Description
Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs are a rich, tender, fall-apart easy dinner made with bone-in beef short ribs, garlic, onion, herbs, beef broth, and a glossy savory sauce. This comforting slow cooker recipe is perfect for dinner ideas, cozy food ideas, holiday meals, Sunday dinner, and an easy recipe when you want restaurant-style beef with very little hands-on work.
Ingredients
4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
1. Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels, then season all sides with kosher salt and black pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the short ribs for 2 to 3 minutes per side until browned.
3. Transfer the browned short ribs to the slow cooker.
4. In the same skillet, cook the onion and carrots for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping up the browned bits.
5. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste, then cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
6. Add beef broth, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar to the skillet, stirring well.
7. Pour the sauce and vegetables over the short ribs in the slow cooker.
8. Add fresh thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves.
9. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.
10. Remove the short ribs and skim excess fat from the sauce.
11. Mix cornstarch with cold water, stir it into the sauce, and cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly thickened.
12. Return the short ribs to the sauce, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve hot.
Notes
For the deepest flavor, do not skip searing the short ribs before adding them to the slow cooker.
If the sauce tastes too rich after cooking, add a small splash of balsamic vinegar or beef broth to balance it.
For easier fat removal, make the ribs one day ahead, refrigerate them overnight, then remove the firm fat from the top before reheating.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 short rib with sauce
- Calories: 625
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 790 mg
- Fat: 42 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 46 g
- Cholesterol: 145 mg
Keywords: slow cooker beef short ribs, beef short ribs recipe, easy dinner, comfort food, dinner ideas, slow cooker dinner