These crockpot beef short ribs in gravy are fall off the bone tender, well marbled and flavorful plus a total comfort meal. I love using our farm fresh short ribs in this recipe – aged to perfection to create the most flavorful experience. Serve these over mashed potatoes for a wonderful dinner.
Slow Cooker short ribs make a great Sunday dinner option and leftovers heat up great for a weeknight meal. My family loves this beefy comfort meal– it is right up there with Salisbury steak and gravy and beef and egg noodles (beef stroganoff) on our top comfort meals!
Why you will love this recipe
- Fall-apart tender – the slow cooker does all the work and leaves you with a tasty dinner.
- Rich, homemade gravy made with crockpot drippings that pairs beautifully with potatoes and over the short ribs.
- Great leftovers – these reheat great in the microwave
Ingredients in Slow Cooker Short Ribs
- Beef Short Ribs – this recipe is geared towards bone-in, but boneless can work as well. The bone in provides even better flavor. (link to our farm raised beef short ribs)
- Farmer Blend Spice Rub – to season the ribs before searing. A simple mixture of salt, pepper, garlic and onion works great too. (link to our homemade small batch spice rub)
- Tallow or oil to sear the ribs in. Avocado or olive oil work well if you do not have tallow. (link to our farm fresh beef cooking tallow)
- Beef Broth – I used low sodium.
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Onion Powder
- Minced Garlic
- Cornstarch
Equipment Needed for this Recipe
- Cast Iron Pan or other Frying Pan to sear the beef
- 6 or 8 qt Slow Cooker. I like the mytime slow cooker to truly be able to set and forget.
How to Make Short Ribs
How to Make Beef Short Ribs in Crockpot
- Sear the short ribs
Use tallow and a frying pan to quickly sear each side of the seasoned short ribs. 2-3 minutes each side.
- Cook low and slow
Add the seared short ribs to the crockpot with broth and seasonings. Cook on low for 6-7 hours until fall-apart tender.
- Make the Gravy
Remove the ribs from crockpot and make a slur with cornstarch. Simply mix 1/2 c cold water and 4 tbsp cornstarch to a bowl and mix well. Dump into bubbling drippings, and let it bubble until thickened. Stirring the entire time.
Short Rib Tips and Tricks
- Choose the right cut: opt for a well-marbled bone-in short for best flavor and tenderness. Our short ribs are also aged 21 days for even better flavor.
- Searing: do NOT skip the searing step. Browning adds a rich depth of flavor — I pour the drippings in the pan into the crockpot.
- Heat: cooking on low setting for a long time generally works best for fall-apart tender ribs. However, if you’re short on time, you could heat on “high” for 4-5 hours until tender.
FAQs
Short ribs are very forgiving, but yes–if cooked for too long on a high heat setting they could become dry. This is why I prefer cooking on low.
If your ribs are tough, they likely were not cooked long enough. The longer they are cooked, the connective tissue breaks down. Keep cooking until the meat pulls off easily.
No. Short ribs can braise. They should be roughly half way submerged in broth (3 cups broth is usually great).
Short ribs are a very well-marbled cut..which means, they have fat! The fat renders into the gravy as they cook. Let the drippings cool a bit before thickening into gravy, and skim some of the fat off of the top to help reduce the greasiness.
As written, yes. We are using cornstarch (vs flour) as thickener, BUT make sure to check your specific ingredients to make sure gluten isn’t hiding in them.
What to Serve with Short Ribs and Gravy
- Mashed Potatoes is the best side
- Green Bean Casserole is a great side vegetable
- Egg Noodles
- Crockpot Corn
More Recipes Like Crockpot Short Ribs
Tater Tot Casserole with Ground Beef
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I hope you love this short rib recipe- Bobbi Jo
Crockpot Beef Short Ribs with Gravy
Equipment
- 1 crockpot 6-8 qt size
- frying pan or cast iron for searing
Ingredients
- 4-5 lbs beef short ribs
- 1-2 tbsp Farmers Blend Spice Rub or simple mixture of salt, pepper, rosemary, onion, garlic powder works great.
- 2 tbsp beef tallow or olive oil, avocado oil, butter
- 3 cups beef broth I used low sodium
- 2 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp onion powder
Gravy Slurry
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- 1/2 cup cold water
Instructions
- Thaw and rub your spice blend generously on all sides of the short ribs. If needed, cut your short ribs into smaller chunks (as pictured) to fit better.4-5 lbs beef short ribs
- Heat your cast iron or frying pan to medium high heat. Grease the pan with tallow or cooking oil. Then start working in batches to sear each side of the short ribs, about 2-3 minutes each side.
- Add short ribs to your crockpot and add your chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and onion powder. Add onion if you wish.
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours or until the ribs are falling off the bone and very tender. (mine took 6 hours on low, but each crockpot is different).
Gravy
- Remove the short ribs from the crockpot and turn the crockpot to "high" setting until it is bubbling. Mix 4 tbsp of corn starch with 1/2 cup of water in a bowl until well combined then pour into the crockpot.
- Whisk until the mixture is thickened. Serve over the short ribs and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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classic comfort meal and easy to follow.