Make-Ahead Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs-Oven

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Easy Oven Baked Short Ribs with Red Wine Sauce are the answer to your dinner party dreams. Bone-in beef short ribs are full of flavor, classic comfort food, and when cooked low and slow, so tender the meat falls off the bone. Braised in a decadent and flavorful red wine sauce, these slow-cooked beef ribs are the ideal make-ahead main dish for an extraordinary holiday meal or a fabulous dinner party.

Beef short ribs on a bed of mashed potatoes.

If you have been following my blog for any time, you know I love casseroles because they can be made ahead of time and are perfect for entertaining and sharing with family and friends.

Well, move over casseroles, there is a new favorite recipe in the Rigsby house, and it’s these easy red wine braised beef short ribs. Cooked low and slow in a Dutch oven, braised beef ribs have a rich meaty, succulent flavor that has no equal.

Fear not, although this recipe looks a little complicated, with more steps than usual, it is an easy short ribs recipe and almost foolproof. It does take a little time to brown the ribs, but after that, everything comes together quickly, and your oven does all of the heavy lifting.

But the best part about this recipe, besides the fact that it’s delicious, is that it can be made ahead of time, and the ribs are even more flavorful the next day!

Here’s what you will need:

Ingredients for Braised Beef Short Ribs including a bunch of thyme.

Beef short ribs – the star of this show, are full of big beefy flavor and after cooking low and slow, they are fall off the bone tender. Bone-in short ribs have more taste than boneless. They are also ideal for smoking and usually cooked as a plate or rack as in my recipe for Smoked Beef Short Ribs.
Kosher salt and ground black pepper – are used as seasonings and enhance all flavors and bring them together in one cohesive dish.
Butter – is that magic ingredient that both adds rich buttery flavor and browns the ribs. (not pictured)
Onion and garlic – these aromatic alliums add their distinctive flavor profile to the rich wine sauce.
Carrots – besides being full of beta carotene, add a sweet, woodsy flavor to the red wine sauce.
Tomato paste – is used to enrich the flavor of the wine sauce. Since you only need a small amount, consider purchasing it in a tube, where you can squeeze out what you need.
Thyme – adds a lovely lemony, earthy component to this dish. When used as a garnish, the leaves add a beautiful green pop of color.
Red wine – the big flavors, sweetness, and acidity in red wine complement all of the other flavors in this dish and makes a richly flavored, and delicious red wine sauce.
Beef stock – adds a rich beefy deliciousness to the braising liquid and keeps the ribs moist and succulent while cooking.

Here’s how to make this recipe:

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel and liberally season with salt and pepper on all sides.

Beef short ribs topped with salt and pepper.

Add the butter to a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat.
When the butter is melted, add the ribs a few at a time, but do not crowd them. Brown on all sides, and repeat with any remaining beef ribs.

Remove the beef from the pan and set it aside.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onion and carrots to the pan. Stir and cook for about ten minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the garlic, tomato paste, and thyme and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Carrots, onions, thyme and tomato paste cooking in a pan.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the red wine. Cook for about ten minutes or until the wine is reduced by half. Then add the beef broth.

Add the ribs back to the pan and bring the liquid to a simmer.
Cover the pan and bake in the oven for two to two and a half hours. Or, until the meat is very tender and about to fall off the bone. (Start checking at 2 hours.)

Beef short ribs cooking in a red wine sauce.

When the ribs are done, remove them from the pan and cover to keep warm. Fish out, and discard the sprigs of thyme. Place the pan back on the stove over medium-high heat and cook the sauce for ten or so minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened slightly.
Add the ribs back to the sauce to heat them and serve.

Optional, garnish with a few sprigs of thyme. Serve the ribs over mashed potatoes, polenta, rice, grits, or egg noodles and top with a few spoonfuls of the red wine sauce.

Two beef short ribs on a plate of mashed potatoes with gravy.

Frequently asked questions:

What to serve with them?

I usually serve these baked short ribs over my Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes, but they would also be delicious over Easy Rustic Mashed Potatoes, or Pancetta and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes. You could also serve them over my yummy Parmesan Cheese Grits or Creamy Cheesy Polenta. Other ideas include rice or buttered egg noodles.

What are they?

If you aren’t familiar with this cut of meat, they are the beef equivalent of pork spare ribs. But, although beef short ribs are shorter, as the name implies, they have much more meat than their counterpart pork spare ribs or baby back ribs.

What’s the best way to cook them?

Low and slow is the name of this game! Braising is a form of moist-heat cooking that breaks down connective tissues and tenderizes tough cuts of meat, like beef short ribs, while it cooks.

You can braise the ribs in the oven, on the stove, or in a crockpot or slow cooker. I prefer to cook mine in the oven because they don’t need to be watched as carefully, and you only have one pan to wash.

What’s the best wine for the sauce?

You shouldn’t use any wine in cooking that you wouldn’t drink, and that also goes for the wine you use in this recipe. Easy Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs calls for dry red wine and, in general, that includes Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, and Red Zinfandel.

That said, you do not have to use an expensive wine in this recipe.

What about leftovers?

This is one of those dishes that is better the next day. Cover leftovers and store them in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can also freeze leftovers in an air-tight container for up to three months.

Sharon’s Expert Tips:

When purchasing short ribs, they should be at least two to three inches thick. They should also be well-marbled, and have plenty of meat on the bones. They will shrink when cooked. If you buy the smaller, thinner ribs without much meat, you will only have bones left after cooking.
This recipe for beef short ribs is very rich and typically as long as the ribs are meaty and at least two to three inches thick, one rib is about what most folks, except those with very hearty appetites, will eat. That said, if you are buying a package of ribs, many times several will not be as meaty as others. The batch pictured in this post included two, that after cooking, cooked down to just bones with no meat to speak of. If you are hosting a dinner party or making this recipe for a special occasion, I would purchase at least a few extra, to be on the safe side.
For a smooth gravy-like sauce, pour it through a strainer to remove any bits of veggies. If you want to thicken it, make a slurry by combining one tablespoon of cornstarch with one-half cup of water. Add this slurry to the sauce and let it cook until it thickens. Then add the ribs back in and let them heat up before serving.
If there is any accumulated fat on the surface, use a spoon to skim it off before serving.
To make this dish ahead, follow the recipe as written. Let the ribs, vegetables, and sauce cool, and refrigerate covered for up to two days. Before serving, scrape off any solidified fat that may have risen to the surface. Bring the sauce and short ribs to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10-15 minutes until everything is thoroughly heated.
If you would like to make this recipe in a crockpot or slow cooker, follow the steps up to the point when all ingredients have been added to the pot. Transfer everything to your crockpot or slow cooker. Cook for eight hours on the low setting.

More dinner party recipes:

If you like this recipe, you might also be interested in these other mostly make-ahead dinner party favorites:

If you need more ideas, check out my roundup post 23 Easy Dinner Party Recipes, or take a look at all of my main dish recipes here.

★ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and give it a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

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📋 Recipe:

This recipe was originally published on October 22, 2018. It was republished on November 19, 2021 with new pictures, the addition of a FAQ section, and additional tips.