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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Comments
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Love this recipe!! But I was wondering if this recipe could be used for regular bone-in ribs?
Sure, Beatrice – they may take just a bit longer to cook. Enjoy!
Hi! I plan to double the recipe and bake in the oven at the same time. Do you have any suggestions on how on adjust the cooking time? And do I need to swap the dishes at all to ensure even baking?
Hi KJ, The cook time should be about the same or just a bit longer; just keep an eye on it. And it’s always a good idea to rotate the dishes in the oven, especially if your oven heats unevenly (as most do). Hope you enjoy!
Delicious! I made ribs ahead for a family that just had a baby. All they had to do was warm up ribs to reheat. They loved the short ribs & our family did too. Thanks Jenn!
I prepared this recipe for my upcoming Seder and froze the meat, reserving the remaining sauce. Should I reheat the meat dry and then slather with the sauce or pour the sauce on before reheating?
Thanks!
Hi Sherrie, I’d reheat them in the sauce. (Make sure to tightly cover the dish with foil). Hope you enjoy!
I made the Easy Slow-Baked BBQ Short Ribs for dinner with a small change, and it was a HUGE hit with my picky crowd!! I realized I did not have all of the ingredients on hand to make the bbq sauce so I had to substitute store bought bbq sauce. Cooked it according to the directions, came out perfectly!!
Thanks so much!!! I had never made ribs before and these were a real delight. We will definitely be making them again!
My husband loved these. I did half the recipe since there was only two of us, but maybe could have gone for all of it. We were both little piggy’s with these! I made them exactly as the recipe called for, served with a nice baked sweet potato and slaw…deliciousness
Deliciously tender, tasty meat and SO easy to make! Timings in recipe are perfect. I will definately make this simple “wow” dish to delight family and guests again. Paired with your cornbread and red cabbage/carrot slaw.
Sorry correction: purple cabbage, not red, aka “sweet and tangy citrus slaw”
Hi Jenn,
I cooked the ribs this morning, hoping to reheat them for our party tomorrow night. But when I tested a piece before storing in the fridge, I realized the meat is pretty tough and dry. Did I overcook? How can I save this? There’s not much liquid left in the cooking tray at this point. Should I add some liquid when I reheat tomorrow? Beef broth? Any rescue suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Akiko, If it’s tough, that most likely means it’s not cooked enough. As long as you used the right cut of meat, it should eventually get tender (you really can’t overcook these). I’d add a little water to the pan, cover it tightly, and continue cooking until the meat is fork tender.
These are super easy and tasted great. Would not change a thing.
Can these be made in a glass pyrex dish instead of ceramic? If not, I also have an All Clad roasting pan or a Le Creuset round dutch oven. What do you recommend?
Hi Talia, A glass pyrex will be just fine here. Hope you enjoy!