Beef short ribs are perfect for slow cooking. The slow cooker transforms a relatively tough cut of beef into soft, tender, succulent goodness that falls apart at the touch of a fork. Serve them smothered in a rich beef and vegetable gravy over a mound of your favourite mash, and you'll find yourself making these slow cooker beef short ribs time and time again.
There's something really special about slow-cooked beef short ribs, especially when they are cooked in rich horseradish gravy. The horseradish adds a lovely warmth and zing to the gravy and enhances the flavour of the beef without being too overpowering.
The beef ribs becomes beautifully tender as the long, slow cooking time breaks down the collagen in the meat, leaving it soft, succulent and mouth-wateringly tender.
As the ribs simmer in the slow cooker, the flavours develop and come together into something really comforting. It's the kind of meal that fills the kitchen with mouth-watering smells, making your tummy rumble in anticipation of what's to come!
Spoon the slow cooked beef ribs over a pile of vegetable mash (I used my mashed spring greens recipe) and serve the vegetables from the slow cooker on the side, and you've got a hearty dinner that really hits the spot.
The cherry on top (so to speak) is the rich, delicious gravy that gets poured over the top. I could eat a bowl of that as a soup wth a slice of crusty bread. To be perfectly honest, I often save the leftover gravy and do just that for lunch the next day!
Slow cooker beef ribs is a simple yet satisfying dish that takes almost no preparation time, yet turns out really special without any fuss.
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Ingredients
This recipe will make sufficient for 4 people. There's lots of gravy (which can be frozen for later use), so if you want to scale it up, simply add more meat and vegetables.
- Beef short ribs - one short rib per person should be sufficient. It depends on how large the ribs have been cut. There's a large, flat bone running through the meat, which falls away once the meat is tender. My local supermarket sells them in approximately 5-inch lengths, and I find one piece is perfect for a serving. If your short ribs have been cut smaller, you may like to serve 2 per person.
- Potatoes - because I was planning on serving this meal on a pile of vegetable mash, I only added sufficient potatoes to thicken the gravy. If you would prefer to serve the beef ribs with potatoes that have been cooked in the gravy, then, by all means, add extra potatoes.
- Carrots, celery and onions - these are intended to be served as a side and are also used to add extra flavour to the gravy. They should be peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- Mushrooms - these are optional, but I like to add a few coarsely chopped mushrooms. Any mushrooms are fine to use, and if you don't like mushrooms, just leave them out.
- Tomato passata - this is tomatoes that have been sieved to remove any pips and bits of skin. You can find this alongside tinned tomatoes in the supermarket, and it is normally sold in cartons or bottles. If you can't find it, you can substitute it with extra stock.
- Tomato puree or tomato paste - this is concentrated tomatoes, and I normally add a small amount to enhance the tomato flavour of the gravy.
- Creamed horseradish - normally sold in jars in supermarkets. Beef and horseradish is a great combination, and the sharp flavour of the horseradish adds a delicious flavour to the dish. You can leave it out (not recommended) or add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce instead.
- Stock - I find it easiest to make the stock with a beef stock cube dissolved in a cup of boiling water.
- Salt and pepper - to your own taste for seasoning.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This is a super easy recipe; you simply put all the ingredients in the slow cooker and leave them to cook. I don't find it necessary to brown the meat in flour before cooking it as there is so much flavour in the stock that soaks into the meat, and the potatoes thicken the gravy naturally.
Step 1: Place the prepared vegetables into the slow cooker and arrange the meat on top
Step 2: Combine the stock, tomato passata and puree, horseradish and salt and pepper in a jug and pour it over the meat and vegetables.
Step 3: Cover the slow cooker with a lid and cook for 7 to 8 hours on low, or 5 to 6 hours on high or until the meat is tender and pulling away from the bone.
Step 4: Remove the meat and most of the vegetables from the slow cooker and blend the stock and remaining vegetables with a stick blender to form a thick gravy.
Step 5: Serve hot with lashings of tasty gravy.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your beef ribs in rich gravy always turn out perfectly:
- Prepare the vegetables and cut them into equally-sized pieces before placing them in the slow cooker.
- Combine the stock ingredients into a jug before pouring them over the meat and vegetables.
- Once the meat is cooked, remove it to a serving dish along with most of the vegetables. Leave sufficient vegetables in the gravy to blend to a thick sauce.
- Use a stick blender to blend the gravy. If you don't have a stick blender, press the vegetables and stock through a sieve to blend them.
- You can add extra potatoes if you don't want to serve the dish with potato mash.
Equipment
These are the main pieces of equipment you will need to make this beef short rib recipe:
- Slow cooker - you will need a slow cooker large enough to hold all the vegetables, stock and meat. These short ribs have long bones in them, so if your slow cooker is on the small side, you may have difficulty fitting in more than one.
- Sharp knife - for cleaning and chopping up the vegetables.
- Chopping board - to protect your work surface.
- Stick blender - to blend the gravy. You could also use a sieve and a spoon to push the vegetables through.
Storage
Leftover short rib can be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 3 days. I normally remove it from the gravy and store it separately.
The cold meat is ideal for putting on sandwiches for lunch the next day.
Leftover gravy can be stored in the same way also for 3 days. I like to warm the leftover gravy (in a saucepan or the microwave) and serve it as a soup for lunch with a slice of crusty bread.
Leftover gravy can also be frozen for up to 3 months and used as a base for other stews or kept to be served as a soup when you're feeling peckish.
FAQ
Short ribs are found in the lower belly area of the cow and have a good amount of connective tissue, making them ideal for show cooking.
Because of the size of the bone in the short rib, you will need between 300 and 400 grams of raw meat per person depending on appetite. That's about 10 to 14 ounces.
Yes, this recipe can be cooked in a low oven (150C/350F) in a covered casserole dish or Dutch oven for 3 to 3.5 hours or until the meat is tender. If you cook this recipe in the oven, I would recommend adding an extra cup of stock to allow for evaporation.
Horseradish is more warming than spicy. It mellows during cooking giving a gentle heat and pairs beautifully with beef. If you prefer more of a kick, you could add extra horseradish on the side.
Yes, you can make this dish up to 2 days before you want to serve it. Allow it to cool to room temperature and store it in the refrigerator. Reheat it either in the slow cooker (on high for half an hour) or in a saucepan on the stove until piping hot. You may need to add a splash of water if the gravy has thickened too much.
Yes, you can certainly add extra vegetables. Just bear in mind the cooking time, and add softer vegetables such as courgettes or butternut halfway through the cooking time so they still retain their texture.
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Related recipes
Visit my slow cooker recipes page for other easy recipes made in a slow cooker. Here are a few slow cooker beef recipes you might enjoy:
📋The recipe
Slow cooker beef short ribs with rich gravy
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Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Stick blender
Ingredients
- 4 Beef short ribs between 300 to 400 grams or 10 to 14 ounces each
- 1 medium potato quartered, to thicken the gravy.
- 4 ounces / 113 grams mushrooms sliced or quartered
- 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 3 to 4 sticks celery washed and sliced
- 1 large onion peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup tomato passata
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree or tomato paste
- 1½ cups beef stock you can make it with a stock cube
- 2 tablespoons creamed horseradish to your own taste
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Place the prepared vegetables into the slow cooker and arrange the meat on top1 medium potato, 4 ounces / 113 grams mushrooms, 3 medium carrots, 3 to 4 sticks celery, 1 large onion, 4 Beef short ribs
- Combine the stock, tomato passata and puree, horseradish and salt and pepper in a jug and pour it over the meat and vegetables.1 cup tomato passata, 2 tablespoons tomato puree or tomato paste, 1½ cups beef stock, 2 tablespoons creamed horseradish, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Cover the slow cooker with a lid and cook for 7 to 8 hours on low, or 5 to 6 hours on high or until the meat is tender and pulling away from the bone.
- Remove the meat and most of the vegetables from the slow cooker (leave the potatoes) and blend the stock and remaining vegetables with a stick blender to form a thick gravy.
- Serve hot, spooned over your favourite vegetable mash, with lashings of tasty gravy.
Notes
- Prepare the vegetables and cut them into equal-sized pieces before placing them in the slow cooker.
- Combine the stock ingredients into a jug before pouring them over the meat and vegetables.
- Once the meat is cooked, remove it to a serving dish along with most of the vegetables. Leave sufficient vegetables (and potatoes) in the gravy to blend to a thick sauce.
- Use a stick blender to blend the gravy. If you don't have a stick blender, press the vegetables and stock through a sieve to blend them.
- You can add extra potatoes if you don't want to serve the dish with potato mash.
- Leftover short rib can be stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 3 days. I normally remove it from the gravy and store it separately.
- The cold meat is ideal for putting on sandwiches for lunch the next day.
- Leftover gravy can be stored in the same way also for 3 days. I like to warm the leftover gravy (in a saucepan or the microwave) and serve it as a soup for lunch with a slice of crusty bread.
- Leftover gravy can also be frozen for up to 3 months and used as a base for other stews or kept to be served as a soup when you're feeling peckish.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!