Take your dinner to the next level with this simple, yet stunning Slow Cooker Beef Short Rib recipe. Your house will smell amazing and your family will be racing to the table for dinner to enjoy these beef ribs.
Slow Cooker Short Ribs
A good Slow Cooker Short Rib recipe will get me excited to make dinner any day of the week. It will have me running to the store looking for the best cuts of beef short ribs and it will have my family at the dinner table on time.
These slow cooker beef short ribs are one of my favorite meals and after you make it from scratch like I did, it’ll be one of your favorites too. I’ve had plenty of beef short ribs in my time, most from restaurants and too many from expensive menu.
I honestly thought that I had to go to an expensive restaurant to get a good slow cooker short rib. I am so glad I was wrong.
Beef short ribs are easy to make and it can be just as amazing as the restaurant version. So many people are afraid to make them because they think only master chefs can cook up a good beef short rib. Do you have a slow cooker or Crock Pot? Well, you can make this.
How to Cook Beef Short Ribs
A tasty slow cooker beef short rib requires a good cut of meat, some spices, a couple of other ingredients and of course a slow cooker. See how easy that is! Throw everything including your beef ribs into your slow cooker and let those scrumptious little beef short ribs simmer for a few hours.
No need to watch it. Just set a timer. Let the beef ribs simmer in their own juices.
The dutch processed cocoa in this recipe plays a very special part. It works like magic and pulls all the flavors together, creating an amazing savory sauce for the beef ribs.
You’ve heard of coffee amplifying flavors, right? Cocoa works the same way in this slow cooker short rib recipe and it adds its own special flavor to the sauce. And, no, it doesn’t taste like chocolate. Please trust me on this and try it.
If you’re not a meat eater, then I will apologize now because I don’t have a good vegetarian or vegan substitution for you for this savory beef short rib recipe.
I wish I did. You’re welcome to make the sauce and let it simmer on the stove top for an hour. I bet it would be scrumptious over veggies. I used the broccoli to wipe up the remaining sauce and was pretty pleased.
These Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender, bursting with flavor, simple to make and are sure to have everyone at the table asking for seconds. You can double or triple the batch for a larger crowd.
How long does it take to cook beef ribs in a slow cooker?
Making perfect slow cooker beef short ribs:
- Follow the directions and don’t skip steps.
- When you brown the beef ribs, make sure they have a good brown crust to them.
- Add the ingredients in the order they are listed. If you have questions on substations, just ask.
- When the beef short ribs are done. Allow them to sit in the slow cooker for at least 30 minutes.
- Make sure to spoon some extra sauce over the beef short ribs before serving.
- Store leftover beef short rib in the refrigerator with the sauce covering it. It will help keep the neat from drying out.
Loving savory beef dishes? Noshtastic has a Paleo Pot Roast that is super simple to make and comforting any time of year.
If you’re looking for a fantastic side dish to serve with your beef short rib, Go Dairy Free has an amazing Dairy Free Ranch Pasta Salad recipe, and Perry’s Plate has a simple, yet delicious recipe for Roasted Fall Vegetables. If you want to keep it simple, you could opt for a Balsamic Strawberry Cobb Salad.
Did you make these easy slow cooker beef short ribs? Let me know what you thought of these beef ribs. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you.
Happy cooking and baking,
Chrystal
Savory Beef Short Ribs

Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon onion salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sage
- 2 lbs. beef short rib
- 1 6oz can tomato paste
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
- 2 tablespoons high temperature oil (I used coconut oil)
Instructions
- Mix the first five ingredients (the spices) and rub on the outside of the beef short rib; set aside.
- Place the tomato paste, water, balsamic, garlic cloves, Dijon mustard, and cocoa into a slow cooker and mix with a spoon until combined.
- Turn the slow cooked on low.
- In a medium sized skillet, heat the oil until melted and it coats the pan.
- Sear beef short on all sides until brown. About one minute per side.
- Add the seared beef short rib to the slow cooker and cover.
- Cook until tender and falls of the bone.
- Spoon sauce over each piece of beef short rib and serve warm
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
2 beef short ribsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 379 Total Fat: 27g Saturated Fat: 23g Sodium: 992mg Carbohydrates: 29g Sugar: 4g Protein: 3g
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Cocoa always adds such amazing depth and richness!
Elle @ Only Taste Matters says
Short ribs are our favorite and I can’t get enough recipes! This one looks spectacular! Pinned!
chrystal says
Thank you 🙂 We love short rib too.
Brigit says
Is the cooking time really only 4 minutes?
chrystal says
HI Brigit! Thanks for the catch. I’ve updated it 😉
Angela @marathonsandmotivation.com says
These look fabulous! Thanks for sharing at Sunday Fitness & Food, Pinned 🙂
Sarah says
I’ve made these three times and even adapted for a roast. I’ve used the spice blend with chicken stock and balsamic in the crock pot. They are absolutely delicious! I am so happy to have found your recipe. ❤️
chrystal says
I’m so glad you like the recipe. Thank you for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal