Go Back

Crockpot Beef Short Ribs

Crockpot beef short ribs braised low and slow until fall-off-the-bone, then finished with a cornstarch slurry for a glossy dark-red sauce. Sear the ribs first for deep browning, braise with wine and beef broth, and serve over mashed potatoes to soak up every spoonful.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and seasonings
  • 4 lb bone-in beef short ribs
  • 0.5 Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Vegetables and aromatics
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 garlic, minced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 3 celery, diced
Braising liquid and herbs
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 2 bay leaves
Thickener and serving
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 0.25 cup Mashed potatoes for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sear the short ribs
  1. Season the short ribs generously with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat olive oil in a hot skillet and sear the short ribs on all sides until deeply browned, using a visual cue of dark caramelized crust.
Crockpot braise
  1. Place the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in the crockpot, then nestle the seared ribs on top.
  2. Whisk beef broth, red wine, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce, then pour the mixture over the ribs.
  3. Add dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves, then cook on Low for 7-8 hours until the meat is falling off the bone, with a visual cue of tender shredding when nudged.
Finish the sauce and serve
  1. Remove the ribs and bay leaves, then skim fat from the braising liquid until the surface looks cleaner.
  2. Thicken the sauce by stirring cornstarch slurry in and cooking on High for 15 minutes until glossy and lightly thickened.
  3. Serve the ribs over mashed potatoes and spoon the rich braising sauce on top.

Notes

For the richest flavor, keep the ribs spaced during searing so they brown instead of steaming. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 4 days; reheat gently until hot. Freezing is yes: freeze ribs and sauce (without mashed potatoes) up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, use reduced-sodium beef broth and choose a lower-sugar red wine to reduce overall salt and sugars.