Braised Beef Short Ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender and incredibly juicy, thanks to the flavorful red wine and beef stock braising liquid.

closeup of braised beef short ribs on a plate with mashed potatoes and green beans

I first made red wine braised short ribs years ago using this recipe from Elise at Simply Recipes. I instantly fell in love with the tender, juicy and deeply flavorful dish. They’re the perfect comfort food meal alongside a hearty scoop of Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes.

Now, I love to prepare braised beef short ribs for special occasions. I made it for my daughter Jenn when she came home from the hospital with her babies. This is the kind of warming meal that instantly brings comfort, even to a first-time mom!

These are the most tender, flavorful short ribs I’ve ever tasted. My husband cannot find enough ways to say how much he loves these succulent, fall-off-the-bone tender ribs.

braised beef short ribs on a plate with mashed potatoes and green beans Pinterest image

Update: My family has been raving about these short ribs for years! So I’ve updated this post with tips, tricks and new photos to help you make perfectly tender braised short ribs in the oven for your family.

The ribs are not hard to make. You can make them over one or two days (if you want to chill them and reheat them to remove most of the rendered fat.)

On day one you brown the ribs, sauté the vegetables, and braise the ribs, covered, in the oven for several hours. Then the ribs refrigerate overnight. The next day, once the fat is removed, you heat the ribs again on the stove for another hour until the sauce is reduced to a thick, delicious, flavorful glaze. Definitely time-consuming, but oh so worth it!

browning braised beef short in a roasting pan

What Are Short Ribs?

Short ribs come from the center part of beef cattle, either the brisket, chuck, plate or ribs. Each beef short rib has a short piece of bone covered in a thick piece of meat. Compared to spare ribs or baby back ribs, short ribs are thicker, meatier and, well, shorter!

Boneless short ribs are also available at grocery stores, and I’ve made this recipe with boneless short ribs using the same cook time. I prefer bone-in short ribs but either will work.

How To Cook Short Ribs

Learning how to cook beef short ribs is easier than you might think. Because these ribs come from the “working part” of the cow, the meat isn’t naturally soft and buttery. In fact, short ribs can be tough if not cooked properly. That’s why the best way to cook beef short ribs is with a long, slow cooking process.

collage of pictures browned braised beef short ribs and creating the sauce

This recipe is for braised short ribs, which means they cook in flavorful liquid for over 2 hours in the oven. You can also speed things up with Instant Pot short ribs using our recipe from Pressure Cooking Today.

Both of these recipes yield intensely flavorful, fall-off-the-bone tender beef short ribs.

removing the fat from braised beef short ribs in a roasting pan

Whether I use the Instant Pot or the oven, I like to prepare the short ribs a day ahead of time. I refrigerate them overnight and then I can easily remove excess fat from the surface the next day

How To Make Short Ribs In The Oven

The key to getting your bone-in short ribs to turn tender and buttery in the oven is to cover them with plenty of liquid. For this recipe, I use a combination of dry red wine and beef stock.

The wine makes a big difference in the robust flavor of the short ribs However, for an alcohol-free version, you can sub the wine for apple juice or additional beef broth.

braised beef short ribs in gravy in a roasting pan

Use an oven-safe braising dish with a tight-fitting lid to keep all of the moist steam inside the pot during cooking. Otherwise, your ribs may dry out rather than turn succulent and juicy.

After braising, you’ll reduce the liquid down to a concentrated, thick sauce to dress the ribs in for serving.

braised beef short ribs on a plate with mashed potatoes and green beans

What to Serve with Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

This is the kind of hands-off recipe that leaves plenty of time for delicious side dishes. Here are some of my favorite pairings for beef short ribs:

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes the pressure cooker is the best way to cook mashed potatoes!
Instant Pot Baked Potatoes from Pressure Cooking Today soak up any excess beef sauce, making the perfect side dish.
My Favorite Dinner Rolls are the perfect light and fluffy accompaniment to the deep beefy flavor of these short ribs.
Five-Ingredient Stovetop Creamed Spinach from Foodie Crush brings a pop of green freshness to the plate.

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