Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs
Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs are total comfort food. The tender beef cooks long and slow in its own gravy until it simply melts in your mouth. The recipe is easy and this recipe is perfect for a midweek dinner, Sunday lunch or to entertain your friends and family.
Why make Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs?
Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs are the ideal make ahead dinner for those cooler autumn (fall) and winter days when you want a big bowl of comfort food. Pop the beef into your slow cooker in the morning and head out for a walk, to visit family or friends. You’ll know that you will be coming home to tender beef with its ready made gravy. It’s great for midweek meals too and any leftovers can be reheated or repurposed to make it even more economical.
What ingredients do I need to make Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs?
Here are the everyday ingredients you need to make this delicious casserole:
- beef short ribs
- pancetta
- onion
- flour
- salt
- pepper
- oil
- beef stock
- soft brown sugar
- Dijon mustard
- garlic granules
- thyme
- rosemary
What are Beef Short Ribs?
The meat on Beef Short Ribs is left on the bone for maximum flavour. The beef ribs are more tender and meatier than their pork counterparts and a versatile cut that is well suited to slow cooking. The cooked beef is meltingly tender with a rich beef flavour.
What is pancetta?
Pancetta is Italian cured pork belly a bit like streaky bacon. It has a deep, strong, slightly salty flavour, is fairly fatty and it adds a great flavour to stews and casseroles. I buy smoked pancetta ready-diced for convenience. You can also get unsmoked and buy it a whole piece or in slices.
What else can I use instead of pancetta?
Pancetta is a type of bacon, so you can substitute the pancetta with other kinds of bacon. Try the following:
- Lardons which are the French equivalent of pancetta
- Smoked streaky bacon cut into small pieces
- Any other bacon that has a good proportion of fat to lean meat.
What is Dijon Mustard?
Dijon Mustard is a traditional French mustard from Burgundy. It is made with brown mustard seeds and white wine. It is milder than English Mustard but slightly spicier than American Mustard.
Why should I put brown sugar in braised beef short ribs?
Sugar counteracts any acidity in the gravy for the beef. Your gravy won’t taste sweet at all, it just adds a little something extra to the rich sauce.
Can I use dried herbs?
If you can’t access fresh rosemary and thyme then by all means use dried herbs. It’s important to make sure that your dried herbs have not been in the cupboard for too long or they do lose a lot of their flavour.
Why should I use garlic granules instead of fresh garlic?
You can use either fresh crushed garlic or garlic granules in this Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs recipe. However, I recommend garlic granules because they seem to work really well with the long slow cooking that is required. Fresh garlic should be cooked with the onions and there is a chance that the garlic may taste bitter if it is overcooked.
Why coat the short ribs in flour?
There are two reasons to coat the beef short ribs in flour. Firstly the starch in the flour helps to brown the meat and this enhances the flavour. The other reason to coat the beef in flour is that the flour helps to thicken the gravy or sauce without having to add cornflour (cornstarch) at the end of cooking.
Why should I sear the beef short ribs?
Sear the beef short ribs over high heat to caramelise the surface of the meat. This creates something called the Maillard reaction and produces a nutty caramel flavour that increases the delicious savoury flavour of the meat.
I have a Sear and Stew Slow Cooker so can put the metal slow cooker bowl straight onto the hob to sear the meat. However, if you have a traditional crockery pot, you can use a frying pan to sear the meat.
What kind of stock should I use?
Use the best quality beef stock you can afford for the best results. You can use homemade beef stock, ready-made beef stock, stock pots or stock cubes.
Can I make Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs ahead of time?
Yes, you certainly can. Like all casseroles, the beef short ribs will actually improve in flavour if you make the dish the day before. Cool quickly and store in the refrigerator, then reheat until piping hot before serving. You can keep beef in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze Beef Short Ribs?
Strip the meat from the bones and shred it. Then place the beef and gravy in a sealed container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat until piping hot before serving.
Vegetarian
This recipe is not suitable for a vegetarian diet.
Gluten Free
This recipe contains wheat flour so replace this with gluten free flour. Be careful to check the labels on any ready made items that you include in the recipe such as beef stock and mustard.
For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How should I serve the Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs?
I serve the Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs with the gravy it has been cooked in. Accompany the dish with mashed potatoes and simply cooked vegetables such as carrots or green vegetables like broccoli or savoy cabbage.
Or try Air Fryer Roasted Swede as an alternative to potatoes, it’s a really delicious way to cook this humble root vegetable. Make this dish extra special with a side of Hasselback Carrots with Brown Sugar Glaze or some rich and delicous cauliflower cheese.
I had some of the beef left over so made it into lasagne by adding a can of chopped tomatoes to the beef and layering it with fresh lasagne sheets and bechamel sauce and topping the dish with grated cheese.
You can also shred the beef and serve it in flatbreads or burger buns with salad, pickles, and a hot sauce like sriracha.
More Slow Cooker Recipes
PIN FOR LATER
Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Sharp knife
- chopping board
- tongs
- whisk Or wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 130 g (½ cups) pancetta
- 1 (1) large onion
- 70 grams (½ cups) flour
- 1 Tsp (1 Tsp) salt
- 1/2 tsp (½ tsp) pepper
- 1 kg (2 lb) beef short ribs
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) oil
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) flour
- 500 ml (2 cups) beef stock
- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) soft brown sugar
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) garlic granules
- 1/2 tsp (½ tsp) fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp (½ tsp) fresh rosemary
Instructions
- 130 g pancettaFry the pancetta
- 1 large onionCut the onion into wedges and add to the pancetta
- Remove from the pan
- 70 grams flour, 1 Tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepperPut the flour on a plate or shallow dish and season with salt and pepper.
- Coat the ribs with the flour
- 2 tbsp oil, 1 kg beef short ribsAdd 1 tbsp oil and sear the short ribs. You may have to do this in batches.
- Remove the ribs and check the pan. If there are any burnt bits, clean the pan.
- 2 tbsp flourAdd a tablespoon of oil and add the remaining flour. Stir until it has absorbed the oil.
- 500 ml beef stockAdd the beef stock, stirring or whisking to ensure that there are no lumps.
- 1 tbsp soft brown sugar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp garlic granulesAdd the mustard, sugar and garlic granules and mix into the gravy.
- Return the short ribs to the pan with the pancetta and onions.
- 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, 1/2 tsp fresh rosemaryAdd the fresh thyme and rosemary.
- Cook on Low for 8 hours.
- The beef will be very tender and fall off the bones.
- Serve with mashed potatoes and simply cooked vegetables such as carrots.
Short ribs are one of my absolute favorite cuts of meat and there is no better way to cook them than slow…. great looking recipe, thank you for posting.
Thanks, Jo. Yes, it’s a lovely cut so much flavour.
I really need to use my slow cooker more! What a wonderful, hearty, Autumn meal and pretty easy too. It sounds utterly delicious xx
Thanks, Kate. It’s so easy and convenient once you get into the habit of using your slow cooker. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try.
Oh goodness me, this is MY kind of food. Super simple to make gluten free with the right stock cube and NOT using pork (I’m not keen on pork but pulled pork is such a fashion these days) defo going to see if I can convert my family
I’m so with you, Rebecca. I’d far rather have beef than pork.
These are like a hug on a plate. So rich and comforting, just what I want to eat as the weather gets colder.
They certainly are! Just the thing for the cooler months.
Heading to the local butchers this weekend to procure some short ribs.
This recipe looks fantastic, right up my street to come home to after a winter afternoon walk.
Report to follow. 🙂
That’s great to hear, Graham. I’m sure you will enjoy the ribs after your walk.
Absolutely love short ribs but how do you deal with the rubbery membrane that holds the meat to the bone ? It tends to turn dinner guests off.
Hi Norman
You could make the ribs in advance, remove the meat and membrane from the bones and discard the membrane.