Slow-Baked BBQ Short Ribs
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BBQ short ribs make an easy dinner that pleases kids and adults alike.
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
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.
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.
Whisk to combine.
Slather about 2/3 of the sauce all over the meat, and reserve the rest for the finished dish.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 300°F for about 2-1/2 hours.
Remove the foil, pour off some of the cooking liquid and cook for 30 minutes more, or until the meat is tender and browned.
Transfer the meat to a platter, leaving the cooking liquid behind, and slather with the reserved BBQ sauce.
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Video Tutorial
Slow-Baked BBQ Short Ribs
BBQ short ribs make an easy dinner that pleases kids and adults alike.
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
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Season the ribs all over with salt and pepper, then arrange in a 9x13-inch baking dish (it will be a tight squeeze).
- Combine all of the ingredients for the BBQ sauce in a small bowl and stir until smooth.
- 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.
- 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
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 1,320
- Fat: 87g
- Saturated fat: 37g
- Carbohydrates: 59g
- Sugar: 54g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 80g
- Sodium: 2327mg
- Cholesterol: 331mg
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 have made this before and it was a hit! Thank you! I need to make it a day before my dinner party, will it be as good?
Cheers!
Laurie S
Definitely, Laurie – it will be even better!
Thank you. I forgot to ask what would be the best way to reheat before serving?
Hi Laurie, I’d reheat in the oven, tightly covered with foil, at 300°F. I’d start checking them at about 30 minutes.
This was a hit in our home. I had never made beef ribs before. My husband is a fan of pork and I do not do pork.
The beef ribs were a bit harder to find, but this recipe is great.
I followed it to a “tee”. It takes sometime, but very good and very worth making.
I would totally recommend these.
We are having them for game day!!
Made this for a dinner party and was very, very pleased. Tasty and delicious. My guests enjoyed them and my husband commented what a festive dish it was. Directions were spot-on. Many thanks Jennifer!
Can you make this with bone in beef short ribs? Would it change the recipe or cooking time at all? We are in Japan and I haven’t been able to find boneless short ribs.
Thanks so much!
Yes, Kelli, you can use bone-in ribs and the cooking time should be about the same. Enjoy!
This sounds so delicious! Ive made a recipe similar to this but the sauce in this one makes so much more sense and sounds like the perfect blend. In the past I’ve always seared the meat coated in flour first and i see you didn’t find to be necessary. My question is how it would change the end result by searing or not searing? I have a great deal of respect for your opinion and have loved all your recipes. Thanks!
Hi Michelle, based on the way these cook, searing them is really not necessary. That said, if you do choose to sear them, it would add a little more depth to the flavor as well as a bit of a crust on the outside of the ribs. Hope that helps!
I’ve made these both in slow cooker and in the pan- I usually add a sprig of rosemary which adds an extra kick. I want to make enough for 8-10 people and looking for input if I’m better off using 2 pans in the oven or loading up the slow cooker (it would be pretty full if I need 8 lbs of meat, but I love being able to set it and forget it). Also for either of these methods how much cook time should I add?
Hi Amy, For the most predictable results, I’d bake them in the oven. I don’t have a lot of experience with a slow cooker but I know that it’s not great to overfill them. Bake time will likely be a little bit longer but not by much so just keep an eye on them. Hope everyone enjoys!
How would the cooking time change for pork boneless ribs
Hi Lawrence, I think boneless pork ribs will work with no modifications. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Being pressed for time I decided to try this recipe in my Instantpot. I Pammed the pot and browned the ribs on Saute. I followed the recipe for the BBQ sauce exactly except I reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup. I poured 1 cup sauce over the browned ribs and pressure cooked them for 35 minutes, letting the pressure release naturally (took about 15 minutes).
THESE RIBS WERE FABULOUS!!! Thank you Jenn!
So glad to know that these worked nicely in the Instantpot. Thanks for letting other readers know!
I have two large boneless ribs totaling 1 pound. I will use a smaller pan and less sauce, but does this change the baking time?
Hi Melissa, I would strongly encourage you to make more than 1 pound because these shrink a ton! But if you do use less than 4 pounds, the cooking time may be a bit (but not significantly) shorter. Just be sure to use a dish that just fits the ribs and sauce as you don’t want too much extra space in the pan.
This looks amazing!! Wondering could I use minced garlic instead of garlic powder??
Sure, Nicole, that should work. Hope you enjoy!
Jenn, I am about to make this, with bones. Do you think Dutch oven would work with this? Many thanks!
Sure, Janet – that should be fine. Enjoy!