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For a hearty and comforting meal, make my braised boneless beef short ribs recipe. The mouthwatering shredded beef is smothered in the best beef gravy ever!
Love cozy beef recipes? Try my round steak, beef chuck short ribs, meatballs and gravy, or beef tips and gravy next.
All too often, I find myself craving a restaurant-quality dinner, but let’s be honest – that’s unreasonable both for my wallet and my waistline. Instead of giving in to the temptation, I’ll make a restaurant-worthy meal at home, like these boneless beef short ribs.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Easy to prepare! A high-quality beef dinner doesn’t have to be difficult to be delicious. You only need a few ingredients and simple cooking techniques to put this impressive, mouthwatering dinner together.
- Almost no babysitting. I’ll turn to this recipe when I have some time to kill. Once the ribs are in the oven, I get 2 hours to prepare the rest of the meal or run some errands!
- Less mess! This refined meal doesn’t call for a ton of napkins, unlike a traditional rack of bone-in beef or pork ribs (but hey, they are delicious!).
- Versatile. I prefer my stovetop method for cooking the ribs, but I know you like options, so I’ve included a slow cooker, Instant Pot, and grill method.
Ingredients needed
- Beef short ribs. You can use either bone-in or boneless short ribs for this recipe. Bone-in short ribs typically cook slower than boneless but yield juicier and more tender results.
- Seasonings. I like to season the ribs with a combination of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Flour. Nothing fancy! All-purpose flour is a great choice to dredge the meat and help it take on a nice brown crust.
- Oil. Any cooking oil with a high smoke point works, like vegetable oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil. I typically use olive oil.
- Vegetables. Cook your beef boneless ribs with a mixture of onions, tomatoes, carrots, and celery for some added nutrition and heartiness.
- Beef stock. This keeps the short ribs nice and juicy in the oven.
- BBQ sauce. Use your favorite store-bought brand or make the BBQ sauce from scratch. If you choose the former, please choose a good quality brand with minimal ingredients. I like Stubb’s BBQ sauce or the generic Whole Foods brand.
- Brown sugar. You need some sweetness to balance out the rich flavors.
How to cook boneless beef ribs
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 – Season the beef. Cover all sides of the short ribs with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then dredge them in flour.
Step 2 – Cook the beef and veggies. Heat the oil in a medium pot and sear the ribs until they’re golden brown on all sides. Set the beef aside, then cook the vegetables in the same pot until they’re fork tender.
Step 3 – Simmer. Pour in the tomatoes, beef stock, BBQ sauce, and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then add the ribs back into the pot.
Step 4 – Bake and shred. Cover the pot and roast until the meat is falling off of the bones. Shred with two forks then serve.
Alternative cooking methods
This classic recipe has been a family favorite for years, and while I prefer the sear and roast method, I’ve also tested this exact recipe using an instant pot, slow cooker, and grill because, let’s face it- we all have a preference. Here is how you’d do it:
Instant Pot method: To make Instant Pot beef short ribs, sear the ribs and cook your veggies in a pressure cooker using the Saute function. Follow the instructions as normal, but instead of baking, pressure cook for about 45 minutes and natural release for another 15 minutes. Finish by shredding the beef, then serving with your favorite sides.
Slow cooker method: After searing the beef and cooking the vegetables, place them in a slow cooker. Whisk the gravy ingredients together in a bowl before pouring them into the crockpot. Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.
Grill method: Place the seasoned beef ribs on a hot grill, bone-side down. Grill for about 1.5 hours before shredding them and stirring the meat into the simmered gravy.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Scrape your pot. As you add the liquid, make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to incorporate the delicious stuck browned bits into the rest of the dish.
- You’ll know your beef is ready to serve when it reaches an internal temperature of at least 200F. Use a meat thermometer to double-check.
- Make it gluten-free. Swap the all-purpose flour for blanched almond flour or another gluten-free flour and check the label on your BBQ sauce and beef broth to ensure they’re also gluten-free.
- Upgrade the pan juices. For upgraded flavors, I’ll add sprigs of rosemary or thyme in the pot with the pan juices.
Storage instructions
To store: Keep the leftover short ribs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To freeze: You can also freeze the leftover beef and gravy for up to 2 months. Allow them to fully thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
To reheat: Reheat the ribs in a saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop. If you find your leftovers are a bit dry, feel free to add a splash of beef stock to rehydrate.
Frequently asked questions
This recipe makes enough boneless beef short ribs for 6 to 8 people. Pair them with filling sides to complete the meal.
No, there is no need to marinate the ribs first. As they simmer, the meat holds onto the juices, thanks to them being seasoned prior to cooking.
What to serve with this
- Air fryer smashed potatoes
- Roasted potatoes and carrots
- Air fryer frozen green beans
- Roasted root vegetables
- Sauteed broccolini
Braised Boneless Beef Short Ribs
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless beef short ribs * See notes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 small onion sliced
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
- Season the meat with salt, pepper, and garlic on all sides and dredge it in flour.
- Heat the oil in a medium pot and sear the meat from all sides until golden brown. Remove the meat from the pot, add the onion, carrot, and celery to it, and cook until fork tender.
- Pour in the tomatoes, followed by beef broth, BBQ sauce, and sugar. Let the mixture simmer, then return the meat inside the pot, cover, and place in the oven to cook for 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat falls off the bone.
- Shred the meat and serve immediately.
