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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This was amazing. Melt in your mouth! Super easy as well.
I only have 2 pounds, what would the cooking time be?
Hi Jenna, I’d strongly encourage you to make more than 2 lbs. because these shrink A LOT! But if you do use less than 4 lbs, the cooking time may be a bit (but not significantly) shorter. Just make 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!
These were amazing! And easy to make. And amazing! My family asked me when I can make them again.
Have already made this recipe a few times and my whole family LOVES it!
Wow! These BBQ boneless short ribs were Delicious!!!
Thank you for the recipe 🙂
This was absolutely delicious and so easy! I left the cayenne pepper out as my kids won’t eat anything ‘spicy’. And I didn’t know how much heat it would bring. It was a big hit. Your website has turned me into a chef and I’ve gotten compliments on all your recipes.
Hi.
I love this recipe and am wondering if I can use Instant Pot or slow cooker? Our baking feature has gone out in the oven and can’t get it repaired due to quarantine right now. Thanks!
Glad you like it! 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. And I don’t have enough experience with an Instant Pot to say whether or not this recipe would translate well but you may find these tips helpful.
I am short on brown sugar, only have 1/4 cup. Wondering if I can use molasses as a substitute? If yes, how much would you recommend?
Hi Natalia, Do you have white/granulated sugar on hand? If so, I’d supplement the 1/4 cup of brown sugar with 1/2 cup of white sugar and add 1 tablespoon molasses. Hope that helps!
Was excellent, very tender and tasty. I didn’t have Worcestershire so I subbed Guy Fieri’s “Carolina’s6 Mop n Slop”. Fabulous. Added a little more hotness. 5 stars
This is a great recipe. Surprised I followed all the steps and ingredients as I would usually add stuff. This turned out yummy and meat was excellent. Loved the BBQ sauce. That I made extra of to have in the fridge. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Jenn,
Can I make these with pork ribs since we don’t eat beef ribs? If so which ones should i buy?
Thank you!
Hi Lucy, I do think these would work with pork, and I’d buy boneless pork ribs. I’d love to hear how they turn out!
Wonderful Recipe!!