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Quick and easy recipes you can make for your family and friends. Published by Julie Tran Deily

Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs Slow Cooker Recipe

Julie Deily · 66 Comments

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Enter in the giveaway for America's Test Kitchen's Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook – the recipe below came from this book!

I LOVE beef short ribs. It all started when I had a pasta dish at a restaurant that had braised short ribs in it (I have since made it!). After that, I wanted to try making them myself. At first, I couldn't find it in the grocery store but now it seems not all that hard to find in my local grocery stores. I can never find them boneless so when buying bone-in beef short ribs, I always look for the ones with a lot of meat on them.

I have made beef short ribs in a slow cooker several times now and when I was provided with a copy of Slow Cooker Revolution from America's Test Kitchen, I knew I had to try this recipe: red wine-braised short ribs. Who could resist that?

First things first, this recipe is not your run of the mill, throw all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and forget about it for 6 hours. There is a certain amount of prep work and we really wanted to have this meal on a weeknight. So when I read the directions, I knew it would be too much to try to do before going to work in the morning. So I did everything the night before, all of the steps up until turn the slow cooker on. I put the crock in the refrigerator so all we had to do was put it into the slow cooker unit and plug it in.

This recipe is amazing…we followed the instructions and cooked on low for 11 hours, well worth the wait! The depth of flavor was amazing and the tenderness of the beef so delightful. I have definitely noticed the difference in following slow cooker recipes when using the low setting and America's Test Kitchen recommends this if you have the time. If you don't have the time, you can still cook this recipe on high for 5-7 hours.

I will definitely be making more Slow Cooker Revolution recipes in the future!


Onions, Carrots and Celery. I always cut my vegetables first before cutting any meats on my cutting board.


This is what they look like after I de-boned them. See how thick the pieces of meat are?


This is what they looked like after being microwaved. Microwaving the bones renders the fat and gives this dish the roasted flavor without having to use the oven.


After browning the short ribs, place them into the slow cooker on top of the microwaved bones.


This is after the vegetables have been added and the sauce has been reduced.


This is when I wrapped the crock in plastic and put it in the fridge. In the morning, I just removed the plastic, placed the lid on top. I did wipe off the crock to get rid of some of the condensation.

This is what they look like after coming out of the slow cooker before putting the strained liquid onto it.


This recipe is a keeper!

Notes on the red wine: I used Como Sur Cabernet Sauvignon. My sister brought it over during the holidays. This is my new favorite Cabernet now.

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Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs Slow Cooker Recipe
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Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs Recipe

Why this recipe works: Short ribs are all about the meat and the sauce, so to get a deeply flavored sauce, we first focused on the bones, which we knew were one key to flavor. Not wanting to roast the bones in the oven, we turned to the microwave, which helped in two ways: It rendered out unwanted fat (and short ribs are notoriously greasy), and it gave the bones a roasted flavor which in turn deepened the sauce during the long cooking time. One taste of these long-cooked ribs with their dark glossy sauce and you’ll be glad you put your microwave and skillet to work first.
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 9 hours

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds bone-in English-style short ribs, meat and bones separated
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 onions, chopped medium
  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped medium
  • 1 celery rib, chopped medium
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups dry red wine
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Arrange beef bones in a dish and microwave (in batches, if microwave is small) until well browned, 10 to 15 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.
  • Dry short ribs with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12‑inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of short ribs well on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and remaining short ribs; transfer to slow cooker.
  • Add onions, carrot, celery, tomato paste, and thyme to fat in skillet and cook over medium-high heat until onions are softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in wine and vinegar, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Bring to simmer and cook until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.
  • Stir broth and bay leaves into slow cooker. Cover and cook until beef is tender, 9 to 11 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.
  • Transfer short ribs to serving platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon. Strain braising liquid, discarding solids, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in parsley. Spoon 1 cup sauce over short ribs and serve with remaining sauce.
Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs Slow Cooker Recipe
Did you make my Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs Recipe?Did you take a photo of it? Did you know you can upload your photo along with your rating and comments below? I’d love for you to share with me & others because you’re awesome. And because I’d love to see how it came out for you! If you share on social, be sure to use the hashtag #thelittlekitchenrecipes and tag me @TheLittleKitchn because I don’t want to miss it! Yay!!
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Serve this over mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetable and you'll be transported to a wonderful world of flavor. Serve it with my best mashed potatoes recipe.

Verdict on the Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook? It's a keeper, even if I hadn't received it for me, I would have bought it. I can't wait to try tons more recipes in the book such as Chicken Vesuvio, Chicken Curry in a Hurry and Korean Braised Short Ribs! By the way, I'm giving away a copy of the cookbook right here on the little kitchen but hurry, it ends on March 1, 2011.

So what do you think? Are you going to try this recipe? Do you have any beef short ribs recipes you would like to share with me?

Disclosure: I received a copy of America's Test Kitchen's Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook. I was not compensated for this post. The opinions are my own and the recipe has been published here with permission. Some links may be affiliate links.

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Julie of The Little Kitchen

Hi, I'm Julie!

Welcome to The Little Kitchen! I'm Julie and I love to cook, bake, eat and share (not necessarily in that order). I share easy recipes, stories about my family (which includes my pets) and my travels. And I actually do have a little kitchen.

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    1. Nancy says

      This is a recipe I’ve used many times and it is fabulous. When you gave credit to the Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook, I realized that’s where I got it originally. I think browning the bones in the microwave is genius and really seems to make a huge difference. Thanks for posting all the wonderful pictures and this recipe!

      Reply

    3. Chelsea says

      Hoping to make this for Easter 🙂 Is it ok to keep the bone in? Would I still do microwave to skillet to slow cooker? Thanks!

      Reply

      • Julie Deily says

        Hi Chelsea, see the head note (paragraph above the ingredients) for why you want to remove the bones & microwave them, it’s really greasy if you don’t. I’m sure it would still taste good though! I haven’t done it with the ones on with this recipe so I can’t guarantee it will turn out the same.

        If you leave the bone in, you still want to do the skillet step but don’t microwave the short ribs. Hope that helps!

        Happy Easter!

        Reply

    4. Sara says

      A friend of mine recommended this recipe and oh my oh my it was delicious! My husband has always avoided short ribs because he said they’re too fatty. This recipe has changed our mind. Granted our ribs weren’t as good as yours in terms of meat to fat ratio I think, but it was so worth it to have to scrap some of the extra fat off when it was all done before pouring the sauce over top and diving in. Delicious!

      Reply

    5. Celeste c Pacifico says

      Ok, I promised that I would let you know how the family liked the recipe. They didn’t like it,they loved it. The meat was tender and spicy. Over mashed potatoe,it was the best

      Reply

    6. Celeste c Pacifico says

      The recipe was very easy but the photographs of what the recipe should look like at each stage is great. I used beef broth instead of chicken stock. The smell in the kitchen is delicious. Will let you know how well the dish is enjoyed by family

      Reply

    7. Alex Shupka says

      I added 3 bay leaf and 3 cloves of garlic cut in half to the sauce. I cooked on high for 2 hours (I forgot about it) and then on low for 6 hours. My wife who doesn’t care for short ribs because of the sweet sauces that are typical, loved these. They are awesome and I’ve already been asked for the recipe by friends from Boston who seldom cook anything.

      Reply

    8. GLE says

      Hey Julie,

      I really want to make this for a dinner party that I am hosting but I have about 8 people coming–could I double the recipe and it still cook properly in the slow cooker? Would I have to adjust the time? Just wanted to check.Thanks!

      Reply

      • Julie Deily says

        Hi GLE, if you have enough room in your slow cooker, I say go for it and the cooking time would probably stay around the same time since it’s so long anyways. 9 to 11 hours on low would be the best for it. Hope you enjoy it!

        Reply

    9. EHS says

      I have never slow-cooked before, nor have I ever made short ribs. Here is my question. After you microwave the bones, I assume a lot of the fat will be rendered out. So when you put the bones in the slow cooker, do you toss the fat? Put some of the fat in the slow cooker? If so, how much? Thanks so much for the help and the photos. I’m nervous but hopeful.

      Reply

    10. Cindy says

      This recipe is a little labour intensive but not as hard I thought it would be. Smells amazing so far. I didn’t want to make a mess in the microwave so I oven roasted the bones instead for half an hour or longer at 400. Will that make a difference?

      Reply

      • Julie Deily says

        Super labor intensive but I think worth it! How did it turn out? Sorry I’m not responding until later! I actually cover it when I microwave so it doesn’t make a mess at all.

        Reply

        • Cindy says

          Thanks for your reply Julie! They just finished cooking. My slow cooker is small so they were already tender & fall apart after 6 hours! They are ridiculously amazing. The chuck short ribs I bought had a ton of marbling and I think this is the best recipe I’ve tried yet. Thank you for your step by step photos and blog post. I’m so happy I came across your blog. It’s been bookmarked 🙂

          Reply

    11. Lisa says

      This recipe sounds amazing!! Just got a slow cooker from my kids for my birthday. Going to make these short ribs Sunday when they come over. I once made a short rib recipe on the stove, which called for broiling the ribs in the oven first to render off fat.
      I was wondering do you have to separate the meat from the bone?

      Reply

        • Lisa says

          Hi again!
          Thanks for your reply. Sorry I wasn’t clear with my question. Wanted to know do you have to separate the meat from the bone for the recipe or can you just braise in pan then continue with recipe? I have made short rib recipes on the stovetop but first time in a slow cooker. I followed the recipe and it was DELICIOUS!!! Everyone loved it!! I do have to say by taking the meat off the bone made it easier to eat, but also saw of much meat was left on bone after cooking. You are so right….takes some time to prep but soooo worth it! This one is a keeper! My next recipe to make..your Whole Chicken in a slow cooker, sounds yummy!!!!

          Reply

    12. Alison says

      Sounds fabulous and I think I’ll make it tomorrow. But it sure looks to me like the bones were microwaved with the meat attached in the photo. (?)

      Reply

    14. Paul Smith says

      Julie – I arrived at this recipe via a google search, and when I realized that it was from America’s Test Kitchen, I didn’t hesitate to give it a try. It turned out perfectly – thanks for sharing.

      Reply

    15. Adelle says

      This is the first recipe I made in my crock pot and I’ve made it 3 times in the last 2 months. Getting ready to make it again today! Great recipe! Thanks for sharing! Your site has some great ideas that I plan on using again!

      Reply

    16. EA says

      I have been eyeing this on your blog for quite some time and I must say, I made them today and they are OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!!! My family enjoyed them soooo much…it’s the only time I allowed my boys to lick thier fingers at the dinner table…that’s because my husbad and I were too !!! Your blog is fantastic and I have really enjoyed discovering all the great & easy recepies on it!!! Please add some more slow cooker recepies when you can……..Thanks for providing my family with such a great supper !

      Reply

    17. Mh says

      I made this for out super bowl dinner. It was great! Thanks so much! As always, I under-salted, but better under, than over. I served it over mashed potatoes and mashed rutabaga, a family fave.

      Reply

    22. Tosha says

      I made it and the look of it wasn’t as “deep” and “dark” and I seemed to have more liquid in the crock pot, but it tasted GREAT and my husband LOVED it!

      Reply

      • Julie Deily says

        So glad to hear he loved them! We love this dish too! I use a 7 quart oval crockpot, I wonder if you use a smaller one? I notice that the beef short ribs don’t fully submerge in the liquids as they cook and I think that accounts for the deep and dark color. Thanks for visiting my blog, Tosha, and letting me know how the recipes turned out! 🙂

        Reply

    23. Melissa says

      I tried this last night and it was fabulous. It tasted like it was from a fancy restaurant. My husband was very impressed. I love the Slow Cooker Revolution book. It does take a bit of prep but everything I’ve made from it has been fabulous.

      Reply

    26. Steven says

      This dish turned out great. The only thing I did differently was add a chopped clove of garlic to the sauteed veggies. I did reduce the sauce because I thought mine was a little thin. Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely make this again.

      Reply

    27. Steven says

      I am trying this recipe today, I will let you know my results. Do you reduce the sauce after you drain it?

      Reply

      • Julie Deily says

        Hi again, Steven.

        The recipe in the Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook does not call for reducing the sauce and I did not. It tastes great. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for visiting my blog. 🙂

        Reply

    33. Renee (Kudos Kitchen) says

      Oh my! What a great looking recipe and bunch of photos. Braised short ribs are one of my favorite things in the world and yours look spectacular!!! I’ve only done mine in the slow cooker once before. I usually do mine in the oven but you’ve inspired me to make them in the slow cooker next time. Also love that you added balsamic vinegar. I’ll try that too.

      Reply

      • Julie Deily says

        Renee,

        It’s so good! I wish I could take credit for this recipe but it came out of America’s Test Kitchen’s Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook. I’m definitely making this braised short ribs recipe again and again!

        Reply

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