Crockpot Beef Short Ribs

The short ribs start out with a quick sear in a skillet, but the payoff comes hours later: tender meat that pulls easily from the bones and a savory sauce full of softened onion, carrots, and celery. I like this Crockpot Beef Short Ribs recipe when I want a deeply comforting dinner without needing to tend a pot all afternoon.

Bone-in English-cut ribs have enough time in the slow cooker to turn fork-tender, while a little work in the skillet builds flavor before everything goes into the crock. The vegetables cook in the same pan as the ribs, and the wine loosens the browned bits before they join the broth and herbs. What comes to the table is rich and savory, with the vegetables and sauce ready to serve alongside the ribs.

Why the Wine Goes Into the Skillet Before the Slow Cooker

A slow cooker gives the ribs time to become tender, but it doesn’t brown them. That browned surface—and the bits left behind in the skillet—brings a deeper, more rounded beef flavor to the finished sauce. Starting the vegetables in that same pan lets them pick up some of those savory browned bits, too.

Then the dry red wine has a specific job: it loosens what’s stuck to the skillet so those concentrated bits don’t stay behind when the pan gets washed. Scrape the bottom as the wine simmers, and pour the whole mixture over the ribs. The result is more layered than adding the wine and vegetables straight to the slow cooker, where the browned flavor from the skillet would be missing.

This isn’t about making a thick gravy. The broth, wine, vegetables, and meat create a savory cooking liquid that’s served with the ribs. Taking the extra few minutes at the stove gives that liquid a fuller base without adding another pot or a separate sauce.

What Builds the Sauce Before the Ribs Reach the Cooker

• Bone-in English-cut short ribs — The thick, bone-in pieces are the cut this cooking time is built around. Buy them thawed, as they’re easier to pat dry and brown evenly than wet ribs straight from a package.
• Dry red wine — It adds acidity and a robust base to the cooking liquid. An everyday dry red is all you need; a sweet wine would make the sauce taste different. For a wine-free version, use the broth swap in the variations below.
• Tomato paste — A little paste gives the skillet mixture a concentrated, savory backbone. Regular grocery-store tomato paste works well; stir it into the vegetables so it cooks briefly before the wine goes in.
• Onion, carrots, and celery — Together they make the sauce taste rounded rather than one-note. Fresh, firm vegetables hold their shape better through the long cook; chop them into similar-sized pieces so they soften at about the same pace.
• Beef broth and Worcestershire sauce — The broth carries the beefy flavor through the sauce, while Worcestershire adds a tangy, savory edge. If you’re out of broth, water can replace it measure for measure, though the sauce will taste less beefy.
• Dried thyme and rosemary — Dried herbs stand up well to a long slow cook. Keep the bay leaves whole so they’re easy to find and discard before serving.

The Skillet-to-Slow-Cooker Sequence That Builds the Braise

Brown the ribs in uncrowded batches

Heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat while you pat the thawed ribs dry and season them all over with kosher salt and black pepper. Brown the ribs for 2 to 3 minutes per side, working in batches rather than packing the skillet. Give each piece room to make contact with the pan; a crowded skillet won’t brown as evenly. Transfer each browned batch to the 6-quart slow cooker.

Soften the vegetables and cook the tomato paste

Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the skillet, then cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. They should start to soften, but they don’t need to turn mushy in the pan. Stir in the minced garlic for 30 seconds, then mix in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Keep stirring so the paste doesn’t catch on the skillet.

Loosen the skillet with red wine

Pour in the dry red wine and scrape across the bottom of the pan to lift the browned bits into the liquid. Simmer for 2 minutes, scraping as needed so those flavorful bits are incorporated rather than left stuck to the skillet. The vegetables and wine mixture should look glossy and smell savory. Pour it over the ribs in the slow cooker.

Let the ribs cook until tender

Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. The ribs are ready when they’re fork-tender and the meat pulls easily from the bones. Discard the bay leaves, skim the excess fat from the cooking liquid, and serve the ribs with the vegetables and sauce.

Three Ways to Adapt These Slow-Cooked Short Ribs

Questions That Come Up With Crockpot Beef Short Ribs

Crockpot Beef Short Ribs

Crockpot beef short ribs are browned in a skillet, then slow-cooked with red wine, vegetables, and herbs until fork-tender. The meat pulls easily from the bones, and the rich cooking liquid becomes a savory sauce.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 9 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Total Time 9 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 850

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 lb beef short ribs bone-in English-cut, thawed
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 1 yellow onion medium, chopped
• 2 carrots medium, chopped
• 2 celery ribs chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 0.5 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 bay leaves

Equipment

• 1 12-inch skillet
• 1 6-quart slow cooker

Method

 

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels.
3. Season the short ribs all over with the kosher salt and black pepper.
4. Brown the short ribs in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side, without crowding the skillet.
5. Transfer the browned short ribs to a 6-quart slow cooker.
6. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the skillet and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
8. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
9. Pour in the red wine and scrape up the browned bits.
10. Simmer for 2 minutes, then pour the mixture over the short ribs.
11. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves to the slow cooker.
12. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the ribs are fork-tender and the meat pulls easily from the bones.
13. Discard the bay leaves and skim excess fat from the cooking liquid.
14. Serve the ribs with the vegetables and sauce.

Notes

For the deepest flavor, brown the ribs in batches without crowding the skillet. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days or freeze them; use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce if needed for a gluten-free version.