How to Make Delicious Short Ribs in Your Crock Pot
Crock Pot short ribs are the ultimate comfort food, and this recipe takes them to the next level by adding rich, hearty ingredients like fennel, crimini mushrooms, and port wine. The slow-cooking process transforms the short ribs into melt-in-your-mouth tender bites, while the aromatic combination of onion, garlic, and fennel adds a layer of complexity.
Crimini mushrooms bring an earthy depth, and diced tomatoes add a touch of brightness, perfectly balancing the dish's richness. The real star of the sauce is the port wine, which lends a sweet, nuanced flavor, while brown stock adds a savory base that ties everything together.
The flavors meld and intensify as the short ribs simmer in the crock pot, creating a robust, satisfying meal. Perfect for busy days when you want a home-cooked meal without spending hours in the kitchen, these crock pot short ribs are a great option for dinner parties or family gatherings. Serve them with creamy mashed potatoes or over buttery polenta for a truly indulgent dish that will leave everyone asking for seconds.
Next Time...
Next time I prepare this, I may put the ribs aside, prep the rest of the ingredients, and put them into the crock pot with the ribs on top. I don't know if it would make a difference, but if you happen to know, please comment below.
Do you have to cook it for 9 hours?
No, I'm sure it was fine to eat in 5 hours, but I was going to bed and didn't want to fuss with it. You could also prepare a dish like this in the morning when you get home from work.
My wife and I served the short ribs in shallow bowls over delicious mashed potatoes with sautéed spinach on the side. It was all very simple and easy to make while entertaining, and everyone loved this simple recipe.
The meat and sauce were full of flavor. The mashed potatoes with the sauce were excellent, and I think it was the best-sautéed spinach I've ever prepared. A crusty loaf of French bread doesn't hurt, either.
A great meal, especially for cold weather.
What Is A Crock Pot?
A Crock Pot, also known as a slow cooker, is a versatile kitchen appliance that has revolutionized how many people cook. This ingenious device allows for effortless meal preparation by simmering food at low temperatures over an extended period. The result? Tender, flavorful dishes that require minimal effort and supervision.
The design of a Crock Pot is straightforward: a ceramic or porcelain cooking pot sits inside a heating element. The pot heats up slowly, allowing ingredients to cook gradually and evenly. This gentle cooking process is perfect for tough cuts of meat, beans, stews, and soups, as it helps to break down connective tissues and infuse flavors.
One of the greatest advantages of using a Crock Pot is its convenience. Simply add your ingredients, set the desired cooking time and temperature, and let the appliance do the rest. Whether you're a busy parent juggling work and family responsibilities or someone who loves to meal prep, a Crock Pot can be your kitchen ally.
In addition to its convenience, a Crock Pot is also energy-efficient, often using less electricity than traditional ovens or stovetops. This makes it an eco-friendly option for those looking to reduce their carbon footprint.
Short Ribs
Short ribs are a flavorful and versatile cut of beef known for their rich marbling, deep beefy flavor, and tender texture when cooked low and slow. These ribs are cut from the beef chuck or plate section of the cow, specifically from the ribs that are too short to be used for traditional rib cuts.
One of the defining characteristics of short ribs is their rich marbling, which contributes to their intense beefy flavor and succulent texture when cooked properly. The meat is typically well-suited for braising, slow-cooking, or barbecuing methods, allowing the connective tissues to break down and the meat to become tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
English Style Short Ribs
Sear the Short Ribs
Fennel and Cremini Mushrooms
Saute Fennel, Onions and Garlic
Saute Mushrooms
Adding All the Ingredients to the Crock Pot
📖 Recipe
Crock Pot Short Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds short ribs I used the the long, Flanken Style, but use what you have
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ bulb fennel sliced
- 2 cups crimini mushrooms cleaned, stemmed and cut in half
- 1 can diced tomatoes you can use fresh, of course
- ½ cup port
- ¾ cup brown stock
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- For this recipe, I browned the ribs, a few at a time, in a fry pan with a little bit of olive oil and butter. Once they were browned, I removed them from the pan and put them into the crock pot.
- Next I deglazed the pan with some port wine, let the wine cook down to an essence and then sautéed the onions, garlic and fennel in a little olive oil. I added all this to the crock pot on top of the ribs.
- I then sautéed the mushrooms that my daughter de-stemmed, cleaned and sliced in half. These were added to the pot.
- With the sautéing done, I added a can of diced tomatoes and ¾ cup of brown stock to the crock pot and seasoned everything with salt and pepper.
- Add the cover and let it cook until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
- After removing the fat that floated to the top and congealed, we reheated the short ribs and sauce in a large sauce pot on the stove over low heat.
Faux Wood Blinds Gal
I love this easy short-rib crockpot recipe. Thanks for sharing:-)
Leftover Loaf Meat Recipe
I found your blog via Google while searching for leftover loaf meat recipe and your post regarding Crock Pot Short Ribs Recipe looks very interesting to me. I always enjoy coming to this site because you offer great tips and advice for people like me who can always use a few good pointers. I will be getting my friends to pop around fairly soon.
Harriette
Make something like this except plan ahead and dry rub the ribs with creole seasoning wrap in plastic and refegerate for a couple of hours or overnight then proceed much the same
jon h
Kick butt! I'm going to go try this now. Always looking for new delicious proteins for my crock pot. Thanks for the recipe. You truly understand the essence of crock pot cooking my friend. "Toss it in and wait for the deliciousness" its like cooking with patience. Sincerely- jh fort worth, texas
billy
Can you be more specific about the amounts you used? I don't see what you did with the fennel or how much you used. And in the photo, what's the green stuff, green pepper?
thanks in advance, it sounds delicious
Melody
trying this 2nite!
Ray E. Johnston
Thanks, I am usually working with less expensive cuts of meat, eye of round, rump, and such other cuts that keep under 5 bucks per pound. I have a rump in the refrigerator now and will try your approach, I generally use Asian spices but will go for the creole/lemon approach. I will keep it in the fryer till the veges prepared. will let U know.
RG
Harriette - Thanks for sharing your tips, good ideas.
Jon H - great enthusiasm. Let us know how it turned out.
Billy - most of my recipes have the amounts I've used, but this is one I just winged. The recipe and article talk about everything I used, but you'll have to use your own cooking experience to determine how much to use.
Melody - how did it turn out?
RG
Great, looking forward to your comments Ray.
deirdre
This looks great... I have had these ribs in the freezer without knowing what to do with them. As a new mommy with two other kids, this sounds like a great meal with little work involved!!
RG
Hi Deirdre, it really is an easy recipe to throw together, leave alone with amazing results. Let us know how it turns out.
AM
Looks good, will try it. Yes, meat is supposed to go on top in a slow cooker, veggies on the bottom. Don't know why but that's what the slow cooker guidebooks say...
Chef Frank
20 years of cooking , never done short ribs....or used my wife's crock pot....i added a few more spices and carrots....the house smell good already, it's snowing outside...something tells me we will have a great dinner. cheers
Hey Chef Frank, isn't it great to try new ingredients and new techniques. Hope you enjoyed your ribs on your cold and snowy night. - RG
lily
This recipe was AMAZING! I didn't have red wine to deglaze the pot but I did use some white wine I had in the fridge.
I followed your instructions and cooked them overnight, then re heated the next evening for dinner. I was able to scrape off all the fat that raised to the top when it cooled. This is such a great IDEA! I had both boneless and bone in ribs in the crock pot which made for some yummy broth. I also did not have beef broth so I used chicken instead. No biggie.
I will make this recipe over and over from here on out. Thank you!!!
Hi Lily, that's fantastic and thank you for letting me know about the substitutions. - RG
Danielle
I found this recipe when searching for cooking time for short ribs in a crock pot and wondered if you think mine will come out any differently because I didn't fry them in a pan before I put them in the cooker. They've been in about two hours already so it's too late but if you have any thoughts to share it would be appreciated. Hopefully they still come out good.
I'm sure they will be fine. You won't get the same color that you get when you sear them and you may loose just a fractionally small amount of flavor from the caramelization process, but in the end, it should be great. Let us know. - RG
randy
If you put the ribs in the bottom of the pot they will fall apart when you try to take them out . Put them on top they will still cook the same, but when you take them out they will come out in one piece and not fall apart.
Good tip Randy. Thanks - RG
Gloria
I make short ribs very similar to the way you do, but don't use fennel. I will try that next time.I have a helpful hint: Instead of frying short ribs, which are full of fat anyway, season ribs put on a foil lined cookie sheet & broil 'til brown on each side. Drain on paper towels. This helps remove quite a bit of the fat.
Hi Gloria, thanks for the tip. I'll give it a try next time. - RG
Avery
Long time reader, first time poster: short ribs were excellent. I slammed a bottle of a good IPA into the pot and plenty of herb de Provence. I also dredged it the ribs in flour prior to browning. Turned out fantastically. I too cooked them for 9 hours and would repeat.
Thanks for helping us with our meal plan; it was a real treat.
You are very welcome and thanks for sharing your variations. For those of you not familiar with IPA, it stands for Indian Pale Ale. - RG
Silverspoon
Wonderful, wonderful! Cooked 2 days ago refrigerated & heated for tonight. Served over polenta with steamed broccoli. Sooo good!
Thanks for letting me know. - RG
Sandra
Anxious to make this...sounds wonderful. Love your style of writing and explanation - very descriptive, but yet to the point. Love it.. And of course, you respond to your followers.. Don't see that very often. Cheers to you!! :O)
Thank Sandra, much appreciated. Please be sure to tell your culinary friends to visit. - RG
david
I frequently braise using a mirepoix (Carrot/onion/celery) or Holy Trinity (Onion/Celery/Bell Pepper) which is very similar to what you used. I bastardize the mirepoix by adding garlic and whatever other aromatics I have at hand. The mirepoix is not intended to be eaten (although it can and I usually do) but rather to serve as a foundation for aormatic moisture and to keep the meat off of the bottom of the pan.
If I'm overly motivated, I'll strain the solids out of the mushy veggies and pan drippings and reduce over med-hi heat (maybe add a lil wine or cordial liquor) into a sauce for the meat.
As for the searing or pan frying the meat prior to braising: definite must. The logic is to create a searing seal on all sides of the meat to help lock in moisture. -Enjoy
Hi David, thanks for the cooking tips. I used to agree with the searing to seal idea but after many emails and doing my own research (McGee plus other books), I now say the searing is more about caramelizing than sealing in any juices. I know a lot of cookbooks say to sear to seal, but the science of cooking seems to disagree. - RG
Gloria
Just discovered you. I had just been thinking about the issue of meat on top of veggies or on the bottom in the crock pot. I used to do meat on the bottom then read where it should be on the top. After years of both I believe I like meat on the bottom...seems like it reflavors itself better. My imagination? I'm sure either works but I like hearing the opinions. Great site.
Debbie
cooked ribs on top of stove. Still tough. Can I put them into a crock pot for a few more hours or is that going to contaminate? Please advise
I'm not so sure that is the best way at this point. Takes a long time for that crock pot to warm up. How about trying the method I use for barbecue ribs where you steam them in a covered roasting pan with a little beer. Check out http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/barbecue-baby-back-ribs-recipe/ - RG
Elio Levy
Will try the recipe with lamb shoulder parts I just bought from my butcher, might use rosemary, thyme and a full head of garlic sliced in half ... wish me luck !
Good luck Elio. Let me know how it turns out. - RG
Elio Levy
The dish was a great success, might reduce cooking time to 2 from 2.5 hours.
Thanks for a great recipe.
Brandy
Perfect! We have had these in the freezer for a while with no clue what to do with them! Now, I'm excited to use them! AND we were just commenting and inquiring why some were long and some were short! Well, thanks for answering that too! Can't wait to make this!
Cindy
Yummmmmmy...had these Flanken ribs and didn't have a clue what to do with them. Read that they can be tough with other recipes....but this recipe was so delicious! The meat was falling off the bone. Will definitely use this recipe again. Thank you