If you ask me my go-to meal when I really want to impress guests, Red Wine Braised Short Ribs are always at the top of the list. They’re fall-off-the-bone tender with the most delicious rich red wine sauce you’ll want to pour over absolutely everything.
And despite being a total showstopper, short ribs are actually one of my favorite meals for entertaining because they require little hands-on time and are even better when made ahead. Make them the day before, refrigerate overnight, remove the fat cap that solidifies on top, then slowly reheat them before your guests arrive. Dinner party main done, so you can actually enjoy the time with your guests.
Serve them over creamy mashed potatoes with plenty of that red wine sauce and something green on the side, and you’ve got a restaurant-worthy dinner without spending your entire night in the kitchen.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for dinner parties: Short ribs just feel impressive. They’re rich, cozy and beautiful enough for a special occasion, without requiring a ton of last-minute work.
- Even better made ahead: Short ribs release quite a bit of fat while braising. Refrigerating them overnight allows that fat to solidify on top so you can easily remove it before reheating. Plus, they get to hang out in that delicious sauce overnight, making them taste even better the next day.
- Mostly hands-off: Once you’ve seared your ribs and built your braising liquid, the oven does the rest of the work.
- Fall-apart tender: A low-and-slow braise breaks down the tough connective tissue in short ribs until they’re unbelievably tender.
- The sauce is everything: Red wine, beef drippings, tomato paste, aromatics, herbs and an entire head of roasted garlic create the most incredible rich, savory sauce.
Ingredients Breakdown
- Short ribs: I like using a combination of bone-in and boneless beef short ribs. The bone-in ribs add tons of flavor to the sauce, while adding some boneless ribs ensures you have plenty of actual meat to serve. Plan for around 0.8–1 pound of raw short ribs per person.
- Red wine: We’re using a full 750 ml bottle here! Choose a dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah or a red blend. It definitely doesn’t need to be expensive, just use something you like the taste of.
- Chicken stock: You can use beef stock here as well, but I like chicken stock for a slightly less bold flavor.
- Aromatics & Veggies: Shallots, garlic, celery, and carrots help add flavor to our sauce. They get cooked down, then pressed through a sieve to release their flavor and liquid into the sauce.
- Tomato paste: Adds concentrated savory flavor and a little acidity. Make sure to cook it for a few minutes before adding your wine.
- Fresh rosemary + thyme: Classic hearty herbs that pair perfectly with beef and red wine.
- Mushroom umami seasoning or dried mushroom seasoning: Optional, but I love the extra savory depth it gives the sauce.
Tips & Tricks
- Use a mix of bone-in and boneless short ribs. This is probably my biggest short rib tip! Bone-in short ribs give you incredible flavor, but depending on the cut, you can end up with a lot of bone and not as much meat as you expected. Combining the two gives you the best of both worlds. Plan for 0.6–1 pound per person. Short ribs lose quite a bit of volume as the fat renders and, of course, bone-in ribs include the weight of the bone. I’d much rather have a little extra than realize halfway through plating that I don’t have enough meat (these also always get a few people coming back for seconds).
- Pat your short ribs REALLY dry. Moisture is the enemy of browning. Pat them thoroughly with paper towels before seasoning to help develop a beautiful crust.
- Sear in batches! Don’t try to squeeze every short rib into your Dutch oven at once. Overcrowding leads them to steam instead of sear, which means your ribs won’t brown properly. That deep brown crust, and all those browned bits left behind in the pot is what creates the foundation for your sauce.
- Don’t skip cooking the tomato paste. Letting the tomato paste cook for a minute or two until it darkens slightly gets rid of that raw tomato flavor and builds another layer of depth.
- Reduce your wine. Once you’ve deglazed the pot with your bottle of wine, let it simmer and reduce by half before adding your stock. This concentrates the flavor and cooks off the alcohol, softening the flavor of the sauce..
- Don’t completely submerge the ribs. The liquid should come most of the way up the sides of the ribs, but the tops don’t need to be completely covered.
- Go by tenderness, not just time. Short ribs can vary quite a bit in size. If they’re still tough when you check them, they aren’t overcooked, they likely just need more time. They’re done when a fork slides easily into the meat with very little resistance.
- If you can, make them the day before. This isn’t just for convenience! Once refrigerated, all of the excess rendered fat will rise to the surface and harden into a solid cap. You can lift it off before reheating, leaving you with a much less greasy sauce. Making them the same day? Pour the braising liquid into a tall, heat-safe container and let it cool slightly, then pop it in the freezer for 15–20 minutes. The fat will rise to the top and begin to solidify, making it much easier to skim off before returning the sauce to the short ribs.
Short Rib Cooking Time
While my preferred way to make short ribs is always in my Dutch oven, I’ve included some alternative options below, along with their cooking times.
- Pressure Cooker/InstantPot: 1 hour on high
- Slow Cooker: 8 hours
- Stove top: 3 hours
- 325°F oven: 3 hours
Serving Suggestions
- My absolute favorite way to serve these red wine braised short ribs is over creamy mashed potatoes. You need something underneath to catch every last bit of that sauce! These are my favorite: Garlic Confit Mashed Potatoes.
- For a dinner party, I love pairing them with something simple and green to balance out the richness. Garlicky green beans, roasted broccolini, asparagus or a simple green salad would all be perfect.
- You could also skip the mashed potatoes and serve the short ribs over creamy polenta or parmesan risotto.
More Dinner Party Recipes
If you’re looking for more cozy, impressive recipes perfect for entertaining, try:
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Red Wine Braised Short Ribs
- Total Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 6-8
Description
Fall-apart tender red wine braised short ribs cooked low and slow with herbs and garlic for an impressive, easy make-ahead dinner party main.
Ingredients
For the Red Wine Braised Short Ribs:
- 3–4 lbs bone-in short ribs
- 1 lb boneless short ribs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large head of garlic, top ⅓ sliced off to expose the cloves
- 3 large shallots, sliced
- 3 carrots, cut into 2” pieces
- 2 stalks of celery, cut into 2” pieces
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp mushroom umami seasoning or dried mushroom powder (optional)
- 1 750 ml bottle of red wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh sage
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Mashed potatoes for serving
Instructions
For the Red Wine Braised Short Ribs:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Pat short ribs very dry with paper towels and season all over with salt.
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat, and once hot, drizzle in the olive oil. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot, sear the short ribs for 3-4 minutes per side, or until deeply browned all over. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining short ribs, draining some of the excess fat between batches as needed.
- Once all short ribs have been seared on all sides, carefully pour off all but about 2 tbsp of fat from the Dutch oven. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the garlic head, cut side down. Add the shallots, carrots and celery, and salt and pepper. Cook vegetables for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to caramelize.
- Add the tomato paste and mushroom umami seasoning, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and begins to stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Pour in the entire bottle of red wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 12–15 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by about half.
- Nestle the short ribs back into the Dutch oven along with any resting juices. Add in the chicken stock, rosemary, thyme, and sage. The liquid should come most of the way up the sides of the ribs without completely covering them. Add additional stock as needed.
- Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Braise for 3–3½ hours, or until the short ribs are very tender and easily pull apart with a fork.
- Carefully transfer the short ribs to a plate or serving dish. Remove and discard the herb stems. Remove the garlic head, squeeze the softened cloves back into the braising liquid and stir to combine. Strain the braising liquid through a fine mesh strainer, pressing the juices out of the vegetables.
- For the best results, let the short ribs and sauce cool and refrigerate overnight. The rendered fat will rise to the surface and harden, allowing you to easily lift it off the next day. If serving the short ribs the same day, pour the braising liquid into a tall, heat-safe container, let it cool slightly, then freeze for 15–20 minutes, or until the fat rises to the surface and begins to solidify. Skim off and discard as much fat as possible.
- Pour the braising liquid back into the Dutch oven and bring to a gentle simmer. If you’d like a thicker, more concentrated sauce, simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes, or until reduced to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
- Return the short ribs to the sauce and spoon the sauce over the top. Cover and gently heat until the ribs are warmed through. Serve over creamy mashed potatoes with plenty of the sauce spooned over.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Braised
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store leftover short ribs in their braising liquid in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To make ahead: This is actually my preferred method! Make the short ribs completely the day before serving and refrigerate the ribs directly in their braising liquid. The next day, remove the hardened layer of fat from the surface and slowly reheat the ribs in the sauce.
- To reheat: Add the short ribs and sauce to a Dutch oven or covered baking dish and gently warm on the stovetop over low heat or in a low oven until heated through. If the sauce has become too thick, add a splash of stock or water to loosen it.
- Freezer: Short ribs also freeze beautifully. Freeze the cooled ribs with their sauce in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
FAQs
How many pounds of short ribs do I need per person?
I recommend planning for around 0.6–1 pound of uncooked short ribs per person, depending on if you are using bone-in or boneless short ribs (or a combo). If using all bone in, use closer to 0.8-1lb per person. The bones account for some of the weight, and the meat will shrink as the fat renders during cooking.
For 4 people, I’d use around 3–4 pounds; for 6, around 5–6 pounds; and for 8, around 7–8 pounds.
Should I use bone-in or boneless short ribs?
I actually prefer a combination! Bone-in short ribs add incredible flavor to the braising liquid, while boneless short ribs give you more meat per pound. Using both gives you that rich, slow-braised flavor while making sure there’s plenty of meat to go around.
Can I make braised short ribs ahead of time?
Yes, and I actually recommend it! Short ribs release a lot of fat as they braise. After chilling overnight, that fat solidifies on the surface of the sauce, making it incredibly easy to remove. Then just return the ribs to the sauce and gently reheat before serving. It’s one of the reasons this is such a great dinner party recipe: almost everything can be done before your guests arrive.
What kind of red wine is best for braised short ribs?
Use a dry, red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah or a red blend. You don’t need an expensive bottle, but because the wine makes up such a large portion of the braising liquid, I recommend choosing something you’d be happy to drink.
Can I make these without a Dutch oven?
Yes. A Dutch oven is my preferred method because you can sear, build your sauce and braise everything in the same pot. If you don’t have one, sear the ribs and prepare the braising liquid in a large skillet or pot, then transfer everything to an oven-safe covered baking dish.
You can also transfer everything to a slow cooker after searing and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until the short ribs are very tender.
Why are my short ribs still tough?
They probably just need more time! Short ribs contain a lot of connective tissue that needs time to break down. If you check them and they’re still tough or chewy, cover the pot and continue braising, checking again every 20–30 minutes. They’re ready when the meat is fork tender and pulls apart easily.
How do I thicken the red wine sauce?
Once the short ribs are tender, remove them from the pot and simmer the braising liquid uncovered on the stovetop until it reduces to your desired consistency. I prefer doing this rather than adding flour or cornstarch because you’re concentrating all of the flavors you’ve already built into the sauce.
