Slow Cooker Short Ribs

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

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 a slow cooker 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!

Mashed potatoes, like our Irish mashed potatoes, are also the perfect accompaniment, or cauliflower rice casserole if you are looking for a lower-carb option.

Any side dish for roast beef is a good option to serve with our slow cooker beef ribs recipe. Green vegetables such as our Green Beans Almondine work really well, too; or try some Catalan-style sauteed Swiss chard for something slightly different!

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!

📌 Pin Slow Cooker Short Ribs to save for later!

Slow Cooker Short Ribs

Slow Cooker Short Ribs are melt-in-your-mouth tender, flavor-packed beef in a rich red wine sauce. A super EASY DINNER RECIPE perfect for Sunday Supper!

4.46 from 24 votes

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Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Crock pot Short Ribs, Short Rib Recipe, Slow Cooker Recipe, Slow Cooker Short Ribs

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours 30 minutes

Total Time: 6 hours 45 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 562kcal

Author: Caroline Williams

Ingredients

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

Instructions

• Pat the short ribs dry, if needed, and sprinkle them all over with salt and pepper.
• Finely dice the onion, celery and carrot. 
• Warm half of the oil in a skillet over a medium-high heat and sear the short ribs on all sides in two batches so you don’t overcrowd the skillet.
• Put the short ribs in the slow cooker once browned, in one layer with the bone on the top as far as possible. 
• Add the onion, celery and carrot to the skillet along with the remaining oil. Reduce the heat slightly, as needed, so the vegetables don’t burn. 
• Cook the vegetables for a couple minutes then add the garlic, cook a minute more then add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping any browning from the skillet. 
• As it starts to simmer, add the balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, broth, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer then pour over the short ribs. 
• Turn the slow cooker on low and cook for 6 – 8 hours. 
• Serve the short ribs (suggest on top of mashed potatoes) with some of the sauce poured over. If you prefer, you can remove the short ribs to keep warm and thicken the sauce first, either by blending the vegetables into the sauce or by removing some to a pan and adding a slurry of 1tsp corn starch plus 1tsp water and stirring over a medium-low heat until it thickens. 

Video

Notes

1. For maximum flavor and tenderness we recommend Certified Angus Beef® brand beef short ribs
2. I used bone in short ribs for this recipe but boneless short ribs also work well.
3. Make sure to give the short ribs a good amount of seasoning with salt and pepper to intensify the flavor. 
4. 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. 
5. You can also use large pieces of carrots and serve them as your side dish. 

Nutrition

Calories: 562kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 684mg | Potassium: 1230mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3620IU | Vitamin C: 9.7mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 6.1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @familyfoodie or tag #SundaySupper!

This post was updated on August 23, 2019.