to more, if desired) until melded into the chili. Let rest for 10 minutes as the tomato paste will thicken the chili as it cools.
- Remove the bones from the short ribs (they'll slide right out) and shred them up either with two forks, slicing with a knife or by hand. Add the meat back to the pot and stir.
- Serve topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, oyster crackers and additional banana peppers, if desired. Also goes great with a side of cornbread or a crusty baguette.
Jeffrey's Tips
If you'd prefer not to use wine, sub 1/2 cup of beef broth instead.
To keep it dairy-free, add 2 more tablespoons of oil in place of the butter when it's called for in Step 3.
To cut down on the sodium, use reduced sodium broth, low-sodium beans and salt-free tomato products.
Banana peppers aren't terribly spicy (think a 4 out of 10) and the spice dies down once cooked under pressure.
As for the jalapeño and cherry peppers, removing the seeds and ribs will make them less spicy. If you want your chili zesty, keep them in.
Cindy
Wish the better than bouillon products didn’t have msg. 🙁
helene
great work well done thank you
Anne Sheehan
Hi! Can I use boneless short ribs? Would the cooking time be the same?
Dave
Hey Jeffrey can’t wait to try this but being from the uk I would find it hard to get some of the peppers. Any idea for substitutes thanks for any help.
Sharon Attisano
How long do you cook this for???
Michelle
I read this in the instructions area: “Manual or Pressure Cook for 35 minutes. When done, allow a 15-minute natural release followed by a quick release.”
Lynn H
OMG! This was the best. The flavors are amazing. I used boneless short ribs which I prefer. Raves from all around. Great dish Jeffery.
LMV
My cooker is giving me a burn warning after apx 5 mins. What am I doing wrong?
Jimmy Johnson
I didn’t have “taco sauce”, but I substitutes 1 tablespoon of Chili Garlic Sauce instead, it turned out great..
Kim
This was very good and I’ll definitely make it again but I had a hard time getting it to pressurize and had to pull everything out and get the broth on the bottom, then ribs and then veggies and beans on top and then it pressurized. I think next time I will remove the veggies before deglazing and then add broth, ribs, veggies and beans in that order.
Terence
I thought the other chili recipe was good; this one is even better. Make it a day ahead as it was better the next day!
Brenda
This chili recipe was the best. The short ribs and BTB chili put it over the top. This recipe is a keeper! Thanks Jeffrey for all you do.
Steve
Fabulous!!! Sincerely, the best chili I have ever tasted.
I tweaked the recipe by adding a 1/2 c. Apple Cider Vinegar, and brushed the meat with 1 tbsp. of liquid smoke before searing.
My meat was tough using the 35 min + 15 min rest cooking duration, but when I extended 60 minutes in total it was fall of the bone!
Thanks so much Jeffrey! I’m new to Instant Pot, and I almost never cook, but your YouTube recipes are fun, and have encouraged me to try; my wife is grateful to you 😉
Angela
Wow! This was delicious and my 10yo son said it was the best he’s ever had. I couldn’t make it real spicy so I used the 1 can of original Rotel and put the banana peppers in for flavor, but didn’t add any additional heat. I couldn’t find the Better than Bouillon chili in the store but was able to order it from Amazon.
ferahtia.Fs
very nice article thank you
tita
I absolutely love this website. Thanks! GTU
Kristi
This is the best chili recipe! I added some leftover pullx pork. it was delicious! Thank you!
tita
the information you posted is very helpful
GTU
hadil
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge
hadil
THANKS
John Wagner
Should you accidentally stir in the beans before cooking, give it a try. I did that and just put it in the fridge overnight, deciding what to do with it the next day. I tried my slow cooker, but since it was cold to start with, it didn’t get warm, even after an hour! I then decided to give the IP a go and waited for the infamous BURN. It never happened and the chili turned out fine! I wouldn’t recommend stirring the beans intentionally, but in case you goof up like I did, give it a go.
tita
Thanks for sharing such an informative post.
ferahtia_FS
Thanks so much for the post.
tita
very good well done thank you
ferahtia_FS
good article thanks
propysalford
thank you for this. thank you team!
Mark Tipton
No beer in this chili recipe? Just the red wine?
Shandy
Can I make this ahead and freeze? I made this last year for a chili cook off and won. I want to make again, but have to make 3 days in advance due to other obligations, so would like to freeze if you think it’ll still be good. Thanks!
Jeffrey
Sure you can!