Slow Cooker Short Ribs

Our Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs are melt-in-your-mouth tender! Flavor-packed beef in a rich red wine sauce makes a super easy family dinner recipe perfect for an easy weeknight meal and even Sunday supper!

Easy dinner ideas like this short ribs slow cooker recipe are perfect for nights when you need comfort food or just a simple meal you can set and forget about until it’s time to serve. 

This beef short ribs crock pot recipe is guaranteed to become one of your favorite easy weeknight meals and Sunday dinner ideas!

What are short ribs?

To start with, beef chuck short ribs are the absolute best cut of beef for slow cooking! 

The name gives you a clue⁠—short ribs are cuts of beef from the rib bone. ‘Short’ ribs simply refers to the fact that they are parts of the rib rather than a full rack of ribs.

There are two primary cuts of beef short ribs:

• Flanken short ribs, where the bones are cut into short 1-2 inch lengths. Sometimes, a few cross-sections of ribs are left in a strip, or they are in separate chunks, like this recipe.
• English-style, where larger pieces of bone are left in and the meat is cut parallel to the bone.

Are short ribs tender?

Beef short ribs are not naturally tender meat, they need a little help to get that way. Braised Short Ribs is the way to go to break down the connective tissue. They are one of the meat cuts that really benefit from a long, slow cook to break them down and tenderize them.

Should I use bone-in short ribs or boneless short ribs for slow cooker short ribs?

I use bone-in beef short ribs but boneless beef short ribs also work really well in this recipe. Why not try both and see which kind of short rib your family prefers? Either way, they are sure to be delicious in this slow cooker short ribs recipe!

Slow Cooker Short Ribs Recipe Ingredients

For this easy beef short ribs crock pot recipe, you will need only a few simple ingredients. You can use boneless short ribs or bone-in short ribs, whichever you prefer, and the remaining ingredients are easy enough that you may already have most of them on hand! Here’s what you need:

• 2.5 lb beef chuck short ribs
• 1/4 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 onion
• 1 rib of celery
• 1 medium-size carrot
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, or other flavorless oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or finely diced
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1 bay leaf

How to Cook Short Ribs in the Slow Cooker

Braising short ribs intensifies their beautiful mahogany color, and brings out their wonderful flavor. You’re going to want to make short ribs this way every time! Follow these simple steps to make this slow cooker beef ribs recipe:

1. Season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.
2. Dice the onion, carrot, and celery.
3. Heat some oil in a skillet and sear the ribs on all sides. Sear in batches, so you don’t overcrowd the pan.
4. After searing, remove the ribs from the skillet and add to the crockpot. 
5. Put the onion, carrot, and celery in the skillet and cook a couple of minutes to soften.
6. Add the garlic, then, after a minute, add the wine and deglaze the pan.
7. Add the balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, broth, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.
8. Pour the sauce over the short ribs, cover and turn on low for 6-8 hours.

Why do you have to sear the short ribs in a skillet first?

Our slow cooker short ribs recipe requires searing the meat before adding to the slow cooker in order to build flavor. When you sear the beef short ribs in a skillet, the outside of the meat caramelizes slightly. This then builds into a fuller-flavor dish, as the flavor releases into the cooking liquid in the crockpot. 

In essence, searing the short ribs first and then adding them to the crockpot will produce juicy, fall-off-the-bone tender beef ribs. 

Many cuts of beef on the bone, especially beef short rib recipes, really come into their own when braising after searing, like braised lamb shanks, as well as dishes like slow cooker beef tips and gravy. Korean short ribs are another delicious example of cooking beef short ribs.

What does deglazing mean?

Deglazing a pan is a method for cooking that helps unstick those delicious browned bits at the bottom of a pan after searing food, like beef short ribs, for example.

You then use the sauce from deglazing as a gravy for the meal. Those browned bits are flavor, and deglazing is the best way to put that flavor back into your meal!

What makes this the best short ribs recipe?

• First and foremost, this is the best short ribs slow cooker recipe because you can prep it in the morning or even the night before and it cooks in the crockpot all day long. You can have a delicious and nutritious family meal on the table when you get home from a busy day!
• The combination of the red wine and balsamic vinegar deglazing the pan after searing the ribs gives this dish amazing flavor.
• Short rib recipes are perfect for cooking your veggies in the crockpot, meaning side dishes are done with very little effort. Try adding fingerling potatoes in the slow cooker and watch how flavorful they come out!
• The braising marinade in this crock-pot short rib recipe makes its own sauce. No need to take extra steps to make a beef gravy!

Side Dishes for Ribs in the Slow Cooker

• Mashed potatoes, like our Irish mashed potatoes
• cauliflower rice casserole if you are looking for a lower-carb option
• Green vegetables such as our Green Beans Almondine
• Catalan-style sauteed Swiss chard for something slightly different!

These slow cooker beef short ribs are cooked in a flavorful mix that you don’t want to throw away. The best way to enjoy this recipe for short ribs in crock pot is with something that can mop up that wonderful gravy! Everyone loves homemade bread, and our sprouted bread is easy to make and so delicious. It’s perfect with the short rib gravy!

Any side dish for roast beef is a good option to serve with our slow cooker beef ribs recipe.

This beef short ribs crockpot recipe is so easy to prepare and packed with flavor. Tender meat, flavorful beef gravy, oh-so-delicious, and wonderfully comforting any night of the week! Slow cooker recipes are the perfect solution to get family meals on the table in a snap!

When you get out that slow cooker on those chilly days, Starbucks pumpkin bread, is the perfect dessert to pair with a comforting meal of fall off the bone short ribs. Seriously, your family will thank you!

Try some of our other favorite easy beef recipes for your weeknight dinners:

• Beef Chuck Roast Recipe
• Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast
• Instant Pot Pot Roast
• Dutch Oven Pot Roast
• Easy Slow Cooker Roast Beef Recipe
• Picanha Steak Recipe

If you are looking for super easy slow cooker recipes, check out our best slow cooker recipes: 

• Slow Cooker Beef Gravy
• Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast
• Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
• Easy Slow Cooker Roast Beef 
• Slow Cooker Chicken Wings
• Slow Cooker Carne Picada

Don’t forget dessert! Nothing says comfort food on a chilly days like this Slow roasted short ribs paired with our moist Starbucks Pumpkin Bread. Trust us on this one!

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This post was updated on August 23, 2019.