Oven Baked Short Ribs with Red Wine Sauce

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.

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:

• 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:

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

3. Add the butter to a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat.
4. 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.

5. Remove the beef from the pan and set it aside.
6. 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. 

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

8. 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.

9. Add the ribs back to the pan and bring the liquid to a simmer.
10. 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.)

11. 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.
12. 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.

Frequently asked questions:

Sharon’s Expert Tips:

• When purchasing short ribs, they should be at least two 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.
• 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:

• Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce
• Chicken Marsala Pasta with Mushrooms
• Make-Ahead Baked Ziti
• Bacon and Mushroom Stuffed Tenderloin
• Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Blue Cheese
• Cornish Hens with Stuffing
• Braciole Pork with a Twist

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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5 from 1 vote

Oven Baked Short Ribs with Red Wine Sauce Recipe

Easy Oven Baked Short Ribs with Red Wine Sauce are the answer to your dinner party dreams. They are full of flavor, classic comfort food, and so tender the beef falls off the bone.  Braised beef short ribs are also the perfect make-ahead main dish for a special holiday dinner or a fabulous dinner party.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 357kcal

Author Sharon Rigsby

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 beef short ribs large, meaty, bone-in, about 4.5 to 5 lbs total or 10 to 12 ounces each.
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 1½ cups chopped onion about 2 onions
• ▢ 4 carrots unpeeled and roughly chopped
• ▢ 4 cloves of garlic minced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 4 sprigs fresh thyme plus more for garnish
• ▢ 750 milliliter bottle dry red wine
• ▢ 4 cups beef stock

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Pat the ribs dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on all sides.
• Add butter to a large Dutch oven over medium heat or another large pan with a lid which can go in the oven.
• When the butter is melted, add the short ribs a few at a time, so they are not crowded. Brown on all sides, and repeat with the remaining ribs.
• Remove the ribs from the pan and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onion and carrots to the pan. Stir and cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and thyme and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
• 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 short ribs back to the pan and bring back 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 two hours.)
• When the ribs are done, remove them from the pan and cover to keep warm. Discard the sprigs of thyme and cook the sauce over medium-high heat on the stove for 10 minutes or until it has thickened slightly. Place the ribs back in the pot and heat through.
• Optional, garnish with additional 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.

Notes

• When purchasing short ribs, they should be at least two 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.
• For a smooth gravy-like sauce, before serving, 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.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 473mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3350IU | Vitamin C: 2.5mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1.8mg

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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.