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    Home » Recipes » Dinner Ideas » Slow Cooker Short Ribs

    Slow Cooker Short Ribs

    Published: Sep 17, 2023 Modified: Sep 17, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

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    Indulge in the savory delight of my Slow Cooker Short Ribs recipe. Their deep flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture are truly slow cooker magic. These short ribs promise to be the star of the show of any family dinner. With only 15 minutes of prep and simple ingredients, you can set it and forget it while it cooks.

    Pouring gravy onto short ribs in a bowl ov er vegetables
    Jump to:
    • Short Ribs in the Crock Pot
    • Crock Pot Short Ribs Ingredients
    • Short Ribs Slow Cooker Recipe
    • Short Rib Gravy Recipe
    • Beef Short Ribs Slow Cooker Tips
    • What are Short Ribs?
    • Slow Cooker Short Ribs FAQs
    • Short Rib Recipes
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Short Ribs in the Crock Pot

    Beef Short ribs in the crockpot are 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. Our other favorite is my slow cooker lasagna. It is so easy to prepare ahead of time for a crowd!

    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.

    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 on Pinterest

    Crock Pot Short Ribs Ingredients

    • beef chuck short ribs
    • salt approx
    • pepper 
    • onion
    • celery 
    • carrots
    • vegetable oil 
    • garlic crushed
    • red wine
    • balsamic vinegar
    • tomato paste
    • beef broth
    • Rosemary 
    • bay leaves

    Short Ribs Slow Cooker Recipe

    1. Pat beef short ribs dry if necessary.
    2. Finely dice the onion, celery ribs, and carrots.
    3. Season all over with salt and pepper. Pat the seasoning into the meat.
    4. 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.
    5. Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the skillet along with the remaining oil. Reduce the heat slightly so the vegetables don’t burn. 
    6. Cook the vegetables for a couple of minutes, then add 1 clove of minced garlic. Cook a minute more, then add red wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape up brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. 
    7. As it starts to simmer, add balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, beef broth, rosemary, and bay leaves.
    8. Add the short ribs to the slow cooker. Bring the vegetable mixture to a simmer then pour over the short ribs. 
    9. Turn the slow cooker on low and cook for 6 – 8 hours. 
    10. Remove the bay leaves when it is done and discard them.
    11. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or thick pasta like pappardelle.

    Amazing, so much flavor!

    Carissa

    Short Rib Gravy Recipe

    You can serve the braised short ribs in their own drippings (which is absolutely amazing) or make them into a gravy. Homemade gravy is easy, delicious, and adds so much flavor to the dish

    1. When done, remove the short ribs to a platter, and tent with foil.
    2. Strain the liquid and remove any large chunks of meat and vegetables.
    3. Add the strained liquids back to the pot, then add 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour and stir to make gravy. It’s that easy!

    Beef Short Ribs Slow Cooker Tips

    1. I used bone-in short ribs for this recipe but boneless also works well.
    2. Make sure to give the short ribs a good amount of seasoning with salt and pepper to intensify the flavor. 
    3. Important step: Heating oil in a skillet and sear the ribs on all sides in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. This step is key to beautiful and flavorful short ribs. 
    4. You can also use large pieces of carrots and serve them as your side dish. 

    Very easy & delicious. Would definitely make this again.

    Edie on Pinterest

    What are Short Ribs?

    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.

    Slow Cooker Short Ribs FAQs

    What are the different cuts of short ribs?

    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 ribs 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!

    Do you have to brown short ribs?

    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.

    Searing ribs in a cast-iron skillet

    I made this tonight. It was incredibly delicious. The prep work is worth the effort. I served with a red wine, crusty bread and a side salad.

    Kay on Pinterest

    Short Rib Recipes

    • Grilled Short Ribs
    • Korean Braised Short Ribs
    • Instant Pot Short Ribs
    • Smoked Short Ribs
    Pouring gravy on short ribs in a bowl

    Try my Grilled Pork Ribs and Air Fryer Ribs!

    Beef short ribs in a bowl over mashed potatoes

    📋 Recipe

    pouring gravy over slow cooker short ribs

    Slow Cooker Short Ribs

    Isabel Laessig
    Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs are a perfect weekday meal or special occasion dinner! Packed with flavor, they take only 15 minutes of prep and are an easy meal to make ahead of time.
    4.64 from 282 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 6 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 7 hours hrs
    Course Main
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 562 kcal

    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
    Cooking Conversions

    See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!

    Instructions
     

    • Pat 2½ lbs. beef short ribs dry if necessary. Finely dice 1 onion, 8 celery ribs, and 3 medium carrots.
      Short ribs on a wooden board next to salt and pepper
    • Season all over with salt and pepper. Pat the seasoning into the meat.
      Seasoned short ribs on a wooden board
    • 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.
      Searing ribs in a cast-iron skillet
    • Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the skillet along with the remaining oil. Reduce the heat slightly so the vegetables don't burn. 
      Vegetables in cast iron skillet: carrots, celery, onion
    • 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. 
      Vegetables simmering in cast iron 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. 
      adding vegetable mixture overtop beef in the slow cooker
    • 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.
      Pouring gravy on short ribs in a bowl

    Video

    Notes

     
    1. I used bone in short ribs for this recipe but boneless short ribs also work well.
    2. Make sure to give the short ribs a good amount of seasoning with salt and pepper to intensify the flavor. 
    3. 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. 
    4. You can also use large pieces of carrots and serve them as your side dish. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 562kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 48gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 146mgSodium: 684mgPotassium: 1230mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3620IUVitamin C: 9.7mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 6.1mg
    Keyword Crock pot Short Ribs, short ribs crock pot, short ribs in crock pot, Slow Cooker Short Ribs
    Did you try this recipe?Tag #SundaySupper on social and leave a comment below!
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    Isabel, AKA Family Foodie

    About Isabel Laessig

    Hi! I’m Isabel Laessig, also known as Family Foodie, creator of Sunday Supper Movement and author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook. Sunday Supper is my mission to bring family back around the dinner table. Join me in making family meal-time a tradition to celebrate!

    » About Me

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mike La Verdi says

      February 26, 2023 at 4:55 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely Awesome!!! Followed recipe with Outstanding results!!! It was So Good that my wife and I finished it all! Just had a little leftover gravy, which was so full bodied and tasty…but it won’t last long!!!
      Thanks for a Great Recipe!!!

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        February 27, 2023 at 2:05 pm

        Thanks so much, Mike! We’re so glad you and your wife both enjoyed it! The gravy is my favorite part.

        Reply
    2. Anne says

      April 16, 2023 at 1:00 pm

      This sounds delicious! Do the carrots get soft or do they keep a little bit to them?
      I don’t like mushy over cooked carrots!!

      Reply
      • Isabel Laessig says

        April 27, 2023 at 2:05 pm

        Hi Anne! I personally have had no issues with the carrots slow cooking them this way, but if you’d like them to have a little more bite, you could add them later into the cooktime. If you’re cooking the dish for 6 hours on low, add them at the 2 hour mark so they cook for 4 hours. If you’re cooking for 8 hours, add them halfway through the cook-time.
        Enjoy!

        Reply
    3. Aime says

      August 20, 2023 at 3:13 pm

      Hi! Thank you for the recipe! What sides would go better with this?

      Reply
      • Isabel Laessig says

        August 31, 2023 at 12:58 pm

        Hi, Aime! Thank you! I would say that depends on what sort of meal you’d like to have – I love serving this with mashed potatoes or roasted small potatoes, but you could also serve it with air fried or roasted vegetables, or even a side of pasta, if you like.

        Reply
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