There is so much to love about these braised beef short ribs, but it’s the flavor and texture that will keep you coming back for more! Bone-in braised short ribs are seared on all sides, then cooked slowly in an oven with beef stock, red wine, fresh vegetables, herbs, and… soy sauce!
The short ribs fall off the bone completely, which makes shredding them a total breeze! Serve over sour cream mashed potatoes or polenta, eat them plain, or feature them in a truly elegant short rib pasta! Delicious any time of year, but especially wonderful on a cold, dreary winter night.
We can’t wait for you to try this easy recipe — you’ll make it again and again!
For more impressive beef entrées, be sure to check out our Beef Tenderloin and our ever impressive Standing Rib Roast!
Ingredients For Braised Beef Short Ribs
Making braised beef short ribs is so much easier than you’d think! But it starts with high quality ingredients. We recommend using bone-in ribs when possible. The bone adds so much flavor to the overall dish!
- Bone-in beef short ribs i(nstructions below for substituting boneless ribs)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- A neutral light oil, such as canola, vegetable, or grapeseed oil
- Vegetables: chopped onion, medium carrots, chopped celery, and garlic
- Fresh thyme, rosemary, or oregano
- Bay leaf
- Beef broth or chicken stock
- Red or white wine
- Soy sauce! This gives the short ribs an incredible umami flavor!
No flour needed for dredging the ribs — if you substitute soy sauce with tamari, this recipe is naturally gluten-free!
You’ll need a dutch oven with lid or a slow cooker!
How To Make Braised Beef Short Ribs At Home
Let’s start with the process of searing the protein before braising, and why this is so important!
- Season on all sides. Season generously on all sides with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Preheat an oven to 350 F. Get the oven heating up while you simultaneously heat a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over very high heat. When the pan is hot, add a neutral oil, such as canola, vegetable, or grapeseed oil. Lighter oils like this have a higher smoke point compared to extra virgin olive oil so (1) they don’t burn as quickly, and (2) they won’t interfere with the flavor of the beef short ribs.
- Sear the ribs. Whether you’re making beef ribs, a leg of lamb, chicken thighs, or any other braised protein, it all begins with searing the meat in a really hot pan on all sides. Add seasoned short ribs to the pot and let them sear for 2-3 minutes per side, or until a golden brown crust forms. Don’t move the meat around or you won’t get that beautiful sear!
Searing meats before braising them helps to lock in flavor. Don’t skip this step!
Braised Beef Ribs In A Dutch Oven
- Transfer short ribs to a plate. After searing on all sides, carefully transfer the short ribs to a plate. Don’t wipe out or clean the pot!
- Sauté vegetables. Lower the temperature to medium-high heat, then immediately add any vegetables and aromatics — onion, garlic, carrots, etc. — directly into the hot pan. Don’t worry about the brown bits at the bottom of the pan — once you add liquid, you can scrape that off with a wooden spoon. Those brown bits = flavor, and lots of it!
- Add tomatoes. Pour in a can of whole tomatoes and tomato paste, then use the back of a wooden spoon to break them up and smash the tomatoes a bit.
- Deglaze the pan. Add red wine, beef stock, and soy sauce to deglaze the pan. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to help loosen and scrape up any brown bits at the bottom fo the pan.
- Return the ribs to the pan. Carefully add the seared short ribs back to the dutch over and make sure to pour any juices that accumulated on the plate! Add thyme and rosemary (tied together with kitchen twine) along with two bay leaves, then give the whole thing a quick stir. Place the lid on top.
- Transfer to a preheated oven. Place the covered pot in the oven. Cook until tender and the meat falls off the bone, about 2 ½ – 3 hours. No need to stir or check on the ribs during this time!
- Shred the meat. Use tongs to carefully remove the beef ribs and place in a large bowl. Cool until you’re able to handle the beef with your hands. Discard beef bones, then using your hands or two forks, shred the beef.
- Strain, then serve. Drain the braising liquid into a serving bowl, discarding the vegetables and herbs. Return pulled beef to the braising liquid.
How To Make Slow Cooker Braised Beef Ribs
To cook beef ribs in a slow cooker, follow instructions outlined above (or below on the recipe card) up through sautéing the vegetables. Add vegetables, seared beef ribs, liquids, and aromatics to the pot of a slow cooker, then set on LOW and cook for 8 hours.
To Make Stove Top Braised Beef Ribs
These braised beef ribs can be made on the stove top as well! Follow instructions up until you add all liquid and aromatics, then simmer covered on a stove top for 2 ½ – 3 hours. Just make sure you’re checking the pot often to ensure there’s plenty of liquid. If it gets low, simply add water, beef stock, or chicken stock to coat the bottom of the pan and go halfway up the ribs. This is by definition braising: a meat that is partially submerged in liquid and partially exposed.
How To Serve Braised Beef Short Ribs
Two options! Either serve the ribs on the bone or shred them. Serve bone-in ribs on a big pile of mashed potatoes , then spoon the delicious sauce and vegetables on top. Here are some of our favorite side dishes to serve ribs with:
- Vegetables: roasted root vegetables, roasted shallots, brussels sprouts, golden beets, broccoli, broccolini, or carrots
- Creamy mashed potatoes or mashed butternut squash
Some recipes will benefit from straining the sauce first. For instance, our braised beef pappardelle! Add the shredded meat to the pasta, then serve with strained short rib sauce. It’s silky smooth and luxurious! For a thicker, heartier sauce, try our Short Rib Ragu.
To strain: Use a fine mesh strainer or sieve to drain sauce into a large bowl. You can discard all vegetables and herbs. Once ribs have cooled, use hands or two forks to pull meat off the bone, then return to smooth, strained sauce.
FAQs About Braising Beef Ribs
- Can I use boneless beef ribs instead? Yes, you can! We prefer bone-in ribs (the bone adds SO much flavor). Simply reduce the cooking time by 30-60 minutes, checking the ribs around 1 ½ hours into cooking.
- I don’t have rosemary and thyme. What other herbs can I use? Oregano is a great option, and we love to add tarragon for a anise-like flavor!
- Can braised beef ribs be made ahead of time? Yes! Actually, braised ribs tend to taste better the next day. The flavor of the beef will intensify, making this the perfect make ahead dish for easy entertaining!
- How to freeze beef ribs: Once the ribs have cooled completely, shred the meat off the bone then store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Ribs can be frozen with the sauce or separately.
- How to reheat beef ribs: Reheating short ribs is very simple! Place the cooked ribs in a covered pot on the stove for about 20 minutes or reheat them in a 350F oven for 15-20 minutes.
These homemade braised beef short ribs are worthy of any and all gatherings! You’ll love their bold flavor and tender, juicy texture! Definitely a recipe worth keeping in your back pocket for easy holiday meals.
If you make these Braised Beef Short Ribs, please let me know by leaving a review below!
And make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes! DON’T FORGET to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #wellseasonedstudio !! We LOVE seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
More holiday worthy meals to try!
- Roast Rack of Lamb
- Beef Tenderloin With Parmesan Cream Sauce
- Chicken Provencal
- Crispy Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon Parmesan Sauce
- Pan Seared Scallops
- Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms
Tender, Fall Apart Braised Beef Short Ribs
Ingredients
- ~3 lbs bone-in beef short ribs
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
- 1 large sweet onion diced (about ~1 cup)
- ½ lb carrots diced (about ~1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic minced (about 2 Tbsp)
- 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 1 –2 cups low-sodium beef or chicken stock
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Season the short ribs. Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat a large dutch oven over high heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, season beef ribs on all sides with 1 Tbsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. When very hot, add 2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil to pan.
- Sear the ribs. Sear the short ribs on all sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side, for a total of 12-15 minutes. If your dutch oven won’t comfortably fit all the ribs, sear them in batches. Transfer seared ribs to a plate, then reduce heat to medium-high. At this point you can drain all but 2 Tbsp of fat from the pan if you’d like (but nothing will happen if you don’t!). Add onion, carrots, and garlic, then cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent – about 3 minutes.
- Break up the tomatoes. Add whole tomatoes either by crushing them with your hands directly into the pot or by pouring them in and breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon. Add tomato paste, then stir until dissolved into sauce.
- Add remaining liquid. Pour in 2 cups red wine, 1-2 cups beef or chicken stock, and ¼ cup soy sauce, then bring to a boil.
- Return ribs to the pot, along with any juices on the plate. Using kitchen twine, tie together thyme and rosemary, then place in the pot with the bay leaves. Cover with lid, then transfer to preheated oven and cook until tender and falling off the bone, about 2 ½ – 3 hours.
- Shred the meat. Use tongs to carefully remove the beef ribs and place in a large bowl. Cool until you’re able to handle the beef with your hands. Discard beef bones, then using your hands or two forks, shred the beef.
- Strain, then serve. Drain the braising liquid into a serving bowl, discarding the vegetables and herbs. Return pulled beef to the braising liquid.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in November 2019. It has since been updated with additional information to make it easier to create at home!
Let us know your thoughts!