Braised Short Ribs
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Rich, tender, and slow-cooked in a flavorful red wine sauce, braised short ribs are the ultimate comfort food.
Looking for a cozy dish to warm up winter nights or impress at holiday dinners? These braised short ribs are just the thing. Like my beef stew and goulash, the recipe starts with searing the short ribs, then slow-braising them in a rich red wine sauce until they’re fall-apart tender. A heads-up: they need a few hours in the oven, so plan ahead. Serve over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta for a comforting meal that fills your kitchen with warmth.
“Easily one of the best beef meals I’ve had in ages.”
What You’ll Need To Make Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

- Boneless short ribs: This cut becomes incredibly tender and flavorful after slow braising. If you can’t find boneless ribs, you can substitute 6 to 7 pounds of bone-in short ribs—the meat will fall off the bone as it cooks.
- Onions and garlic: These aromatics that add depth and complexity to the sauce.
- Tomato paste: Concentrates the sauce’s flavor, adding richness and a hint of sweetness.
- All-purpose flour: Thickens the braising liquid to make a velvety sauce.
- Red wine: Adds robust, complex flavors to the braising liquid. Use a bottle that’s inexpensive but still good enough to drink; a Pinot Noir or Merlot in the $8 to $12 range is ideal.
- Beef broth: Adds savory depth to the braising liquid and enhances the meaty flavors of the dish.
- Bay leaf and fresh thyme: These herbs add layers of flavor to the sauce.
- Carrots: Add natural sweetness to balance the richness of the meat and sauce.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by seasoning the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium-high heat. Add half of the short ribs and cook, undisturbed, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer the beef to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and short ribs.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat and return the pot to medium-low heat. Cook the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

Add the flour.

Cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed by the onion-tomato mixture, about 1 minute. Add the wine, broth, sugar, bay leaf and thyme sprigs.

Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits. Add the short ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot and return to a boil.

Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the oven, and cook for 2 hours. Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Stir in the carrots.

Cover and return the pot to the oven and cook 45 to 60 minutes more, or until the carrots and meat are tender. Serve immediately or let cool, then store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The short ribs can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Video Tutorial
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Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
With a flavorful red wine sauce, this braised short ribs recipe is a comforting classic.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless short ribs, trimmed of excess fat and silver skin, cut into 3-in chunks (see note)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2⅓ cups red wine
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 large carrots, sliced ½-in-thick diagonally
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F. Season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the short ribs and cook, without moving, until well browned on one side only, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the beef to a large plate. Repeat with the remaining tablespoon of oil and short ribs. (Note: Browning the beef adds flavor. It might seem odd to brown on one side only but I find that it saves time and does the job just as well.)
- Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat, return the pot to the stove, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. (If the onions begin to darken too quickly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to the pan.) Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes more. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed by the onion-tomato mixture, about 1 minute.
- Add the wine, broth, sugar, bay leaf and thyme sprigs; increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits. Add the short ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot and return to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the oven, and cook for 2 hours.
- Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Stir in the carrots. Cover and return the pot to the oven and cook 45 to 60 minutes more, or until the carrots and meat are tender. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Skim any grease off the surface of the sauce, if necessary. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Spoon the short ribs and sauce into bowls over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta.
- Note: It's very important to trim all excess fat off of the exterior of the short ribs (although leave the marbling that goes throughout the meat alone), otherwise your sauce will be greasy. It's also a good idea to remove any silver skin, which is the thin, white/silvery membrane on the surface of the meat.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The short ribs can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Reheat, covered, over medium-low heat on the stovetop or in a 325°F oven.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The short ribs can be frozen for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheat, covered, over medium-low heat on the stovetop or in a 325°F oven.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 680
- Fat: 47 g
- Saturated fat: 19 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 41 g
- Sodium: 740 mg
- Cholesterol: 166 mg
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.
Outstanding.
Hi Jenn – Need some advice. I made these last night as practice for a dinner party I am hosting in a week. I used the low cost two buck Chuck red wine from Trader Joes. The whole thing was amazing – cooked perfectly, thick sauce, carrots just tender enough. But I think the wine choice wasn’t great – the sauce had an a more acidic bite to it than I would have liked. Can you recommend a national wine brand that won’t break the bank that I can use next time? Thank you!
Hi Elizabeth, a couple of the options that come to mind that are reasonably priced are Meiomi, Apothem, Mark West, and 14 Hands. Hope that helps!
Thank you for all the wonderful and delish recipes you share with us so freely!
I am going to double the sauce. Should I then double all the ingredients except tor the short ribs? Thank you so much! Making this for my daughter special bday dinner! 😊
Yes, I’d double all the sauce ingredients. Hope your daughter enjoys it!
Absolutely fabulous! Made a fantastic Christmas dinner served with creamy make ahead mashed potatoes (Jenn’s recipe) and a broccoli slaw (raw broccoli, purple cabbage, and carrots, plus dried cranberries, and sun flower seeds). Reading through the (many!) comments and reviews I adjusted the recipe by doubling the sauce (it still fit into my 6 quart dutch oven just fine), and adding sauteed mushrooms and blanched (and peeled) pearl onion about five minutes before serving. The onions add a nice texture contrast to the very tender meat and carrots. With double the sauce, I have extra left over that husband is going to use to make poutine (fries, cheese curds and gravy). I am looking forward to trying out the recipe with a less expensive cut, like chuck roast, and also with a whole pot roast.
Made this for Christmas/Hannukah dinner and it was a huge hit!! Tender, flavorful, delicious. Thank you, Jenn!!
Like other readers, I wound up with bone in cuts. I left them in an extra 20 minutes or so. Falling off the bone, tender, extraordinary flavor, amazing! Served with pasta. My husband didn’t even wait for me to take the meat off the bone, he just dished it up and the meat fell off the bone with a fork. It was a holiday highlight!