Beer Braised Beef Short Ribs

Beer braised beef short ribs are the ultimate comfort food. You will get tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs infused with a rich, savory sauce.

This hearty dish combines the robust flavor of dark beer with aromatic herbs and vegetables, creating a sauce so good you’ll want to pour it over everything. This recipe is perfect for slow-cooked, hands-off weekends.

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Beer Braised Short Ribs Dutch Oven

Using a Dutch oven for these short ribs is like tapping into an old-fashioned slow cooker. The ale infuses the meat with deep, rich flavors while the Dutch oven ensures slow, even cooking, resulting in tender, melt-in-your-mouth ribs.

Here is Why This Short Ribs Recipe Works

Rich Flavor: The dark beer adds a deep, malty richness that make the meat on the short ribs irresistibly savory.

Hands-Off Cooking: Once everything’s in the oven, you can kick back and relax while the magic happens—perfect for lazy weekends.

Fall-Off-the-Bone Tender: Slow-braising makes these short ribs so tender, you won’t even need a knife—just a fork and some serious self-control.

Next-Level Sauce: The concentrated sauce is pure gold—seriously, you’ll want to drizzle it on everything from mashed potatoes to roasted veggies.

The Ingredients

• Meat: Bone-in beef short ribs
• Produce: Carrots, yellow onion, celery, garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley
• Pantry: Olive oil, beef broth, flour, salt, pepper, bay leaves
• Condiments: Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce
• Fridge: Butter
• Other: Dark beer (stout, porter, lager)

Recipe Variations 

Red Wine and Rosemary Short Ribs: Swap the dark beer for 2 cups of dry red wine and add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary. Add some tomato paste to the cooking liquid.

Maple Bourbon Short Ribs: Replace the beer with a shot of bourbon and 1 cup of beef stock, and stir in 2 tablespoons of maple syrup for a slightly sweet, smoky flavor.

Soy Ginger Short Ribs: Substitute the beer with 2 cups of beef broth mixed with 1/4 cup of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of fresh grated ginger. Toss in a star anise.

Tips for Success

• Don’t rush the browning process; it’s where a lot of the flavor develops. Make sure to brown the ribs on all sides for the best results.
• A Dutch oven is ideal for this recipe, as it maintains even heat and can go from stovetop to oven seamlessly.
• Be patient when reducing the sauce; it’s worth the extra time to get that rich, concentrated flavor that makes these short ribs shine.
• Wait until the sauce is fully reduced and ready before adding any extra salt. The flavors will intensify during cooking, so it’s best to season the meat to taste at the end.

Storing Leftovers

To store any leftover short ribs, let them cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container. They’ll keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freezing: If you want to freeze the leftovers, place the cooled short ribs and sauce in a freezer-safe container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Reheating: To reheat, thaw the short ribs overnight in the refrigerator. Then, gently warm them in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. You can also reheat them in the oven at 300°F until warm.

Braising short ribs in beer gives them a rich flavor and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Whether for a special occasion or a cozy night in, this recipe is one you’ll want to make on repeat. 

More Recipes You Will Love

• Braised Herb Lamb Shanks 
• Lamb Stew with Garlic Polenta 
• Cider Braised Pork Tenderloin
• Slow cooker tri tip

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 4 hours hrs

4.88 from 16 votes

Braised Short Ribs with Beer

By Pat Nyswonger

Our savory Braised Short Ribs with beer have an incredible flavor from the long, slow oven braise in a veggie, beer and fresh herb bath. The short ribs are unbelievably tender and the braising liquid is finished off to become a rich, delicious sauce to serve over creamy mashed potatoes.

If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.

Servings: 6 to 8 servings

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 3 to 4 pounds of bone-in beef short ribs
• ▢ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed
• ▢ 2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
• ▢ 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• ▢ 2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• ▢ Fresh string-tied herb bundle, Bouquet Garni thyme, rosemary, parsley
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• ▢ 2 cups dark beer, stout, porter, lager
• ▢ 3 cups beef broth
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

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Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 300°F
• Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven or other large deep pan over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat for a couple minutes. 

  Working in batches, brown the short ribs on all sides, 5 or 6 minutes per batch. Transfer the ribs to a plate after browning each batch. Add additional oil if needed.
• When all the ribs have been browned, pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the remaining fat from the pan. Add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, herb bundle, bay leaf and peppercorns. Stir and scrape up any of the flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Add the beer and bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes to reduce the liquid and cook off the alcohol from the beer. Return the beef short ribs to the pan with the accumulated juices, arranging the beef in one layer, then add the beef broth. 
• Cover the pot with its lid and transfer to the preheated oven and braise for 3 hours. Transfer the pot from the oven to the counter top, adjust the lid slightly off-pan to allow the steam to escape and let the beef ribs cool for 1 hour. 
• Set the oven to the ‘warm-and-hold’ setting or it’s lowest temperature.
• Using a slotted spatula or large spoon carefully remove the beef ribs from the pot to a platter and cover loosely with foil and set the platter in the warm oven while preparing the sauce.
• Pour the cooking liquids through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-size saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and boil until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes.
• While the liquids are reducing, mix the butter and flour together in a small dish, mashing with the back of a tablespoon to make a smooth paste. 
• When the liquid has fully reduced to 2 cups, stir in the Dijon mustard and the Worcestershire sauce. Remove from the heat and whisk the butter/flour paste into the liquid until melted into the sauce. 

  Return the pan to a medium heat, continue cooking and whisking for another 2 minutes to a smooth sauce. Transfer the sauce to a dish or gravy pitcher

Notes

• Avoid adding extra salt while cooking, as the sauce will intensify during braising. If needed, adjust the salt after cooking when mixing the sauce.
   

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 497kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 51g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 162mg, Sodium: 456mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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