Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs with deep savor and hearty portions—stick-to-your-ribs cooking for real life weeknights.
Slow-Braised Short Ribs for Serious Comfort
A hands-off, flavor-first braise that turns a modest list of ingredients into deep, savory portions ideal for make-ahead dinners and hearty weeknight meals.
There’s something almost magical about taking inexpensive short ribs and turning them into a meal that feels like a celebration. This recipe solves the common kitchen problem of wanting big, slow-cooked flavor without babysitting the stove—20 minutes of prep, then the oven does the heavy lifting while you get on with the rest of your evening.
Technique is everything: patting the ribs dry and seasoning them well lets you build a dark, beefy crust when you brown them in batches, and those browned bits are the foundation of the sauce. Softened onion, carrot, and celery add sweetness and body, while tomato paste darkens and caramelizes for depth; a splash of dry red wine to deglaze and a little Worcestershire stitch the savory flavors together before the low-and-slow braise renders the meat fall-apart tender.
The finished short ribs are glossy and spoonable—the sauce has a silky mouthfeel from the collagen in the bones and meat, and each bite is rich, slightly tangy, and deeply comforting. Serve them over mashed potatoes, creamy polenta, or buttered noodles, or shred the leftovers for high-protein meal prep bowls throughout the week.
A few practical notes: brown in batches so the pot stays hot, use low-sodium broth and taste for salt at the end, and give the braise at least three hours at 325°F until the meat yields easily to a fork. And don’t skip the make-ahead advantage—the flavors only get better after a night in the fridge, and chilling makes it easy to skim excess fat for a cleaner sauce.
Ingredients
How to Make Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels and season all over with the kosher salt and black pepper.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, brown the short ribs in batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until a deep crust forms; transfer browned ribs to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium, add the chopped onion, sliced carrots, and chopped celery to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1–2 minutes until fragrant and the paste darkens slightly.
- Pour in the red wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom; simmer until the wine is reduced by about half, 3–5 minutes.
- Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, fresh thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Return the short ribs to the pot, submerging them partially in the liquid; bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Braise until the ribs are fork-tender, 2½–3 hours. Check once about halfway through to ensure liquid level and turn ribs if needed.
- When ribs are tender, remove them to a tray and skim excess fat from the surface of the braising liquid with a spoon; discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
- Make a slurry by whisking the cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water, then bring the braising liquid to a simmer on the stovetop and whisk in the slurry until the sauce thickens, about 1–2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper if needed.
- Return the ribs to the sauce to warm through briefly, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, and serve. Cool completely before refrigerating for meal prep; refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Recipe Card
Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs
Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs with deep savor and hearty portions—stick-to-your-ribs cooking for real life weeknights.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 3 hr
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels and season all over with the kosher salt and black pepper.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, brown the short ribs in batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until a deep crust forms; transfer browned ribs to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium, add the chopped onion, sliced carrots, and chopped celery to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1–2 minutes until fragrant and the paste darkens slightly.
- Pour in the red wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom; simmer until the wine is reduced by about half, 3–5 minutes.
- Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, fresh thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Return the short ribs to the pot, submerging them partially in the liquid; bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Braise until the ribs are fork-tender, 2½–3 hours. Check once about halfway through to ensure liquid level and turn ribs if needed.
- When ribs are tender, remove them to a tray and skim excess fat from the surface of the braising liquid with a spoon; discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
- Make a slurry by whisking the cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water, then bring the braising liquid to a simmer on the stovetop and whisk in the slurry until the sauce thickens, about 1–2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper if needed.
- Return the ribs to the sauce to warm through briefly, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, and serve. Cool completely before refrigerating for meal prep; refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 14
- Saturated Fat
- 13
- Sodium
- 750
- Fiber
- 3
- Unsaturated Fat
- 25
- Protein
- 34
- Fat
- 38
- Cholesterol
- 150
- Trans Fat
- 0.1
- Calories
- 560
- Sugar
- 5