Braised Short Ribs
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When you want something cozy and a little special, these short ribs really deliver. They take their time in the oven, but the end result is so tender and flavorful, it feels like a restaurant-style dinner made right at home.
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 a good sear on the short ribs, then a slow braise in a rich red wine sauce until they’re fall-apart tender.
Heads-up: short ribs do need a few hours in the oven, so plan ahead—but the payoff is worth it. Serve them overegg 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.
Transfer the seared short ribs to a large plate, then repeat with the remaining oil and short ribs.
Step 3: 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 4: 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 5: 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 6: Add the short ribs. Place the seared short ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot and return to a boil.
Step 7: 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 8: 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.
Short Ribs Recipe 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.
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We made this recipe on New Year’s Eve, and reheated the next day. It was easy to remove the excess grease before reheating. The flavor was delicious, and it heated up nicely in the oven. My cousin helped with the prep work, so it wasn’t too time consuming. We followed the recipe as written, and served it over Yukon Gold mashed potatoes. We will definitely make this recipe again. Thank you Jenn, and Happy New Year!
This is late to be asking a question for making this for Christmas…..can some dried thyme be substituted for the thyme sprigs?
Thanks!
Sure, Jill – I’d use about 3/4 teaspoon. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
My Whole Foods only offers bone-in short ribs but they said they could take the bone out for me. My question is how many pounds of bone-in short ribs should I request to equal 4 pounds of boneless short ribs? Thank you.
Hi Chad, I think you’ll need to increase the amount you buy by 1 – 2 pounds. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
I have hosted many dinners made up of 90% of your recipes, and our most recent gathering was no exception! I made this dish with 7 pounds bone-in short ribs, cooked in the oven for three hours, cooled in the fridge overnight, skimmed off a lot of fat the next day, and reheated before dinner – the taste was decadent and meat was literally fall off the bone. I served it with your make-ahead mashed potatoes and the meal was perfection. Thanks again!
How many days in advance can this be made? Christmas being on a Tuesday, I’m wondering if I can make it on the weekend?
Hi Robin, If you make it on Sunday, it should be fine — enjoy!
This is my new favorite cozy recipe for when its cold out. Relatively easy to make but makes me feel like a gourmet chef with the end result plated over mashed potatoes. Cannot recommend it enough!
Can I skip the sugar? Add honey maybe?
Sure, you could use honey in place of the sugar, but b/c honey adds more sweetness, I’d reduce it to 1 teaspoon. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I would like to make this recipe gluten-free. Do you think I could use corn starch instead of the flour?
BTW, thank you for all your fabulous recipes! I appreciate the effort you put into them, and I know that whenever I use one of yours I’ll be happy with the results!
-Jane Mangelson
Thanks for your nice words about the recipes – so glad you like them! You can use either gluten-free flour or cornstarch. If you want to use cornstarch, wait until the very end and then make a “slurry” by combining a 1/4 cup cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water; mix until completely smooth. Whisk half of the slurry into the broth and bring to a gentle boil on the stovetop and simmer until the broth is thickened and any starchy taste has been cooked away. If you want it thicker, add the remaining slurry and repeat.
After searing, can I use a slow cooker instead of cooking on the stove? If so, how long would u think. Anytime we cook or bake, we always use one of your recipes! Thank you for making me a hit with my family and friends:)
Hi Kristen, So glad you like the recipes! Yes, you can use a slow cooker – I’d make the recipe up to the point that it goes into the oven, then transfer the contents of the pot (and the carrots) to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the meat is tender. Hope that helps and that you enjoy! 🙂
Spectacular! Served over garlic mashed potatoes and it was a tremendous hit
Jenn,
This recipe sounds delicious, but my wife doesn’t like short ribs. Can you substitute another
kind of meat?
Thanks.
Hi Larry, I’d recommend using this beef stew recipe. They’re very similar in taste and technique. Hope you enjoy if you try it!