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Crockpot Beef Short Ribs

Crockpot beef short ribs braised low and slow until fall-off-the-bone, with a rich red wine braising sauce. Sear the ribs first for deep color, then thicken the drippings into a glossy gravy to spoon over mashed potatoes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 740
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bone-in beef short ribs
  • 4 lb bone-in beef short ribs
Vegetables and aromatics
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 garlic, minced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 3 celery, diced
Braising liquid and seasonings
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 0.5 salt and pepper to taste
Thickener and serving
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 mashed potatoes for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sear the ribs
  1. Season short ribs generously with salt and pepper, then sear in olive oil in a hot skillet until deeply browned on all sides, about 3-5 minutes per side.
  2. Transfer the browned ribs to the Crockpot after searing.
Braise in the slow cooker
  1. Place onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in the Crockpot and nestle the seared ribs on top.
  2. Whisk beef broth, red wine, tomato paste, and Worcestershire, then pour over the ribs so they’re partially submerged.
  3. Add dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves, then cook on Low for 7-8 hours until the meat is falling off the bone.
Finish the sauce and serve
  1. Remove the ribs and bay leaves, then skim fat from the braising liquid.
  2. Whisk cornstarch with a little braising liquid to make a slurry, stir it into the Crockpot, then cook on High for 15 minutes until thickened.
  3. Serve the ribs over mashed potatoes and spoon the rich braising sauce on top.

Notes

For the richest sauce, keep the ribs undisturbed during the Low cook until they’re truly tender enough to pull apart. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days; reheat gently until hot. Freezing: yes, freeze ribs and sauce up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge before reheating. For a lower-sodium option, use low-sodium beef broth and Worcestershire, then adjust salt at the end to taste.