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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Hi Jenn,
I love this recipe! It is so easy on days when I am working remote and tastes great. The challenge I have had each of the three times I have made it, is the short ribs come out semi-tough. I am following your directions. What might be causing this?
Thanks!
Heidi
Hi Heidi, If you’re finding it 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. Hope that helps!
I have this same issue. I feel like they’re tender at 2.5 hours when I take the foil off and they get tough those last 30 minutes. I’m going to try the recipe again today and leave them covered in foil longer.
I found this recipe online about 4 months ago and have made it now about 6 times. So delicious! I am no fancy cook and this is so super easy and quick!! This will be a favorite for many years to come!
Can these be made from frozen short ribs?
Sure, that should work (after they’re thawed). 🙂
What can be used as replacement for short ribs? Can you use Tri tip (Costco sells them in strips)? What other type of meat if I can’t find short ribs?
Hi Rachel, I’ve never used tri tip here so I can’t say for sure how it would work. Beef chuck will work nicely here – just cut it like short ribs (about 2 inches wide x 4 inches long). Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
These were so easy and good. The BBQ is delicious. I suggest making them ahead of time and then reheating. Short ribs needs to “rest.” That said, I prefer Jenn’s recipe for the slow braising with wine for short ribs.
Excellent easy recipe. I only had 2.5 lb of beef and it filled the 9×13. Will definitely make it again… my husband loved it!
I made this last night. Perfect instructions. Next time I will buy premium beef chuck pot roast and slice myself. $2 / pound cheaper and same meat. And will use 1/2 the brown sugar next time. Very tasty but I don’t like so sweet. But very good and easy. Don’t like I have to give my email address though to submit a review.
Can I substitute pork short ribs for this recipe and would you adjust cooking time or anything else?
Hi Barbara, I think it would work without any modifications. Please LMK how they turn out!
This was SO GOOD. I cooked exactly as written but used paprika instead of cayenne because that’s what I had, but it came out amazing. I’ll definitely make again!
I made this yesterday for another couple that we had over. I bought bone-in short ribs by mistake. I just increased the time by about 20-30 minutes and the meal was wonderful. I paired it with roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes. The sauce was so amazing that I made extra and heated it. Perfect, simple dinner.
made the wine braised short ribs last yr for christmas dinner and husband loved them. same with this recipe! another great one from my go to site.