{"id":60771,"date":"2018-01-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-09-09T00:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/origin-www.tasteofhome.com\/recipes\/slow-cooker-short-ribs\/"},"modified":"2025-03-31T13:17:09","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T18:17:09","slug":"slow-cooker-short-ribs","status":"publish","type":"recipe","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/recipes\/slow-cooker-short-ribs\/","title":{"rendered":"Slow-Cooker Short Ribs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Slow-cooker short ribs are a fantastic special occasion meal. The meat is tender, and the braising liquid turns into an incredible gravy. Serve it over mashed potatoes to create a hearty meal that looks like a restaurant-worthy 5-star dinner<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Short ribs are a fatty cut of meat, but don\u2019t let that deter you. Fat is flavor, and it plays an important role in making this dish rich and decadent. We brown the short ribs before adding them to the slow cooker, which renders off some of the fat. The red wine and tomato paste in the braising liquid are also key. These ingredients provide plenty of acidity to create balance in the finished dish.<\/p>\n

What are short ribs?<\/h2>\n

Short ribs come from the plate rib section of a beef. It\u2019s a tough cut that\u2019s rich with connective tissue, and it’s also high in fat. When cooked low and slow, these components come together to make tough meat tender<\/a> and flavorful. The connective tissue breaks down into collagen and releases gelatin, giving the braising liquid a nice body and a rich mouthfeel.<\/p>\n

You can buy boneless or bone-in beef short ribs. The bone-in cut comes in two different varieties. English-cut short ribs are cut lengthwise and contain one long rib bone per piece. This cut is meaty and perfect for braised dishes like slow-cooker short ribs. Flanken-cut short ribs are thinner, and they\u2019re cut across the rib. Each piece displays multiple small rib bones. You can braise flanken-cut short ribs, but they\u2019re more popular for grilled recipes or Korean barbecue.<\/p>\n

How to Cook Short Ribs<\/h2>\n

The process of how to cook beef short ribs is relatively easy, but it does take patience. We start with searing the short ribs. This gives them a caramelized flavor and a gorgeous color. Then, we simmer the onions, garlic and tomato paste with red wine. Reducing the red wine concentrates its flavor and adds depth to the braising liquid. Finally, we put it all in a slow cooker<\/a>. After six to eight hours on low, the short ribs should be tender enough to eat with a fork!<\/p>\n

How to Make Short Rib Gravy<\/h2>\n

The braising liquid is rich, and it\u2019d be a shame to let it go to waste. Luckily, turning the cooking juices into short rib gravy is super easy. Simply strain out the fat using a fat separator\u2014one of our favorite tricks for removing extra fat<\/a> from braised dishes. Then, bring the juices to a boil. Add a cornstarch slurry (a mixture of water and cornstarch), and simmer the juices until thickened.<\/p>\n

Slow-Cooker Short Ribs Ingredients<\/h2>\n