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Best Red Wine-Braised Short Rib Recipe + Video

Tender juicy Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs that falls off the bone effortlessly, cooked in a rich, complex red wine sauce and served over creamy mashed potatoes. Perfect for a cozy meal, this recipe is easy to make and yields deeply, robust, flavorful meat.
4.92 from 146 votes
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Course: Main Course, Sauce or Marinade
Cuisine: American, French
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 960kcal
Author: Capri Lilly

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp Avocado oil (I like to use Beef Tallow because it has a high cooking point)
  • 3 pounds Bone-in short ribs, at least 1 1/2 inches thick
  • 2 Large heads garlic, cut crosswise
  • 1 Medium Red Onion, chopped
  • 3 Celery Stalks, chopped
  • 3 Medium Carrots, chopped
  • 2 Jalapenos, chopped
  • 2 tsp Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
  • 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 750 ml Dry Red Wine (I like to use Cabernet Savignoun)
  • 3 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 3 cups Beef stock/broth, plus more as needed
  • 4 Sprigs Rosemary
  • 3 Sprigs Thyme
  • 1 cup Parsley
  • 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • Step 1: Slice And Season The Short Ribs
    Start by cutting the beef between the bones into 2-inch pieces (if necessary). Then, season each side generously with salt and black pepper. I like to do this first and then set the meat aside while I prepare my vegetables for the sauce. This helps tenderize the meat and bring out its juices, resulting in more flavorful and succulent meat once cooked.
    ingredients for short rib
  • Step 2: Prepare The Vegetables
    The vegetables, herbs, and aromatics needed for this dish are garlic, celery, carrots, onion, jalapeno, rosemary, thyme, and parsley. To prepare the vegetables simply give them a rough chop. They are needed simply to flavor the sauce. Once the short ribs are fully cooked you can strain the sauce, removing the vegetables as they will have rendered all their flavor and are no longer edible.
  • Step 3: Pan Sear The Short Ribs 
    Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches of 3-4 pieces, sear short ribs on all sides until deeply and evenly browned, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer browned short ribs to a large plate and continue with remaining ribs.
    pan seared short ribs on parchment paper
  • Step 4: Saute And Season The Vegetables 
    Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of remaining oil in the pan. Reduce heat to medium, and add garlic, cut side down and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes.
    Add onion, celery, carrots, and jalapeño and season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Mix well and continue to cook until vegetables are softened but not yet browned, about 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Step 5: Prepare The Braising Liquid 
    After the vegetables are softened, which takes about 5-10 minutes, stir in tomato paste and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
    Now it is time to add the wine! Pour in 1 750ml of dry red wine. Then, bring the wine to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by half.
  • Step 6: Add In The Short Ribs And Herbs, Cover, And Bake! 
    Stir in beef stock along with thyme, parsley, and rosemary. Using tongs, return short ribs to the pot, placing them in so that they are submerged (if they are just barely covered, nestle them bone side up so that all the meat is submerged, adding more beef stock or water as necessary to cover). Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven.
    Cook, undisturbed in the oven, until short ribs are meltingly tender and falling off the bone (you should be able to shred the meat with a fork), 2½ to 3 hours.
  • Step 7: Remove from the oven, Strain, and Enjoy!
    Using tongs, remove the ribs from the pot, taking care not to let the bone slip out and transfer them to a large plate. Strain the vegetables from the sauce. (The vegetables no longer have flavor and can be discarded)
    Garnish with parsley, garlic and lemon zest over the top of the short ribs. Separate the fat from the sauce, season with salt and pepper and pour on top of your ribs. (Alternatively you can use the strained sauce to make a gravy to serve with ribs)

Notes

What type of wine is best for making Red Wine Braised Short Ribs?
When you cook with wine, the dish doesn’t end up tasting like wine itself. Instead, the wine adds depth, richness, and a subtle complexity that enhances all the other flavors. When choosing a wine for cooking, skip the “cooking wines” since they’re often low quality and overly salty. Choose a wine you actually enjoy drinking.
For this recipe, a deep, full-bodied dry red works beautifully. I love using Cabernet Sauvignon, but any robust dry red will create a rich, incredibly flavorful sauce.

Tips for making the Best Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs

  • Use high-quality grass-fed meat
  • Use Bone-in short ribs
  • Thicker, meatier short ribs work best.
  • Season the ribs generously with salt and pepper on all sides before searing for the best results.
  • If you do not have a Dutch Oven, use an oven-proof pot.
 
SEE BELOW THE RECIPE CARD FOR MORE TIPS 

Nutrition

Calories: 960kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 350mg | Potassium: 954mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 7mg