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These slow cooker short ribs are so tender and delicious they fall right off the bone but the best part is how easy they are to make in the slow cooker!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Low and Slow: The best way to cook short ribs in low and slow so that makes them the perfect thing to put in the slow cooker! These slow cooker short ribs will cook for 4-6 hours on low.
Delicious Taste: These short ribs are fall of the bone tender and have amazing flavor thanks to the herb/spice rub, tomato sauce and balsamic vinegar.
What is a Short Rib?
Short ribs come from the beef chuck of the animal, and consist of the ends of the ribs near the breastbone. These ribs are shorter than traditional ribs and although not as tender they have great flavor.
Ingredients Needed
- Short Ribs
- Rub, a combination of salt, dried rosemary, dried sage, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika and black pepper (see recipe below)
- Olive Oil, you can also use canola or vegetable oil.
- Tomato Sauce, canned
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Brown Sugar
- Garlic, fresh minced
How to Make Slow Cooker Short Ribs
- Combine ingredients for spice rub in a small bowl.
- Rub mixture into all sides of the short ribs.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat.
- Braise the ribs for 2-3 minutes each side or until lightly browned in a heavy pan, large skillet or dutch oven.
- Put ribs in slow cooker
- Mix together balsamic vinegar, tomato sauce, brown sugar, and garlic and pour in with ribs.
- Cook for 4-6 hours on low or until meat is tender.
Tips from Leigh Anne
- I prefer bone in short rib, but you can also use boneless. You could also use chuck Roast (cut into 2 inch pieces),
Beef Back Ribs, Beef Shank, or Brisket for this recipe. - Don’t skip the searing or braising step for these slow cooker short ribs. This gives the meat a nice deep, caramelized flavor. Spending five minutes doing this will make a difference!
- There will be delicious leftover drippings so don’t let them go to waste. You can easily turn them into gravy by making a roux with 2 Tbsp of butter, and flour. THen add the strained broth and stir over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add vegetables in with the short ribs?
Yes, you can. Potatoes, parsnips, or carrots would be delish. They will take less time to cook so I would add them in the last hour or so of cooking. Be sure to cut them into same size pieces for even cooking.
Can I cook this in the Instant Pot?
This recipe works well in the Instant Pot. Use the saute feature to braise the meat. The Instant Pot needs at least 1 cup of liquid so add in 1/2 cup of beef broth. Use the manual high pressure function and set it to high. Cook the short ribs for 45 minutes, do a 10 minute natural release.
What does it mean to “braise”?
Braising is the process of browning the meat over high heat to seal in all those yummy juices. It is also called searing.
Should I use Bone In or Boneless Short Ribs?
Should I use Bone In or Boneless Short Ribs?
What is the best way to store leftover short ribs?
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 day sin the refrigerator. I like to reheat them in the microwave.
Serve this with:
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Slow Cooker Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs. bone in beef short ribs
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 6 cloves garlic minced
Spice Rub
- 2 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp dried rubbed sage
- 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the spice rub. Rub mixture onto all sides of the short ribs.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat.
- Braise the ribs for 2-3 minutes each side or until lightly browned.
- Put ribs in slow cooker
- Mix together balsamic vinegar, tomato sauce, sugar and garlic. Pour over short ribs
- Cook for 4-6 hours on low or until meat is tender.
Tips & Notes:
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Nutrition Facts:
Alisia S says
Very easy recipe. Ingredients are cooking staples and I had everything needed on-hand. Absolutely the tastiest short ribs that I have eaten. I cooked in my crockpot on low for 2-1/2 hours. Admittedly, the “low” setting seems to cook at a higher temperature than what would be expected. Tender, fall-off the bone ribs, easy recipe, on-hand ingredients, yummy; you can’t go wrong with this one!
Jo says
Absolutely deelish..made them a couple times . Everybody LOVES them!