diff --git a/mealie/services/recipe/recipe_service.py b/mealie/services/recipe/recipe_service.py
index 4e83dab5a..f3b4e3be1 100644
--- a/mealie/services/recipe/recipe_service.py
+++ b/mealie/services/recipe/recipe_service.py
@@ -463,6 +463,24 @@ class RecipeService(RecipeServiceBase):
 
         return recipe
 
+    def _remove_non_existent_ingredient_references(self, update_data: Recipe) -> Recipe:
+        """Removes the references of ingredients from steps that no longer exist."""
+
+        current_ingredient_reference_ids = set()  # set of current ingredient(s) reference id's
+        for ingredient in update_data.recipe_ingredient:
+            current_ingredient_reference_ids.add(ingredient.reference_id)
+
+        recipe_instructions = update_data.recipe_instructions
+        if recipe_instructions is not None:
+            for instruction in recipe_instructions:
+                instruction.ingredient_references = [
+                    ref
+                    for ref in instruction.ingredient_references
+                    if ref.reference_id in current_ingredient_reference_ids
+                ]
+
+        return update_data
+
     def _resolve_ingredient_sub_recipes(self, update_data: Recipe) -> Recipe:
         """Resolve all referenced_recipe slugs to IDs within the current group."""
         if not update_data.recipe_ingredient:
@@ -488,7 +506,7 @@ class RecipeService(RecipeServiceBase):
     def update_one(self, slug_or_id: str | UUID, update_data: Recipe) -> Recipe:
         recipe = self._pre_update_check(slug_or_id, update_data)
 
-        # Resolve sub-recipe references before passing to repository
+        update_data = self._remove_non_existent_ingredient_references(update_data)
         update_data = self._resolve_ingredient_sub_recipes(update_data)
 
         new_data = self.group_recipes.update(recipe.slug, update_data)
diff --git a/tests/integration_tests/user_recipe_tests/test_recipe_crud.py b/tests/integration_tests/user_recipe_tests/test_recipe_crud.py
index fc5f636a1..d8d61340e 100644
--- a/tests/integration_tests/user_recipe_tests/test_recipe_crud.py
+++ b/tests/integration_tests/user_recipe_tests/test_recipe_crud.py
@@ -1127,6 +1127,66 @@ def test_sub_recipe_not_found_in_other_group(api_client: TestClient, unique_user
     assert response.json()["detail"]["message"] == "No Entry Found"
 
 
+def test_update_with_non_existent_ingredient_references(api_client: TestClient, unique_user: TestUser):
+    """Test that the non-existent ingredient references are removed"""
+
+    database = unique_user.repos
+
+    # Create a food
+    food = database.ingredient_foods.create(
+        SaveIngredientFood(
+            name=random_string(10),
+            group_id=unique_user.group_id,
+        )
+    )
+
+    # Create a recipe_a
+    recipe_a: Recipe = database.recipes.create(
+        Recipe(
+            name=random_string(10),
+            user_id=unique_user.user_id,
+            group_id=unique_user.group_id,
+            recipe_ingredient=[
+                RecipeIngredient(note="", food=food),
+            ],
+        )
+    )
+
+    recipe_url = api_routes.recipes_slug(recipe_a.slug)
+    response = api_client.get(recipe_url, headers=unique_user.token)
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    recipe_data = json.loads(response.text)
+
+    """
+        Updating the recipe with some references of non-exisitent ingredient(s),
+        mimicking the behaviour observed from the screen
+    """
+    food_ingredient_ref_id = recipe_data["recipeIngredient"][0]["referenceId"]
+    recipe_data["recipeInstructions"].append(
+        {
+            "title": "Step One",
+            "text": "Mash the Peas to form a paste.",
+            "ingredientReferences": [
+                {"referenceId": food_ingredient_ref_id},
+                {"referenceId": "5fb334fe-00b7-43d6-bb75-355977852543"},
+            ],
+        }
+    )
+
+    # Call the put API end point
+    response = api_client.put(recipe_url, json=recipe_data, headers=unique_user.token)
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    recipe_data = json.loads(response.text)
+
+    """
+        Assert the result to verify that the resulting recipe instruction has reference
+        to only valid id i.e. food_ingredient_ref_id
+    """
+    step_one_ingr_refs = recipe_data["recipeInstructions"][0]["ingredientReferences"]
+    assert len(step_one_ingr_refs) == 1
+    assert step_one_ingr_refs[0]["referenceId"] == food_ingredient_ref_id
+
+
 def test_duplicate(api_client: TestClient, unique_user: TestUser):
     recipe_data = recipe_test_data[0]