These oven-braised boneless short ribs are tender and flavorful. It's an easy recipe - there's no need to brown them first, and the delicious sauce is sugar-free.

Boneless short ribs are served on a white plate.

Rich, fatty, tender beef - these ribs are a true comfort food! And they are more affordable than ribeye roast, another deliciously fatty cut of meat. They don't actually come from the rib area. They come from the shoulder (chuck), right next to the ribs, and are best cooked low and slow. In this easy recipe, I simply place the seasoned ribs in a pan and bake them for three hours. Yes, it's as easy as it sounds, and the result is superb.

Ingredients

Raw boneless short ribs on a cutting board.

See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.

Boneless short ribs: I get them at Whole Foods or Costco.
Apple cider vinegar: Red wine vinegar works, too.
Hot pepper sauce: It doesn't make the ribs spicy. It merely adds an interesting layer of flavor.
To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and dried thyme.

Instructions

The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.

Cut the ribs in half and arrange them in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Season them with salt and pepper. Combine the vinegar, hot pepper sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and thyme. Pour over the ribs and use your hands to coat all the pieces.

The boneless short ribs are arranged in a baking dish.

Cover the pan tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil. Bake the ribs until cooked through and tender, for 2.5 hours. Carefully remove the foil. Baste the tops of the ribs with the braising liquid and continue baking them uncovered for 30 more minutes, allowing their tops to brown.

The boneless short ribs are ready in the pan.

An optional step is thickening the cooking liquids and brushing them on the ribs. Alternatively, you can serve the ribs with the cooking liquids on the side for dipping.

Brushing the ribs with the cooking liquids.

I made this today for dinner. It was so tender and delicious. The spouse loved it too. We'll do this again for sure. Thanks for such a well written recipe.
Jeff E.
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Recipe Tips

Covering the pan tightly with a double layer of foil is very important. If your pan has a lid, you can use it, but only if it seals the pan completely. Not sealing the pan will allow liquids to evaporate, resulting in the meat drying out.
You can add a cup of beef stock to the pan if you like. I find that as long as the baking dish is tightly covered with a double layer of foil, there's enough liquid, as the meat releases liquid as it bakes. But it's fine to add more liquid to the pan before you cover it and place it in the oven.
There's no need to brown the ribs in a skillet before baking them. I tried it both ways, and they are just as good when you don't go through the extra step of browning them.
You could marinate the ribs before cooking if you wish, but it's unnecessary. Slow cooking tenderizes the meat, and the spices impart lots of flavor. So there's no need for a marinade.
Storage tips: You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power. This is one of those dishes where the leftovers taste great, as long as you take care not to dry them when reheating.

Serving Suggestions

This is a saucy dish, so I like to serve it on top of something that would absorb the sauce, such as any of the following:

I also add an easy vegetable side dish, such as:

Recipe Card

5 from 74 votes

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Oven-Braised Boneless Short Ribs

These oven-braised boneless short ribs are tender and flavorful. It's an easy recipe - simply place them in a pan and bake for three hours.

Prep Time10

Cook Time3

Total Time3 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 525kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

Video

Ingredients

▢ 6 boneless short ribs - 4 pounds
▢ 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or 2 teaspoons of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
▢ 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
▢ 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ ½ teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Cut the short ribs in half and arrange them in a lightly greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Season them with salt and pepper.
In a small jar, add the vinegar, hot pepper sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and thyme. Whisk or shake well to combine. Pour the sauce over the ribs and use your hands to toss and coat all the pieces.
Cover the pan tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil. Bake the ribs until cooked through and tender, 2.5 hours.
Remove the foil (carefully - hot steam will escape). Baste the tops of the short ribs with the braising liquid and continue baking them for 30 more minutes, allowing the tops to brown.
Serve the ribs with the braising liquid. I like to place a small bowl filled with the braising liquid on each plate. This allows the diners to dip their meat into the yummy liquid.

Optional: thicken the cooking liquids

When the ribs are fully cooked, transfer them to an oven-safe dish and cover them. Lower the oven to the "keep warm" setting (170°F) and place the ribs in the oven to keep them warm.
Pour the cooking liquids through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium saucepan and heat them over medium-high heat, whisking often, until they thicken, 5-10 minutes.
You can speed this process up by mixing in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1.5 tablespoons cold water). Heat, whisking, over medium heat. Remove from the heat as soon as the sauce thickens.
Brush the ribs with the gravy and serve.

Notes

There's no need to brown the ribs on the stovetop before baking them. I tried it both ways, and they are just as good when you don't go through the extra step of browning.
It's very important to cover the pan tightly with a double layer of foil and ensure it's completely sealed. Otherwise, the ribs will dry out in the oven.
You can add a cup of beef stock to the pan if you like. I find that as long as the baking dish is tightly covered with a double layer of foil, there's enough liquid. The meat releases liquid as it bakes. But it's fine to add more liquid to the pan before you cover it and place it in the oven.
The nutrition info is for "Beef, chuck, arm pot roast, separable lean and fat, trimmed to ⅛" fat, choice, cooked, braised." 6 ounces should be about one boneless rib (two halves).
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power. This is one of those dishes where the leftovers taste great, as long as you take care not to dry them when you reheat them.

Nutrition per Serving

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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.

Boneless Short Ribs

Ingredients

Instructions

Recipe Tips

Serving Suggestions

Recipe Card