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Slow-Baked BBQ Short Ribs

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By Jenn Segal
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BBQ short ribs make an easy dinner that pleases kids and adults alike.

Fork on a plate with slow-baked barbeque short ribs.

For easy, family-pleasing comfort food, you can’t beat meltingly tender short ribs in a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. Inspired by Sunny Anderson’s BBQ short ribs, this simple recipe requires just 15 minutes of hands-on prep, and then the oven does the rest. Unlike many roast or stew recipes, it’s not necessary to sear the meat first. Instead, you season the meat with salt and pepper and slather them with a quick homemade BBQ sauce – a mixture of ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning. Then you put the dish in the oven to bake for 3 hours, go about your day, and let deliciousness ensue. Serve with mashed potatoes or cornbread and a roasted vegetable.

Table of Contents

What You’ll Need To Make Slow-Baked BBQ Short Ribs

short ribs ingredients

Count on about one pound of boneless short ribs per person. I know it seems like a lot but they shrink significantly while cooking, and people tend to eat generous portions. If you can only find bone-in short ribs, they will work but may take a bit longer to cook.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by cutting the short ribs in half and seasoning them with salt and pepper. Place them in a 9×13-inch baking dish.

seasoned short ribs on cutting board

Next, make the homemade BBQ sauce by combining the ketchup, dark brown sugar, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard and spices in a small bowl.

bbq sauce ingredients in bowl

Whisk to combine.

bbq sauce in bowl

Slather about 2/3 of the sauce all over the meat, and reserve the rest for the finished dish.

short ribs slathered with sauce

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 300°F for about 2-1/2 hours.

Short ribs in a pan of barbeque sauce.

Remove the foil, pour off some of the cooking liquid and cook for 30 minutes more, or until the meat is tender and browned.

baked short ribs

Transfer the meat to a platter, leaving the cooking liquid behind, and slather with the reserved BBQ sauce.

Barbeque short ribs on a plate.

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Slow-Baked BBQ Short Ribs

Metric Cup Measures
By Jenn Segal
Inspired by Sunny Anderson's Easy BBQ Boneless Short Ribs 

BBQ short ribs make an easy dinner that pleases kids and adults alike.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 3 Hours
Total Time: 3 Hours 15 Minutes

Ingredients

For the Ribs

  • 4 pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut into 4-inch long pieces
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

For the BBQ Sauce

  • 1 cup ketchup
  • ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1½ tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1½ teaspoons chili powder
  • ¾ teaspoons garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
  2. Season the ribs all over with salt and pepper, then arrange in a 9x13-inch baking dish (it will be a tight squeeze).
  3. Combine all of the ingredients for the BBQ sauce in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
  4. Pour ⅓ of the sauce (about ½ cup) over the ribs. Using tongs, flip the ribs over and spoon another ⅓ of the sauce over top. Reserve the remaining BBQ sauce to spoon over the cooked ribs. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and roast for 2½ hours. Remove the foil and, if the cooking liquid is covering the meat, use a large spoon or ladle to remove some of the liquid so that the tops are exposed. (Note: the meat will look unappetizing at this stage; don't worry, it will look much better once it's done!) Cook for 30 minutes more, uncovered, until the meat is tender and browned. Cut off any excess fat that remains around the short ribs. Transfer the short ribs to a serving platter. Discard the cooking liquid, as it will be very greasy. Slather the reserved BBQ sauce over the short ribs and serve.
  5. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The ribs can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat them tightly covered with foil in a 300°F oven until heated through.

Pair with

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (4 servings)
  • Calories: 1,320
  • Fat: 87g
  • Saturated fat: 37g
  • Carbohydrates: 59g
  • Sugar: 54g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 80g
  • Sodium: 2327mg
  • Cholesterol: 331mg
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

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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Comments

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  • Hi how long should I cook two pounds?

    • Hi Lynn, I would encourage you to make more than 2 pounds of these because they shrink a lot! But if you do use less than the 4 pounds, the cook time may be a little (but not significantly) shorter. Just make sure you use a dish that just fits the ribs/sauce as you don’t want too much extra space in the pan.

  • Can I substitute teriyaki for the BBQ sauce? This recipe is great I’ve made it many times

    • Hi Joe, While I think the flavor would be good with teriyaki sauce, I’m not certain it would be thick enough.

  • This recipe looks great~ I was wondering if the nutrition info is for the whole recipe or 1320 calorie per serving?
    Thank you

    • Hi Dayne, Short ribs are a fatty cut so, unfortunately, it’s per serving 🙂

  • This was such an easy recipe and my husband loved them!!! I make them weekly now! Loved it!

    • — Tamara Smith Granger
    • Reply

  • What’s the best way to reheat the short ribs?

    • Hi Dawn, I’d reheat in the oven, tightly covered with foil, at 300°F.

  • Absolutely phenomenal! And so easy!! I used bone-in short ribs because I think it adds a bit more flavor. But that was the only thing I changed. This is a keeper!!

  • Can this be made in slow cooker?
    Thanks
    Jamie

    • Hi Jamie, I think this recipe is best made in the oven because you need to be able to brown the meat at the end, otherwise it will look very unappealing. You could make the ribs up to that point in the slow cooker, then transfer them to the oven to brown, but that seems to be more trouble than it’s worth.

  • Hi Jen!
    I went to Whole Foods and got a little over 5 lbs of short ribs. The butcher cut them into 14 pieces ( approx 3″ long by 2″ wide). They look smaller than yours in your recipe pic. Would you cook these the same amount of time as your recipe given their size?

    Thanks for taking the time to answer my question.
    Marny

    • Hi Marny, as their size isn’t that different from the ones I use, I think the cooking time should be about the same. Hope you enjoy!

  • Can you use pork ribs?

    • — Tamara Smith Granger
    • Reply

    • Hi Tamara, Yes, pork ribs will work.

  • Awesome recipe. Quick, easy, and delicious.

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