As soon as you take a bite of these fall-off-the-bone tender, moist Braised Beef Short Ribs slathered in a divinely delicious, slightly fiery sauce, you’re going to wonder where they’ve been all your life. And, you’ll wonder even more after you discover how easy they are to make!
This Braised Beef Short Rib Recipe is a Tender, Flavorful Winner!
Over 10 years ago, I shared a recipe for Spicy Short Ribs. Since then, I’ve given it a delicious makeover based on rounds of tweaking and testing. After rave reviews on the latest version, it’s time for an upgrade! Here’s what makes this new version of Braised Beef Short Ribs recipe a guaranteed crowd-pleaser:
- Melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. We now use English-style short ribs, known for becoming incredibly tender and flavorful through slow braising, more so than their flanken-style counterparts.
- Rich, caramelized flavor and nice color. Searing the ribs before braising creates a beautiful brown crust and infuses them with deep savory notes.
- Sweet and savory sauce. Sautéed onions add a layer of sweetness and depth to the braising sauce, which thickens into a flavorful glaze that coats the ribs perfectly.
- Extra flavor boost. The braising liquid is now prepared in the same pan used for searing (and braising), capturing all those delicious browned bits for an even richer sauce – and one less pan to clean, too!
Benefits of Oven Braising
Oven braising is a cooking technique that involves searing meat over high heat. After this initial sear, the meat is slowly cooked in a covered pan with liquid. This slow cooking process allows the tough connective tissue in the meat to break down, resulting in tender and succulent ribs. For these beef ribs, the braising technique allows them to slowly tenderize in a rich, spicy sauce.
Once you see how easy it is to braise ribs, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been doing it for years. Simply sear the ribs in a hot pan, prep the braising sauce, add the ribs, cover, and bake.
Selecting the Right Beef Short Ribs
The ideal cut of beef for braising is bone-in short ribs, as the bone adds richness and depth of flavor to the dish. Beef short ribs come in two main styles, English and Flanken:
- English-style short ribs are cut parallel to the bone, with one bone per piece, and contain a larger piece of meat. They are often more tender and have a higher fat content, making them ideal for braising.
- Flanken-style ribs are cut across the bone, resulting in thinner pieces of meat with several smaller bones attached.
When selecting beef short ribs for this recipe, opt for English-style ribs if you can find them. The marbling (fat distribution) within the meat, adds flavor and helps keep the ribs moist during cooking. And, look for ribs that have a bright red color and avoid those with excessive fat or a grayish hue.
If you can’t find bone-in English-style ribs, you can use either boneless or flanken-style with this recipe. Just keep in mind that they will have sightly less flavor.
Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this easy recipe, all of which should be available at your local grocery store (quantities are included in the recipe card below):
- Bone-in beef short ribs, preferably English cut
- Vegetable oil, canola oil or other high smoke point oil
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Yellow onion
- Tomato sauce
- Light brown sugar
- Jalapeno pepper
- Garlic
- Dry mustard
- Cayenne pepper
- Ground cloves
- Ground cinnamon
- Beer
- Fresh cilantro, optional for garnish
How to Make Spicy Short Ribs
Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide to braising beef short ribs (more abbreviated directions are in the recipe card below):
A. Prepare the ribs
- Bring to room temperature.
Take the short ribs out of the refrigerator bring to room temperature. Allowing the meat to warm up slightly before cooking ensures more even cooking throughout. - Rinse and pat dry.
Rinse the ribs under cold running water and dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. This step is important because it helps create a nice crust on the meat when searing. - Season.
Brush the ribs all over with vegetable oil, then generously sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and ground black pepper. The salt helps enhance the meat’s natural flavors while the pepper adds a subtle kick. And, the oil helps to form a nice crust. - Sear.
Heat a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add ribs in one layer, preferably without touching each other, and sear for 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove ribs and set aside; don’t clean out the pan!
- Preheat oven.
Move one of the racks to the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.
B. Prepare the Spicy Sauce
- Cook onions.
With the burner turned off but while the pan is still hot, add onions and cook, stirring, until they stop sizzling. - Add remaining sauce ingredients; simmer.
Add the tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, Jalapeno pepper, garlic, mustard, cayenne pepper, cloves, and cinnamon to the onions; stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for around 5 minutes. - Turn off heat and stir in beer.
Braise the beef ribs in the Spicy Sauce
- Add ribs to sauce.
Nestle ribs among the sauce, bone side up (fat side down), in one layer. - Cover and braise.
Cover the pan and bake until meat is very tender, around 2 to 2 1/2 hours. You can check the tenderness with a fork; the meat should easily pull away from the bone. - Remove from oven, let sit.
Remove pan from oven and let ribs sit in sauce, covered, for 10 minutes. - Plate and serve.
Remove ribs to a serving platter. Spoon some sauce over the ribs, garnish the ribs or platter with cilantro (if desired), and serve, passing additional sauce on the side.
Tips for Making Perfect Braised Beef Short Ribs
Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:
- Sear the ribs before braising. Briefly cooking the short ribs over high heat before braising adds flavor and texture to the final dish. I used to skip this step, but then when I added in searing the ribs, I discovered that the resulting dish had much more depth!
- Make sure ribs are dry before searing. Wet meat will tend to steam and not brown.
- Place ribs correctly in braising liquid. When placing ribs in the sauce, put them bone side up (fat down) for the best flavor and moistest meat.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot. When searing the short ribs, make sure not to cram the ribs in next to – or overlapping – each other. Overcrowding can cause the meat to steam instead of brown, resulting in a less flavorful end result. Work in batches if necessary to brown the ribs evenly.
- Braise ribs in a covered pan. If you don’t, the sauce will mostly cook off before the ribs are tender and you’ll be left with dry meat and little sauce.
- Let the meat rest before serving. Once the short ribs are braised, it’s best to let them sit at room temperature for around 10 minutes before serving. Resting allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a juicier and more flavorful result.
Spicy Short Ribs Make Ahead Instructions
Ribs can be prepared up to 3 days ahead: once cooked, cool to room temperature. Either cover the pan (ribs with sauce) or place the ribs and sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate.
To reheat: bring to room temperature, then cover and place in a 375-degree oven until heated through, around 30 to 40 minutes.
Braised Short Ribs and Spicy BBQ Sauce Storage
If you are making these spicy short ribs ahead or have leftovers, cool to room temperature, place in an airtight container, and refrigerate.
Braised Beef Short Rib Variations
While these ribs and sauce are delicious as is, they are also very flexible and you can modify this recipe to suit your tastes and to make it your own. Here are a few suggestions:
- Use flanken-style ribs. They will cook faster; start checking after around 1 1/2 hours.
- Use boneless ribs. Just keep in mind they may not hold their shape when done cooking.
- Use dry red wine in place of the beer. Or, use chicken broth for a non-alcoholic version.
- Add chopped celery and/or bell peppers.
- Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce to deepen flavor even more.
- Mix in fresh herbs like thyme.
In addition, you can vary the cooking method as well:
- Slow cooker – Place seared ribs and prepared sauce in a slow cooker and cook, covered, on low for 6 to 8 hours.
- Cooktop – Leave the prepared ribs and sauce on the cooktop, on medium-low to low heat, and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Serving Suggestions for Beer Braised Beef Short Ribs
These oven-baked beef ribs are very versatile and can be served for every day or a special occasion any time of the year. Many different side dishes pair well with these short ribs. Here are a few suggestions:
Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe – with Spicy Sauce
As soon as you take a bite of these fall-off-the-bone tender, moist Braised Beef Short Ribs slathered in a divinely delicious, slightly fiery sauce, you’re going to wonder where they’ve been all your life. And, you’ll wonder even more after you discover how easy they are to make!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Resting Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 165 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
(See gluten-free adaptations in the Notes section at the bottom of the recipe.)
- 4 pounds individual bone-in beef short ribs, preferably English cut – see Note
- Vegetable oil, canola oil or other high smoke point oil
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups (15-ounce can) tomato sauce
- 2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons seeded and finely chopped Jalapeno peppers
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 3/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups (12-ounce can or bottle) beer
- Fresh cilantro, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Bring ribs to room temperature; rinse and pat dry. Brush ribs all over with oil, then season with salt and pepper.
- Move one of the racks to the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add ribs in one layer, preferably without touching each other, and sear for 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove ribs and set aside; don’t clean out the pan!
- With the burner turned off but while the pan is still hot, add onions and cook, stirring, until they stop sizzling.
- In a large saucepan, stir together the tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, Jalapeno pepper, garlic, mustard, cayenne pepper, cloves, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for around 5 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in beer.
- Nestle ribs among the onions, bone side up (fat side down), in one layer. Cover the pan, and bake until meat is very tender, around 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- Remove pan from oven and let ribs sit in sauce, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Remove ribs to a serving platter. Spoon some sauce over the ribs, garnish ribs or platter with cilantro (if desired), and serve, passing additional sauce on the side.
Notes
Gluten free: Use gluten-free beer.
Make ahead: Ribs can be prepared up to 3 days ahead: once cooked, cool to room temperature. Either cover the pan (ribs with sauce) or place ribs and sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate. To reheat, bring to room temperature, then place in a 375 degree oven until heated through, around 30 to 40 minutes
- Category: Meats, Beef, easy entertaining
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 English-style rib
- Calories: 167
- Sugar: 21.1 g
- Sodium: 1202.4 mg
- Fat: 4.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.3 g
- Fiber: 2.4 g
- Protein: 7.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2010 and then significantly updated in 2024 with changes to the method and new photos added.
This looks delicious! I love short ribs! I tried to pick up some at the Farmer’s Market this morning and they ran out before I got there. But I may try your recipe with the beef shanks I picked up instead! Thanks for sharing these at #FoodieFriDIY…I always love what you share with us!
Michelle – I think this recipe would be delicious with beef shanks as well. Let me know how it comes out!
I made this again the other night and it was delicious! Served it with your Creamy Parmesan Polenta and steamed Brussels Sprouts – Yum, Yum, Yum!! Some high altitude adjustments – Lower the cooking temp, more liquid and more time. I checked every hour to make sure the ribs didn’t dry out.