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Crockpot Beef Short Ribs

Crockpot beef short ribs braised low-and-slow in a red wine broth, with browned, fall-off-the-bone beef and a glossy gravy. Sear first for deep flavor, then thicken the braising liquid into a rich sauce.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

bone-in beef short ribs
  • 4 lb bone-in beef short ribs
onion
  • 1 onion diced
garlic
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
carrots
  • 2 carrots diced
celery
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
beef broth
  • 2 cup beef broth
red wine
  • 1 cup red wine
tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
bay leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch for slurry
salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste
mashed potatoes
  • 1 mashed potatoes for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Sear the ribs
  1. Season the short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a hot cast iron skillet until shimmering and sear the ribs until deeply browned on all sides, about 4 to 6 minutes per side.
Slow cook with wine broth
  1. Place the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery into the slow cooker, then nestle the seared ribs on top. Whisk the beef broth, red wine, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce together, then pour over the ribs.
  2. Add the dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves. Cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours until the meat is falling off the bone.
Skim and thicken the sauce
  1. Remove the ribs and bay leaves from the slow cooker, then skim the fat from the braising liquid. Stir until the surface fat looks reduced and the broth appears clearer.
  2. Thicken the braising liquid by stirring in a cornstarch slurry and cooking on High for 15 minutes. Look for the sauce to turn glossy and visibly thicker.
Serve
  1. Serve the ribs over mashed potatoes with the thickened braising sauce. Spoon extra sauce over the top so the potatoes soak up the flavor.

Notes

For the richest sauce, skim the fat after removing the ribs and bay leaves, then whisk the cornstarch slurry in slowly so no lumps form. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days in a covered container; reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave until hot. Freezing is yes—freeze portions of ribs with sauce up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Dietary swap: use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce if needed.