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 wow at holiday dinners? These braised short ribs are just the thing. Similar to 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.
Heads-up: short ribs need a few hours in the oven, so plan ahead, but the payoff is worth it. Serve them over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or creamy polenta—and enjoy the incredible aroma that fills your kitchen while they cook.
“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, substitute 6 to 7 pounds of bone-in short ribs — the meat will fall right off the bone as it cooks.
- Onions, garlic: These aromatics create the flavorful base of the sauce.
- Tomato paste: Adds concentrated flavor and a subtle sweetness.
- Flour: A light coating thickens the braising liquid into a silky, velvety sauce.
- Red wine & beef broth: Together they form the backbone of the braising liquid. For the wine, 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.
- Bay leaf & fresh thyme: These herbs infuse the sauce with warm, aromatic layers.
- Carrots: Simmering with the ribs, they add natural sweetness to balance the richness of the meat and sauce.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Season the meat. Begin by seasoning the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Sear the meat. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add half of the short ribs and let them cook, without moving them, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 3: Sear the rest. Transfer the seared short ribs to a large plate, then repeat with the remaining oil and short ribs.
Step 4: Cook the aromatics. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of fat and set the pot back over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until they’re soft and starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and let it cook for another 2 minutes, then add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more to deepen the flavor.
Step 5: Add the flour. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the flour is fully absorbed by the onion-tomato mixture—it should take about 1 minute.
Step 6: Add the cooking liquid and herbs. Pour in the wine, broth, and sugar, then toss in the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Turn the heat up to high and bring everything to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pot as you go to loosen all those flavorful browned bits.
Step 7: Add the short ribs. Place the seared short ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot and return to a boil.
Step 8: Simmer and add carrots. Cover the pot and slide it into the oven. Let the short ribs braise for 2 hours, then carefully take the pot out and stir in the carrots.
Step 9: Finish cooking. Cover the pot again and return it to the oven. Cook for another 45 to 60 minutes, or until the meat and carrots are fork-tender. You can serve the short ribs right away, or let them cool and store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days. They also freeze beautifully for up to 3 months.
Video Tutorial
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Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless short ribs, trimmed of excess fat and silver skin, cut into 3-in (8-cm) 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 (13-mm)-thick diagonally
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). 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.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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.
Comments
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Hello Jenn,
Could I use a 12-inch cast-iron frying pan with a lid? Are the sides maybe not high enough? The recipe sounds so good and I would like to try it.
I have your Chocolate Zucchini Bread in the oven right now. Smells so good. Thank you!
Hi Erena, Hope the zucchini bread came out well! For the ribs, I wouldn’t recommend a 12-inch cast-iron pan. While it may fit, I think it could be really tight so I wouldn’t risk it – sorry!
Hi Jenn!
I loved your braised short rib recipe! It’s definitely going to be one of my “go to” dishes for company going forward.
What kid and brand name knife do you use to trim the fat? I would like to purchase the same one. It looks like my mother’s favorite knife that a sibling inherited.
Best Regards,
Nancy Nikoo
So glad you enjoyed the ribs! I use a boning knife for that — this is the one in the pic. 🙂
I will be having company… in July for a birthday party… is it possible to use boneless pork instead of beef… I know this sounds strange but the person who is having a birthday prefers pork and doesn’t eat beef.. Thank you ( your recipes are unbelievably wonderful!)
Victoria
Hi Victoria, So glad you like the recipes! I think you could get away with pork shoulder (cut into pieces). I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Jenn, my grocery store only has bone-in beef short ribs – or ‘country style’ beef ribs. Would either of these work? I want to make this for my mom’s 65th birthday! We love your recipes!!
Hi Anne, They will definitely work. You’ll need 6 to 7 pounds. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn, planning to make this for twenty+ guests this Easter. Thoughts on best way to cook? How many pounds? Two Dutch ovens as I don’t want to crowd the pot? Any insight would be most appreciated.
Hi Jay, if you want to make this for that many people, you’re going to need to triple or quadruple the recipe. I would definitely use at least two Dutch ovens if not three. Not sure you can get your hands on three of them so a very large heavy-bottomed, oven safe pot would also work. Good luck and please LMK how they come out!
So delicious! Every recipe I have tried of yours has been amazing! Made this for the first time last evening for 6 of us. All raved about it-it smelled wonderful as it was cooking. I served with buttered pappardelle and carrots, salad and crusty bread. I did not think 2 carrots were enough for 6 people and was hesitant to add more to affect beef cooking time so I did 2 pounds cut as directed but cooked on stovetop with butter, sugar, S&P. The most difficult task was trimming the fat from the ribs before browning. Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Hard to rate because its good tasting but absurdly expensive. I tried it once– never again– when it was marked down from $14 /lb to $7 /lb, which put it just about at the price of the far better lamb shank.
If you must waste your $$$ on this, get it bone in– the whole point of eating this scrap off the end of the prime rib is to melt the bone marrow into the sauce. 65 minutes in the pressure cooker was barely enough.
Lots of fat. Refrigerate to solidify the fat for removal.
It’s ridiculous and unfair to give a recipe poor rating because YOU think the ingredient is too expensive. The cost has nothing to do with the taste and quality of a recipe.
Keith,
I’m confused. Please explain how the cost of beef impacts the flavor of a recipe.
Uhh, Jenn has NOTHING to do with the cost of food in the nation’s butcher shops & grocery stores.
BTW, everyone, this is an exceptional, family favorite in our home ( our friends love it too).
Thanks!
Lisa
Good Evening,
I am wondering, if this can be cooked on the stove top and for how long?
Hi K, Yes, you can cook it entirely on the stove (for the same amount of time indicated for the oven) — just give it a stir periodically so the bottom doesn’t scorch while simmering. Hope you enjoy!
To clarify, how often is “stir periodically” during the three hour cooking process? I don’t want to ruin this as I have family coming over. (I’d love to braise it in the oven, but my pot is too heavy to transfer. The Le Creuset’s aren’t light!)
It looks amazing though!
I’d suggest every 25 to 30 minutes. Hope your family enjoys!
This is a winning dish! I cannot stress enough how delightful this was for myself, my husband, AND my nine year old son. Simple and rich in flavor. I followed instructions to the T, with the exception of using dried thyme since I was out of fresh. Easily one of the best beef meals I’ve had in ages. Thanks for sharing!
If I put this in a larger pot than your 5.5 qt dutch oven, will that affect the sauce? I love lots of sauce!
As long as the pot is taller and not much wider, you should be fine. Hope you enjoy!
These were amazing! My whole family enjoyed the short ribs. Thanks so much for sharing!!!