Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
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Savor the fork-tender goodness of braised short ribs—the ultimate comfort food for a chilly evening.
Searching for that perfect comforting dish for chilly winter nights or festive gatherings? Look no further than these wine-braised short ribs. Similar in technique and flavor to my ever-popular beef stew and goulash, this dish starts by searing the short ribs before slow-braising them to fork-tender perfection in a rich, flavorful red wine sauce. Just a little heads-up—short ribs require a few hours in the oven to reach that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness, so be sure to plan ahead. Serve them over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta for a meal guaranteed to fill your home with warmth and bring smiles to everyone at your table.
Table of Contents
“Easily one of the best beef meals I’ve had in ages.”
What You’ll Need To Make Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
- Boneless short ribs: The star of the dish, these ribs become incredibly tender and flavorful after slow braising. If you can’t find boneless ribs, you can substitute 6 to 7 pounds of bone-in short ribs—the meat will fall off the bone as it cooks.
- Onions and garlic: These aromatics that add depth and complexity to the sauce.
- Tomato paste: Concentrates the sauce’s flavor, adding richness and a hint of sweetness.
- All-purpose flour: Thickens the braising liquid to make a velvety sauce.
- Red wine: Adds robust, complex flavors to the braising liquid.
- Beef broth: Adds savory depth to the braising liquid and enhances the meaty flavors of the dish.
- Bay leaf and fresh thyme: These herbs add layers of flavor to the sauce.
- Carrots: Add a touch of sweetness and color.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by trimming all excess fat off of the exterior of the short ribs (although leave the marbling that goes throughout the meat alone), otherwise, your sauce will be greasy. It’s also a good idea to remove any silver skin, which is the thin, white/silvery membrane on the surface of the meat.
Season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the short ribs and cook, without moving, until well browned on one side only, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the beef to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining tablespoon of oil and short ribs.
Browning the beef adds flavor. It may seem strange to brown one side only, but it saves a lot of time and does the job just as well.
Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat, return the pot to the stove, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. (If the onions begin to darken too quickly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to the pan.)
Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes more.
Add the tomato paste.
Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Add the flour.
Cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed by the onion-tomato mixture, about 1 minute.
Add the wine, broth, sugar, bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits.
Add the short ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot and return to a boil.
Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the oven, and cook for 2 hours. Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Stir in the carrots.
Cover and return the pot to the oven and cook 45 to 60 minutes more, or until the carrots and meat are tender. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Skim any grease off the surface of the sauce, if necessary. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Spoon the short ribs and sauce into bowls over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta.
Frequently Asked Questions
When cooking with wine, I recommend using a bottle that’s inexpensive but still good enough to drink. A Pinot Noir or Merlot in the $8 to $12 range is ideal.
Yes, making the short ribs a day or two ahead can actually enhance their flavor. After cooking and cooling, store the short ribs in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat, covered, over medium-low heat on the stovetop or in a 325°F-oven until warmed through.
Yes, they freeze exceptionally well. After cooking and cooling, transfer the ribs and their sauce into airtight freezer-safe containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat slowly on the stove or in the oven, covered, until heated through.
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Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
Savor the fork-tender goodness of braised short ribs—the ultimate comfort food for a chilly evening.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless short ribs, trimmed of excess fat and silver skin, cut into 3-in chunks (see note)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2⅓ cups red wine (see note)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 large carrots, sliced ½-in-thick diagonally
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F. Season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the short ribs and cook, without moving, until well browned on one side only, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the beef to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining tablespoon of oil and short ribs. (Note: Browning the beef adds flavor. It might seem odd to brown on one side only but I find that it saves time and does the job just as well.)
- Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat, return the pot to the stove, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. (If the onions begin to darken too quickly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to the pan.) Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes more. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed by the onion-tomato mixture, about 1 minute.
- Add the wine, broth, sugar, bay leaf and thyme sprigs; increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits. Add the short ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot and return to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the oven, and cook for 2 hours.
- Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Stir in the carrots. Cover and return the pot to the oven and cook 45 to 60 minutes more, or until the carrots and meat are tender. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Skim any grease off the surface of the sauce, if necessary. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Spoon the short ribs and sauce into bowls over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta.
- Note: It's very important to trim all excess fat off of the exterior of the short ribs (although leave the marbling that goes throughout the meat alone), otherwise your sauce will be greasy. It's also a good idea to remove any silver skin, which is the thin, white/silvery membrane on the surface of the meat.
- Note: In selecting wine for this recipe, look for an inexpensive bottle that's still good enough to drink: a Pinot Noir or Merlot in the $8 - $12 range would be ideal.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The short ribs can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Reheat, covered, over medium-low heat on the stovetop or in a 325°F oven.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The short ribs can be frozen for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheat, covered, over medium-low heat on the stovetop or in a 325°F oven.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 680
- Fat: 47 g
- Saturated fat: 19 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 41 g
- Sodium: 740 mg
- Cholesterol: 166 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Had today for Christmas dinner. Was excellent! Garlic mashed potatoes, brown butter carrots, and a nice cabernet.
I made this yesterday for today’s dinner, using boned ribs. OMG, what a hit this meal was! Another home run from Once Upon a Chef recipes. Thanks,Jenn
Great recipe! The meat was so tender. My family loved it. Thank you!
Love it!!!
Made this last night and it was SO good. My local grocery store only had bone-in short ribs which I agree are so fatty, so I used chuck under blade steak instead, trimmed and cut into 2×4 pieces. I otherwise followed the recipe exactly. The flavors were incredible, and the meat was so tender. I served over mashed potatoes—the sauce was great with the potatoes. My house smelled amazing. Thank you, Jenn!
This recipe is the “bomb!” I’ve made it several times and it’s always a hit. I buy the prime boneless short ribs from Costco, brown the meat in a pan then transfer the meat, sauce and carrots into a crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. We have it with mash potatoes or rice!
DELISH!
Hi Jen,
Can the short ribs be replaced with beef cheek? If this is possible, do we keep to the same cooking time and temperature?
Thanks.
Hi Joyce, I haven’t ever cooked with beef cheeks so I can’t say from experience, but have read online that beef cheeks could be a suitable substitute for boneless short ribs without adjustments to time or temperature. If you can get beef chuck, I’d go with that. Just make sure either the chuck or the cheeks are cut into pieces that are about 2 inches wide by 4 inches long. Please LMK how it turns out!
Tried this for the first time today and so glad I did. It is OUTSTANDING!! Everyone loved it. I was not able to find boneless short ribs, so I just bought more than 4 lbs and cut the bone off myself, trimming away the silver skin and extra fat. It was an easy process. Followed the recipe exactly – wouldn’t change a thing. This will be a family favorite Sunday dinner, and it is nice enough to serve to guests. Paired it with mashed potatoes. Thank you Jen for a wonderful recipe.
I had this same dish at a place called Big Cedar Lodge and have always wanted to make it ever since. Their version had peas in it. If I wanted to incorporate peas, I’m thinking a cup of frozen peas, thrown in during the last five minutes of cooking. Would that work here?
Yep, that should work nicely. Hope you enjoy!
This was way too bland for my taste. If I make it again I’ll have to come up with additional seasonings to give it more flavor. I added many more carrots as I wanted more vegetables with my meat. I served with garlic mashed potatoes. So not the best.
Hi Jean! My short ribs are currently in their last few minutes of cooking, so we’ll see how it goes, but I’m confident because I’ve made Jenn’s BBQ short ribs and they were amazing. I’m no sure how much cooking you’ve done in the past but I truly believe in “seasoning as you go.” Every time I introduce a new ingredient, I add salt & pepper. If you wait to the end and never add seasoning, 99.9% of recipes will be bland. I taste as I go and season as I go. Some may object and think “you’ll add too much salt!” but I don’t find this to be true. I add far less salt than if I happen to forget and need to add it at the end. It’s best to layer the flavors and cook the seasoning in as you go. I also use Kosher Sea Salt and even though my husband has a history of high blood pressure, I’ve done research and sodium from processed foods is far more likely to impact HBP than kosher sea salt added by cooking homemade meals. I hope that helps. Try it! Taste and season as you go – this is my number 1 tip for new cooks! It makes ALL the difference. No more bland food.
Hi Jenn! I was looking for a good braided in red wine short rib recipe to serve at a nice dinner party. I checked here first since I trust your recipes and this looks perfect. BUT I am intrigued by the bbq short ribs you have on your site as well. I’ve never seen or tried short ribs cooked this way! Honest opinion….which would you recommend for my party of 12??! Thank you so much!
Hi Julie, They are both delish, but this one is more elegant. I’d stick with this recipe for a dinner party. Hope everyone enjoys!
That’s what I was leaning toward but I really wanted your opinion, so thank you for responding so quickly!!