Beef ribs slow braised in a silky, shiny homemade barbecue sauce until the meat is fall apart and ridiculously juicy inside, and the outside is bronzed and sticky. Also known as beef short ribs, this is one of the best cuts of beef for slow cooking, far superior to beef chuck.
100% perfect for make ahead and freezing!
Slow cooked BBQ Beef Ribs
Beef ribs are the king of all beef cuts for slow cooking (pretty sure I said that in my Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine Sauce too). They are juicier than brisket and chuck (there’s always a few lean-ish patches, that’s just the way that cut is). Beef Cheeks come close, but ribs have one big thing going for them that cheeks do not:
THE BONE.
I don’t know what it is about fall apart meat on a bone, but it gets me every time. Hence my ever increasing collection of lamb shank recipes. And pork ribs. And now it seems I’ve moved onto beef ribs!
If you’re new to beef ribs, this is an excellent way to introduce them into your life, and I’ll wager that they’ll become a regular fixture. The sweet-savoury flavour of the BBQ Sauce is a perfect match with the beefy flavour of ribs.
And it’s virtually a foolproof recipe – you just need to ensure it’s cooked long enough so the beef becomes like THIS:
BBQ Beef Ribs Rub
Here’s what you need for the Rub. There’s quite a few substitutions possible so don’t fret if you don’t have every item:
Beef Ribs
Beef ribs do come in a variety of cuts, but I’m using the most common cut (here in Australia) which is also called beef short ribs. It’s a chunky rectangle block, cut with individual bones and are very meaty.
They shrink about 30% so try to get big meaty ones. But if you can only get small ones ~250g/8oz, that’s still ok!
Beef rib RACK: sometimes you see beef ribs in rack form. They typically have less meat on them. They will work great in this recipe too – see recipe card for directions. However, make sure you do NOT use the rib racks that come vac packed – these have been brined and will be too salty (read ingredients, if it has anything in it other than beef, then it’s brined ie salt injected).
Beef alternative cuts: beef cheeks and chuck (cut into baseball size chunks) will both work really great here. For brisket, use the Barbecue Beef Brisket recipe.
Other meats: For pork ribs, use this recipe and for chicken, use this recipe.
Rub substitutions:
Brown sugar – sub white
Garlic powder – 1 tsp minced garlic (using press) per 1 tsp powder
Onion powder – garlic powder
Mustard powder – dijon or standard mustard
If subbing fresh garlic or mustard spread, then rub those wet ingredients on first before pressing into dry rub.
Beef Ribs braising liquid / homemade BBQ sauce
And here’s what you need for the homemade BBQ Sauce which doubles as the braising liquid for the beef ribs (so it absorbs flavour as it slow cooks which is why we don’t need to marinate these ribs):
Ketchup is the primary flavour base for homemade barbecue sauce. You’ll find it in all my barbecue sauce flavoured recipes, including this (easy!) midweek Baked BBQ Chicken, BBQ Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork with BBQ Sauce and slow cooked brisket with BBQ Sauce. Sub with Aussie Tomato Sauce – it’s almost as good;
Cider vinegar – the tang in homemade barbecue sauce. Sub with white wine vinegar, sherry or Champagne vinegar OR 1/3 cup normal white vinegar;
Brown sugar – barbecue sauce is sweet. If you don’t like sweet, you can cut it back.
Garlic – I really like using fresh but powder is fine too;
Onion powder – sub garlic powder;
Mustard powder – sub with dijon or normal yellow mustard (not hot English mustard! Unless you WANT the heat!)
Worcestershire Sauce – savoury element. Soy sauce (all purpose or light) is an acceptable sub (it won’t make it Asiany);
Cayenne – for a hum of warmth. This is not overly spicy. If you’re concerned, start with less and you can adjust right at the end. If you like it hot, start with the recipe amount then add hot sauce at the end.
How to make BBQ Beef Ribs
Dead easy – everything goes into the pan, then you slow cook it in a moderate oven until the meat is fall apart tender. It’s fabulously foolproof because there’s a big window before the meat will start to dry out from overcooking – I’ve left it in 1 1/2 hours too long and it was STILL juicy!
Pro tip: make in advance
If you’re a first timer or worried about cook timing for a scheduled meal (re: whether it will take longer for the beef to become fall-apart tender), make it earlier in the day or even the day before…or the day before! As with all slow cooked things (like stews, shanks), the flavour gets better with time and it’s really straightforward to reheat.
That makes this a sensational dinner party option! It plates up really elegantly, posh restaurant style – and I have options below for fine-dining type sides instead of the hearty finger-licking type sides pictured (Coleslaw and steamed corn, classic BBQ sides)
Here’s a close up look at the homemade Barbecue Sauce you end up with in the pan. The beauty of this method of cooking is that the juices from the ribs mix in with the sauce, so you’re essentially making it with the ultimate money-can’t-buy beef stock!
ANOTHER PRO TIP: For a posh restaurant experience, strain the sauce to make it silky smooth. I do this for VIPs only.😂
Grilling option!
In the recipe video, I make this entirely in the oven, including the caramelisation at the end. But if it were warmer weather, I would have finished it on the BBQ! I’ve included directions for grilling in the recipe.
What to serve with BBQ Beef Ribs
As promised, I’m going to offer up a couple of different options for how to serve beef ribs – rustic, finger lickin’ barbecue style OR elegant fine dining style (and yep, beef ribs certainly appear on the menu of fine dining restaurants, prized for the juicy qualities and because it CAN be plated up elegantly):
Rustic Finger Lickin’ Good Barbecue Sides
I don’t know what it is about sides with mayo based dressings, but they just go so well with anything glazed with barbecue sauce!
My picks: Steamed corn, our best No Mayo Coleslaw, Green Bean Salad with Cherry Tomato Feta, cornbread (for mopping).
Elegant sides, fine dining style
My picks for a posh plate: Potato Gratin Stacks, Garlic Sautéed Spinach, Garlic Mushrooms.
Whichever way you go, it will be a hit. I know it, you know it! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Slow cooked Beef Ribs with barbecue sauce (beef short ribs)
Ingredients
- 6 x 300 – 350g / 10 – 12 oz beef ribs (aka beef short ribs) (Note 1), patted dry
RUB:
- 1 tbsp brown sugar (sub white)
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder (sub 1 tsp fresh garlic)
- 1 tsp onion powder (sub garlic powder)
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 3/4 tsp mustard powder (Note 2)
- 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (reduce by 25% for table salt, increase 50% for salt flakes)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Barbecue SAUCE:
- 2 garlic cloves , minced (sub 2 tsp powder)
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (Note 2 subs)
- 1 1/2 cups ketchup , or Aussie tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar , loosely packed (ie don't pack it tight)(sub white)
- 2 tsp EACH black pepper, onion powder, mustard powder (Note 2)
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to taste re: spiciness)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (sub soy sauce)
- 2 cups water
Optional garnish:
- Parsley or chives , chopped
Instructions
SUMMARY DIRECTIONS:
- Coat ribs in rub, mix sauce except water in pan, then add water. Bake ribs in sauce covered 3.5 hrs at 160°C/320°F, turn, then 30 min uncovered. Serve!
FULL DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F (both fan & standard).
- Rub – Mix Rub in a small bowl large, enough to fit one rib. Press beef ribs into the rub, coating all sides. Shake off excess.
- BBQ Sauce – Mix Barbecue Sauce ingredients, except water, in a baking pan. Then mix in water.
- Coat – Place ribs in sauce, turning to coat. Arrange meat side down in the sauce, bone side exposed (sauce won't cover completely, that's ok).
- Bake 3.5 hours – Cover tightly with foil or lid, bake 3 1/2 hours. Remove from oven, remove foil. Turn ribs (some may have fall over, that's ok, just turn them). Spoon over sauce.
- Bake 30 min – Bake 30 minutes uncovered, spooning over sauce again halfway through, until surface is caramelised and sticky. Check to ensure ribs are tender – pry a bit apart using two forks. (If not, cover and return to oven, but after 4 hrs they certainly should be!)
- Serve – Remove ribs onto serving plate (use a spoon as meat will barely be attached to bone, if at all). Mix sauce to bring together (Note 3 on adjustments). Serve with ribs! (See below for serving suggestions)
Recipe Notes:
- Share platter (rustic!): Serve ribs on a platter for people to help themselves with some sauce on it, and some sauce on the side for people to help themselves.
- Individual posh restaurant style: place rib on plate, spoon over sauce (see note about straining option). Garnish.
- See in post for side options (both rustic and posh!).
1. Beef Ribs – comes in a variety of cuts. For this recipe, you want the chunky rectangle block cut, often called Beef Short Ribs. See photo in post. They come cut in individual bones and are very meaty. They shrink about 30% so try to get big meaty ones. But if you can only get small ones ~250g/8oz, that’s still ok! Beef ribs racks (less meaty, bones not separated) – use anywhere between 1.5 – 2.5kg / 3- 5lb (this recipe requires a minimum amount of braising liquid and it makes tons of sauce, more than needed for the beef ribs). Oven time will vary depending on meatiness, but for average racks, I’d say 2.5 hrs covered, 30 min uncovered (but check at 1.5 hrs). You may need to scale up the Rub slightly (more surface area) ALTERNATIVE MEATS: Beef cheeks (easily 2kg/4lb, beef chuck cut into baseball size chunks (2kg/4lb). For both these, check at 2 hrs, total oven time ~3 hrs. For brisket, use the Barbecue Beef Brisket recipe. For pork ribs, use this recipe and for chicken, use this recipe. DO NOT buy beef ribs that come in a vac pack where the ingredients label has salt or any other ingredient other than beef (these are brined so they’re salty, so this will come out too salty). If you’re desperateand brined beef is all you can get, leave a comment below and I’ll tell you how to adjust the recipe. 2. Ingredient subs:
- Mustard powder – dijon or yellow mustard
- Cider vinegar – white wine vinegar, sherry or Champagne vinegar OR 1/3 cup normal white vinegar.
- Stove – 2.5 hours on low simmer, lid on (handle with care when removing)
- Slow cooker – 8 hrs on low, 5 hrs on high, then transfer to oven to caramelise 30 min uncovered, per recipe.
- Pressure cooker – 1 hr on high, follow slow cooker directions above. Depressurise naturally for 10 min, then release valve.
- Instant Pot – Follow slow cooker directions above but do the searing in your Instant Pot. Cook using slow cooker or pressure cooker function using above times.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Calendar boy!
This calendar was a gift. And I was secretly extra thrilled because I thought it might be borderline too crazy-dog-lady to make one myself.
So I keep my fingers crossed every year on my birthday and Christmas that someone will give me a Dozer calendar. Eight years in, and I’ve never had to!! Someone always comes through! 😂
I notice that 6 serves is only 6 ribs – I guess that only allows for 1 rib pp if you’re feeding 6 people? My tribe would likely eat 3-4 each, so I’m assuming I need to scale up to 24 serves? Yikes!
Hi Jen, The ribs I ave listed are 300-350g each, they do shrink but that’s a good portion of meat (minus the bone) for a standard serve. You’ll need to increase the recipe if you want more than 1 per serve. N x
Excellent! Then we froze the extra defatted sauce and used it a week later to simmer meatballs. A winner.
Surpassed my expectations. I had more ribs so did extra rub but same amount of sauce (with no cayenne and white pepper instead of black). Not sticky but delicious. Thankyou for yet another fab recipee
Great method. These were delicious.
Thank you for your amazing recipes Nagi, it has totally changed our dinners!
We were wondering for this, we can only buy short ribs that are between 190 and 220g. Does the cooking time change then?
Thank you so much
Hi Jim, yes, if they weight less they will cook quicker. Just keep an eye on them, the recipe is super forgiving, you just want to cook them until they are fall apart tender! N x
Made this for dinner tonight and my kids made your Mexican spice corn salad to go with it. And there were full bellies all around.
Thanks Nagi you are a life saver. I use your recipes regularly to feed my fussy family.
Hi Nagi. These were pretty delicious, but my sauce came out a lot more acidic than I think it’s supposed to be…
Is it possible different brands of apple cider vinegar have different strengths? Can I ask what brand you use for next time?
Wife and I made these last week and loved them. Always looking for slow cooker recipes and this one joins our rotation. We had ours with your Coleslaw, perfect pairing in our opinion.
Made these yesterday. So yummy!
Thank you for the recipe!
Just had this for dinner. We have an amazing local butcher so the meat is always incredible. I have used Jamie Oliver’s recipe but was fed up with having to buy a bottle of Guinness and only using a third. Your recipe is the best, I have even emailed it to our butcher!
I had twice as much meat but I just doubled the rub to ensure there was enough. I didn’t need to double the sauce.
Question next time after putting the rub, should I wait before putting it in the sauce. Most of the rub looked like it just washed away as soon as I dipped it in.
We had this over the weekend and true to form it was very tender and yummmie. I did put a few drops of liquid smoke in to give the sauce that cooked on charcoal hint. Thanks again for the hundredth time Nagi
Yes perfect Tony, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! N x
Delicious! I will make this again, use a bit less water. I made macaroni salad as the side, it was all great!
I used the marinade you included for the Mongolian beef on pork shoulder, and marinated for 24 hrs.
The pork had a flavor similar to that of almost spoiled meat.
Did I marinate too long? Should I have rinsed the marinade off the meat? I only used 1/4 t of baking soda.
Hi Margarita, it should have been fine on pork too – sometimes it can give of a funny smell but the meat is perfectly fine to eat. N x
Thanks for this recipe, Nagi. It is Things are getting better in Vic (thanks for your Victoria Corner). These ribs made today even better
My sauce burnt! Followed recipe exactly! What did I do wrong?
Yes I definitely added the water – maybe it needed more? Will try again next weekend! I’ve done beef ribs before so I’m confused
My sauce burnt too! And it was covered in a thick layer of fat that rendered from the short ribs. I cooked this as per the recipe using a dutch oven with the lid closed for 3.5 hours. Should I use a baking tray instead?
Use tinfoil to “seal” the lid thereby reducing steam from escaping…if your lid don’t seal properly the water will evaporate to quickly and sauce will burn…
Hi AS – are you sure you added the water? That’s essential to ensure the sauce doesn’t cook down and burn 🙂 N x
Nagi, these were amazing! My Texan husband loved them!
That’s great to hear Lisa!! N x
I made this today. I doubled the recipe for I have 1.48lbs of beef ribs. I love the taste but its too spicy maybe because I put 4tsp of cayenne instead of 2tsp for 10-12oz? Anyways, next time I will lessen the cayenne. It is still very good, so tender, juicy, fall off the bone beef ribs! I will definitely make it again but with less cayenne. Thank you Nagi!
Another delicious recipe, thank you Nagi! Substituted with white vinegar and no cayenne on hand so added a pinch of chilli flakes which added a little zing.
Love this idea Contessa! N x
Awesome!!! I made this recipe in the oven. The beef was so tender and flavorful.
This was another great recipe. I did it stove top since being in northern hemisphere, oven seemed too hot.
I’m usually not a huge fan of very ketchupy sauce but this was tasty.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it J-Mom! N x