I finally perfected my Easy Crockpot Short Ribs method that yields a generous amount of sauce for a mountain of mashed potatoes.

Jump to Recipe

I love a dish that makes you rethink leftovers, and these Crockpot Braised Short Ribs are exactly that. I couldn’t believe how a big, simple pile of short ribs, a large yellow onion and a splash of dry red wine could transform into something that makes everyone want more.

I keep getting ideas from scrolling through Beef Short Ribs Meal Ideas and this one felt like a find. It’s not froufrou, it’s honest, rich and a little dramatic.

If you’re after an Easy Crockpot Short Ribs fix that surprises, this is the one I keep coming back to.

Ingredients

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

Short ribs pack protein and collagen, give rich meaty flavor and silky mouthfeel.
Onion brings natural sweetness, fiber and depth, helps balance savory braising liquids.
Garlic adds punchy aroma and umami, tiny calories but big flavor, not subtle.
Red wine gives acidity, tannins and fruit notes, lifts flavors and tenderizes meat.
Beef broth boosts savory stock, adds protein, minerals and deep beefy backbone.
Carrots add natural sweetness, fiber and color, mellow out the braise.
Fresh thyme and bay leaves add herbal perfume, subtle earthiness and aroma.
Tomato paste gives concentrated sweetness, acidity and umami, deepens color and richness.

Ingredient Quantities

3 to 4 pounds beef short ribs bone in

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 4 cup all purpose flour optional

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion roughly chopped

2 large carrots peeled and cut into chunks

2 celery stalks roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves smashed or minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1 2 cups dry red wine like Cabernet or Merlot

2 cups beef broth or stock

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon cornstarch optional for thickening

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley optional for garnish

How to Make this

Print Recipe (No Advertisments)

1. Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels, season all over with the kosher salt and black pepper, then toss them in the 1/4 cup flour if you want a bit of crust; shake off excess flour.

2. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat, brown the ribs in batches so you dont crowd the pan, 2 to 3 minutes per side until deeply browned, transfer browned ribs to the crockpot.

3. In the same skillet lower heat to medium, add the chopped onion, carrots and celery and cook until soft about 5 to 7 minutes, stir in the garlic and the 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until the paste darkens a little.

4. Pour in the 1 1/2 cups dry red wine to deglaze the pan, scrape up all the browned bits with a wooden spoon and let the wine simmer and reduce by about half so the alcohol cooks off.

5. Stir in the 2 cups beef broth, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon brown sugar, toss in the fresh thyme sprigs and 2 bay leaves, bring to a simmer then pour this sauce over the ribs in the crockpot, include any juices left in the skillet.

6. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat is falling off the bone and tender.

7. Carefully remove the ribs to a platter, skim excess fat from the surface of the sauce with a spoon (or chill briefly and lift off hardened fat), discard thyme stems and bay leaves.

8. If you want a thicker gravy whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water to make a slurry, stir into the sauce and simmer on the stove or on the crockpot on high for 10 to 15 minutes until thickened.

9. Return the ribs to the sauce to warm through, sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley if using, and serve spooning plenty of that rich sauce over a mountain of mashed potatoes.

Equipment Needed

1. Large heavy skillet (cast iron or stainless) for browning the ribs and sweatin the veggies
2. Crockpot or slow cooker big enough for 3 to 4 lb of ribs
3. Tongs (or a slotted spatula) to turn and transfer browned ribs without splashing
4. Wooden spoon to scrape up those browned bits when you deglaze with wine
5. Sharp chef’s knife and a cutting board for chopping onion, carrots and celery
6. Measuring cups and spoons for wine, broth, flour, cornstarch and seasonings
7. Ladle or large spoon plus a small bowl for the cornstarch slurry and for serving the sauce
8. Paper towels to pat ribs dry and a spoon to skim excess fat from the sauce

FAQ

Q: Do I have to brown the short ribs first? A: No, you dont have to, but you really should. Browning adds deep flavor and helps build a richer sauce. If you skip it, the ribs will still be tender after slow cooking, but the sauce will taste a bit flatter.

Q: Can I use a different wine or skip alcohol? A: Yes. Use any dry red like Merlot or a hearty Zinfandel. If you want no alcohol, replace the wine with extra beef broth plus 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or balsamic for acidity.

Q: How long do these cook in the crockpot? A: Cook 8 hours on low for fall off the bone tenderness, or 4 to 5 hours on high. Every cooker is a little different so check after 4 hours on high and 6 hours on low.

Q: My sauce is thin, how do I thicken it? A: Remove the ribs, skim off fat, then either thicken with a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water, simmer till thickened) or pour juices into a skillet and reduce on the stove until glossy. If you dredged ribs in flour before browning, the sauce will be thicker already.

Q: Can I make this ahead or freeze leftovers? A: Totally. Cool completely, refrigerate up to 3 days, or freeze up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat gently on low so the meat stays tender.

Q: Any quick tricks for extra flavor or for serving? A: Yes. Add a splash of Worcestershire or a teaspoon of soy sauce for umami, and stir in a pat of butter at the end for shine. Serve over mashed potatoes, polenta, or buttered egg noodles. Dont worry if the meat falls off the bone, thats how it should be.

CROCKPOT BRAISED SHORT RIBS Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Beef short ribs: if you can’t find ribs, use bone-in chuck roast or beef shank, cut into big chunks; they braise the same way and get super tender, just check for fork-tenderness.
Dry red wine: swap with 1 1/2 cups beef broth plus 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or use 1 1/2 cups nonalcoholic red wine, or 1 1/2 cups grape juice plus 1 tablespoon vinegar; expect it to be a bit sweeter so you might cut the brown sugar a little.
Worcestershire sauce: replace with 1 tablespoon soy sauce plus 1/2 teaspoon balsamic or lemon juice, or use fish sauce (use sparingly) for the same umami depth.
Cornstarch (thickener): use 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour mixed with cold water, or use equal parts arrowroot, or just remove the ribs and reduce the sauce on high until it thickens.

Pro Tips

1. Salt ahead and dry the ribs in the fridge for a few hours or overnight, leave them uncovered, it firms the meat and concentrates flavor so you need less seasoning later.

2. Brown in really hot oil but dont crowd the pan, work in batches so you actually get a crust instead of steaming — and scrape every brown bit into the sauce, those bits are flavor gold.

3. Let the wine reduce until noticeably syrupy before adding broth, that cooks off the alcohol and gives depth, dont just dump it in and call it done.

4. Chill the sauce briefly or use a fat separator and lift the hardened fat off, otherwise the final dish can taste greasy even if everything else is perfect.

5. For a glossy, clingy sauce strain out the veg if you want smoothness, then finish by stirring in a little cold butter or a cornstarch slurry to get the thickness and shine you want.

CROCKPOT BRAISED SHORT RIBS Recipe

Recipe by Tessa Jones

0.0 from 0 votes

I finally perfected my Easy Crockpot Short Ribs method that yields a generous amount of sauce for a mountain of mashed potatoes.

Servings

servings

Calories

720

kcal

Equipment: 1. Large heavy skillet (cast iron or stainless) for browning the ribs and sweatin the veggies
2. Crockpot or slow cooker big enough for 3 to 4 lb of ribs
3. Tongs (or a slotted spatula) to turn and transfer browned ribs without splashing
4. Wooden spoon to scrape up those browned bits when you deglaze with wine
5. Sharp chef’s knife and a cutting board for chopping onion, carrots and celery
6. Measuring cups and spoons for wine, broth, flour, cornstarch and seasonings
7. Ladle or large spoon plus a small bowl for the cornstarch slurry and for serving the sauce
8. Paper towels to pat ribs dry and a spoon to skim excess fat from the sauce

Ingredients

3 to 4 pounds beef short ribs bone in
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 4 cup all purpose flour optional
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion roughly chopped
2 large carrots peeled and cut into chunks
2 celery stalks roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves smashed or minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1 2 cups dry red wine like Cabernet or Merlot
2 cups beef broth or stock
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cornstarch optional for thickening
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley optional for garnish

Directions

Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels, season all over with the kosher salt and black pepper, then toss them in the 1/4 cup flour if you want a bit of crust; shake off excess flour.
Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat, brown the ribs in batches so you dont crowd the pan, 2 to 3 minutes per side until deeply browned, transfer browned ribs to the crockpot.
In the same skillet lower heat to medium, add the chopped onion, carrots and celery and cook until soft about 5 to 7 minutes, stir in the garlic and the 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until the paste darkens a little.
Pour in the 1 1/2 cups dry red wine to deglaze the pan, scrape up all the browned bits with a wooden spoon and let the wine simmer and reduce by about half so the alcohol cooks off.
Stir in the 2 cups beef broth, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon brown sugar, toss in the fresh thyme sprigs and 2 bay leaves, bring to a simmer then pour this sauce over the ribs in the crockpot, include any juices left in the skillet.
Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat is falling off the bone and tender.
Carefully remove the ribs to a platter, skim excess fat from the surface of the sauce with a spoon (or chill briefly and lift off hardened fat), discard thyme stems and bay leaves.
If you want a thicker gravy whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water to make a slurry, stir into the sauce and simmer on the stove or on the crockpot on high for 10 to 15 minutes until thickened.
Return the ribs to the sauce to warm through, sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley if using, and serve spooning plenty of that rich sauce over a mountain of mashed potatoes.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.