Oven Baked Beef Short Ribs

I absolutely love making oven baked beef short ribs because they are incredibly delicious and always a hit. These ribs have a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness that is simply irresistible.

What’s even better is that they are super easy to make, requiring minimal effort. Whenever I prepare them, they disappear in no time, and it doesn’t matter how many I cook; there never seem to be leftovers.

Ingredients

5-6 beef short ribs (2 lbs). You can pick this up at pretty much any grocery store or butcher shop. Or if you have it on hand, that will work too.

The best seasonings. Ribs themself are already pretty flavorful, so I don’t like to go all out. I like to season my ribs with salt, ground black pepper, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.

BBQ Sauce. I do like to combine my barbecue sauce with a touch of apple cider vinegar, however; you can also make your own, which I have a recipe for at the end of this post.

Oven Baked Beef Short Ribs

Step 1: Preheat oven to 300°F.

Step 2: Combine the dry seasonings (salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika) and generously coat the ribs.

Step 3: Paint the ribs evenly with the combined mixture of barbeque sauce and apple cider vinegar, or make your own. See notes below.

Step 4: Transfer the ribs into the dutch oven, bone side down. There is no need to oil the bottom of the pot; however, if you are not using an enameled Dutch oven, you will want to add a light coat of oil.

Step 5: Cover and bake for 3 hours.

Check the ribs after 3 hours, the meat should be pulling away from the bone. If not, continue cooking for an additional 20 minutes at a time. (see picture below for reference)

Homemade BBQ Sauce Recipe

• 3/4 cup of ketchup
• 1/4 cup of ACV
• 2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar (lightly packed)
• 1 tbsp of mustard
• 2 teaspoons of paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup of water. (So it’s not so thick)

Instructions

Step 1: Add everything to a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Step 2: Reduce to simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 3: Allow to cool completely before storing.

What is the difference between beef short ribs and back ribs

Beef short ribs are the meatier relative of beef back ribs. They are a flavorful and tender cut of meat taken from the lower part of the rib areas of the cow.

The most noticeable difference between the two is that the short ribs have the meat on top of the bone, and the back ribs have the meat between the bones.

Typically larger and meatier than these dutch oven pork spare ribs, beef short ribs are often braised or slow-cooked to break down the collagen and render the meat tender and juicy.

What is the best temperature to cook beef short ribs?

I slow-cook my ribs at 300°F for several hours to achieve optimum tenderness, until they practically fall off the bone. This gentle cooking method also results in a delightful caramelized top, adding an extra layer of flavor and texture to the ribs straight from the oven.

Serving suggestions

A perfect dinner, in my opinion, would be a plate of juicy BBQ ribs with a side of french fries and homemade coleslaw. Other great side choices are garlic parmesan brussel sprouts, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, mac and cheese, and, of course, cornbread.

Enjoy Oven Baked Beef Short Ribs

Oven baked beef short ribs are perfect for a game day appetizer or for a main course at your dinner table. Whichever option you go for, it sure will be a hit.

Just pop them in the oven and let them cook for three hours. It’s no secret that slow cooking is the key to achieving tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs.

Try one of these rib recipes next!

• How to cook pork belly burnt ends
• Oven-baked brisket
• Easy tender beef rump roast