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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I’m not a great cook lol so this may seem like a silly question. I only bought a small package – 1 1/2 pounds because there is only 2 of us. How much would I reduce the cooking time or do I at all?
Thanks so much!! Sounds yummy and can’t wait to try it!!
Not a silly question, Stormy! Although there are only two of you, I would strongly encourage you to make more than 1.5 pounds 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. Hope you enjoy!
Great recipe, great flavor, good eats!,
The ribs I have are called boneless country style beef ribs. Will they work as well.
That should be fine, Marlene. Enjoy!
Jenn, Thank you for all the wonderful recipes! Am a cookbook addict and love ur new book. Look forward to another some day! I got confused at the store after talking to the butcher about boneless short ribs. He said what is labeled boneless short ribs is actually the top portion of chuck steak because to remove the bone from a short rib would be wasting too much. Question. I came home with bone in short ribs. Can I make this recipe work? If so, what r your suggestions? Will be making in 3 days for out of town guests. Thanks! Rae
Hi Rae, So glad you’re enjoying the cookbook! It’s fine for you to use bone-in short ribs and the cooking time should be about the same. Hope everyone enjoys!
Made it this weekend, delicious and to have again soon.
These have become my go to recipe Sunday recipe. It’s easy, doesn’t require a lot of ingredients and they always turn out tender and delicious. Because my family typically likes a more spicy/tangy bbq sauce, I typically add a little pepper sauce and use a half cup of brown sugar rather than 3/4 cup.
Do not skip cutting the short ribs in half, they cook so much faster. I HEARTILY recommend.
This may be a stupid question, but can I use this sauce on pork ribs? Would I still follow your pork rib recipe the same way if I use this sauce? Thanks!
Not a stupid question! Yes, I think you could use this sauce on the pork ribs with no modifications necessary. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Hello! I am planning to make this today. Why do you cut the meat before cooking? More surface area for the sauce? Just wondering what the results will be if I skip that step.
Thanks!
Hi Amy, Yes that’s correct. It’s fine to skip that step but it may take a bit longer to cook. Hope you enjoy it!
Is there a substitute for Dijon mustard
Hi Princess, it’s fine to just omit the mustard – it will still be delicious! 🙂
Made these with kosher beef flanken ribs…..my kids said this may be the best thing I ever made…..not that I’m a chef or anything but I’m ok in the kitchen…
I think the sauce would be great on chicken as well….thanks so much!
I made these (they are delicious!) in advance and froze them. Can you please advise the best way to reheat after defrosting? My concern is that putting them in the 300 degree oven (covered) for 30 min. could really dry them out. Should I cover with sauce to prevent that from occurring, but make extra to pass when serving? Thank you!
Because they are covered while reheating and will be frozen in the sauce that they originally baked in, they really shouldn’t dry out. If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can make a little extra sauce and drizzle it over the ribs before reheating (and still have plenty to pass when serving). Hope that helps!