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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Fantastic, making them 2nd time in Aug.
We have food allergies, and this recipe was a hit, we used gf spices, etc.
Simple, great directions, like the tip of pouring out liquid, to brown.
Hats off to you!
Just made these short ribs last night along with the thyme carrots recommended – out of this world good! I’d never made either before but we’ll definitely be making them again. The fragrant aroma was tantalizing and filled the whole house!
Hello Jenn;
I can’t get no satisfaction in the kitchen. But I try, and I try.
I have 2.5 lbs. of boneless short ribs. I can see the recipe is easy enough, but please clarify the final 30 minutes after removing the cooking fluid. Do I keep the foil or do I bake uncovered?
Ribs, sister, they’re just 2 hours away, it’s just a kiss away
It’s just a kiss away, it’s just 2 hours away
It’s just a kiss away, it’s just a kiss away
If I don’t get some good ribs,
Oh yeah, I’m gonna fade away.
Love;
MIC
Bake uncovered for the final 30 minutes so the ribs brown. Enjoy!
Not my favorite. Made a small batch. Stopped at two hours, since I was making less. Still, the short ribs were tough and rubbery. I’ve made a lot of ribs, and other recipes worked better. Also, wherever the foil touched the ribs, the vinegar ate through the tinfoil. Not nice to have to pick out bits of melted tinfoil from the ribs!
Hi Gabe, Sorry you didn’t enjoy the short ribs. Even though you cooked a small batch, they needed to cook longer — if short ribs are tough, they likely aren’t done. Not sure what happened with your foil; I have never heard of that happening.
Where is the recipe for the potatoes and carrots shown in picture?
Hi Nikole, I don’t have those exact recipes on my site but check out my Roasted Carrots with Thyme and Parmesan Smashed Potatoes.
This was amazing! The sauce was absolutely incredible. I may never buy bottled bbq sauce again. I didn’t change a thing except that I accidentally had my oven at 350 for the first hour, so it was a little dry. Next time, I will be sure the oven is set right. 🙂
Awesome, thanks, making them again today.
I made this today,followed the precise recipe . The ribs were moist,and juicy and sauce was excellent. I am not a good cook,but thanks to your recipe I was today.
My first time making short ribs. The house is smelling wonderful. The recipe was on point and my ribs are too. Will definitely use this site more often.
My beef short ribs came out amazing!!! I followed the recipe to a T and it came out perfect. Thank you so much for all your fabulous recipes! I also made your Thai Curried Chicken skewers with Peanut Sauce and I’m making the Simple Summer Strawberry Cake for the 4th of July holiday. I’ll be back again and again.
Can I use other cuts of meat for this recipe other than boneless short rib?