Slow-Baked BBQ Short Ribs
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
GREAT DISH! ABSOLUTELY DELISH, A MUST TRY!
My “go-to” recipe when I get boneless beef ribs. So good and so easy to make!
The ribs were absolutely delicious. Loved the sauce. Definitely will be making it again. Everyone at the table commented on how good the flavour was.
Thank. you for sharing this wonderful and easy recipe.
Just wondering, is there another cut of meat that you think this sauce would go well with?
Glad you enjoyed them! I think the sauce would also be nice with chuck roast.
We loved! I followed this exactly– except that I had 14 bone-in short ribs (that had been in my deep freeze almost too long). I sprinkled them with S+P, braised for a few min on each side in a dutch oven, then nestled them in a big aluminum pan and covered tightly with foil and the temp and time were perfect for this. I am absolutely done with researching good short ribs recipes after trying this- this is the one for us. Thank you!
I’ve never been fond of ribs (too much fat) but my husband loves them so I made these tonight. I put a few pieces to the side that didn’t have much fat for me and made the rest for him. It was a huge hit! Quick to prepare, really tender, great flavor and enough for leftovers. My husband actually started plating the meat before I had the side ready (roasted carrots). Will definitely be making again.
Hi Jenn! I plan to cook these tomorrow. If I reduce the recipe by half, should I reduce the cooking time as well? Can’t wait to eat these 😋
Thanks, Ellyn
Hi Ellyn, I’d encourage you to make the full recipe, because these shrink A LOT! But if you do halve it, the cooking time may be a bit 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!
Thank you. I’ll make the recipe and freeze the remaining. Your recipes are always wonderful!
Hi Jenn,
I found short ribs on sale but they’re thin sliced. They look sort of like bacon strips. Do you have any suggestions for how I should cook them? I assume they’ll still be good with your bbq sauce, but not sure if I should put them in the oven or cook in a pan?
Thanks for any advice!
Hi Alison, I’d still bake them per the recipe. I just don’t think they’ll take as long, so keep an eye on them. Hope you enjoy!
This was absolutely delicious!! Made exactly to the recipe except I added a little dried minced onion to the sauce. Will definitely make this again & again, thanks 😊
This is my go-to for Rosh Hashana and Passover – SO delicious and a crowd pleaser. Thank you for a great recipe!
Can I do this in a crock pot?
Hi Jamie, 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 crock pot, then transfer them to the oven to brown, but that seems to be more trouble than it’s worth.
Hi Jenn, I’ve been making your short rib recipe for years and it is a family and friends favorite! I’m planning to make your recipe for out-of-town guests and wasn’t able to find boneless short ribs and purchased bone-in instead. Any recommendations how I can use your recipe with bone-in? Thank you!
Hi Maria, so glad you like these! You can use the bone-in ribs with no modifications. They should take about the same amount of time to cook. Hope your guests enjoy!