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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The boneless beef short ribs were tough and dry. I cooked 1.20 lbs for 2 hours covered and 1/2 hour uncovered at 300°. I didn’t use your BQ sauce, as I was missing 2 of the ingredients. I used Sweet Baby Ray’s Original BQ Sauce spread on 1 side, then turned them over after 1 hour and applied the BQ sauce to the other side. Any suggestions?
Hi Gloria, I’m sorry these didn’t turn out well for you! I don’t think the sauce would cause them to be tough; it sounds like they were undercooked.
First time using boneless beef ribs and wondering why it took me so long. Mine didn’t look like your picture – for a whole lot of reasons, mostly related to using a (truly delicious ATX-local) commercial BBQ sauce instead of your suggested recipe I’m fairly sure; it was pretty wet. However, the taste was fabulous. Thanks!
I cooked these using a smaller quantity of bone-in ribs in a smaller dish, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. What a winner, and so easy — all you need is the time available for the cooking, as the preparation is mostly hands off! I served it with Jen’s awesome everyday cornbread (delicious, as usual), but I think next time I’d serve with mashed potatoes — better to capture the delicious sauce! Definitely a winner!
Can you prepare this recipe earlier in the day (or day before) up to the last 30 minutes, refrigerate and then complete the cooking closer to dinner time?
Sure, Harriet, that should be fine. Enjoy!
These are absolutely delicious! So tender! Served over creamy mashed potatoes, they are heavenly. My family loves these ribs.
I have made and loved this recipe as is. Also on a bed of sliced onions. Since I got a multi cooker I have used the pressure setting and just thrown in all the bbq sauce at once. Turns out great every time.
Hi Jen<
My son and I love all of your recipes. I would like to make the BBQ short ribs. My market does not have boneless short ribs. Approximately how much longer do you cook bone-in short ribs?
Thank you
So glad you like the recipes! The cooking time should be about the same. Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Hi Jen! Is this really sweet? My husband just told me he doesn’t like BBQ sauce!
Hi Jen, It is on the sweet side. Sorry!
This was absolutely amazing. IT TASTES EVEN BETTER THE NEXT DAY ! Super delicious, I can’t say enough good things.
These were falling-apart-tender and delicious right out of the cooking liquid but dry out really quickly. I think they need to be kept in the liquid right until they go on the plate! (I kept them warm covered in foil in a turned-off oven for 10 mins and they were totally ruined). I should have realized that but now I know for next time!