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Our easy Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs recipe is melt-in-your-mouth tender and so delicious! With only 15 minutes of prep and simple ingredients, you can set it and forget it while it cooks.
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Beef Shortribs in the crockpot is the ultimate comfort food! They are so juicy and literally melt in your mouth. This is a slow cooker recipe I make again and again for my family, especially as a part of my favorite Sunday dinner ideas.
My other top recipe for Sunday supper that is requested again and again is my beef chuck roast recipe. It just melts in your mouth and the potatoes are as good as the beef when they are cooked in the delicious broth.
FAQs
Tender beef chuck short ribs are one of the best cuts of beef for slow cooking and grilling. They come from the front section of the backbone and are beautifully marbled.
There are two cuts: flanken and English-style.
Flanken means “flank” in German, and it refers to ribs located along the back towards the belly of the cow, cut across the bones. They are cut into short ½ inch lengths. Sometimes, a few cross-sections of ribs are left in a strip.
The English-style of short rib is cut between each rib to separate them. This leaves a thick piece of meat sitting on top of the bone. English ribs can be left in one long piece or cut into smaller, 2-inch pieces. Some are bone-in while others are boneless beef short ribs.
They are both immensely juicy and packed with flavor!
Yes, you can. They are both amazing and both work perfectly in this recipe.
Marbling refers to the white lines of fat running through a cut of beef. If there is a lot of web-like marbling, you know you are in for a treat!
My recipe requires searing the meat before adding it to the crock pot in order to build flavor. When you sear them, the outside of the meat caramelizes slightly. This builds a more flavorful dish, as that flavor releases as the beef cooks in the crockpot.
I recommend using a cast-iron skillet to sear your beef.
Recipe Tips
- I used bone in short ribs for this recipe but boneless also work well.
- Make sure to give the short ribs a good amount of seasoning with salt and pepper to intensify the flavor.
- Important step: Heating oil in a skillet and searing the ribs on all sides in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. This step is key to beautiful and flavorful short ribs.
- You can also use large pieces of carrots and serve them as your side dish.
How to make Short Rib Gravy
You can serve the braised short ribs in its own drippings (which is absolutely amazing) or make it into a gravy. Homemade gravy is easy, delicious, and adds so much flavor to the dish
- When done, remove the short ribs to a platter, tent with foil.
- Strain the liquid and remove any large chunks of meat and vegetables.
- Add the strained liquids back to the pot, then add 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour and stir to make a gravy. It’s that easy!
What to serve with Short Ribs
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes or Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Perfect White Rice or Instant Pot White Rice
- Instant Pot Risotto or Mushroom Risotto
- Green Beans Almondine
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots.
My Favorite Short Rib Recipes
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Reviews
Here’s what our readers who have tried this recipe have to say:
I tried it! It came out amazing!!! So good and flavorful. The hubby loved it!
Jessica
This recipe was amazing! Perfect balance of flavors!
Sandra
Turned out AMAZING. Definitely a keeper!!! 😋😍🥘♥️
Katie
Great recipe! I ended up serving with Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Corn off the Cob. Great for a summer day when you don’t want to leave the oven on for a long time!
Lisa
So easy. Served over rice. DELICIOUS!!
Louise
Such a great recipe! You can taste the build of flavors in the meat. It’s not an overpowering punch, but more of a slow progression of flavors, which I feel like makes this dish taste and feel sophisticated.
Rachael
📋 Recipe
Amazing Slow Cooker Short Ribs
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs. beef chuck short ribs
- ¼ tsp. salt approx.
- ¼ tsp. pepper approx.
- 1 onion
- 8 ribs celery or one stalk
- 3 carrots medium
- 1½ Tbsp. vegetable oil or other flavorless oil
- 1 clove garlic crushed or 1 tsp. finely diced garlic
- ½ cup red wine
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- ¾ cup beef broth
- ½ tsp. rosemary dried
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Pat 2½ lbs. beef short ribs dry if necessary. Finely dice 1 onion, 8 celery ribs, and 3 medium carrots.
- Season all over with salt and pepper. Pat the seasoning into the meat.
- Warm half of your vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the short ribs on all sides, in two batches so you don't overcrowd the skillet. Make sure to sear until you have a nice mahogany crust.
- Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the skillet along with the remaining oil. Reduce the heat slightly so the vegetables don't burn.
- Cook the vegetables for a couple minutes, then add 1 clove minced garlic. Cook a minute more, then add ½ cup red wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape up brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- As it starts to simmer, add 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp. tomato paste, ¾ beef broth, ½ tsp. rosemary, and 3 bay leaves. Add the short ribs to the slow cooker.Bring the vegetable mixture to a simmer then pour over the short ribs.
- Turn the slow cooker on low and cook for 6 – 8 hours. Remove the bay leaves when it is done and discard them. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or thick pasta like pappardelle.
Video
Notes
- I used bone in short ribs for this recipe but boneless short ribs also work well.
- Make sure to give the short ribs a good amount of seasoning with salt and pepper to intensify the flavor.
- Important step: Heating oil in a skillet and searing the ribs on all sides in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. This step is key to beautiful and flavorful short ribs.
- You can also use large pieces of carrots and serve them as your side dish.
Michelle says
Do you need the wine. I’m making this soon but don’t have the wine.
Thanks Michelle
Em Beitel says
Hi Michelle! Not at all. If you don’t have the wine just use extra beef broth in its place or red wine vinegar if you have it. Enjoy!
Anna says
My family loved this recipe! I did add about 2 cups of mushrooms & used mushroom broth. No onions or garlic since one of my kids is allergic to them. Served over mashed potatoes. This recipe is a keeper!
Em Beitel says
Anna, that’s awesome! We’re so glad you and your family enjoy it! Mushrooms with this dish sound amazing – we’ll have to try it your way! Thank you for your comment.
Shawn Fischer says
Wondeful, followed exactly. Going to use leftovers for French Dips tonight. Everyone loved them.
Em Beitel says
That’s awesome, Shawn! Using the leftovers for French Dips is a brilliant idea! Thank you for sharing with us!