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! 😂
These were so delicious. The whole family loved them 😋
Glad the family enjoyed them Kirsty! – N x
Made the recipe with some rather lack luster ribs that my wife intended for broth (hey, they sat for a week!). The rub/sauce really saved them, honestly.
My 6 y/o ate half the rack himself.
My wife pointedly remarked before cooking that she dislikes home made BBQ sauce and had never had one she liked. She now has one that she likes quite a lot.
I wasn’t able to find the beef ribs so am using beef chuck instead. Do I need to adjust the slow cooker time to less than 8 hours? Looking forward to trying this tonight!
Hi Christina – yes you will, how big is the chuck cut? N x
This is in the oven right now and the smell is insane! Your recipes are always so good – thank you for sharing them with us all x
You’re so welcome Shalini!! N x
Hey! Very nice sauce and ribs. It was a hit with friends that came over!
The only thing if I could question.. is how would you do it less “ketchupy”? It was a very ketchup taste (I used normal Heinz). Any particular ketchup brand that would be better, or maybe addition of some alchool or any other think to make it more “BBQ” and less “ketchupy”?
Thanks!
Hi Daniela, I use half ketchup and half Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce
Hi Daniela, sorry you found it too tomatoey, you could always reduce the ketchup used if you found it overpowering. N x
Do you have any side order with the ribs ?
Thank you for the recipe. It was delicious. I made it as written and wouldn’t change a thing! Yummm 😋
I turned up to a friends house and a fabulous aroma filled the air outside. I said to my daughter someone is cooking something delicious. Entered my friends house and it was her cooking this recipe. She invited us to stay for dinner. Could not refuse the offer.
The next week we created this for our family at home who missed out. It was a hit.
This is Moorish.
Hello. I am looking to make this but all they had was frozen boneless. I will thaw them before booking but do they need to cook less since they do not have the bone in them?
Excellent result!! I’m not sure why you say to put a dry rub on the short ribs because it just comes right off when you put them into the bbq sauce…am I missing something like searing them? I braised them on the stove top and then put them in a baking dish to brown up after they were tender. It was all so flavorful, and I will definitely make these again!
My first attempt to cook with BBQ sauce. reading the list of your ingredients, I trusted it would be great – and it was perfect.I reduced it and leftover sauce will be frozen to be used with other meat dishes.
Listened to your interviews on ABC- very enjoyable. Many many thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Ella!! N x
This was way too sweet and acidic for my tastes (and my partner’s) unfortunately.
I made this the other day, but I am wondering if my BBQ sauce was runnier than yours… The meat was great, however.
Hi Zee, if it was slightly runny, you can just simmer on the stove to reduce and thicken slightly more 🙂 N x
made this today in the slow cooker and it really was melt in your mouth good! and the bbq sauce was gorgeous (i did have to soak up some of the oil that had risen to the top but i couple of sheets of kitchen roll did the trick and left the rest of the sauce smooth and silky. made along with the cornbread as suggested and that was also a hit!!
Hi Nagi, this looks delicious! I’m planning on using the slow cooker but can I clarify that the recipe calls for 8 hrs on low then 5 hrs on high? Or can I just select one option?
Hi Joyce, it is one option – 8 hours on low OR 5 on high 🙂 N x
Hi, hopefully this isn’t a stupid question. I want to make this recipe for tonight. I went to get the ribs but all the store had was the vac packed racks and boneless ribs. I got the boneless ones. I’m not sure if them being boneless will make a difference in cook time or if I need to adjust anything? I got close to 3 pounds of them.
Miranda, I had some meat that fell off the bone previous to cooking and I made it along with the bone-in ones. It turned out great. I don’t think you’d need to adjust anything.
Can this be done on a grill using indirect heat?
I Nagi, just made these beautiful amazing ribs. I have so much sauce left over. Can I freeze sauce then reuse for next time or any other ideas so there is no wastage.
Regards
Kym
Hi Kym, you can freeze the sauce and use on burgers, ribs, steak – anything! N x
I ordered beef short ribs with hopes to make this recipe in the pressure cooker. I received thin cut instead. Will this still work? How should I change the timing? Or can you recommend a better suited recipe for thin cut short ribs?
Thanks!
OMG WOW!!!!! I have never felt compelled to comment on an online recipe…until now! This will be a go-to from now on!!