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
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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! 😂
Cannot wait to make these this weekend, I had to go and buy beef short ribs when I saw this recipe.
I hope you loved them Colette!! N x
Thank you for another amazing recipe Nagi. Made these for dinner tonight and was told they are the best ribs I have ever made. Served on a bed of creamy mash potato.
YUM! Sounds like you nailed it Jodie! 🙌 N x
Hi Nagi😊 Will I need to double the sauce if I’m cooking 8-10 ribs ?
Thanks Jenny
Hi Jenny, if you adjust the servings using the scale, all the ingredients will adjust for you 🙂 N x
Hey Nagi! I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. Do you think it would improve the flavor more if we seared/colored the beef ribs first? When I make braised beef ribs I sear them in a hot pan first before finally braising, although that’s usually braised in red wine and beef stock
Hi Raymond, I find it’s not really necessary in this recipe as the sauce has so much flavour anyway! You’ll just dirty another pan 😉 N x
These do look luscious! I have been wanting to make beef ribs but have hesitated because hubby and I are both very averse to fat in meat. Does the marbling in the meat really melt away?
Hi Terri! Most of it does – at the end of the bake you’ll notice a layer of fat on the surface of the sauce, this is all from the beef. It’s easy to scoop off using a flat spoon though if you refrigerate, it floats to surface and hardens into a disc you can literally lift straight off! Then the juiciness left in the beef (the shiny bits that looks like fat in the video when I pry the meat open) is actually mostly collagen which becomes butter-like when slow cooked and hot. Collagen is mostly protein not fat, it’s about 1/6th of the calories of fat and it’s actually very good for you (it is sold in powder form at health food shops!). So the juiciness you see and taste inside the meat is actually not very much fat! Certainly not after 4 hours cook time 🙂 N x
Looks amazing, I just butchered a lamb and I have a few racks of ribs to do with lamb flaps, would love to see a lamb rib version!
Hi Logan, you could use lamb here – but I’ll put lamb ribs on mu list of recipe’s to create! N x
Tried this out tonight with Lamb. Cooked a rack of 10 ribs for the family. The entire thing was amazing. Only improvement needed was to remove the back fat after cooking. The family loved it. In fact, my daughter who hates lamb smashed back a huge portion and asked if we could have that lamb every time!
What an awesome pic of Dozer…and how incredibly thoughtful of whoever is getting you the calendars. Right now I’d like to be Dozer lol.
Recipe looks amazing in your video.
We all want to come back as Dozer – he has the life 😂 N x
Hey Nagi, I saw Coles has Slow Cook Beef Short Ribs for $13/kg. Are they likely to have brine? If so, what’s the secret for cooking them please?
Hi Lex! I’ve googled for pics to see if I can read ingredients label but can’t 🙂 If they have been brined (ie check nutrition label, if it has much more than 100mg of sodium (salt) per 100 grams of meat, then it’s been brined (because raw beef has about 85mg of natural sodium per 100g). So if it IS brined, it’s hard to tell how salty it is so what I would do is err on the side of caution and reduce the salt in the rub down to 1/2 tsp and reduce Worcestershire sauce to 2 tsp. Then at the end when you mix to bring the sauce together, taste it and just add a bit more salt if need be. The brined beef will leech a lot of salty watery which is why you want to reduce salt in the recipe. 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi, I have a pile of lamb ribs in the freezer as we by a full lamb from our farmer each month or so. Could I use lamb ribs for this recipe, though I can see they don’t have nearly as much meat. Love any suggestions please – ps am in Victoria x
Hi Meaghan, you can use lamb ribs – they will just cook quicker depending on size 🙂 N x
ribs recipe looks fantastic and will try this soon. However, my question is about the baking pan in #5 picture. I have never seen a baking pan with a see through lid. I want one
Hi Mary – it’s a Scanpan roaster with lid! N x
Hi Nagi,
I would love to make this in my slow cooker. Can you give me time and temp?
Thank you and enjoy your labor day with Dozer
Hi Patricia – it’s all listed in the notes. Enjoy! N x
I was looking to do it in my instant pot and I see Nagi has listed alternative cooking methods in her notes! Check it out!
Hi Nagi, I have an important question I cannot figure out. Why is this BBQ different then the BBQ you make for the Pulled Pork recipe? The one in the pulled pork has different ingredients and you simmer it. I want to make a sauce for a brisket I’m going to make tomorrow and not sure which one to use. Thank you
Hi Dave, it’s just a different recipe – both are great! I also have a brisket recipe here: https://promotown.info/slow-cooker-beef-brisket-with-bbq-sauce/%3C/a%3E N x
I meant to say BBQ sauce, sorry. Could not find a way to edit my comment.
Omg that looks incredibly yummmm.. Literally drooling looking at it..
It’s so good Arpita, I hope you try it! N x
I have cooked a few of your recipes and really enjoyed them. Thank you 🙏
My question is, do you ever sleep 😴 ?
(I know Dozer sneaks in a few 💤 !
Haha! I do sleep – Dozer definitely sleeps more though! N x
For some reason I can’t discern beef short ribs have rarely graced my oven 🙂 ? Must admit I can see a whole lot of taste in your recipe . . . don’t usually buy tomato sauce because of its sugar /salt contents, but, my portion could be decked with a little less . . . The ingredients truly are all pantry stuff . . . and beef cheeks I so love are in the equation . . . Oh, don’t know about choosing ‘elegant’ sides but I do eat spinach and mushrooms most days . . .
Hi Eha! Beef cheeks with a side of garlic mushrooms – you’re onto a winner! N x
Hi Nagi, After seeing your recipe, I went to buy The beef short ribs I saw at the butcher earlier, for Father’s Day on Sunday. Thanks for including what other cuts we can use in the recipe and also the reheating instructions. J
You’re so welcome Jacqui – love to know what you think once you try it!! N x
Well Dozer you are adorable but cheeky 🐕💕.
Love the short ribs recipe
Thanks so much Gillian! N x
Lucky you getting that great Dozer calendar!!! He’s a wonderful calendar Boy!! Love seeing what you two are up to! And the ribs look great too! I’ll definately be making these. Thanks Nagi
Hi Nagi. These look incredible. What is the best brand of ketchup to use for the sauce?
Hi Caroline, any brand will do but I use Heinz 🙂 N x
Love your recipes Nagi, and love the Life of Dozer pics. Especially like the idea of a calendar full of Dozer photos. Now I will just have to order a calendar to feature our own dogs. <3
Do it and don’t look back Eva 😂 N x