5 from 154 votes

Braised Beef Short Ribs (VIDEO)

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Servings: 4

2 hrs 40 mins

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My Braised Short Ribs recipe is the perfect easy recipe to make flavorful, tender, fall-off-the-bone beef short ribs that will really impress your family or guests for dinner and special occasions!

A tender braised short rib being pulled apart with a fork and knife on a bed of mashed potatoes.

Watch the Braised Beef Short Ribs Video!

A Note from CJ

You’re going to love my Braised Short Ribs!

What makes this recipe better than the others? The meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and the juices are reduced into a silky, fortified sauce that turns every bite into a flavor explosion! These are guaranteed to impress anyone, especially when served with my favorite sides like Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin, Baked Mac and Cheese, Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Honey Roasted Carrots!

How to Make Braised Beef Short Ribs

Sear and Braise the Short Ribs: Season the beef short ribs on all sides with kosher salt and black pepper, then in a 5 quart Dutch oven, sear the short ribs in oil over medium high heat until browned on all sides, then remove and set aside. Sauté onions, carrots, celery, shallots, and garlic in the same pot, season with salt and pepper, then stir in tomato paste for 2 minutes. Deglaze with red wine, scraping up the flavorful brown bits, reduce the wine, then add back the beef short ribs along with beef stock, thyme, and rosemary before covering with a cartouche and the lid and simmering until the short ribs are fork tender.

Reduce and Fortify the Sauce: Once the short ribs are fork tender remove them to a plate and strain the sauce and skim off any excess fat. Return the braising liquid to the pot and reduce it over high heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, then whisk in cold butter for a glossy finish. Spoon the rich sauce over the braised beef short ribs and serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or your favorite side with the delicious sauce!

A 6 photo collage of cooking steps on how to make tender braised short ribs: first start by searing the beef short ribs in a pot, then saute  vegetables with tomato paste, add red wine and beef stock, then simmer the short ribs until tender and reduce the sauce with cold butter until it thickens.

PRO TIPS

CJ’s Key Recipe Tips

Beef Short Ribs – I recommend buying “English cut” bone-in beef short ribs – they’re cut between the rib bones so there is a singular piece of bone connected to the meat. Try to use beef short ribs that are similar in size so they cook evenly and become tender at the same time. Look for ones that have small streaks of white running through the meat of the ribs – this is fat, which will melt during the cooking process and result in a juicy, flavorful short rib!

Cartouche: I recommend making a cartouche (a fancy word for parchment paper lid) to cover the short ribs before covering with the lid of the Dutch oven. This helps with evaporation, browning, and (most importantly) ensures the beef stock fully covers the short ribs – this will prevent any dry, tough spots on the beef during the braising process as the stock reduces. Serious Eats has a great guide on how to make one.

Cold Butter: Once the beef juices reduce to thicken, add cold butter to the sauce and mix until glossy and thickened. This is a secret restaurant trick used to create amazing sauces!

Using a slow cooker or crock pot: Follow steps 1-4 of this recipe, then place all the ingredients into the slow cooker. Set the temperature to low and cook for 5-6 hours or until the beef ribs are fork tender.

If you tried this Braised Beef Short Ribs or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!

5 from 154 votes

Braised Beef Short Ribs (Video)

Servings: 4
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 2 hours 20 minutes
Total: 2 hours 40 minutes
A tender braised short rib being pulled apart with a fork and knife on a bed of mashed potatoes.
This is the perfect easy braised beef short ribs recipe to really impress your family or guests for dinner and on special occasions. Learn how to make the most flavorful, tender, fall-off-the-bone beef short ribs.
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Equipment

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Season the beef short ribs with half of the kosher salt and black pepper on all sides.
  • Add 2 tbsp of avocado oil to a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear the short ribs on all sides until browned, about 3-4 minutes and remove.
  • Add the onions, celery, carrots, shallots, and garlic to the dutch oven, season with the remaining salt and pepper, and let them caramelize for 2 minutes in the pan over medium high. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add the red wine to the pot. Using a wooden spatula, scrape up any and all brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine by a third, then add the short ribs back to the pan along with enough beef stock to cover the short ribs. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs then cover with a cartouche and the lid. Braise for 2 hours over a low simmer or until the short ribs are soft and fork tender. Remove the short ribs to a bowl.
  • To make the sauce, strain the herbs and vegetables from the pot with a mesh strainer. If there is a lot of noticeable liquid fat in the liquid, use a fat separator or spoon to skim off the fat and discard (this is the key to preventing a greasy sauce!). Add the braising liquid back to the pot and reduce over high heat, stirring occassionally to prevent burning, until the sauce can coat the back of a spoon. Add the cold unsalted butter and mix it in until glossy, taste the sauce and season to taste, and serve immediately over the short ribs.

Video

Notes

Beef Short Ribs – I recommend buying “English cut” bone-in beef short ribs – they’re cut between the rib bones so there is a singular piece of bone connected to the meat. Try to use beef short ribs that are similar in size so they cook evenly and become tender at the same time. Look for ones that have small streaks of white running through the meat of the ribs – this is fat, which will melt during the cooking process and result in a juicy, flavorful short rib!
Cartouche: I recommend making a cartouche (a fancy word for parchment paper lid) to cover the short ribs before covering with the lid of the Dutch oven. This helps with evaporation, browning, and (most importantly) ensures the beef stock fully covers the short ribs – this will prevent any dry, tough spots on the beef during the braising process as the stock reduces. Serious Eats has a great guide on how to make one.
Cold Butter: Once the beef juices reduce to thicken, add cold butter to the sauce and mix until glossy and thickened. This is a secret restaurant trick used to create amazing sauces!
Using a slow cooker or crock pot: Follow steps 1-4 of this recipe, then place all the ingredients into the slow cooker. Set the temperature to low and cook for 5-6 hours or until the beef ribs are fork tender.
Storage and Freezing – Store any leftover short ribs with the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The sauce will taste even better the next day! If you want to freeze these, let the short ribs and sauce cool completely. Place in a freezer safe ziplock bag or container for up to 3 months. Allow thaw and reheat in a pot with 1/4 cup of beef broth until the sauce has thickened and short ribs are warm throughout.

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 6gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 544mgPotassium: 834mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 311IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @cj.eats_ or tag #cjeatsrecipes!

This recipe was originally published in December 2023 and updated in October 2025.

About CJ

I’m a third generation Chinese-American home cook who has always loved cooking & eating! Welcome to my food blog, where you can find trusted, tested, easy & approachable recipes for the everyday home cook that taste delicious! I am so glad you're here!

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5 from 154 votes (111 ratings without comment)

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68 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Gotta make it!!!
    Directions are simple and straightforward.
    Do everything that is said!!!
    Amazing!!!
    It takes a bit of time for the sauce to cook down so I ended up using a little cornstarch and water to thicken…then added UNSALTED butter.
    Thank you for the recipe!!!

  2. 5 stars
    I made this in the slow cooker. Super easy and really really good! Definitely making this again! Love your recipes!