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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Instant Pot

Short Rib and Butternut Squash Tagine

6 Servings

FAST: 1¼ hours
Slow: 8½ to 9½ hours 25 minutes active

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We had in mind aromatic, savory-sweet Moroccan tagines—braises prepared in the iconic, conical earthenware vessels called tagines—when we developed this Instant Pot stew. Whether pressure-cooked or slow-cooked, boneless beef short ribs turn succulent and tender while butternut squash becomes velvety—all with little effort. (If using the slow-cooker function, to ensure it fully cooks, the squash requires a jumpstart in the microwave before it goes into the Instant Pot.) Ras el hanout is a Moroccan spice blend of earthy, warm spices. If you have trouble finding it, it’s easy to make a substitute with ground spices you likely have on hand. Mix 1½ teaspoons cumin, ¾ teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon cardamom. Serve with couscous or warm flatbread, or both.

6

Servings

Tip

Don’t step away from the pot after adding the honey and tomato paste. These ingredients steam a bit at first, but will quickly begin to stick and brown, so stir continuously and keep a close watch.

FAST: 1¼ hours
Slow: 8½ to 9½ hours

25 minutes active

Ingredients

  • 1

    tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral oil

  • 3

    tablespoons honey, plus more to serve

Directions

Reviews
Alyssa C.
June 14, 2025
Squash size!
This tasted delicious; warm and hearty. Lemon and mint were really lovely add-ons, but I did not add pistachios due to an allergy. Still tasted great without it. I used pre-cubed butternut squash (Maybe 1 inch cubes) rather than the suggested 2 inches, so most of the smaller pieces essentially dissolved or turned to mush. Still tasted great, but texture would have been better with the larger pieces.
Josh T.
February 3, 2024
It was good in the slow cooker too!
We made it in our slow cooker on high for 6 hours and it was phenomenal. HIGHLY suggested.
Erin H.
January 15, 2024
Not your ordinary beef stew
This was exactly what I was looking for! Something rich and warming on a very cold night, but not a boring beef stew that I have made a bunch of times. The flavor came out great. I made it in the instant pot and the meat was so tender. I wish I would have had some feta to go with it because I think it would have really made it perfect.
Hildy A.
September 20, 2023
Delicious. Recommend making in advance and then chilling to remove fat on top.
This came out delicious, and was really easy to make. There was a lot of rendered fat, so I do recommend chilling it to remove the fat more easily. But it was easy and delicious and a lovely change of pace.
Yaoli Y.
September 18, 2023
Delicious and easy!
Easy to throw together, made cous cous with while it cooked. I couldn’t find short ribs so used stew meat. The squash got soft and broke down and made it the perfect texture. Loved the mint so much I topped extra on mine

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