Braised Short Ribs
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Rich, tender, and slow-cooked in a flavorful red wine sauce, braised short ribs are the ultimate comfort food.
Looking for a cozy dish to warm up winter nights or impress at holiday dinners? These braised short ribs are just the thing. Like my beef stew and goulash, the recipe starts with searing the short ribs, then slow-braising them in a rich red wine sauce until they’re fall-apart tender. A heads-up: they need a few hours in the oven, so plan ahead. Serve over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta for a comforting meal that fills your kitchen with warmth.
“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: This cut becomes 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. Use a bottle that’s inexpensive but still good enough to drink; a Pinot Noir or Merlot in the $8 to $12 range is ideal.
- 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 natural sweetness to balance the richness of the meat and sauce.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by seasoning 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. Add half of the short ribs and cook, undisturbed, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the beef to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and short ribs.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat and return the pot to medium-low heat. Cook the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add the tomato paste and cook 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. Serve immediately or let cool, then store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The short ribs can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Video Tutorial
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Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
Rich, tender, and slow-cooked in a flavorful red wine sauce, braised short ribs are the ultimate comfort food.
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
- 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.
- 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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Hi Jen, I’ve made these before, delicious ! This time I’m using 6p a of bone in ribs, how should I adjust the other ingredients, especially the liquid ones? Thanks!
Hi Camille, so glad you like the ribs! For 6 pounds of ribs, I’d multiply all the ingredients including the liquid by 1.5.
Thank you Jenn for another approachable recipe. It was my first attempt with short ribs and my whole family loved this meal.
Hi, Jenn. 66 year old cook here and I have never left a comment on a recipe that I can recall. This is the best dinner I have ever made. Although I only had just over a pound of boneless short ribs (just me and the hubby), I made the full amount of sauce and was glad I did. I didn’t have fresh thyme so used dried. I also added some mushrooms with the carrots just because I had some that needed to be used up. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly, and this was the best sauce I’ve ever made. Oh, my. I’m in heaven. Thank you!
Can you make these in a crockpot? If so, how would you do it?
Hi Mona, Yes, you can use a crockpot – I’d make the recipe up to the point that it goes into the oven, then transfer the contents of the pot (and the carrots) to a crockpot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the meat is tender. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Hi Jen! I have made these for my family and they were in love! It’s my Mother in Laws birthday and I was going to make them again….If you had your choice would you actually make ahead (as in the notes) or would you make day of? I always feel weird about cooking before and reheating
Hi Jen, Honestly you can go either way — it will be delicious regardless. 🙂
Hello Jen,
I have never been disappointed when trying any of your recipes. Follow instructions to the tee with amazing results and beyond delicious. I have pork shanks on hand and wonder if I could substitute in place of the short ribs. If so, how long should they cook in the oven?
So glad you like the recipes! While I’ve never tried it, I think pork shanks will work here. I’m not really sure about timing though, so you’ll have to keep an eye on them. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Hello Jen,
I wanted to update you on trying pork shanks I had on hand as a substitute for the short ribs. I made this for a group of six for Easter dinner, followed the recipe to the letter and received rave reviews. I cooked the shanks in a dutch oven for 3.5 hrs the day before and reheated the next day. Truly delicious! The deep rich flavor of the sauce is something I could eat every day. I would never have tried this recipe for the first time for Easter dinner if it was not from your collection. I truly am confident that if it is your recipe, it will turn out amazing. Thank you!
So glad it came out well! Thanks for taking the time to report back. 😊
Delicious of course but mine also fell apart. The ribs didn’t hold their shape at all – how do I prevent this in the future? Thank you, Jenn!
Hi Amanda, I would just cook them for a little less time when you make these again.
Hi Jenn! This recipe is one of my absolute favorites. I was only able to get 2 lbs of short rib this time – should I halve the other ingredients as well or would you keep them the same and just save the extra sauce? Any adjustments to cook time? Thank you!
Yes, I’d halve the other ingredients. Cook time should be about the same. (And so glad you like it!)
The flavor was fantastic. However, the meat totally felt apart and disintegrated. Not sure what I did wrong. Followed the cooking instructions and thought I did not overcook in the oven.
I made this tonight but I used shoulder chuck roast and it was amazing! The gravy was thick and rich. I served it with rutabaga garlic mash. Everyone loved it. I will being making this again for sure. Thanks Jenn