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Gorgeous Red Wine Braised Short Ribs are bursting with rich, savory flavor and perfect for serving as a Sunday dinner over creamy mashed potatoes. These tender, fall-off-the-bone braised beef short ribs are ready in just under 3 hours.
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- Beef Short Ribs Recipe
- Tools to Braise Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine
- Ingredients in Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs
- Braised Beef Short Ribs
- What to Serve with Beef Short Ribs
- How to Braise Beef Short Ribs Detailed Instructions
- Expert Tips
- How to Store Leftover Short Ribs
- How to Reheat Leftover Short Ribs
- English Cut vs Flanken Cut Short Ribs
- Red Wine for Short Ribs
- FAQ for Braising Short Ribs
- Beef Short Ribs Recipes
- What Makes My Braised Short Ribs Special
- Reviews
Beef Short Ribs Recipe
If you know me, you know I love cooking short ribs. I've made them in the smoker, on the grill, in the Instant Pot and Slow Cooker, and of course, Korean-style short ribs in a dutch oven.
Beef short ribs have always been a staple dinner in my household, so I have years of experience cooking them! By braising short ribs in red wine, you can have a decadent and flavorful, yet easy, dinner that will keep your family fed for days without much work. Enjoy the leftovers as-is, or serve them shredded over rice, in mac and cheese, or even as taco filling. You really can't go wrong!
Complete with a delicious gravy and veggies, this short ribs recipe practically cooks itself. Just pop it into the pot, add the lid, and check back later for juicy, tender ribs and thick and tasty red wine gravy. Let me show you how to braise short ribs in red wine!
Tools to Braise Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine
- A sharp knife for slicing the short ribs.
- A sturdy cutting board.
- An oven-safe large pot with a lid, such as a dutch oven.
Ingredients in Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs
- Bone-in beef short ribs: You'll want bone-in short ribs for this recipe, as they'll have superior flavor due to the long cook time. Don't worry, the meat will practically fall right off the bones! You can use boneless short ribs if you prefer, however.
- Olive oil: You can use your favorite oil with a fairly high smoke point. I find that olive oil has a great flavor and works very well.
- Garlic: Whole garlic cloves are a must! Their flavor will seep into the whole dish and is much more complex than garlic powder. You can also use pre-packaged minced garlic or garlic paste.
- Yellow onion: I use about half an onion, but you can add more if you want! Mince or thinly slice it depending on how you like your onions. If you don't have yellow onion, you can also use white onion, but I would recommend avoiding more astringent onions like red onion.
- Carrots: The carrots will soak up flavor and essentially become little flavor bombs! Cut them into thin rounds so they can best soften up.
- Salt and pepper: Use kosher salt or sea salt; table salt will leave it tasting metallic. Freshly crushed black pepper will have the best flavor, as well.
- Flour: All-purpose flour will do just fine! If you want, you can swap it for gluten-free flour and it will work just as well.
- Dry red wine: You'll want a dry red wine like Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon. I recommend getting a drinking quality wine instead of a wine sold as "cooking wine", as the flavor will be key for these ribs! If you're not sure what to choose, look for whichever wine is on sale at your local grocery store. There are often sales you can take advantage of for a great deal.
- Beef broth: Beef broth or beef stock will both work great, though stock is a bit thicker and will result in a thicker liquid at the end!
- Tomato paste: The rich, sweet, tart flavor of tomato paste adds great dimension to this dish.
- Thyme: If you can, use fresh thyme; it has a brighter taste with lots of delicious oils that will infuse the dish with flavor.
- Rosemary: Just like thyme, get fresh rosemary if you can. The texture is much nicer than dried, and it has a more complex and delicate flavor.
- Bay leaves: Naturally, you'll need some bay leaves!
For detailed step-by-step instructions with photos, serving suggestions, answers to FAQ, expert tips, and more, see under the recipe card below!
Braised Beef Short Ribs
Video
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or oven-safe pot with lid
- 3 Plates
Ingredients
- 8 beef short ribs - bone-in
- 3 tablespoons olive oil - divided into 1 tablespoon each
- 3 cloves garlic - crushed
- ½ yellow onion - minced
- 3 carrots - chopped into rounds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups dry red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 dried bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. While you are waiting for it to preheat, begin chopping your vegetables.
- Season your short ribs with salt and pepper on all sides, then coat all sides in flour. Set aside.8 beef short ribs,1 teaspoon salt,1 tablespoon black pepper,¼ cup all-purpose flour
- In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot with a lid, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.3 tablespoons olive oil
- Once the oil is hot, toss in your onions and carrots, and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly.½ yellow onion,3 carrots
- Toss in your crushed garlic, and cook down for a few minutes. Once cooked, remove veggies and garlic, and set aside.3 cloves garlic
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the Dutch oven and turn the heat to medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add 4 ribs at a time (do not overcrowd the pan) and brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove ribs, repeat the step for the remaining ribs, set aside.
- Pour in wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes.3 cups dry red wine
- Once boiling, add beef broth and tomato paste. Taste your broth and season with additional salt and pepper to your liking, if needed.2 tablespoons tomato paste,2 cups beef broth
- Add your ribs back to the pot, along with the veggies, and sprigs of rosemary and thyme, and bay leaves to the pot. If you need more liquid in the pot, add additional beef broth.6 sprigs fresh thyme,2 sprigs fresh rosemary,2 dried bay leaves
- Cover the lid and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and cook for an additional 30-45 minutes. Your ribs should be tender, nearly falling off the bone.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to rest for 20 minutes, with the lid on, before serving. Skim off any fat that has risen to the pot of the liquid.
- Serve ribs over mashed potatoes with a spoonful of gravy from the pot. Enjoy!
Notes
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- Chopping up the vegetables while the pot is heating means you'll have everything ready to go at the same time.
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- Don't overcrowd the pot! Only sear four short ribs at a time. The sear is vital to the depth of flavor!
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- There will be oil left in the pan after searing. Leave it there, but let it cool just a bit before adding the wine. This will prevent dangerous spattering.
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- You can add more vegetables if you'd like, such as a few ribs celery, small cut potatoes, or more fresh herbs.
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Isabel! I've been sharing my recipes online, in cookbooks, and in TV specials since 2012. The most important thing to me is Sunday supper with my family, and inspiring togetherness with my recipes!
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What to Serve with Beef Short Ribs
How to Braise Beef Short Ribs Detailed Instructions
1: Preheat & Prep
Preheat your oven to 350°F. While you are waiting for it to preheat, begin chopping your vegetables. Try to cut them to the same size so they cook evenly.
2: Season Ribs
Season your short ribs with salt and pepper on all sides, then coat all sides in flour. Set aside on a plate.
3: Heat Oil
In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot with a lid, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
4: Cook Vegetables
Once the oil is hot, toss in your onions and carrots and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
5: Add Garlic
Toss in your crushed garlic, and cook down for a few minutes. Once cooked, remove veggies and garlic, and set aside.
6: Add Additional Oil
Add the rest of the oil and turn the heat to medium-high. Wait for the oil to heat up.
7: Sear the Ribs
Once the oil is hot, add 4 ribs at a time (do not overcrowd the pan) and brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove ribs to a new plate, repeat the step for the remaining ribs, and set them all aside.
8: Deglaze the Pot
Let the oil cool down a little so it doesn't spatter, then pour in wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes.
9: Create Broth
Once boiling, add beef broth and tomato paste. Taste your broth and season with additional salt and pepper to your liking, if needed.
10: Add Ribs and Veggies
Add your ribs back to the pot, along with the veggies, and sprigs of rosemary and thyme, and bay leaves to the pot. If you need more liquid in the pot, add additional beef broth.
11: Cook!
Cover the lid and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours, then reduce the heat to 325°F and cook for an additional 30-45 minutes. Your ribs should be tender, nearly falling off the bone.
12: Cool
Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to rest for 20 minutes, with the lid on, before serving. Skim off any fat that has risen to the pot of the liquid.
13: Serve
Serve ribs over mashed potatoes, creamy polenta, or mashed cauliflower with a spoonful of gravy from the pot. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- To make this as easy as possible, set out three plates ahead of time: one for the raw ribs, one for the cooked ribs, and one for the veggies. That way there's as little messing with prep as possible, with no risk of cross-contamination!
- Chopping up the vegetables while the pot is heating means you'll have everything ready to go at the same time.
- Be careful not to overcrowd the pot! Only sear four short ribs at a time, or they won't brown properly. Browning the ribs properly is vital to the depth of flavor.
- There will be oil left in the pan after searing. Leave it there, but let it cool just a bit before adding the wine. This will prevent dangerous spattering.
- The hardest part of this recipe is cleaning the Dutch oven! I recommend letting it soak with soapy water, then giving it a good scrub with a bristle brush or bar keeper's friend.
- You can add more vegetables if you'd like, such as a few ribs celery, small cut potatoes, or more fresh herbs.
How to Store Leftover Short Ribs
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers by removing the bones, then ladling the meat, sauce, and veggies together into airtight containers. Let cool, then place in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: This rib recipe freezes beautifully! Store everything but the bones together in an airtight, freezer-safe container, then freeze for up to 4 months.
How to Reheat Leftover Short Ribs
- Reheating: Reheat braised ribs in the microwave or on the stove until hot and steamy. Make sure to include some of the fat from the surface of the container!
- Thawing: Thaw in the fridge overnight, or run water along the outside of the container and thaw the whole thing in a pot on the stove over low heat, stirring often.
English Cut vs Flanken Cut Short Ribs
There are two popular short rib cuts out there: English Cut and Flanken Cut short ribs. Luckily, both will work great for this recipe, as the cut itself isn't as important as the fact that they're short ribs.
However, you will notice a difference in the bone; flanken cut will have more but smaller slices of rib, while English will have fewer, larger rib bones.
You can pick your favorite! I tend to enjoy Flanken cut when I can find them, as there's more accessible marrow to melt into the stew for all that delicious flavor.
Red Wine for Short Ribs
You'll want a nice, dry red wine for these short ribs. Sweeter wines tend to conflict with the flavors of the dish. If you can, grab a quality bottle of red wine. I tend to stock up when wine is on sale so I always have something nice to use! In a recipe that relies on the flavor from the wine, you don't want to use cheap cooking wine. Trust me, you will taste the difference.
For wine types, I recommend Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon when braising beef short ribs. They're nice and dry, have rich fruity flavor, which is perfect for a beef dish.
FAQ for Braising Short Ribs
The key ingredient to braising short ribs is the red wine. Braising is a cooking method in which meat is left to simmer in liquid until the meat is tender and soft. By using a flavorful sauce of broth, herbs, wine, and other flavorings, the liquid infuses the meat with tons of flavor and leaves it fall-off-the-bone tender.
After cooking, you can thicken the gravy and turn these ribs into a beef stew by mixing about 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch with cold water to make a cornstarch slurry; then, mix the slurry into the pot while it's still hot, and it will thicken.
No, you can also cook these ribs to be fork tender but still clinging to the bone! To do this, just lower to cook time and check the ribs regularly. Take them off the heat once the ribs are at your desired consistency.
What Makes My Braised Short Ribs Special
- This recipe is as simple as it gets for beef short ribs, with a set-it and forget-it cook time. Sear the ribs and veggies, then toss it all in a pot and let it cook.
- Cleanup is easy, because everything cooks in one pot.
- Red wine braised short ribs are unbelievably flavorful, and my recipe leans into the best flavors this dish has to offer. It's rich and complex with much less work than you'd expect.
- The beef is so tender! By braising the short ribs slowly in ingredients for a red wine gravy, they practically melt in your mouth.
RJ says
Is it ok to stop the process right before I put the ribs in the oven, and then continue, say, a couple hours later? Would I need to refrigerate everything or is it okay to leave it out?
Isabel Laessig says
Hi RJ! I personally would recommend cooking it all at once. As for leaving everything out, no, you should keep it refrigerated!