Posts may contain affiliate links that help enable me to continue to provide you with free recipes. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my Privacy Policy for further details.
Truly the best way to make boneless, fork-tender, fall-apart beef short ribs. These Slow Baked Boneless Beef Short Ribs will melt in your mouth with a luscious gravy that just begs for creamy mashed potatoes!
Sundays are meant to be lazy I think however sadly I rarely get a “do-nothing” Sunday or day for that matter. Working two full-time jobs (my day job and TKW) leaves very little downtime.
Most of you know I’m a girl on the go-go-go who pretty much never sits still let alone takes time for herself. Maybe I’m afraid I’m going to miss out on something awesome life has to offer or perhaps I’m just so used to it that it’s just become part of my ‘norm’.
If I had a dollar for how many times I heard “How do you do it? Just listening to what you do makes me tired! Where do you get the energy??? Can I have some???”
We’re all so busy these days
Ever since I made a life choice years ago to live a healthier lifestyle that incorporated a better eating plan, exercise (trust me at one point in my life exercise was a 4-lettered word and punishment), and a more positive outlook that seemed to kick things off. Now I’ve always worked insane hours.
Again this stems from growing up as poor as we did. Truth be told, is that poor sucks, no one should go without even the little things in life but I’m not one to depend on others to help make my life better.
If I want my life better then *I* have to make the change and *I* have to make it happen. My parents always told me “Anything worth doing is worth doing the very best you can” and I have made that my mantra in life.
Ingredients needed to make the BEST Boneless Beef Short Ribs
Friday after work is when I hit up Costco I found the most gorgeous boneless beef short ribs. Honestly, they are the only place that has them, not even my local butcher does.
Now I’ve made this with bone-in and while bone-in has a deeper flavor I find them a pain in the butt as I want all meat, not just bone. Plus they are the same price (which I still don’t quite understand).
5 pounds of boneless beef short ribs don’t equal the same amount of meat in 5 pounds of bone-in beef short ribs. I actually debated this with a butcher once and we left it as I said he was wrong and he disagreed. Am I wrong on this?
- Boneless Beef Short Ribs – if you only have bone-in, you can use those but they have to be the English cut *see below for differences
- BBQ Sauce – I used my bacon bbq sauce but any tangy bbq sauce would work.
- Liquid smoke – I use this to give it a smoky taste. You can omit if you want.
- Seasonings
- Ketchup
Difference between Flanken and English Short Rib Cuts
I use boneless English Short Ribs in this recipe as they are meatier and fatter
English Short Ribs
The English style cut is where the short rib is cut between the ribs leaving a thick piece of meat sitting on top of one piece of the rib bone. So in the images below, my ribs are English-style cut where the piece of meat is cut off of the bone.
Flanken Short Ribs
The Flanken cut is the thin cut of a short rib that is cut across the bones at about a 1/2″ thickness. In this piece of meat, you’ll see meat, bone, meat, bone, meat, and so forth. This is a very popular cut in Korean bbq. I, personally, am not a fan of these as when I make short ribs, I want more meat than bone.
Making these Slow Baked Boneless Beef Short Ribs
These ribs I make in the oven but if you look at my site, you’ll see that I have several recipes where you can make short ribs in the Instant Pot. While I love the IP, there’s just something about a slow bake and this recipe.
- Mix together the ketchup, liquid smoke, brown sugar, minced onion, garlic powder, and bacon bbq sauce and cook until thick and bubbly.
- Season the ribs and place them into a large baking dish.
- Add some of the sauce, cover, and roast for 2 1/2 hours.
- Remove the foil, flip, add more sauce, and cook uncovered for another 30 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.
When I make these all I literally do is put them in a pan, cover them with some bbq sauce, cover with foil, and slow bake. This is one of those dishes I’ll throw in the oven and take a nap.
The first time I made these, that’s exactly what I did. Into the oven, they went and off to bed I went to nap. Guys, I had the most amazing dreams too and it’s funny as all I kept dreaming about was bbq and food.
However, I think those dreams were influenced by the fact that I had the most amazing beef and bbq sauce scents wafting throughout my house. Now I did have my alarm set however the smells from the oven woke up me. I knew dinner was close to being done as I could smell the ‘doneness’.
The most amazing BBQ Beef Short Rib Smell
The smells from this – if I could bottle it, it would be a huge hit! As I approached the kitchen the smells were just intoxicating! I removed the foil and let them bake another 30 minutes to get that deeply caramelized char on top.
Once they were done I pulled them out of the oven and plated them. Dear GOD, they were GORGEOUS! I brushed them with some of the reserved bbq sauce and then with what was in the pan, I actually poured it into a fat-separating container and let it sit for a bit.
Once it did, I poured out the good stuff into a pan and left the fat stuff stay behind. I brought that pan to a boil and thickened it up with some more bbq sauce and some cornstarch. No way was I letting those flavors go to waste! By the time Mr. Fantabulous got home, I had made a pot of perfect mashed potatoes to go with these, some rolls, and a nice Caesar salad.
As he walked in with his gear you could see him immediately perk up and start sniffing the air like a dog.
Cutest thing ever when he does that! Immediately came his smile and I swear he ran to bring in the rest of his gear! Dinner was awesome and I was rested. That truly was a fantastic Sunday and one that I think I need more of!
Crock Pot Instructions
Many of you asked if you can make this in the Crock Pot. Yes, you can! It’s pretty straight forward.
- Make the sauce as-is.
- For the beef short ribs, let them come to room temperature then season with salt and pepper. Put them in a heated skillet to pan-sear on all sides (about 2-4 minutes per side).
- Place in the crock pot, pour the sauce over top, and then cook on low for 7-8 hours or until the meat is fork-tender.
- To thicken up the sauce, remove the meat (carefully) and then strain following steps 14-16.
Slow Baked Boneless Beef Short Ribs
- Prep Time: 3
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Slow Baked
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: Beef
Truly the best way to make boneless, fork-tender, fall-apart beef short ribs. These will melt in your mouth with a luscious gravy that just begs for creamy mashed potatoes!
Ingredients
- 4 pounds of boneless beef short ribs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups ketchup
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
- 1/2–2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup onion, minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 cup Bacon BBQ Sauce or any BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300F with a rack in the middle. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add the ketchup, liquid smoke, brown sugar, minced onion, garlic powder, bacon bbq sauce and mix until combined. Cook until thick and bubbly; stirring occasionally. ~10 minutes.
- Season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper. Place in a 13×9″ glass baking dish. This will be a tight squeeze. Pour about 1/2 cup over the short ribs.
- Using tongs, flip the ribs over and spoon another 1/2 cup of the sauce over top. Reserve the remaining BBQ sauce to spoon over the cooked ribs. Cover the pan with foil and roast for 2 1/2 hours.
- Remove the foil and gently flip the short ribs. Spoon more of the sauce over top. Cook for 30 minutes more (uncovered), until the meat is tender and browned. Check the ribs every 10-15 minutes to ensure that they are coated with sauce and that the pan did not go dry. Transfer the short ribs to a serving platter. Baste the short ribs with some of the reserved BBQ sauce.
- At this point you can discard the cooking liquid or you can pour it into a fat strainer to allow it to separate. (This is what I did). Pour the juices into a medium saucepan leaving the fat greasy part behind. Add in about 1/4 cup bbq sauce and bring to a boil. Make a slurry of the cornstarch and water and whisk into the liquid to thicken. Use this to thicken the sauce as a dipping sauce/gravy.
Notes
See the post for Crock Pot instructions.
Terri says
I want to make this for my husband, however, he does not like bbq sauces. By removing the 3/4 cup of bacon bbq sauce, would I need to change the other measurements?
TKWAdmin says
Hi Terri,
The sauce itself is more bbq based since it has 2 cups of ketchup. If he hates bbq sauce you should go with more of a brown type gravy versus a tomato one. I would remove the brown sugar, liquid smoke, bbq sauce, and ketchup completely and go with 3 cups of beef stock, 1 whole onion, minced, 2 bay leaves and 2 tsp Worcestershire and the rest of the ingredients. You can also add 2 cups chopped mushrooms as well. When the beef is done, remove it and place the juices in a pot to make a gravy. Taste for salt/pepper.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Jenn Holmes says
Super easy and super delicious. I didn’t make my own sauce from scratch, but did Dr up some store bought sauce 🙂
TKWAdmin says
Thank you so much Jenn! Hey there is nothing wrong with doctoring up pre-made!
If you haven’t done so already, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter that way you’ll never miss out on a single recipe, kitchen tip, bonus recipes and other TKW exclusives!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Lori says
If I cut this recipe in half, does that affect the cooking time? Can’t wait to try these!
TKWAdmin says
It may cut the time by a little bit. I will say cut the time down by 30 minutes, test for doneness and then adjust accordingly. Normally when I halve a recipe I don’t reduce the cooking time that much, if at all.
If you haven’t already done so, make sure to Subscribe to my newsletter that way you can receive more delicious recipes and tips!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
William says
Absolutely the best, And the most tender Just cook on 325’0. And watch about 2 hours in. And uncover to bake the BBQ sauce in. Also after cooking add more sauce when eating
TKWAdmin says
Thank you so very much William!! I really appreciate that!
If you haven’t already done so, make sure to Subscribe to my newsletter that way you can receive more delicious recipes and tips!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
William says
Hello. Can you remove my full name. And just leave William. Thanks
TKWAdmin says
Absolutely 🙂 All done 🙂
If you haven’t done so already, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter that way you’ll never miss out on a single recipe, kitchen tip, bonus recipes and other TKW exclusives!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Sarah says
I don’t eat beef or pork, but my boyfriend is a big meat eater. This is the one thing I can make for him and have no problems at all! I don’t have to worry if it isn’t cooked enough (my main issue with cooking meat for him) or if it tastes good (I can’t try it beforehand) because he will honestly eat the whole 2lbs I cook for him! haha I’ve even made it for my family when they’ve been in town to visit and they ate it all. Thanks for the great recipe that I will continue to use over and over.
Amy says
Could you do this in a pressure cooker?!
TKWAdmin says
Hi Amy!
I have 2 Pressure Cooker short rib recipes posted (https://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2019/01/17/instant-pot-korean-gochujang-sticky-boneless-beef-short-ribs/ and https://www.thekitchenwhisperer.net/2016/04/07/pressure-cooker-beef-short-ribs-with-potatoes-and-carrots/). You just have to make sure you cook it. 3 pounds of boneless short ribs take about 35 minutes. You just need to make sure you have about a cup-1 1/2 cups of liquid in the pot and then allow for a natural release. With regards to the liquid in this recipe I would add beef stock and make the cooking liquid a bit thinner as ketchup/tomato products can trigger the ‘burn’ code on a pressure cooker. I would do this – mix up the sauce ingredients but also add beef stock to it (about a 1/2-3/4 cup). Then in the pressure cooker add the meat and 1-1/2 cups of the liquid mixture. When the PC is done, do a natural release, remove the meat, strain the fat from it and then add the remaining liquid to the PC on saute to thicken. Then when the sauce is thick, slather some on the ribs, pop under the broiler for a few and enjoy!
When I get back from my conference I’ll write up an official version of this recipe for the PC but it’ll be a couple of weeks.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Perla says
Shoe leather! Waste of time and money! Cooking for additional 30 minutes. Hopefully it’ll soften up. Completely inedible! Was planning to serve it for the Holiday. Ugh!
TKWAdmin says
I’m sorry this didn’t turn out for you but meat will only turn shoe leather for one of 3 reasons (and I’m not going into the cut):
1. It dried out – this recipe for a 9×13” pan that must be covered with foil. I see you asked 4 hours before you posted this if you could more than double and use aluminum pans (disposable). Per my response, it is not recommended.
2. Cooked too high of heat – the meat seized. Oven thermostats can fail and it may say your cooking it at 300F but it really could be 325 or higher. This has happened to me.
3. If you doubled the recipe the you it didn’t cook long enough and you didn’t use the right pan.
Make sure you have the recommended pan, there is enough liquid and it sealed tightly. Plus ensure that your oven temp is accurate.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Perla says
Can I make these in disposable aluminum pans? Making 2 pans about 9 lbs of ribs.
TKWAdmin says
No I would. It as they are too thin of a cooking vessel. This recipe is for a 9×13” pan. You can use a larger roasting pan provided you make sure you seal it with foil tightly.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Sheryl says
Hi,
If you used 8 lbs, split between to baking dishes….would the cook time be the same?
Thank you,
TKWAdmin says
Yes.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
JR says
I hate to be one of those “so I didn’t follow the recipe at all” people but I did a variation I though you might want to know about:
Instead of making the sauce from scratch I used half a jar of Korean kalbi marinade. Otherwise I followed the recipe, including defatting the braising liquid, reducing it by half, and thickening it with cornstarch. It was amazing, I served it over rice with a veggie stir fry on the side and honestly I can’t believe I made something that tasty. I will definitely be trying the original recipe!
TKWAdmin says
Haha! It’s all good JR! In fact I love it when people expand upon the original recipe. My biggest goal in all of this is to get people into the kitchen and just create delicious memories! I actually have a spin on this recipe posted as well – Mexican Short ribs!
But yes, definitely give the original recipe a try as it’s pretty tasty!
Best Kitchen Wishes!