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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This recipes calls for 4 lbs of boneless short ribs cut into pieces with a total cooking time of 3 hours. If I’m using 5.5 lbs of bone-in short ribs, how long do I need to cook them? Thanks!
Hi Laurie, the bake time may be a bit longer but not significantly so. Hope you enjoy!
Hello, did you fit all 5.5lbs in a 9×13 baking dish? Trying to figure out how to cook my 5.5lbs of ribs…squeezed into the one 9×13, or putting the additional 1.5lb in a 9×9…but then I’m afraid there will be too much space between pieces and dry out…
Thanks!
Hi! Have made this recipe as-is for countless dinner parties and it’s always a hit for kids and adults!
And advice or caution about using beef chuck instead of short ribs?
Glad you like these! Beef chuck should be fine – just cut them like short ribs (about 2 inches wide x 4 inches long). Cook time and temp would be the same. Please let me know how it turns out!
Hi Jenn! I made this recipe using beef chuck pot roast and cut 2×4 per your instruction; OMG just as delicious! 😋
Glad it worked out — thanks for following up! 🙂
Can I use bone in ribs?
Yep – hope you enjoy!
Jenn, the highest compliment I could give this dish surprised everybody at the table: I shamelessly licked my plate and smiled at my wife, while my children’s jaws hung open and my grandchildren squealed with delight. My wife, who made the dish, wanted to be shocked but recognized the compliment and just rolled her smiling eyes*. I’m told this was almost too easy to prepare, and even though we doubled the portions, there wasn’t a scrap left. Brava, well done!
ps: Next time we make this I’m suggesting making and extra cup of the sauce…outstanding :))))
LOL – so glad you liked it! 🙂
Made these for dinner tonight. So easy and delicious! I only cooked for me and my husband so I used 2lbs of short ribs and used a smaller baking dish. Definitely will be doing again.
Did you cook it for the same amount of time? I am cooking these as well for just my husband and myself and have about 2 lbs of boneless ribs.
Hi Lisa, the cooking time may be a bit (but not significantly) shorter. Enjoy!
This recipe is sooo sooo sooo delicious! It is easy and quick to prep. Thanks again for another great recipe 🙂
Do you season both sides or just one?
Both – hope you enjoy! 🙂
I have beef back ribs- can I use them in place of short ribs?
Sure, that should work. Enjoy!
Just amazing! I made this last night and my husband told me that it was better than any restaurant! So far every recipe I’ve tried from the blog has been great and a huge hit with my family (including the toddler). I’ve for the first time ever actually enjoyed AND look forward to cooking (thank you, Jenn!) Bought the cookbook and can’t wait to cook my way through it!
❤️ So glad you’re enjoying the recipes and thanks for your support with the cookbook!
I made this tonight using thick cut steaks instead of ribs and it was fabulous.. served it with roasted baby potatoes and Asiago creamed spinach
Excellent! I halved it and brilliant. From a former chef