I love this time of year but honey I am busy, okay?!
I wanted to bring y'all a holiday-ready main dish that required only a little patience and minimal prep, and could be cooking away without taking up the stove or oven (where everything else already is taking up all the space).
So meet my molasses and red wine slow cooker short ribs. Sear, saute, throw in the slow cooker. When it's done you can either keep the jus as is or turn it into the most luscious red wine beurre rouge sauce situation to pour over everything (and all you need is to simmer + add butter!)
Save this for Christmas dinner and thank me later!
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Crockpot Braised Short Ribs with a Savory Red Wine Sauce
This is restaurant quality work without the restaurant quantity work, honey. These short ribs are the epitome of cozy, hearty comfort food that is made for holidays and special occasions, but made in the slow cooker.
Sear the short ribs in a pan to golden brown, then saute the aromatics in the leftover beef fat (y'all know I am all about layers of flavor and I'm never gonna waste).
Cook 'em low and slow until they're just about fall off the bone tender, then take the braising jus and reduce it down with more wine on the stove...and whisk in plenty of that good buttah for that restaurant-worthy red wine sauce that we're pouring over the short ribs and everything else on the plate.
It's really that easy!
Ingredients Needed
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Bone-In Beef Short Ribs, English-Cut - buy ones that are have at least an inch of meat on them because nothing is sadder than being served all bone and no meat. Those bones' collagen will give us the gelatin that makes for an amazing sauce.
- Tomato Paste - Just a touch for umami.
- Carrots, Celery, Onion - our classic French mirepoix that'll be the base of flavoring the sauce.
- Garlic, Rosemary + Thyme - finely mince all of these, we don't want to eat big chunks of garlic or woody sticks.
- Molasses - this gives a earthy, deep, slightly bittersweet flavor.
- Beef Broth.
- Red Wine - I used a lovely cabernet sauvignon. Always use a wine you'll drink!
- Balsamic Vinegar + Butter - just a touch of balsamic vinegar in the sauce rounds it out, and the butter is what takes it to a restaurant quality dish.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
Ingredient Swaps
- No molasses? Puree dates for that hit of earthy sweetness that'll melt into the braising liquid.
- No red wine? Swap for more beef broth.
How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs
Step 1
Sear the meat for flavor.
Brown the short ribs in a hot skillet on medium high heat until deeply seared on all sides. Transfer them to the slow cooker.
Step 2
Sauté the veggies and herbs.
In the same pan, cook the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic until softened and golden. Stir in the chopped rosemary and thyme to release their aroma.
Step 3
Deglaze with red wine.
Pour in a splash of wine, scraping up the browned bits. Let it bubble for a minute, then pour everything into the slow cooker with the ribs.
Step 4
Add the braising liquid and cook.
Whisk together the remaining red wine, beef stock, and molasses. Pour over the ribs and vegetables, then cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low until fall-apart tender.
Step 5
Reduce the jus into a sauce.
Strain the ribs and vegetables out of the jus onto a platter and keep warm. Pour the braising liquid into a saucepan. Add red wine and simmer until reduced by half. Whisk in cold butter, a cube at a time. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Step 6
Serve!
Spoon the glossy sauce over the short ribs and vegetables. Serve with mashed potatoes, creamy grits, or buttered noodles.
Equipment I Used
Chef's Tips
- Don’t overcrowd the pan when searing. Work in batches so every rib gets a dark crust. Crowding the pan steams the meat instead of browning it.
- Chill for easy fat removal. If you’re making these ahead, refrigerate the braising liquid. The fat will solidify on top so you can lift it off cleanly before making the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
They’re short ribs that are cut parallel to the bone, leaving one long bone with a thick slab of meat attached.
They need more time. Keep cooking on LOW until the meat easily pulls away from the bone, the total time is usually 6-8 hours.
Yes! Boneless cook a little faster, so start checking tenderness around 5-6 hours.
Whisk up a cornstarch slurry in a small bowl using about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to water and stir it into the slow cooker around the end of cooking for a thickened gravy.
Storage + Reheating Leftovers
- Fridge: Up to 4 days in an airtight container with sauce.
- Freezer: Up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat on stovetop/oven: Over low heat with a splash of broth or sauce to keep moist. Don't heat it up in the microwave, it'll dry out.
Holiday Worthy Sides to Serve with Short Ribs
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Slow Cooker Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 5 pounds beef short ribs, bone-in, English-cut
- olive oil, for searing
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, removed from stem and chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme, removed from stem and chopped
- 2 cups dry red wine, divided (save ¼ cup for the sauce)
- 2 tablespoons molasses, not blackstrap, it's too bitter
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels, then season all sides generously with kosher salt and pepper.5 pounds beef short ribs
- Heat about 2 tablespoon of oil in a heavy bottom skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the seasoned ribs on each side until golden brown, around 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the ribs carefully to the slow cooker using tongs.olive oil
- In that same skillet, add the carrots, celery and onion. Sauté until they are softened and turning golden brown for 3-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and herbs. Let it cook for another 2 minutes.2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 large onion, 5 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- Pour ½ cup of the red wine into the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let reduce for another minute or two, then carefully pour everything into the slow cooker.2 cups dry red wine
- Whisk together the remaining red wine (except for the ¼ cup reserved for the sauce), beef stock, and molasses and pour the mixture over the ribs and vegetables in the slow cooker.2 tablespoons molasses, 2 cups beef stock
- Cover the slow cooker with its lid and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 4-6 hours until the meat is shreddable and fork tender.
Make the Beurre Rouge Sauce
- Strain the ribs and vegetables from the braising liquid (keep the ribs and veg on a platter) with a sieve and pour the liquid into a saucepan. Add the reserved ¼ cup of red wine and simmer over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by half.
- Once reduced, turn off the heat. Whisk in the butter, one cube at a time, until the sauce is glossy. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, if using. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Pour sauce into a serving container and serve the short ribs, vegetables, and sauce with mashed potatoes, creamy polenta or grits, or buttered noodled. And, of course, some good bread.
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