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My easy Slow Cooker 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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Crock Pot Short Ribs
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
Slow Cooker 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
How to Cook Short Ribs in the Crock Pot
- Pat beef short ribs dry if necessary.
- Finely dice the onion, celery ribs, and 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 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.
- As it starts to simmer, add balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, beef broth, rosemary, and 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.
Amazing, so much flavor!
Carissa
How to make Short Rib Gravy
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
- When done, remove the short ribs to a platter, and 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 gravy. It’s that easy!
Slow Cooker Short Ribs Recipe Tips
- I used bone-in short ribs for this recipe but boneless also works 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 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.
- 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
Short Ribs in the Slow Cooker 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 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!
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.
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
Try my Grilled Pork Ribs and Air Fryer Pork Ribs!
Slow Cooker Recipes
- Slow Cooker Lasagna
- Slow Cooker Chicken Legs
- Slow Cooker Chuck Roast
- Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Gravy
- Pulled Pork Recipe
📋 Recipe
Slow Cooker Short Ribs
Equipment
- 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
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.
- 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.
Frank says
Hi, I am wondering about how many cups of cut up celery would equal your suggested 8 ribs. In our area a rib and a stalk are the same for celery. The whole celery plant we call a bunch. So I’m thinking if cups is used I will get it correct. Thanks a lot , I’m anxious to give this recipe a try.
Em Beitel says
Hi Frank! I believe we used around 1 cup of chopped celery for this recipe, though it may have been a little more than that. You should be safe with 1 cup celery to about 1½ cups celery. Enjoy, and thank you for your question!
Nicole says
Hello, do you have to add red wine to the short ribs or what’s a good substitute for red wine ?
Em Beitel says
Hi Nicole! If you don’t want to use red wine, you can use additional beef broth instead. Use the same amount as you would the red wine. Thank you for your question, and enjoy!
Rena says
I wonder have you ever made this from frozen? I have short ribs in the deep freezer and would prefer not to have to wait for them to thaw. What are your thoughts?
Em Beitel says
Hi Rena! We have not made them from frozen and recommend letting them thaw first before cooking them. However, you may be able to make it work by cooking them on high for an hour, then turning the slow cooker down to low for the remainder of the cook time.
frank marciari says
Nice recipe!
Only change for me was to flour the ribs lightly s&p before browning. I cut extra carrot & celery also.
Em Beitel says
That’s awesome, Frank! Thank you for sharing, we’re glad you enjoyed it!
Judy Campo says
I just made this amazing recipe using all the ingredients. It’s pretty much how I make it & it is delicious! Served over mashed potatoes!
Em Beitel says
That’s awesome, Judy! We’re so glad you enjoyed it – thank you!
Margy McCalmon says
I could only find boneless short ribs that look a bit thin and I’m making only a pound and a half since it’s just the 2 of us! Any suggestion on cooking time? Thank you!
Em Beitel says
Hi Margy! For a pound and a half of boneless beef short ribs, I would cook them for about 4 hours. Check on them and if they’re tender and shredding, they’re good to go.
Emma wong says
Can I use a dutch oven over the stove? How long would it take to do it on the stove in a dutch oven?
Em Beitel says
Hi Emma! You could. I have not done this myself, but personally I would cook them for 3½-4 hours at a simmering heat (covered with a lid). You want to keep it simmering, so you’ll have to check in on the ribs frequently to make sure they’re staying at the right temperature and cooking properly (I would do this every 30 minutes or so).
Alexis says
I’ve made this recipe twice before and our family loves it! However this morning I forgot to add beef brother to the veggies. I realized after putting everything in the crockpot. Is it okay that I poured beef broth in the crock pot over top of everything or should I expect my meal to be different this time?
Em Beitel says
Hi Alexis! We’re so glad you and your family enjoy it! It should be totally fine that you added the beef broth a little late.
Alexis says
Thank you so much for the quick response!
Em Beitel says
Thank you for reaching out! I hope it turned out beautifully. Have a great holiday season!
Patrick D says
Hi, for the concrete thinkers out there, could you please give a more definitive quantity for the onion, celery and carrot please? Also, is there a time frame for cooking on High? Thanks!
Em Beitel says
Hi Patrick! I would say about 1/2 to 1 cup diced onion (up to your preference), 1/2 cup sliced celery, and about 1/2 to 1 cup sliced carrots, as well. It’s really up to your preference but that’s how I would measure it out. Cook on High for 4-5 hours, but check the tenderness and cook for longer if needed before removing them from the slow cooker – they should easily shred when they’re tender enough. Enjoy!
carmen Singer says
How much tomato past, wine and balsamic vinegar do you use? The ingredient list has no quantity listed!
Em Beitel says
Hi Carmen! The ingredients are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post! The ingredient list further up is just a “preview” to give you an idea of what you’ll need. For these specifically you’ll need ½ cup red wine, 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, and 2 Tbsp. tomato paste.
Maria says
Hi Isabel gosto MUITO das suas receitas sou portuguesa e Adoro aprender a cozinhar visto que nunca ninguem me ensinou na minha infancia !!!obrigada so porque GOSTEI de VER a SUA historia 😍
Em Beitel says
Hi Maria! Sending this for Isabel:
O prazer é todo meu. Por favor, deixe-me saber se você tentar alguma das minhas receitas.
Lorna... says
I made this yesterday & it turned out amazing. I did however, gave to use celery salt as I had no celery in the fridge..
I made the gravy to spoon over& it was delish…
I used cornflour (as we say here in Scotland 🏴 ) then a dollop of redcurrant jelly, just to give a hint of sweetness & finally a splash of port..
A fantastic recipe for shortribs.. I’m so glad I found your site… I will definitely make again….😊
Em Beitel says
Hi, Lorna! Thank you so much for trying out the short ribs! We’re so glad you enjoyed it – thank you for sharing with us!