Fall off the bone-shank meat that is so tender and flavorful. Instant Pot Osso Buco, is the easiest way to cook beef shank to perfection with little preparation and ingredients! The best comfort food for a cool winter night.
Love Italian food? Try this Instant Pot Osso Buco, a quicker version of a traditional Osso buco with the same great taste.
This Instant Pot Osso Buco is made of beef shank that is cooked at high pressure for about an hour to break down all tough connective tissue, which eventually melts into a rich broth.
This recipe was inspired by this Boneless Beef Short Ribs recipe on my site and pairs well with these Nokedli (Hungarian dumplings).
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What is Osso Buco
Osso Buco or Ossobuco is one of the most popular meat dishes from the region of Lombard in Italy. It is a cross-cut veal shank braised with white wine, vegetables, and broth. It's traditionally served with either risotto alla Milanese or polenta.
The traditional Osso Buco is usually braised slowly in the oven and could take more than 2 hours of cooking time.
Do People Like Osso Buco?
Wondering if your friends and family will like Osso Buco? It's one of those dishes that's a very safe bet! Almost everyone I know likes tender meat that just falls off the bone. The meat and sauce have kid-friendly tastes, too.
Another reason people will enjoy this dish is that they'll get to enjoy a dish that's quite expensive in restaurants.
The first time tried Osso Buco was in a steak and seafood restaurant. It was fantastic! Being able to bring that type of dish to your home kitchen to share with friends and family is fun and can give you some extra pride.
Instant Pot Osso Buco Ingredients
Osso Buco may sound fancy but it's actually pretty easy to make and uses simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry and fridge.
To make this Instant Pot Osso Buco, you will need the following ingredients:
- Veal or Beef Shank:
- This is the meaty star of the show. Beef shank is a wallet-friendly option if you're not into veal. It brings great flavor and tenderness.
- Dry White Wine (like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio):
- Adds a bit of zing and complexity. Pick your favorite white wine to give your dish a special touch.
- Vegetables and Aromatics (Onion, Carrots, Celery, Garlic):
- These make the base super tasty. Onions, carrots, celery, and garlic work together to add flavor and smell awesome.
- San Marzano Tomatoes:
- Think of these as the famous Italian tomatoes. Get them canned for an easy and authentic taste.
- Broth (Veal, Beef, or Chicken):
- Adds liquid goodness. Use veal, beef, or chicken broth to make it as meaty as you like.
- Herbs (Rosemary and Oregano):
- Makes it smell and taste fresh. Rosemary and oregano bring a herby kick to your dish.
- All-Purpose Flour:
- To brown the meat and thicken the sauce, a little flour helps make the sauce the right consistency.
- Olive Oil:
- Adds richness and prevents sticking. Olive oil gives your dish a lovely, smooth texture.
- Salt and Black Pepper:
- Seasoning magic. Salt enhances flavors, while black pepper adds a bit of heat. Adjust to your taste.
How to Cook Osso Buco in an Instant Pot:
Step 1. Brown the Beef Shank
Make 3-4 tiny slits on the connection tissue between the meat and fat. Season the beef shank with salt and black pepper then dredge the shanks very lightly in flour, thoroughly shaking off the excess.
Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an Instant pot. Working in multiple batches, sear the meat until nicely browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add more oil if needed. Set aside.
Step 2. Cook Aromatic Vegetables
Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook until soft and translucent for about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant.
Step 3. Deglaze
Pour in white wine, and cook, scraping up any brown bits with a spatula, until the wine is reduced to at least half.
Step 4. Cook at High pressure
Add rosemary, oregano, broth, and the browned beef shank back into the pot. Pour in the crushed tomatoes.
Select "Manual" for 60 minutes (fall off the bone). When the cooking cycle is completed, quickly release the pressure.
How to Cook Store and Reheat Ossobuco:
You can also store the leftover Ossobuco in the fridge or freezer if you'd like. Here's how to do it:
- First, let the stew cool at room temperature but no longer than 2 hours.
- Once it has cooled completely, you can store it in an airtight container.
- Properly stored, this osso buco can last up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
I hope you'll enjoy this recipe and share it with friends! If you try it and don’t mind, please leave me a comment and/or give this recipe a rating. Be sure to subscribe to receive weekly recipes and follow me on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Osso Buco
Ingredients
- 3 beef shanks, (about 2.5 pounds) - pat the meat dry with paper towels.
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
For Braising:
- 1½ cups diced yellow onion
- ¾ cup small diced carrots
- ¾ cup small diced celery
- 1½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ½ cup low-sodium broth , (veal, beef, or chicken broth)
- 2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary , (add more according to your liking)
- 2 teaspoon finely chopped oregano, (or use thyme)
- 1 can (14.5 oz) San Marzano Tomatoes, (use whole tomatoes only, chopped - about 1 cup)
- ½-1 teaspoon salt, (optional)
Instructions
- Make 3-4 tiny slits on the connection tissue between the meat and fat. Season the beef shank with salt and black pepper then dredge the shanks very lightly in flour, thoroughly shaking off the excess.
- Select the "Saute" key. When the display shows "HOT", add 2 tablespoons of oil. Working in multiple batches, sear the meat until nicely browned on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Add more oil if needed. Set aside.
- Add onion, carrots, and celery into the pot. Cook until soft and translucent for about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant.
- Pour in white wine, cook, scraping up any brown bits with a spatula, until the wine is reduced to at least half.
- Add rosemary, oregano, broth, salt (optional), and the browned beef shank back into the pot. Pour in the crushed tomatoes.Select "Manual" on a high setting and cook for 60 minutes (fall-off the bone meat). When the cooking cycle is completed, quickly release the pressure.
Julie Menghini says
This Osso Buco looks incredibly delicious! I really appreciate the step by step directions and that it is an Instant pot recipe!
Rika says
You're welcome, Julie! Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Carrie Robinson says
This looks amazing! Perfect comfort food for winter time. 🙂
Rika says
Thanks, Carrie!
Chris Collins says
Looks so rich and tender! Can't wait to try out the recipe 🙂
Rika says
Thanks, Chris!
Jess says
I love that this is made in the Instant pot. So easy!
Rika says
The Instant pot makes it easy 🙂 Thanks, Jess!
Shelley says
What a wonderful recipe for making Osso Bucco more accessible and un-fussy! Just a few simple ingredients and (YAY!) my Instant Pot! Perfect comfort food that's sure to impress!
Rika says
I agree with you. I love easy recipes like this 🙂
Domingo Gomez says
It was absolutely delicious! I did not make it on the Instant Pot, was only making one shank to try it out. Adjusted the other ingredients accordingly and there was enough sauce to pour over rice, pasta or polenta. It only took me 1 1/2 hours in my induction stovetop. Again, the flavor was up to the best northern Italian restaurant osso bucco I've ever eaten.
Rika says
Hi Domingo,
Thanks for taking the time to review this Osso Buco recipe! I am glad that this recipe turned out well for you.
Best,
Rika
Billy Edgar says
Cook on manual and you have no temp setting?
Rika says
Hi Billy,
Thanks for reminding me about that. It's on a high setting.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best,
Rika
Alice says
I can't tell for sure but I guess it is to be cooked under "Pressure Cook" "High". 60 minutes just sounded like a really long time to cook under Pressure. Insta Pots have different settings so it would be helpful if you specified that in the recipe itself. Mine has 25 minutes to go! Can't wait to try it.
Rika says
Hi Alice,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the cooking time. It's 60 minutes for fall-apart meat (as you can see on the pic) but the meat will actually become tender and still be intact (to the bone) after 45 minutes of cooking time. Please let me know how it goes.
Best,
Rika
Mary Schermerhorn says
I got all the ingredients and we are having it tonight. Dug out my silver coffee spoons to sample the bone marrrow. Can't wait.
One question - would it be proper to thicken the sauce? mine seems to be a bit watery, but no too bad.
Rika says
Hi Mary,
If the sauce is too watery to your liking, add equal parts of cornstarch and water mixture (1 tbsp of cornstarch + 1 tbsp of cold water) to the stew at the end of the cooking. Cook the stew over medium heat, stirring continually, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Rika
john newcomb says
Beef shanks just went into the Instant Pot for 45-minutes with double the ingredients and beef broth. So looking forward to tasty Osso Buco and side dish of something.... Thanks!
Rika says
Hi John,
You're welcome. Thanks for trying and sharing what you did with the recipe!
Best,
Rika