Name: Instant Pot Pork Ragu
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 60 min
Ingredients: 870 g pork (2 Costco tenderloins trimmed, chopped into 4 inch chunks (I just cut each tenderloin into about 5 pieces.)); 4 cups onion (diced (I used frozen!-- 400 g)); 1 cup celery (chopped (110 g)); 2 cups carrots (chopped (250 g)); 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning; 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp pepper; 8 cloves of garlic (minced (or frozen Dorot cubes)); 28- oz can San Marzano tomatoes (crushed well in hands or quickly pulsed in blender); 3 Tbsp tomato paste; 10 oz cauliflower (steamed (I just buy the fresh bag to steam in the microwave)); 2.5 cups beef broth; 1 cup cooking wine

This Instant Pot pork ragu is as lean and light and protein-packed as they come, with 27.8 grams of protein per serving. Once I get going on batches of it, I CAN’T STOP. It’s so easy to make a huge batch for eating now and freezing for later… and EATING more now.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: Instant Pot Pork Ragu
Serves: 8
Calories: 219 cal
Protein: 27.8g
Fat: 2.7g
Carbs: 23.1g
Why You'll Love It: This is one of my favorite things to keep stocked in my fridge during the Fall and Winter seasons. So versatile—delicious over pasta, spaghetti squash, polenta, gnocchi or any roasted veggies. Full of lean protein, nutrient-packed veggies... and the perfect COMFORT food.

When this ragu shares a plate with creamy polenta or even gnocchi, cold-weather comfort food doesn’t get better. It’s the kind of bowl that makes me want to curl up on the couch in one of those oversized heathered sweaters that covers half your hands, with a moody winter manicure and a messy bun… (insert hysterical laughing emoji). In real life I’d be in something just as oversized, much less manicured, and most likely splattered with tomato sauce. Proof that I’m loving it.

What Is Pork Ragu?

Ragu is a classic Italian meat sauce, known for its slow-cooked flavor and hearty, rich tomato sauce. This one uses shredded pork tenderloin instead of a fattier cut, and the Instant Pot does the slow cooking part in 40 minutes.

Is Pork Ragu the Same as Bolognese?

They’re cousins! Both are meaty Italian tomato sauces. Bolognese is usually made with ground meat, and this ragu uses tender chunks of pork that get shredded right in the pot. If you want the ground meat version, try my healthy turkey bolognese.

Can You Make Pork Ragu Without an Instant Pot?

YES. Put it in the slow cooker for 4 to 6 hours on high. Searing the meat first in a hot pan will always improve the flavor. Or use a Dutch oven: sear the pork, sauté the veggies in the same pot, add everything back in through the tomatoes and paste, then cover and bake at 350 for about 2 to 3 hours, until the pork is easy to shred. Simmer it on the stove with the lid off while you shred, then finish with the wine, cauliflower, and broth.

Shredded pork ragu with diced carrots simmering in a green Dutch oven with a wooden spoon

Important Ingredients and Substitutions

Pork tenderloin: I always stay stocked from Costco. It’s a lean, inexpensive protein that’s about as low in fat as chicken breast, and my whole family loves it. You’ll need 2 tenderloins (870 g). We also use it for our FAVORITE healthy slow cooker carnitas, Greek shredded pork pitas (OBSESSED), brown sugar spiced pork tenderloin, and BBQ pulled pork sandwiches.
San Marzano tomatoes: I always use and recommend them if you can find them. The taste is superior! I get mine at Trader Joe’s. Crush them in your hands or give them a quick pulse in the blender.
Tomato paste in a tube: I hate storing leftover paste from the little cans, so I buy the resealable tube from Trader Joe’s. Some regular grocery stores carry it too.
Cauliflower: Steamed and blended, it thickens the sauce at the end. I buy the fresh bag that steams in the microwave.
Cheap cooking wine: I remember reading that you should never cook with a wine you wouldn’t drink. But I don’t drink wine, so I get the cheap stuff and call it good. Ha. Use something nicer if you want.
Beef broth: I use the boxed cartons from Costco, but any beef broth works. The macros are NOT calculated with bone broth, which will add more protein.
Frozen garlic cubes: You know I’m ALWAYS using frozen Dorot cubes. 8 fresh cloves work too.

Before You Start Cooking

Plan for about an hour and 40 minutes. That’s 40 minutes of prep and an hour of cooking. A lot of it is hands-off pressure cooking.
Give the Instant Pot time to pressurize. It takes at least 10 minutes before the 40 minute timer starts counting down. I use this one.
Save time with frozen onion. I used 400 g of frozen diced onion, so there’s less chopping.
Steam the cauliflower while the pork cooks. Then it’s ready to blend with a little of the beef broth when the pork is shredded.
Weigh your empty pot if you track macros. Then you can weigh the finished ragu and split it into exact servings. Here’s how I add a recipe to MyFitnessPal.

How to Make Instant Pot Pork Ragu

Sear the pork. Set the Instant Pot to sauté and let it get nice and hot with a mist of olive oil spray. Season the pork chunks liberally with kosher salt and pepper and sear on all sides, in batches if needed.
Pressure cook. Add the veggies, garlic, seasonings, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste. Seal the lid, close the vent, and cook at high pressure for 40 minutes.
Release and shred. Let it naturally release or open the vent. Switch to sauté and shred the pork with two forks right in the pot, or use your KitchenAid with the paddle attachment.
Add the wine. Still on sauté, add 1 cup cooking wine and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Stir in the cauliflower. Blend the steamed cauliflower with a little of the beef broth until smooth. Stir it in with the remaining 2 cups of broth and simmer so you sauté for 10 to 15 minutes total. Then keep it on warm until you eat.

Let’s call it three steps. Ha. Mostly you’re just letting the Instant Pot do its thing.

Pot of shredded pork ragu with carrots and a wooden spoon next to a plate of spaghetti

What to Serve with Pork Ragu

Serve it over pasta, polenta, cauliflower mash, zucchini noodles, or roasted spaghetti squash. You get it. I also love mine with some low-fat cottage cheese stirred in. Sounds kind of gross and diety, but it acts like ricotta and it’s delish.

Got a family to feed? I split the ragu in half and toss half with hot pappardelle for my family. Pull the pasta straight from the pot of water into the sauce so you get a little starchy pasta water to help the ragu stick to the noodles. I also toss in a little butter and parmesan because… well, just because.

Now when I snag a bite of theirs it’s EXTRA delicious. And I can still sit down with a big bowl of my LEAN and TASTY ragu over spaghetti squash and feel like I’m part of the club. Add parmesan smashed broccoli or basil roasted veggies on the side and dinner is done.

How to Freeze Pork Ragu

I almost always make a big batch of this so I can eat some now and freeze the rest! It’s on my list of macro-friendly freezer meals for a reason.

Freeze the ragu on its own, before tossing it with pasta.
Portion into freezer bags or containers and label with the date and grams (one serving is 350g).
Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a pot on the stove over medium heat until it’s hot all the way through. You don’t need an Instant Pot to reheat it! The microwave works too.
Stir in your cottage cheese after reheating if you like it that way.
Keeps up to 3 months.

Want more Italian-style dinners for the freezer? Try my easy lasagna soup, chicken marinara, skillet zucchini lasagna, or cottage cheese meatballs.

If you want a plan for the whole week, my macro-friendly meal plans send you a new menu and grocery list every Thursday, with complete macros on every recipe.

Pork Ragu Calories and Macros

One 350g serving of this Instant Pot pork ragu has 219 calories, 27.8g protein, 2.7g fat, and 23.1g carbs (4.7g fiber). The recipe makes 8 servings. That’s just the ragu, so add whatever you’re serving it over. To log it, search Lillie Eats and Tells Instant Pot Pork Ragu in MyFitnessPal and log as many grams as you like. I won’t judge.

Come say hi on Instagram, I share what we’re eating all week.