Meet my favorite comfort food: braised beef short ribs in the oven. This easy recipe is made with simple ingredients, but feels fancy. Cooking the beef ribs in the oven using a slow bake gives you the best results: succulent and tender meat, perfect vegetables, and a brothy, delicious sauce. It’s the perfect meal for a weekday, weekend, or special occasion.

Short ribs in a dutch oven with carrots and rosemary.
Delicious braised short ribs in the wine and broth sauce with carrots and fragrant herbs!

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What are Short Ribs?

Beef short ribs are from the beef chuck of a cow, taken near the breastbone. Short ribs are narrow cuts of beef that are tough until slowly braised for a long time. Short ribs are best treated like other tough cuts of meat (like a chuck roast used to make Instant Pot beef roast and veggies) braised at a low temperature for several hours (in this case about 2 1/2 hours using the oven cooking method). The end result is flavorful, fall-off-the-bone beef.

This short ribs recipe is simple and mostly a hands-off process. All the magic happens during the slow braising process. As long as you have 20 minutes to chop and brown the meat and veggies, and a bit of patience (for the 2 1/2 hour braising time), you can easily make this short ribs recipe.

Short ribs are easy to find at the grocery store. The ribs are inexpensive compared to other cuts of beef, like ribeye or New York Strip steak. This recipe will feed 4 people for about $3-5 per person. That’s not bad, especially considering that a braised short rib can easily cost $25+ at a restaurant.

Short ribs are not the same as back ribs. Back ribs, as is typical with barbecue recipes, are elongated and the meat is found between the bones. With short ribs, the meat is found on the top and bottom of the bone.

What Readers Say:

“Amazing. I am so happy, the short ribs came out so tasty and delicious!

Malissa
Ingredients on a countertop: carrots, short ribs, and garlic.
Simple ingredients that, when braised together, create the most amazing taste.

Ingredients Needed

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
  • 1 medium onion (white or yellow sweet onion)
  • 7 carrots
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 2-3 fresh rosemary sprigs (alternatively, you could use a medley of fragrant herbs like fresh sprigs of thyme and rosemary sprigs)
  • salt
  • ground pepper
  • 1 cup chicken broth/stock or beef broth/stock
  • 1 cup red wine (any kind, no need to get a fancy bottle of wine)
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (whole wheat, all-purpose white, or einkorn-used to thicken the sauce)

How to Make Short Ribs in the Oven, Step by Step

Preheat the oven to 325F. And grab a Dutch oven or braiser pot (3.5 quart or 5 quart, I use this one).

Step 1: Salt The Meat

Generously sprinkle the bone-in short ribs with salt, on all sides. I use a fine salt (Real Salt is my favorite brand). There’s no need to trim excess fat away from the short ribs. The fat adds so much flavor and it’s what makes this cut of meat so desirable.

Step 2: Brown The Short Ribs

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large Dutch oven or braiser pot. Heat oil over high heat. Place ribs in the hot oil, browning on two sides for about 4-5 minutes each. I recommend browning on each side with the fat as this is where the flavor is. You may need to work in batches to brown all the meat. Once brown, remove the browned ribs from the pot and let rest on a cutting board or plate.

Cutting carrots on a cutting board.
Cutting carrots, onions, and garlic to cook in the Dutch oven.

Step 3: Cook The Onions, Carrots, and Garlic

If there’s a lot of excess fat/juices in the pot, drain the fat, leaving behind just about a tablespoon of fat. Over medium-high heat, add yellow onion slices, about 7 halved carrots, and 6 cloves of garlic to the hot pot. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt and saute for about 5 minutes. Then sprinkle the veggies with 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, stirring to coat the veggies.

Step 4: Add The Stock/Broth, Red Wine, and Rosemary

Pour 1 cup of either chicken or beef stock (or homemade broth) to the pot, along with 1 cup of red wine (any kind; no need for expensive stuff). Give everything a stir, until the flour is mostly dissolved.

Add the short ribs back to the pot, nestling the meat in the liquid (they shouldn’t be submerged), along with 2-3 fresh rosemary sprigs and a few turns of black pepper and more salt. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and place the lid on the pot.

Placing a white dutch oven in the oven to braise the short ribs.
Braising the short ribs at 325F for 2/5 hours makes for delicious, succulent, fall-off-the-bone meat.

Step 5: Braise The Short Ribs in The Oven

Place the Dutch oven in a preheated 325F oven and braise for 2 1/2 hours. The low heat and long cooking time allow the ribs to cook to perfection in the braising liquid. Once done, remove the pot from the oven. The short ribs should be bone tender and fall right off the bone with a fork.

Short ribs in a dutch oven with carrots and rosemary.

How to Make Short Ribs in The Slow Cooker

The good news is you don’t have to be home all day to make this recipe.

Instead of braising short ribs in the oven, you can use the slow cooker instead. This is a great way to turn this recipe into a quick weeknight meal. Follow steps 1-4, then pour everything in a slow-cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-5 hours.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover ribs in an airtight container with a little bit of the sauce along with any leftover carrots. Reheat in a skillet on the stove-top or the microwave with the sauce. The sauce will keep the meat from drying out when reheated.

Short ribs in a bowl with potatoes and carrots.
Serve the beef with potatoes, crusty bread, polenta, or a salad.

How to Serve

Short ribs can be prepared for a dinner recipe all year-long, but I think they’re perfect to keep on rotation during the colder months when we all want a warm, cozy, and hearty dish. This meal checks all the boxes. (Here are 64 meal ideas to keep on rotation.)

To serve, carefully spoon as many short ribs onto a plate or bowl, spoon the thickened juices over the top, along with the carrots and onions. And serve with a side…

  • Crusty Bread: Homemade crusty bread is so easy to make and it’s the perfect way to soak up some of the sauce as well.
  • Biscuits: Make buttery einkorn biscuits to serve with the beef and carrots.
  • Salad: Serve a side salad with homemade vinaigrette.
  • Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes: I think the best part of this recipe, besides the tender meat, is the red wine sauce. Make Instant Pot mashed potatoes before the short ribs are done cooking, then add the ribs and mashed potatoes to a plate and spoon the delicious sauce over top the potatoes.
  • Creamy Polenta: Make polenta and spoon the beef and potatoes and sauce over the top.
  • Roasted Sweet Potatoes: Cook up the easiest and best sweet potatoes to serve as a starchy side.
  • Roasted Vegetables: I love to make frozen roasted vegetables, which are cheap and easy to roast. Serve the frozen vegetables, like roasted cauliflower or broccoli on the side.
Short ribs in a dutch oven with carrots and rosemary.
4.58 from 19 votes

Simple Oven Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe

Braising beef short ribs in the oven with onion, garlic, carrots, and a broth/wine sauce brings out an incredible flavor and fall-off-the-bone tenderness in this otherwise tough cut of meat.
Kristin Marr
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time3 hours
Course dinner
Cuisine American, European
Servings 4 people
Calories 590 kcal
Cost: $20

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven or braising pot, 3.5 quart or larger

Ingredients

  • 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 lbs bone-in beef short ribs 6-8 short ribs, depending on size
  • 1 yellow onion sliced
  • 7 carrots halved (just cut the whole carrots in half so they easily fit in the pot)
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 TB flour such as: all-purpose or einkorn flour
  • 1 cup red wine any red wine works, no need for anything costly
  • 1 cup chicken broth or beef broth/stock
  • 2-3 fresh rosemary sprigs or fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1/2-1 tsp salt + extra for seasoning the short ribs, to taste
  • black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325F. Sprinkle the short ribs with salt (all sides).
  • Heat a 3.5 or 5 quart Dutch oven or braiser pot over high heat. Add the olive oil. (I use this Dutch oven.)
  • Once hot, add the short ribs (fat side down) and brown on two sides for 4-5 minutes (on each side). Depending on your Dutch oven size, you may need to work in two batches. Set aside on a plate.
    Short ribs in a dutch oven browning over the stove-top.
  • Drain the excess fat from the Dutch oven, leaving behind about 1 tablespoon of fat.
  • Over medium-high heat, add the onions and carrots and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cook the veggies for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Sprinkle the flour over the veggies, stirring to coat.
  • Add the red wine and broth/stock. Stir to dissolve the flour in the liquid and allow the liquid to reach a lively simmer.
  • Add the short ribs to the veggies and liquid (they shouldn't be submerged, just nestled in). And tuck the rosemary sprigs in the liquid, around the short ribs and veggies. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few turns of fresh pepper.
    Short ribs, carrots, and onion in a dutch oven over the stove-top.
  • Once the ingredients reach a slight boil/lively simmer, place the lid on the Dutch oven. Place the pot in the oven and braise the short ribs and veggies, covered, for 2 1/2 hours.
  • After 2 1/2 hours, remove the short ribs from the oven. The meat should easily fall off the bone and be fork tender.
    Short ribs in a dutch oven with carrots and rosemary.
  • Serve the braised short ribs (and onions and carrots and juice) over mashed potatoes or polenta, or with a side of roasted sweet potatoes.

Notes

Salt Amount: This amount will depend on how much you salt the short ribs and also if your broth is salted. Start with 1/2 teaspoon and then salt to taste later, if needed. I usually go with 1 teaspoon, but everyone’s salt preference is different. 

Nutrition

Calories: 590kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 50gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 1036mgPotassium: 1417mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 17852IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!
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5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made this recipe tonight. My house smells like my moms did 55 years ago. It was delicious and now part of a regular rotation of recipes that I use. Thanks very much