My Crockpot red wine braised short ribs are the ultimate cold weather comfort food! Let your slow cooker work its magic to tenderize the meat.
Try my Sunday Pot Roast next for another deliciously juicy family meal.
Are these ever good! Slow cooking the short ribs makes them fall-off-the-bone tender.
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. This type of Crockpot recipe is ideal to prep on a lazy weekend morning. Spend some time chopping and searing then chuck the ingredients in your slow cooker. You'll be rewarded with the wonderful aroma of these short ribs while they're cooking.
I was pressed for time, so I cooked the ones in the photos for 5 hours on high. They were nice and tender. 7-8 hours on low would make them even more tender.
Once the ribs have cooked, all you need to do is skim the fat off the surface (you'd need to do this if you used any type of braising method e.g. Dutch oven).
The beauty of making recipes like this is that you will have leftovers you actually want to eat.
It's really not much work at all for 6+ servings. And that sauce is soo tasty! I recommending serving these Crockpot short ribs with mashed potatoes.
Other delicious beef recipes to try:
Hope you enjoy this slow cooker braised short ribs recipe!
Questions? Made this recipe? Let me know in the comments below.
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
- 1 bottle dry red wine
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 4 dashes Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Season the short ribs with salt & pepper.
- Once the oil is hot, add the short ribs. You'll likely need to do two batches. Don't crowd the pan. Sear for 3-4 minutes per side.
- Add all the other ingredients to the Crockpot except for the cornstarch. 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). Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
- Once the ribs are done, skim the fat off the surface (I just use a small spoon to do this). Mix the cornstarch with about a tablespoon of cold water until you've got a smooth mixture, then stir it into the Crockpot. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to thicken the sauce up a bit. Add extra salt & pepper as needed. A note on the salt: I prefer not to tell people how much to add since it's subjective, but you'll likely need to add a fair bit (around a teaspoon or more).
Notes
- This recipe freezes well.
- Serves 6+
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Kristina Peirce says
If anyone asks if they can use country-style boneless pork ribs, the answer is YES. I printed this recipe earlier this year and when I found myself with loads of country-style ribs to use I thought to use this recipe...without actually reading it was for beef short ribs!! I figured it out after everything was prepped so no stopping. Otherwise, I followed the recipe except for cooking the carrots, onions, garlic, and tomato paste off in the pan with the rib juices and a bit more olive oil. I used Apothic Red blend wine. And I had to cook it for less time; I did 4:30 hours on high, 1:30 hours on low until the meat was stained dark red and falling apart. My husband and I both like this better than our usual beef stew. Really Amazing!!
Natasha says
That's great to know! I'm so glad it worked out! 🙂
Chelsea says
This recipe was fantastic and couldn't have been easier. I love your website and recipes.
Natasha says
I'm so happy to hear that!! Thank you!!
Dita says
Hi there ! What can I substitute for wine (Non-alcoholic) ?
Natasha says
Hi Dita! I'll be honest... the red wine is the main flavor component and helps to tenderize the ribs. I am really hesitant to make any suggestions.. I'd hate to suggest something without testing and have you disappointed. You could try a non-alcoholic red wine if possible (you should be able to buy from a grocery store).
Neil says
I made this a few weeks ago mostly following the recipe. I seared in olive oil and butter mixture with garlic added in - and while searing I tossed in some of the red wine along the way. I was having fun. I removed the meat and then sauteed the carrots and onions etc. following the same technique. Put the meat back in, slowly added the wine (2017 Ventoux) and beef stock and paste to bring level up over the meat. Brought to simmer and then super slow and low cooked for 6 hours. My first reaction upon tasting - whatever the word is for food nirvana, this is it! It was absolutely heavenly. About to make it again today. Except no bone in today. And I plan to add celery to my veggie base and fresh oregano and thyme. I have no doubt this will be fantastic. Thank you! A whole nother level of food quality!
Natasha says
So glad you liked it, Neil!!
Rochelle says
I came across this recipe and like that it was simple and didn'tnt have a ton of ingredients. So I did a few other things to my short ribs. I seasoned them with S&P as well as garlic powder and seared them off. I did them in batches. Also, I didnt have enough carrots(I only had 2 very small ones). I did a rough chop on the carrots and I only added about 4 cloves of garlic. That's all I had on hand. I didnt have any sherry so i used a cup of red Roscosto and 2 cups of beef stock. I didn't have any thyme so I left it out. I substituted smoked paprika instead of regular paprika. So far i didnt have to add any additional salt once I added all the other ingredients. Have way they cooking I tasted the broth and it was a little sweet bit had a good beefy flavor. Which I like. Yummy. Towards the end I added the cornstarch and it was amazingly good. Thanks for the recipe. By the way I used a cast iron skillet and cooked the ribs in the oven.
Natasha says
I love your take on this recipe! So glad it worked out, Rochelle!
Joleen Barker says
Thank you for the recipe. Just wondering some small details before I try it. Any recommendations on a name of red wine specifically that you have made this recipe with? Also, dark or light brown sugar and if it is dark is it packed in the tablespoon?
Thank you.
Joleen
Natasha says
Hi Joleen! I’m afraid I didn’t write down which red wine I used for this recipe - sorry! And it was dark brown sugar that was packed. 😊 Hope you enjoy the recipe!
JOLEEN BARKER says
I followed the recipe as you wrote it except for the Thyme. I'm not a fan. The only thing I added to the recipe after reading all the comments was the addition of the beef boulion cube. I needed to use an addition tsp of flour to the liquid to thinken it up to the consistancy I like. It was fabulous. Just in case anyone is curious I used a 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon named VIGILANCE from Red Hills Lake County.
Natasha says
I am so happy you enjoyed it, Joleen! Thanks for the tips 🙂
Susan says
Delicious! I made this recipe tonight and it was a big hit. I bought an 8 pack of boneless beef short ribs from Costco. I browned them in a pan with olive oil, then sautéed vidiallia onion and garlic in the pan, transfered it to the slow cooler with 32ounces of organic beef broth and two cups of a Tuscan red wine, added the brown sugar, Worcester sauce, lots Italian seasoning dry mustard and celery salt. It was delicious. Thank you for this fantastic recipe!!
Natasha says
So happy you enjoyed it, Susan!
Karen says
One lesson I learned a long time ago was to cook with wine you like to drink. For this dish, I used a bottle of Gnarly Head Merlot. (My partner works for the company; lucky us!)
I had boneless short ribs in my freezer and decided today’s cold spring weather was just right for them as a Sunday dinner. I did make mistakes, and this still turned out great.
I decided to cook the onion and carrot in the pan I used to sear the short ribs, so I could get the pan juices for flavor. I added a tiny bit more olive oil and some of the wine into the pan, then added the tomato paste, thinking it would be easier to mix it all together in the pan, and add the warm mix to the ribs in the slow cooker. As I started to stir it in, I realized I added the entire can of tomato paste! I scooped out most of it, then added a bit more carrot, onion and garlic, along with the spices, sugar and Worstechire sauce. I didn’t have thyme, so tossed in a sprig of rosemary. I also took note of the prompt to add more salt than usual, and did add some, but not much. At the end, I didn’t have cornstarch (aaagh!), so I mixed a tablespoon of flour to a small bowl of the hot sauce and then added it back into the pot to finish cooking.
Thank you for the easy recipe! The positive response to the meal made clear that my mistakes were not critical.
Natasha says
So glad you liked it! And I’m so glad it turned out. I always improvise while cooking too... it usually works out hehe. And yes, my husband would definitely agree with you about cooking with the wine you drink - he taught me that trick.
Barbara says
For Christmas I received an All Clad all in one Browning 7 quart slow cooker ....
I love to cook so I am leary of slow cooker recipes
After much research I chose salt and lavenders recipe.
It is New Years Day .... I have been talking about this recipe for a week !!! After it was all set and cooking in the slow cooker I read this review ... my heart dropped
I wanted it to be perfect ...
I didn’t have any beef broth ...
I decided to put a beef bouillon ( which I NEVER) use
But after this review I was terrified it would be tasteless ..
I don’t know if the bouillon made any difference at all
But this recipe is excellent ... meat was perfect and the sauce was restaurant quality .. please don’t let the last review steer you away !!
Natasha says
I am so happy to hear that this recipe worked out for you, Barbara, and I really appreciate you leaving a comment here. I think that reviewer's issue was that she did not use enough salt and possibly wasn't used to cooking with salt. Some recipes you need to add more than others, often more than you'd think. Bouillon is salty, so that would have played a part, I think. 🙂 Adding beef broth/stock like she mentioned is definitely an option too. Enjoy your new slow cooker!
Monica says
Just checked the slow cooker after 8 hours on low.. was very excited to give it a taste - as the short rib was nice and tender. Took a bite, ridiculously bland! Spoon tasted the mixture in the crockpot, oh my gosh it was close to inedible! Did you happen to skip any steps in your instructions? Did you need to reduce the wine first? Or forgot the beef broth? Followed your recipe to a T and used a very nice Pinot Noir (have used it before in making short ribs with no problem).
Please advise - Its Valentine's Day, and this was our planned dinner!!
Natasha says
Hi Monica, did you skim the fat off the top, add in the cornstarch, and some extra salt? I just re-read the instructions and ingredients list a few times, and it all seems to reflect how I make them. I'm at work right now, but I will check my written recipe notes again as soon as I get home to see if it's possible that I missed something. I'm really upset to read this - we really enjoyed the short ribs and I'm now wondering what went wrong here. I feel truly awful if in fact your Valentine's Day dinner is ruined.
Monica says
Thanks for the reply. I added an extra spoon of brown sugar, and more salt and pepper - it's slightly better. I'm going to add a cup of beef stock later this evening when I decide to reheat to salvage the dish. Please let me know if you find something useful in your notes that differs from your recipe above. Out of curiosity - what wine did you use for this and how much water did you mix in with your cornstarch?
Natasha says
Hi Monica, just checked my notes, and they match up with the recipe posted here. I've made it with a cabernet sauvignon and a pinot noir before. I use approx. one tablespoon of cold water with the cornstarch. I'll update the recipe to be more specific. If you don't mind me asking, did you add the beef stock for additional flavor or because the dish was dry? I've seen some recipes for short ribs that use beef stock and some that don't, so I'm very interested in hearing how it turned out.
Monica says
Added 1 cup of beef stock for flavor. Turned out fine in the end.
Natasha says
Good to hear!
Monica says
Side note: Not sure if you just added this or I missed it when I read it initially - "I did add more salt to this than I normally would to a dish, partially because there's a whole bottle of wine in there, and it does serve 6+ people."
I agree it seemed like a hell of a lot of salt to balance this dish - would be good to revisit this recipe and see how you can better balance it, or an initial amount of salt to begin with so the initial tasting isn't as off-putting. I think this is why other recipes do have the cup or so of beef stock for flavor to balance the red wine, and also for it's saltiness factor.
Natasha says
Hi Monica, nope you didn't miss it. I added it after considering your feedback and thinking about when I make the dish so I can point people in the right direction. I wouldn't say I add a "hell of a lot of salt", but thanks for your feedback re: the beef broth.
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Braised short ribs is one of my favorite dishes Natasha! So comforting and perfect for a cold winter night! I'll need to give your recipe a try!
Natasha says
Thanks, Mary Ann!! I wish I had some left... it's absolutely frigid out today!