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For me, slow-cooked red wine braised beef short ribs are the ultimate comfort dish. With their deep, comforting flavor and tender, fall-apart beef cooked in a rich wine sauce, they are one of the ultimate make-ahead dinners, perfect for a family meal as well as a dinner party.
Table of Contents
This post walks you through everything: the best cut of ribs, wine choices, cooking methods, troubleshooting, side dishes, and even how to reinvent leftovers. If you want more depth, don’t miss my complete guide to cooking beef short ribs.
Why you will love this recipe
- The meat melts into the sauce for the most silky, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- Using bone-in short ribs gives extra flavor, but the slow cook means the bones pull easily out after.
- It keeps well if you want to prep ahead and store in the freezer or get ahead of hosting by prepping the day before.
- It can be used in different dishes, but it’s also a delicious meal in its own right.
Ingredients
- Bone-in beef short ribs – You want about 3 1/3 lb (1.5 kg) for this. I use bone-in for maximum flavor and for ease, as that’s what I often find at the butchers.
- Beef stock – This can either be made with a stock pot, a stock cube, or store-bought stock. Homemade also works, but I know that is an absolute rarity to have!
- Red wine – I always say use something you’d be happy to drink, but it doesn’t have to be expensive either. Something like a Cabernet or Chianti, but anything works.
Substitutions and variations
Serving suggestions – I’ve served this with creamy make-ahead mash, but you could do gnocchi, creamy polenta, or pasta too. It’s also delicious (bear with me) on toast (something like a baguette or ciabatta) with some more Parmesan on top.
Asian-inspired – Add soy sauce, star anise and ginger; swap the wine for Shaoxing rice wine for an Asian twist.
How to make red wine braised beef short ribs
Here’s a quick visual guide — the full recipe with exact measurements is below.
ONE: Pat the short ribs dry to help them brown nicely. Season generously with salt. Heat a large Dutch oven pot (you want an ovenproof dish with a lid and heavy bottom) over high heat. Add a drizzle of oil, then sear the ribs until they’re well browned but definitely not cooked, then set aside.
TWO: Add carrots, celery, and onions to the same pan with a little salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and the red wine. Let it cook for a couple of minutes. Heat the oven to 355°F (180°C/160°C fan).
THREE: Add the bay leaves, thyme, garlic, and stock. You want enough stock to almost cover the ribs – around 1 1/4 cups (10 fl oz/300 ml), but could be as much as 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml), depending on your pan.
FOUR: Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then nestle the ribs back into the sauce. Cover with a lid.
FIVE: Cook low and slow for about 3 1/2 hours in the oven. If you’d rather, you can do it on the stove on a really low simmer for 3 hours, until the meat is falling-apart tender.
SIX: Take out the ribs, then strain the sauce over a bowl to remove the vegetables and herbs. Then return the sauce to the same pan and bring to a gentle simmer on medium-high heat. Reduce the sauce until thickened.
SEVEN: Pull the bones out of the short ribs and then return the meat to the sauce (or leave bone-in if you prefer).
EIGHT: Serve straight away with creamy mashed potatoes and a scattering of fresh chives.
Tips from Margie’s kitchen
- Sauce too thin? Simmer uncovered 15-20 minutes to thicken. A teaspoon of cornflour slurry can help thicken.
- The meat isn’t shredding easily. It may just need longer. All short ribs are different, so if it doesn’t shred easily, place back in the sauce and put back in the oven for 30 mins.
Choose your cooking method
| Method | Temperature | Timings | Notes |
| Oven | 355°F (180°C/160°C fan) | 3 1/2 hours | Lid on! |
| Stove top | Low | 3 hours | You want it at the gentlest simmer – barely a bubble. |
| Slow cooker | Either low or high | Low – 6-8 hours High – 3-4 hours | You’ll need to bring it together in a pan separate to the slow cooker, then after step 4, transfer to the slow cooker. |
| Pressure cooker | High pressure | 45-60 mins | Be very careful when depressurizing the cooker so it doesn’t splatter. |
Frequently asked questions
You can make this dish with either English-cut or flanken-cut short ribs. English-cut ribs feature a single bone running the length of each piece, while flanken-cut ribs are sliced across the bones, leaving each portion with several small cross-sections of bone. I prefer English-cut.
If choosing English cut, aim for pieces about 4 inches (10 cm) long. For flanken cut, look for ribs around 2 inches (5 cm) thick.
Use a drinkable dry red – a mid-priced bottle gives better flavor because wine is a key ingredient here, and the flavors intensify as it reduces. Something like a Cabernet, Chianti, Barolo, or a Pinot Noir works.
If avoiding alcohol, substitute for 2 3/4 fl oz (80 ml) extra beef stock plus 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp soy sauce for depth.
Short ribs are fatty cuts, so you will likely always have some fat on top. Remember, fat is flavor.
I just use a wide, flat spoon to skim off excess fat once it’s out of the oven. If you keep the spoon flat and press it gently into the sauce, the top layer will run into the spoon, which tends to be the fat. Add the skimmed fat to a bowl, let it solidify, then dispose of it.
If you are prepping ahead, you can let the short ribs cool in the pot, which will then solidify the fat so you can spoon it off that way.
Leftover ideas to use up red wine braised beef ribs include:
– Shred into a ragu for pasta
– Fill tacos or bao buns
– Layer into shepherd’s pie
– Toss with gnocchi and Parmesan
Other recipes you might enjoy
You will love my short rib beef ragu with pappardelle, but also for weeknights, try my bolognese pasta bake or garlic butter steak bites. You will also love my guide on how to cook the perfect rump steak.
Easy Pasta Recipes
Spicy Nduja Pasta
Easy Dinner Recipes
Asparagus Risotto (Risotto Agli Asparagi)
Easy Pasta Recipes
Creamy Sausage Pasta (Pasta alla Norcina)
Weeknight Supper
Creamy Lentil Ragu
If you tried this Red Wine Braised Short Ribs recipe or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 6 bone-in short ribs, usually about 3.3 lb (1.5 kg)
- 2 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 red onion, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 3.5 fl oz red wine
- 1 whole head of garlic, halved through the middle (skins on is fine)
- 1 small bunch of fresh thyme
- 4 bay leaves
- 10 fl oz beef stock, 1 1/4 cups or enough to cover the ribs (top up with water, stock, or wine for this)
To serve:
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- Chives
Instructions
- Pat the short ribs dry to help them brown nicely. Season generously with salt and, if possible, leave them uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry brine. If you don’t have time, just move on to searing.
- Heat a large Dutch oven pot (you want an ovenproof dish with a lid and heavy bottom) over high heat. Add a drizzle of oil, then sear the ribs until they’re well browned but definitely not cooked, then set aside. You just want some color. Add carrots, celery, and onions to the same pan with a little salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and the red wine. Let it cook for a couple of minutes. Heat the oven to 355°F (180°C/160°C fan).
- Add the bay leaves, thyme, garlic, and stock. You want enough stock to almost cover the ribs – around 1 1/4 cups (10 fl oz/300 ml), but it could be as much as 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml), depending on your pan. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then nestle the ribs back into the sauce. Cover with a lid.
- Cook low and slow for about 3 1/2 hours in the oven. If you’d prefer, you can do it on the stove on a really low simmer for 3 hours, until the meat is falling-apart tender.
- Once out of the oven, there will likely be a nice layer of fat in the pot. I like to remove some of it (keep some as fat is flavor), but if there is a lot, you don’t want it to feel too greasy. I use a large spoon to skim the fat off the surface and discard it.
- Remove the ribs from the oven, then strain the sauce into a bowl to remove the vegetables and herbs.
- Then return the sauce to the same pan and bring to a gentle simmer on medium-high heat. Reduce the sauce until thickened; it will depend on how much sauce is leftover after you’ve cooked the meat, so this could take a range of time. Look for visual cues to see how thick it is; it should nicely coat the back of a spoon once reduced. Return the ribs to the sauce.
- Pull the bones out of the short ribs and then return the meat to the sauce (or leave bone-in if you prefer). If there is some jellified fat on the short ribs, you can trim this off before serving, as it’s not always a nice texture to eat.
- At this stage, you can refrigerate them for 1–3 days and reheat when needed. Otherwise, serve straight away with creamy mashed potatoes and a scattering of fresh chives.
Video
Notes
Make-ahead and storage
Keep leftover short ribs in their sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Storing them in the cooking liquid keeps the meat tender and stops it drying out. To Reheat: Gently reheat the ribs in their sauce either on the stove over low heat (covered) until warmed through. Add a splash of stock or water if the sauce has thickened too much. To Freeze: Once cooled completely, portion into airtight containers with some of the sauce. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating gently. Make Ahead: I find the flavor often improves after a night or two in the fridge. Cook the short ribs fully, let them cool, then refrigerate in their sauce. Skim any solidified fat from the surface before reheating. Leftover Sauce: If you have extra sauce, don’t throw it away – it’s packed with flavor. Stir it into soups, use as a base for a stew, or even toss with pasta for a rich ragù-style dish.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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It’s the second time I’ve made this recipe in 2 weeks. When I first made it, my children said it’s the best meal I’ve made in a long time! The recipe is easy to make, easy to remember, with simple, staple Ingredients you may already have in your fridge / cupboard – just add the meat. The recipe can also make enough to last a couple of days, depending on how satiable your tribe is. It’s delicious!
I love this recipe for red wine braised beef short ribs, it’s easy to assemble and just cooks gently for a few hours. You won’t be disappointed, it is so delicious.