Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs (Printable Version)

Fall-off-the-bone beef short ribs braised in red wine with aromatics and herbs; great with mashed potatoes or polenta.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 3.3 lbs bone-in beef short ribs

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 large onion, chopped
03 - 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 4 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

06 - 1 cup beef broth
07 - 1 cup dry red wine
08 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
09 - 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

→ Spices & Herbs

10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 2 sprigs fresh thyme
13 - 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
14 - 2 bay leaves

→ Optional for thickening

15 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

# How-To:

01 - Coat beef short ribs evenly with salt and black pepper on all sides.
02 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sear short ribs for 2 to 3 minutes per side until browned. Transfer to the slow cooker.
03 - Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the skillet. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until vegetables begin to soften, then transfer to the slow cooker.
04 - Pour beef broth and red wine into the slow cooker. Stir in tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce.
05 - Arrange thyme sprigs, rosemary sprigs, and bay leaves in the slow cooker.
06 - Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, until ribs are extremely tender and the meat easily separates from the bone.
07 - Remove herb sprigs and bay leaves. Skim off excess fat from the surface, if necessary.
08 - For a thicker sauce, mix cornstarch with water until smooth and stir into the slow cooker. Set to HIGH and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until sauce reaches desired consistency.
09 - Serve short ribs hot with sauce and vegetables.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • Slow cooking means you can go about your day and come back to an unbelievably savory, melt-in-your-mouth dinner.
  • The sauce is so good you’ll want to scoop up every drop with mashed potatoes or crusty bread—don’t say I didn’t warn you.
02 -
  • If you skip browning the ribs first, you lose that incredible depth of flavor—trust me, it’s worth the extra step.
  • Don’t forget to fish out the bay leaves and woody herb stalks or you’ll have some surprise bites at the table.
03 -
  • Marinate the ribs in wine and herbs overnight for flavor that goes all the way through.
  • Don’t rush—low and slow cooking delivers impossibly tender results every time.

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