Braised Beef Short Ribs are slow cooked for hours in a red wine, beef stock, and rich tomato sauce. Perfect served over mashed potatoes, risotto, rice, or noodles. Full of tender, fall off the bone, meaty goodness!
Braised Beef Short Ribs
This braised beef short rib recipe is one of my all-time favorite comfort food dishes.
There is nothing more comforting to me than a meal of red wine braised short ribs served over mashed potatoes. So rich and flavorful!
Slow cooked beef short ribs are super easy to make, yet exceptionally impressive.
It's both a fantastic family dinner or a great romantic date night at home kind of meal.
For extra convenience, the ribs can also be made the day before and heated right before serving for a quick meal.
Trust me when I tell you, they are even better the next day, so plan on making a double batch!
How to reheat leftovers
- Can leave the short ribs and sauce in the cooking pot and place directly in the refrigerator.
- Take the pot with the ribs out of the refrigerator 20-30 minutes prior to reheating to take the chill off.
- Reheat on the stove-top over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
- Can also reheat in a preheated 300F/149C degree oven for 30 minutes.
Difference Between Flanken and English Cut
- Flanken style is a thin cut (½ inch thick) of short rib that is cut across the bone, so each piece is a mixture of bone and meat. This type of short rib is most often found in a Korean BBQ recipe called galbi. They are also typically cooked quickly over a charcoal fueled high heat.
- English style is cut between the rib bones, so each bone has a thick meat on top. This recipe uses the English style and it's also the cut that's used for boneless short ribs. Due to their thickness, they are typically cooked by a slow and low method, like this recipe.
Use grass fed beef for the best flavor
Just take a look at those grass fed short rib beauties in the picture above that I bought at a local holistic organic farm.
Cooking with farm-to-table ingredients and buying from farms who honesty care about their animals, the land, and providing healthy food for the community is so rewarding.
If you want to start buying from your local farms, look them up on Eat Wild and get some good grass fed beef ribs for this recipe.
Cooking Tips:
This is the easiest slow cooked beef rib recipe with minimum preparation. Here's how to do it:
- In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, sear meaty beef ribs on all sides until browned.
- Add to the pot fresh minced garlic, chopped onion, red wine, beef stock, and a little tomato paste.
- Cover and bake for up to 3 hours for bone-in or 2 ½ hours for boneless. SO EASY!!!
After cooking, it's all transformed into a glorious sauce that is perfection poured over mashed potatoes, polenta, or noodles.
Or go the low carb way with cauliflower mash, sweet potato mash, or roasted winter squash.
The sauce will thicken on it's own, so there's really no need to use flour to thicken, just uncover the pot and serve.
Be sure to double the sauce ingredients because there's never enough gravy in the world.
Try these easy side dishes:
- Mashed Potato Pancakes
- Fresh Ginger and Shallot Green Beans
- Lyonnaise Potatoes
- Sriracha Roasted Broccoli
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
- Loaded Sweet Potato Soup
Or these yummy bread and dessert recipes:
- French Bread
- Sweet Potato Rolls
- Garlic Cheddar Angel Biscuits
- Easy Fruit Cobbler
- Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Cranberry Lemon Biscotti
- Creamy and Easy Butterscotch Pudding
- Chocolate Hazelnut Rice Dream
Did you enjoy these Braised Beef Short Ribs? Let me know by leaving a comment below and please don't forget to share the recipe with your family and friends.
Braised Beef Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 3 ½ pounds meaty English style cut short ribs, bone-in (preferably local farm raised and grass-fed),
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion about 1 medium
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup good quality red wine
- 2 cups good quality beef stock homemade or store bought (can substitute chicken broth)
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 12 oz mushrooms, cleaned and quartered (optional)
- fresh fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Take the beef short ribs out of refrigerator and let come to room temperature before cooking (about ½-1 hour).
- Preheat oven to 325F/162C degrees.
- Heat a large dutch oven over high heat. Add tablespoon of olive oil and sear short ribs on all sides until brown, adding additional olive oil as needed. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add onion and garlic to the pan and sauté until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook until reduced by half. Add beef stock, tomato paste, and thyme. Stir well and bring to a boil.
- Return short ribs to pan, cover, and place in the preheated oven. Braise for 2 ½-3 hours, or until beef is fork tender.
- If using mushrooms, add them to the pot with the short ribs the last 30-45 minutes of cooking time.
- Place cooked ribs on serving dish. Skim excess fat off top of the cooking liquid and reduce over high heat to thicken into a sauce, if necessary. Spoon sauce over short ribs and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Recipe Notes & Tips:
- If using boneless short ribs, braise for 2 ½ hours, or until fork tender.
- Leftovers are even better the next day, so make a double batch!
- Store leftovers in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Can double the sauce ingredients for extra sauce.
- Can make a day ahead and reheat the next day (In a covered dutch oven, reheat for 30 minutes over medium-low on the stove top or in a preheated 300F/149C degree oven)
- Want to freeze the short ribs for later? Completely cool the ribs in the sauce, then put in a tightly covered, freezer proof container and store for up to 6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, then reheat as usual (reheating instructions above).
Dorothy Malerba
I’ve only had short ribs out, this was my first time making. This recipe was extremely easy and so delicious! Will definitely make again but will double or triple the sauce as another commenter stated. Thank you for the recipe!
Karrie
Thank you Dorothy and so happy you enjoyed it!
Janice Hellmann
I made this recipe with flanken, omitted the mushrooms, used fresh thyme and veggie stock, and served it with plant-based 'butter' farfalle . . . it was SPECTACULAR and my family is already asking me when I'll make it again. One of the more delicious short rib meals I've ever eaten.
Karrie
Thank you so much Janice!!
Kat
Looks wonderful! Could I do this with beef plate ribs? I just grabbed a package at Costco... looking for a way to prepare them. We don’t have a smoker... thank you!!
Karrie
Thanks Kat! Yes, we can use beef plate ribs, but it may take a little longer to cook. Check it after the 3 hour mark and if not done, continue to braise checking every 30 minutes for tenderness. I would double the sauce too. Please let me know how it turns out for you!
Colleen Donofrio
Yummy !!
Karrie
Thank you Colleen!
John hughes
Ive made this recipe 30 times now...its first class...as good as any Michelin restaurant.I added salt and pepper plus one more clove of garlic then topped with sautéed carrots and onions .... ...also tried topped with sauteed stringbeans and garlic....we choose this over any steak prepared anyway..We put ontop of rice or mashed potatoes....We choose on rice with sauteed carrots and onions
Karrie
WOW John!!! Thank you so much for the wonderful complement and I'm jumping for joy that you enjoy the recipe!! All those sides sound delicious and I'll have to make this for dinner one night this week 🙂 Have you had leftovers yet? I always make a double batch and I swear, it's even better the next day!
Tiffany Spiekerman
I need to make this for 16 people any suggestions on best way to tackle that? I have two Dutch pans I plan to use?
karrie @ Tasty Ever After
Hi Tiffany, if the dutch ovens are large enough, you can split the recipe in half (once adjusted to 16 servings using slider on recipe card) or just make a double recipe in each pot. You can also make the short ribs a day ahead of time too and reheat when needed (reheat instructions are in the recipe tips). They can all be reheated at once in a high sided large baking pan. Please let me know how you and everyone likes them!
Jennifer Finer
Great recipe. Made it twice now. First followed the instructions exactly and the second time, made a few changes to suit my tastes. After I seared the meat and got the sauce going, I dumped it all into a slow cooker (low for 6 hours). I added the mushrooms after the onions were mostly done sauteing. I added a few grates of nutmeg and two dashes Worcestershire sauce. Of course, I doubled the sauce both times! Served over roasted small potatoes. Thanks for the recipe. It was flexible enough to make those changes easily!
Karrie
Thank you so much for your review Jennifer and happy you like the recipe! The slow cooker is a great idea and I'm going to try that next time I make them!
Jim H
I've made short ribs many times, this is best, simple but emphasis on good quality, fresh ingredients, good quality ribs, wine, I use a HESS Cab or CLINE Zin, reasonable prices excellent quality, goes great with the meal too. I'd enjoy seeing your take on short ribs with a mustard based sauce!
Thanks, Jim
karrie @ Tasty Ever After
Many thanks Jim for your kind comment! Yes, yes, yes on the wine!! I've had Hess with this, but checking out that Cline Zine at the store for next time. Great idea on a mustard based sauce and going to start developing a recipe on that now!
Keith Watson
Fantastic. First time I've ever cooked beef short ribs, so it was an experiment. Read other comments, and did increase the sauce by adding more stock.
Now I will be able to cook it again, and serve it up to my wife and guests.
Thank you.
karrie @ Tasty Ever After
Thank you Keith and feeling pretty honored you picked my recipe for first time cooking short ribs!! Soooo happy you liked it and please let me know how your wife and guests like it when you cook them again.
Ema
5 STARS!!!! I tried this recipe and surprised my husband. He couldn't get enough of the ribs. Thank you very much.
Karrie
Thank you so much Ema and glad your husband enjoyed it!!
Sandra
How long do cook the ribs if it’s boneless
Karrie
If using boneless ribs, braise for about 2 1/2 hours, until fork tender. Hope you enjoy the recipe Sandra!
QueenNesha
Hi5!!!! I used oxtails and short ribs .(picked up 2 packages of each on accident). as soon as my sister knew I was trying this she muscled in on dinner..she did however bring the homeade rolls... It was better than amazing!
Karrie
Thank you and so happy you liked the recipe! LOVE that you used the combo of oxtails and short ribs and def trying that next time I make it. lol on your sister and bet her homemade rolls were killer too!
Deb Salvaggio
Can I use a large cast iron pan ?
Karrie
Hi Deb, a large cast iron pan should work, as long as you have a tight fitting lid for it. Please let me know how it turns out for you!
Lindsay Tiedemann
OMG I made these tonight with popovers! SO GOOD! I doubled the sauce from some of the the above comments! I think I will add some potatoes next time
Karrie
Oooooooooo POPOVERS!!!! I'm making popovers next time I make the short ribs! Very happy you liked the recipe Lindsay and thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. Haven't tried cooking potatoes with the ribs, so please let me know how it turns out if you try it.
Roman @ Forster (Australia)
I went to a little effort with the ribs and removed the 'silver' skin off the bones. I think that also helped to make this the best beef ribs ever. Partner and I consider this the best beef rib experience ever.
Karrie
Thank you so much Roman and I'm so happy you both enjoyed the recipe!!!!
Karen Slade
Mine have another hour to braise.. Followed your directions to the letter.. I know they will be perfect it’s literally my Dads favorite dish and at 83, he gets what he wants for Sunday dinner. Garlic Mash potatoes are going to be the perfect match!
karrie @ Tasty Ever After
Good eats for Sunday dinner tonight Karen! Wish I was your neighbor because I'd invite myself over (I'd bring rolls and dessert) LOL! Please let me know how you all like it and especially what your Dad thinks of the recipe! Really hoping he loves it and good choice on garlic mashed potatoes...those are the PERFECT side.
Patrice Cain
I missed the beef stock in the recipe but I have chicken broth . Can I use that?
Karrie
Yes you can substitute chicken broth for the beef broth, Patrice!
Linda
Making these with kids in mind, substitute for wine?
Karrie
Hi Linda! The alcohol will evaporate out of the wine while reducing (it burns off at 172°F), so shouldn't be an issue. If you'd like to leave the wine out entirely, just substitute a little more of the beef broth (1/4 cup should be fine). Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Lisa
This was beyond delicious! I made it last night and have already shared your recipe with friends ... it's THAT GOOD!!!
Karrie
Thank you so much for your comment and for sharing the recipe Lisa! Gotta love beef short ribs and it's such a great comfort food meal too, especially in the winter.
Cathy
This was excellent. I did season the ribs with a little salt and pepper before browning. I would definitely make it again!
Karrie
Thank you Cathy!
Camille Simione Fegyveresi
First time making Short Ribs. DELICIOUS RECIPE, will definitely make this again. Followed directions exactly, sauce dried up a bit while cooking in oven, will double sauce next time. But this recipe is a Winner. Thank you.
Karrie
Thank you Camille and so happy you liked it!
Jason
Super Easy and super delicious. Very decadent meal. My family continually asks for this. It was very good on mashed cauliflower as well.
Karrie
Thanks so much for the review Jason and so happy your family likes the recipe! It's one of my family's favorite too and I've substituted beef shanks when I can't find short ribs to fantastic results. A side of mashed cauliflower sounds so delish!
Katie Crenshaw
Best recipe for short ribs ever! Everyone loved it.
Lucie
Hello,
It was our Christmas lunch, everybody enjoyed.
I doubled the sauce, otherwise, I followed all instructions and it was really perfect.
Taste is amazing,
Many thanks for the recipe,
Lucie
[email protected]
So glad everyone enjoyed it Lucie and thank you so much for the feedback! Happy new year to you all.