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Beef Chuck Short Ribs Recipe (Slow Cooker)

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My Slow Cooker Beef Chuck Short Ribs recipe will quickly become a favorite for your family dinner! They are melt-in-your-mouth, tender, and so flavorful, cooked low and slow in a rich red wine sauce with carrots and onions. Only 15 minutes of prep and they're keto-friendly, too!

Slow cooker beef ribs served over a bed of mashed potatoes on a black plate with a side of green beans and a decorative white dish towel underneath
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Best Bone-In Beef Short Ribs

Slow cooker beef is so delicious and tender! By far, these are the most delicious beef short ribs we have ever made. They take just 15 minutes of prep and completely hands-off cook time with just two pots to clean. It doesn't get any better than that!

One of the best things about this crockpot beef short ribs recipe is that you have very little to clean up after! Just like our Instant Pot Beef Recipes, you'll be saving yourself some dishes by making these ribs.

The ingredients are very simple, but the combination of flavors is incredible. Everything is intensified by cooking in red wine and beef broth for a truly delicious slow cooker dinner!

This came out so great! This was full of delicious flavor floating on a cloud of mash potatoes! Oh my!!!😋

Ann on Pinterest

Slow Cooker Short Ribs Recipe Ingredients

  • beef chuck short ribs
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • onion
  • celery 
  • carrots
  • vegetable oil or other flavorless oil, divided
  • garlic crushed (or minced garlic)
  • red wine
  • balsamic vinegar
  • tomato paste
  • beef broth
  • dried rosemary
  • bay leaves
Ingredients to make slow cooker beef ribs on a grey surface

How to make Beef Short Ribs in the Slow Cooker

  1. Pat beef chuck short ribs dry, then sprinkle them all over with salt and pepper. Coat them well with seasoning to intensify the flavor.
  2. Finely chop onion, celery, and carrots.
  3. Warm vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the short ribs on all sides in two batches – don’t overcrowd the skillet. Sear just until you have a nice mahogany crust on all sides.
  4. After browning, add the short ribs to the slow cooker in one layer with the bones facing up.
  5. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots to the skillet with the remaining vegetable oil. Reduce the heat just slightly as needed, so the vegetables do not burn.
  6. Cook for 2 minutes, then add crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add red wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet – that’s flavor!
  7. As the skillet starts to simmer, add in balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, beef broth, dried rosemary, and bay leaves. Allow it to come to a simmer again, then pour the mixture over the short ribs in the slow cooker.
  8. Turn the slow cooker to low and cook for 6 to 8 hours.
  9. Remove the bay leaves when the ribs are done cooking and discard them.Serve and enjoy!
Adding liquid to skillet with vegetables for slow cooker beef ribs

Short Ribs Recipe Tips

  1. Make sure you don't overcrowd the pan when searing your ribs. They won't get a nice sear if it's crowded, so it's best to sear in batches. You want a beautifully browned crust on your ribs for the most flavor.
  2. Season your beef ribs generously! A nice coating of salt and pepper means better flavor and a beautiful sear.
  3. When choosing any cut of beef, look for beef that has plenty of marbling. Marbling refers to the white lines of fat running through a cut of beef. The more web-like marbling there is, the more flavorful your cut of beef will be!
  4. Save the drippings in the slow cooker after removing the ribs. You can make them into a sauce or gravy! Check our instructions below for how to use the drippings for a beef sauce or gravy.
Beef ribs searing in cast iron pan

Short Ribs Recipe FAQS

What are Short Ribs?

Beef chuck short ribs are a cut of beef from the front section of the backbone area. They generally have beautiful marbling, making them a perfect choice for braising. There are two primary cuts of ribs: flanken and English-style.

  • Flanken short ribs: The bones are cut into short 1-2" lengths. Sometimes, cross-sections of ribs will be left in a strip. Or, they are sold in separate pieces, as in this recipe.

  • English-style short ribs: These ribs have larger pieces of bone left in, and the meat is cut parallel to the bone.

    • Should I use boneless or bone-in short ribs?

    Whether you make this a bone-in beef short ribs slow cooker recipe or boneless is up to preference, but we use bone-in. Try both and see which you prefer! Either way, you are guaranteed a delicious meal.

    Is this recipe gluten-free?

    Yes! All of the ingredients necessary to make this Slow Cooker Beef Ribs recipe are gluten-free. The only ingredient you may want to double-check is the beef broth, but most varieties will be gluten-free. You will just have to omit making gravy.

    How to Deglaze a Pan

    Deglazing a pan is a cooking technique that refers to adding a liquid to a pan to loosen up browned bits from searing. This will give you so much flavor and create a perfect sauce!

    The sauce created from deglazing the pan can be used as a gravy. We add the sauce with the ribs to make beef short ribs with gravy in the slow cooker. Cooking it in the pan first after searing means more flavor!

    Save the drippings from your crockpot beef short ribs to make into a sauce or a gravy.

    Dripping gravy over Slow cooker short ribs over mashed potatoes in a bowl

    Short Rib Sauce from Drippings

    1. Remove the crockpot beef ribs from the slow cooker, then pour the juices into a pan.
    2. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat.
    3. Simmer until the sauce reduces, about 15 minutes.
    Pouring vegetable mixture over beef ribs in crockpot

    Gravy from Drippings

    1. Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a skillet. Add 2 Tablespoons of flour, and quickly stir into a paste.
    2. Pour the drippings from the slow cooker into the pan with the roux while stirring. Heat over medium-high heat until it thickens.

    This easy beef sauce or beef gravy is perfect for serving over the ribs and any side dishes you make with it, like Creamy Mashed Potatoes.

    Beef ribs seasoned in crockpot

    Crockpot Short Ribs Tools

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    Short Ribs Recipes

    Try more of the best beef cuts according to your needs and budget by following my guide on the Best Cuts of Beef and our Popular Beef Dishes!

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    Close up of slow cooker beef ribs on a black plate over a serving of mashed potatoes
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    4.85 from 20 votes

    Slow Cooker Beef Ribs Recipe

    Slow cooker beef ribs will be your new favorite slow cooker recipe for dinner! These beef short ribs are cooked low and slow in a red wine sauce with carrots, onions, celery, and herbs for intense flavor.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time6 hrs
    Total Time6 hrs 15 mins
    Course: Slow Cooker Beef Recipes
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: beef short ribs recipe, crockpot short ribs, Short Ribs Recipe, slow cooker beef short ribs
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 972kcal
    Author: Isabel Laessig

    Equipment

    Ingredients

    • 2½ pounds beef chuck short ribs
    • ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper approx., or more to taste
    • 1 onion
    • 8 ribs of celery or 1 stalk
    • 3 medium carrots
    • 1½ Tablespoons vegetable oil or other flavorless oil, divided
    • 1 clove garlic crushed (or 1 teaspoon minced garlic)
    • ½ cup red wine
    • 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
    • ¾ cup beef broth
    • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
    • 3 bay leaves

    Instructions

    • Pat 2½ pounds beef chuck short ribs dry, then sprinkle them all over with salt and pepper. Coat them well with seasoning to intensify the flavor. Finely chop 1 onion, 8 ribs of celery (or 1 stalk), and 3 medium-size carrots.
      Seasoned beef ribs on a cutting board
    • Warm ¾ Tablespoon vegetable oil (half of your 1½ Tbsp.) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the short ribs on all sides in two batches – don’t overcrowd the skillet.
      Sear just until you have a nice mahogany crust on all sides. After browning, add the short ribs to the slow cooker in one layer with the bones facing up.
      Beef ribs searing in cast iron pan
    • Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots to the skillet with the remaining ¾ Tablespoon vegetable oil. Reduce the heat just slightly as needed, so the vegetables do not burn.
      Cooking vegetables in a skillet to make beef ribs
    • Cook for 2 minutes, then add 1 clove of crushed garlic (or 1 tsp. minced garlic) and cook for 1 minute more. Add ½ cup red wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet – that’s flavor!
      Adding liquid to skillet with vegetables for slow cooker beef ribs
    • As the skillet starts to simmer, add in 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 2 Tablespoons tomato paste, ¾ cup beef broth, ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, and 3 bay leaves. Allow it to come to a simmer again, then pour the mixture over the short ribs in the slow cooker.
      Pouring vegetable mixture over beef ribs in crockpot
    • Turn the slow cooker to low and cook for 6 to 8 hours. Remove the bay leaves when the ribs are done cooking and discard them.
      Serve and enjoy!
      Taking a forkful of beef ribs in a white bowl with vegetables and mashed potatoes

    Video

    Notes

  • Make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan when searing your short ribs.
  • Season your beef short ribs generously!
  • When choosing any cut of beef, look for beef that has plenty of marbling.
    Marbling refers to the white lines of fat running through a cut of
    beef.
  • Save the drippings in the slow cooker after removing the short ribs. You can make them into a sauce or gravy! Check the post for instructions.

    • Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 972kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 114g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 28g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 375mg | Sodium: 547mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g

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    About Isabel Laessig

    Isabel Laessig, better known as Family Foodie and the founder of the Sunday Supper Movement, is passionate about food and family! She is the author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook, and hosts Family Foodie Friday on WTSP's Great Day Tampa Bay along with other television appearances to spread her mission of bringing Sunday Supper back around the family table in every home.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Vernon Whitehead says

      5 stars
      Love the recipe!!!!

      Reply

      • Em Beitel says

        Thank you so much, Vernon!

        Reply

    2. Dan says

      5 stars
      Sooo good!!! Added a bit more of the liquids for extra gravy, thickened it up and served over mash potatoes. Definitely a do over.

      Reply

      • Em Beitel says

        That's awesome, Dan! We're so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply

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