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This Crockpot red wine braised short ribs recipe is the ultimate cold weather comfort food! It has fall-off-the-bone tender ribs with a deep, rich, and flavorful red wine sauce.
Try my Sunday Pot Roast or Crockpot Beef Stew Recipe next.
Why you’ll love it
Are these ever good! Slow cooking short ribs makes them so juicy, so it’s one of my favorite ways to cook ribs. Braising beautifully tenderizes the beef and locks in flavor. The red wine sauce is made with everyday ingredients, and you’ll look forward to leftovers.
These Crockpot braised beef short ribs are a special meal, but it’s actually really straightforward to make them. It’s the ideal recipe to prep on a lazy weekend morning. You’ll be rewarded with the wonderful aroma of these short ribs while they’re cooking!
What you’ll need
- Beef short ribs – they’re ideal for slow cooking. Read on for tips.
- Olive oil – for sautéing
- Carrot, onion, garlic – this trio is a traditional aromatic base
- Tomato paste – another layer of rich, concentrated taste
- Dry red wine – merlot, cabernet sauvignon, Côtes du Rhône, pinot noir, or malbec are my recommendations
- Worcestershire sauce – one of my go-to savory flavor enhancers
- Seasoning – my blend is a delicious balanced mixture of brown sugar, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. It is VERY important to adequately salt this recipe!
- Thyme – it’s a classic herb to use in this kind of dish
- Cornstarch – to thicken the sauce
What are short ribs?
- They come from the brisket, chuck, plate, or rib areas of the animal. They’re called “short” because the full length of the rib is not included.
- Braising (browned first at a high temperature, then simmered in a liquid) is a great method of cooking because short ribs generally need time to make the meat tender.
- You may need to tell the butcher that you want them cut into 2″ pieces.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use this skillet for the sauteing steps, and this is my Crockpot model.
- This garlic press makes it simple to mince garlic with one squeeze.
- Here’s my favorite corkscrew to open up the wine.
How to make Crockpot red wine braised short ribs
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Season the meat with salt & pepper. Working in two batches, sear the ribs in the olive oil until nicely browned. Transfer to a plate. Sauté the carrots and onions until lightly browned.
Stir in the garlic and tomato paste, and cook until fragrant. Transfer to your Crockpot. Add the wine, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper, and thyme. Stir, then add the ribs in a uniform layer.
Cook on low or high depending on preference until the ribs are done. Skim the fat off the surface. Make a cornstarch slurry, stir it in, then cook for a few more minutes to activate it. Taste, and add extra salt & pepper if needed.
Pro tip
Don’t skip the searing step. Yes, it’s more work than throwing everything straight into your slow cooker, but it’s well worth it for all the extra flavor.
Substitutions and variations
- These are classic flavors, so I recommend trying it as written the first time you make it.
- You could substitute 1/2 the wine with beef broth, but make sure to reduce the salt quantity if you go that route.
- If you don’t have any fresh thyme, you could leave it out, but I like the subtle flavor it adds.
- Here is the oven version: Red Wine Braised Short Ribs.
What to serve with braised short ribs
- My absolute favorite way to enjoy them is over a big pile of Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes. They’re also great with a Baked Potato or rice.
- If you’d like a green veggie, pair it with my Easy Roasted Asparagus or Easy Roasted Green Beans.
- Round out the meal with a simple salad like my Parmesan Arugula Salad.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat. My preference is in a covered saucepan.
- You can freeze these braised short ribs for up to 3 months.
Please leave a star rating and review below if you made these braised beef short ribs in red wine sauce! Tag me on Instagram with any of my recipes that you make.
Crockpot Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 3.5-4 pounds beef short ribs (bone-in)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large carrot peeled & chopped finely
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bottle dry red wine
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt see note
- Pepper to taste
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Season the short ribs with salt & pepper.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat, and once the pan is hot, sear half the short ribs for about 3-4 minutes/side or until nicely browned. Transfer to a plate and then repeat for the second batch. The ribs will likely release excess fat, and if they do, spoon some of the fat out, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons in the skillet.
- Add the carrots and onions to the skillet and sauté for 6-8 minutes or until they start to lightly brown.
- Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for about a minute, then transfer the skillet mixture to your slow cooker.
- Add the red wine, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and thyme to the Crockpot. Give it a stir. Add the short ribs in as even of a layer as possible (some will likely stick out and that's ok). Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or 5-6 hours on high.
- Once the ribs are done, skim the fat off the surface (I just use a spoon to do this… don't worry about getting it all). Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water until you've got a smooth mixture, then stir it into the Crockpot. Turn the heat to high, cover it again, and let it cook for about 5-10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened up a bit. Add extra salt & pepper if needed.
Notes
- If you’re not using sea salt or kosher salt, you may want to start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more once you’ve tasted it. This recipe needs enough salt to bring out the flavors, so definitely don’t under-salt this one.
- I prefer cooking these on low for the best results, but high works if you’re in a time crunch.
- Serves 6+ depending on how much people eat.
- This recipe has been tweaked from its original version that was published in 2017. If you love that version, you can still access it here.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on February 6, 2017. It’s been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!
Made this for Canadian thanksgiving dinner today instead of turkey. Everyone agreed it was delicious. Will definitely make it again
I’m thrilled to hear that, Carol!! 😀 Thanks so much for your review.
Made this yesterday. It was perfect after a day out in the cold. Easy to follow recipe, and the final result was superb. Ribs were pull apart tender and full of flavour. Delicious over mashed potatoes. The house smelled amazing when we got home. Love excellent crock pot recipes for those days when no time to cook.
I decided to follow the recipe as is, and I had no issues with the full bottle of wine for flavour. I added a can of Green Giant Sweetlet Peas.
Two thumbs up. Thanks so much.
You’re very welcome, Beverly!