Braised Beef Short Ribs

I love protein dishes that are easy enough for a weeknight dinner, yet simultaneously delicious and fancy enough for a special occasion or holiday dinner. This braised beef short ribs recipe is crazy easy to make and uses only a few ingredients that I guarantee you have on hand in your pantry and fridge.

If you’re serving them on a weeknight, keep it simple with simple sides, but if you want to make the ribs really stick out — serve them topped with fresh herbs and opt for fancy, colorful and/or festive side dishes. You’re covered, no matter what!

Braised Beef Short Ribs Video

How to Make Braised Ribs

Don’t be surprised when it takes you only a few minutes and five simple steps to make these delectable braised ribs.

• Preheat the pot: Pour oil into an oven safe pot and preheat. Season the ribs with salt and pepper.
• Brown the meat: Add the beef into the pot and sear it on all sides over medium high heat. Once browned, remove the beef and set it aside.
• Cook the onions: In the same pot, cook the onions until lightly browned.
• Add the remaining ingredients: Add the bay leaves and stir in the liquid ingredients. Bring everything to a simmer, then return the short ribs to the pot.
• Slow braise the beef ribs: Cover the pot with an oven safe lid and bake in the oven at 350°F for about 2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender.

Tips for the Best Ribs

To ensure you get the best quality and flavor out of your braised beef short ribs, check out these tips.

• Buy the best ribs possible: When I’m grocery shopping for this recipe, there are three qualities in the ribs I’m looking out for — bone-in short ribs give more flavor (though boneless can be used, too), a bright red color means a more fresh cut, and marbling results in more tender ribs. If possible, I also look for pre-cut short ribs so I don’t have to cut them myself (but you totally can!).
• Use an oven-safe pot: Use an oven safe pot from the beginning. This will result in fewer dishes to clean and makes it easy to transfer the dish directly from the stove to the oven. This cast iron cocotte is our favorite because it holds temperature and cooks meat incredibly well.
• Brown the meat: The browning step is crucial, as this adds a load of caramelized flavor. Don’t skip this step!
• Avoid overcrowding: When browning the ribs, avoid overcrowding them in the pot. Overcrowding makes it hard to evenly brown ribs. Instead, work in small batches as needed.
• Add more veggies: For even greater flavor, slice carrots, garlic cloves, or celery into small pieces and sauté them with the yellow onion.
• Choose any dry red wine: Red wine gives so much flavor in this dish. Use any dry red wine, even an inexpensive one. If you prefer not to cook with wine, substitute it with one cup of additional beef broth.
• Scrape the pot: After adding the liquid ingredients and waiting for them to simmer, scrape the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits of ribs. These caramelized bits are vital for flavor.

Serving Braised Beef Short Ribs

To serve braised short ribs as part of a well-rounded meal, combine the meat with a bowl of creamy mashed potatoes topped with gravy made from the short rib drippings and some oven roasted baby carrots, carrots and parsnips, or broccolini. For a lighter side, pair with a salad. Our favorites are tomato, mozzarella, and lettuce salad or this arugula, avocado, tomato, and cucumber salad. If it’s a weeknight, make it easy on yourself and serve the ribs with just one veggie and carb side. But, if you’re planning for a celebration, having a variety of sides does magic to elevate your ribs!

If nothing else, one thing that I always have is a few slices of sourdough bread ready to dip into the gravy — it’s a must! Or, buckwheat, quinoa, or rice are great lower carb options that still soak up the delicious gravy wonderfully.

Storage Tips & Reheating

Leftovers are wonderful to have — there’s no need to fuss in the kitchen to make your next meal. If you happen to have leftovers of these short ribs, you’re in luck. Here are a few tips to store the ribs so they taste just as great when reheated.

• Refrigerator: To store for up to five days, place the ribs into an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Freezer: To store cooked ribs for up to three months, freeze them in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
• Reheating: For best taste, place the ribs in an oven safe dish and heat in the oven at 350°F until they’re completely warmed through.

More Beef Recipes

• Air Fryer Steak Bites with Mushrooms – Juicy chunks of beef and mushrooms in Worcestershire sauce
• Grilled Beef Galbi – Grilled sweet and savory Korean-style short ribs
• Braised Oxtail – One pot meal with potatoes, veggies and oxtail
• Braised Potatoes with Beef – Hearty beef stew meat mixed with tender potatoes
• Beef Stew Gravy – Slow cooked beef and veggies in a delicious gravy

Recipe

Braised Beef Short Ribs

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Servings

8 servings

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin

These braised beef short ribs are cooked in a delicious blend of wine, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth, yielding impressively tender and juicy results!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil olive or avocado
• 4 lbs beef short ribs
• 1 tsp salt adjust to taste
• 1 tsp ground black pepper adjust to taste
• 1 large onion cut into half rings
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup red wine dry

US Units – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat an oven safe pot with oil. Season beef short ribs with salt and pepper.
  
• Add beef short ribs and brown them on all the sides. Remove and set aside.
  
• In the same pot, cook onions until they are lightly brown.
  
• Add in bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and red wine. Bring it to a simmer. Add short ribs back to the pot.
  
• Cover with a lid and bake at 350°F for about 2 hours or until tender. Enjoy!
  

Nutrition Facts

Braised Beef Short Ribs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 342 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 7g35%

Trans Fat 0.01g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 8g

Cholesterol 98mg33%

Sodium 623mg26%

Potassium 738mg21%

Carbohydrates 4g1%

Fiber 0.3g1%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 32g64%

Vitamin A 11IU0%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 31mg3%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.