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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I have made this dish twice and it has come out perfect each time. I use boneless beef ribs cut from a chuck eye. I have even used the bbq sauce on other dishes and what an amazing taste it adds.
This is worth the time. Easy to do, but it takes time. I will do this again.
Can this be made with bone in short ribs?
Is so, would the recipe remain the same?
Hi Susan, Yes, bone-in short ribs should work fine and the recipe will remain the same. Please come back and let me know how they turn out 🙂
I will for sure. Thank you for your quick response. Fyi your website is my total “go to” since a friend turned me on to it. I have made many of your recipes over and over. And have recommended your site to anyone who cooks or bakes.
Latest I made is your pumpkin bread. Huge hit around here:-) With Thanks, Susan
My ribs are bone-in – would i cook the same way & could i use a Dutch oven? THANKS!
Hi Sheila, Yes and yes, although you may need to cook a bit longer.
Hello, looking forward to trying this recipe. I only have the short ribs that are cut into thin slices. Would the recipie still work?
Thanks.
Hi Carrie, I think it would work, but it probably won’t take as long to cook; just keep an eye on it.
Absolutely LOVED this recipe! I loved reading the bio as well! Have a lot in common with France and working in the industry currently! Tiring for sure! Thanks for sharing these flavors with the world!!!
I couldn’t find boneless beef short ribs, so I bought pork shoulder country style boneless ribs. Will those work as well and how do I adjust the instructions/cooking time? Thanks!
Hi Betsy, Yes, pork country style ribs should work fine. Cooking time should be about the same, but taste to be sure they are getting tender after 2.5 hours before you remove the cover. If not, cook another 30 minutes and check again.
Hi, what would the temp and cooking time be if I just make 1lb? Thanks! -Lisa
Hi Lisa, I’d put them in a small pan and cook them at the same temperature. The cooking time should be about the same but I’d start checking them after two hours to be sure.
Awesome, awesome, awesome!!! We loved this recipe! I tried one slight tweak….I seared the ribs very quickly over high heat on my gas grill (with applewood chips in the smoker box)…no more than 2 minutes per side. I don’t know how much that changed the flavor or the texture but they were awesome! Thank you….
AMAZING!!!’ Ok….I have never made rib, didn’t know how to prepare them or cook. I’ve had some in my freezer for 8 months (my parents have their own cows and gifted us a bunch of meat) and have never purchased any and quite frankly scared to mess with them, mine were on the bone and we cut them off and our pieces were smaller. So I did change the recipe a little I browned them on a high heat for about 2 mins, added a dark German beer from a local restaurant to the sauce and kids forgot to grab Dijon from the store so none of that. My family absolutely loved them and just ate them up!! the meat was sooooo tender!!! Thank you