Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

This red wine braised short ribs recipe cooks in a Dutch oven until the beef is falling off the bone. Pomegranate juice adds a pop of sweet and tart flavor to create a stunning main course that is incredibly easy to make! Choose from three different cooking methods: oven, stovetop, or slow cooker!

A plate of braised short ribs in pomegranate wine sauce topped with pomegranate seeds. Two glasses of wine, a fresh pomegranate, a bowl of pomegranate seeds and extra plates surround the platter.

What if you want an elegant winter meal but don't want to spend all day in the kitchen? Enter red wine braised short ribs with pomegranate! This is comfort food, but it's also a restaurant quality recipe that will impress guests. I've made it for both Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Braised beef short ribs have a tender, fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth texture, with a sauce that's perfect for serving over mashed potatoes. Pomegranate juice adds sweetness and a bit of tartness to the recipe, and cooking with wine helps tenderize the short ribs—it's also fancy!

A Dutch oven is your best friend for this recipe, whether you're cooking it in the oven or on the stovetop. The even heat and tightly fitting lid ensures that the meat cooks perfectly, and makes this a one pan recipe for easy clean up!

Love to cook with red wine? Try my Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks, Red Wine Pasta or Chicken Thighs in Red Wine with Dried Plums.

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Red wine short ribs ingredients
How to make red wine braised short ribs
Expert tips
Make ahead
How to store, reheat, freeze
Cooking method variations
FAQ
What to serve with red wine braised short ribs
More beef recipes
Red wine braised short ribs are an easy, elegant, and warming winter comfort food recipe!
Recipe

Glass bowls of olive oil, salt, pepper, red wine, and pomegranate juice alongside an onion, fresh thyme, and a fresh pomegranate.

Red wine short ribs ingredients

You only need a handful of ingredients to make fabulous, tender, melt-in-your-mouth red wine braised short ribs.

English cut bone-in beef short ribs: There are two cuts of bone-in beef short ribs, English and flanken. English cut are short and fat with a large piece of meat attached to one bone. Flanken cut are sliced across the bone into thin steaks. You'll want English short ribs cut into 2-3 inch pieces for this recipe.
Unsweetened 100% pomegranate juice: Be sure to get unsweetened. We don't need any extra sugar here.
Dry red wine: Use a medium bodied red wine like merlot or malbec. Nothing expensive, but one that you would drink on its own. If you don't want to use the wine, substitute chicken or beef stock plus one tablespoon of red wine vinegar.
Pomegranate seeds: We'll sprinkle these over the braised short ribs just before serving. The seeds will add wonderful texture, pops of sweetness, and beautiful color.
Onion, garlic, and fresh thyme: These make up the aromatics in the sauce.
Olive oil, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper

*Ingredient measurements are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Ingredient tip

When shopping for English short ribs look for shorter, thicker cuts with narrow bones and nice marbling. Sometimes beef short ribs can have wide, flat bones with a lot of fat but not a lot of meat, and you don't want that. Don't be afraid to point at the case and tell the butcher exactly which ones you want! And ask them to look in the back if necessary!

How to make red wine braised short ribs

You'll spend just a few minutes of active cooking time in the kitchen, then sit back and enjoy the smell of Dutch oven braised short ribs in red wine wafting through your house for the next few hours. For stovetop and slow cooker instructions, see the cooking method variations section below.

Raw short ribs seasoned with salt and pepper on a sheet pan.

Step 1: Season and sear the short ribs

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Lay out the short ribs on a sheet pan and season generously on all sides with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. You can do this up to 60 minutes before you start cooking.

Place a large Dutch oven over medium high heat and add one tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is shimmering, brown the short ribs in batches.

Be sure to get a hard sear on all sides of the ribs and render as much fat as you can, including the thin layer under the bone. You want them deeply brown and approaching crispy on the outside. Set aside.

CAREFULLY drain the oil from the Dutch oven and CAREFULLY wipe out with a paper towel. *Always use caution when working with hot oil like this!!*

Pro tip

Searing the short ribs in the Dutch oven creates the Maillard Reaction, which is a fancy scientific term for the chemical reaction that creates the wonderful flavor of browned meat. And because the short ribs are braised in wine, we're not going to get that reaction in the oven. Secondly, it gets the meat started cooking so you've got warm meat going into hot sauce, without bringing the temperature down and extending the time it would need in the oven.

Step 2: Sweat the onion, garlic and thyme

Smashed garlic and onion slices on a cutting board with a knife.

Smash the garlic and remove skins. Use a good chef's knife to cut the onion into wedges. (You're just using these to flavor the red wine sauce and then be strained out, so no need to get fancy or waste time with dicing them up small.)

A Dutch oven containing sautéed onions, garlic and thyme.

Place the Dutch oven back over medium heat and add remaining olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, and thyme to the pan along with a pinch of salt. Sweat them until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown around the edges.

Step 3: Deglaze the pot with red wine, add pomegranate juice

Add the red wine to the pot and stir all around, scraping up any browned bits the short ribs left behind. Then add the pomegranate juice and bring to a boil.

Short ribs in a pomegranate wine sauce ready to braise in a Dutch oven.

Step 4: Braise the short ribs in the red wine

Once the braising liquid is boiling, add the browned short ribs back to the Dutch oven. Arrange them so that each rib has about ¼-1/3 of beef exposed above the surface of the liquid. See the photo above for reference.

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Place the lid on the Dutch oven and transfer it to the center rack of the oven. Braise for about 3 hours, until the short ribs are easily pierced with a fork.

Finished braised short ribs in a Dutch oven.

Step 5: Reduce the sauce

Transfer the short ribs to a platter. Skim the fat off the top of the sauce in the pot with a large serving spoon or use a fat separator if you have one.

A mesh sieve over a small sauce pan with thyme stems and cooked onions in it.

Place a wire mesh strainer over a sauce pan and pour the sauce into it. Discard the solids in the strainer. Place the sauce over medium high heat and bring to a boil for 5-15 minutes until it thickens to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Pour red wine sauce over braised short ribs on the platter, top with pomegranate seeds and serve. You may have some sauce left to keep on the side depending on how much you choose to reduce it.

A platter of short ribs in a pomegranate wine sauce with pomegranate seeds on top with a serving fork on the left side of the plate. A glass of red wine is in the upper left and a pomegranate is in the lower right.

Expert tips

Use more or less wine: You can adjust the ratio of red wine to pomegranate juice as you like, just make sure you are not increasing or decreasing the total amount of liquid.
Keep some of the meat above the surface of the liquid: For best results, make sure that the short ribs are not completely submerged in the red wine braising liquid. If the beef is completely covered, they will be stewed, not braised.
Use a big pot: You need a pretty large pot for this recipe, I used a 6-quart Dutch oven.
Let the meat stand at room temperature before cooking: If time allows, season the meat and let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. This lets the salt have time to really get into the beef for the best flavor.
Season at all stages: When cooking the garlic and onion don't forget that pinch of salt! This allows the onions to sweat, not caramelize and keeps the garlic from scorching, it also seasons this layer of the sauce. We want the onions tender and translucent, but still holding flavor that they will give up to the red wine sauce during the braise.
How to thicken the sauce: If you like, you can thicken the sauce with a bit of flour. Add it to the aromatics and stir for about one minute before you deglaze the pot with red wine. Or to keep it gluten free, make a slurry with cornstarch and add it after you strain the sauce.

Make ahead

A few hours ahead: If you're making this for a holiday meal or dinner party and don't want to be in the kitchen finishing things when guests arrive, follow the recipe and finish the sauce as instructed. Then return the braised short ribs to the Dutch oven, and pour the red wine sauce over them. Cover and place in a 200 degrees F oven to keep warm until ready to serve.
A day or two ahead: Just return the red wine braised short ribs to the Dutch oven, cover them with the sauce, and put them in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, keep the lid on and place them in a 275 degrees F oven until heated through.

How to store, reheat, freeze

To store: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat: The microwave works fine, since short ribs have so much fat and marbling they will not overcook. Alternatively, you could reheat them in the oven at 275 degrees F in a casserole dish covered tightly with foil.
To freeze: Red wine braised short ribs make an excellent freezer meal! Freeze in ain airtight container for up to 2 months. To reheat, let them thaw in the refrigerator. Then, depending on the amount you have, you can reheat in the microwave or the oven. Just follow the leftovers reheating instructions above.

Cooking method variations

I like to make braised short ribs in a Dutch oven cooked in the oven, but there are other methods to try.

Stovetop braised short ribs

Follow recipe instructions as written, but instead of transferring the Dutch oven to the oven, cook on the stove top over medium low heat, maintaining a gentle simmer for about 3 hours, or until the meat is beginning to fall off the bone.

Slow cooker red wine braised short ribs

Season the beef short ribs and sear with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy bottom skillet until browned, then transfer to a slow cooker. Carefully drain off the fat and wipe out the skillet.
Add remaining olive oil and sweat the onion, garlic and thyme in the skillet.
Deglaze the skillet with red wine and pomegranate juice and bring to a boil.
Pour the red wine sauce over the short ribs in the slow cooker.
Cook on low for 5 hours or high for 3 hours, until the short ribs are tender enough to fall off the bone.
Transfer the short ribs to a platter, strain and reduce the sauce and serve!

FAQ

What is the best red wine to use for braised short ribs?

Try a medium-bodied dry red wine like merlot, malbec, or Sangiovese. Something that is not too sweet. It doesn't have to be expensive, but choose something that you would drink.

Can I make red wine braised short ribs ahead of time?

Yes! Braised short ribs are an excellent make ahead meal for an upcoming dinner or a freezer meal. They actually might taste better the next day because the sauce and flavors will really have time to meld together! You can make this up to two days ahead. The fat in the sauce will separate and rise to the top making it easy to remove before reheating.

Can I use boneless short ribs for this recipe?

Yes, you can substitute boneless short ribs if that is all that you can find. The bone adds both flavor and body to the sauce, so you might have to cook down the sauce a bit longer to achieve your desired consistency and/or use a thickener like flour or cornstarch.

What to serve with red wine braised short ribs

These red wine braised short ribs are rich and luscious and you'll want to serve them with something that will soak up the fabulous sauce like polenta, along with something lighter to balance things out. Try these side dish suggestions.

Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes are my favorite side dish to serve with red wine braised short ribs. The tangy goat cheese is the perfect contrast to the sweetness of the pomegranate sauce.
A Massaged Kale Salad is light, but hearty enough to stand up to beef short ribs and all you need to complete this wintery meal.
Crispy Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan and Garlic is so simple to make, and offers a nice alternative to potatoes.
An Apple Fennel Salad celebrates winter produce and can be made in just a few minutes!

More beef recipes

Flanken style short ribs lend themselves well to grilling and cook fast. So try these Grilled Beef Short Ribs with Quick Pickles when the weather gets warmer.
A Cast Iron Skillet Steak is perfect for date night and easy to make at home!
Try Dutch Oven Guinness Beef Stew for another slow-braised beef recipe to warm you up!

Red wine braised short ribs are an easy, elegant, and warming winter comfort food recipe!

Quick, effortless prep. There's very little active cooking time in this recipe. Just sear the short ribs then give an onion a rough chop. That's it!
Braised short ribs are practically impossible to mess up or overcook. They want to be cooked for a long time, so give them time to do their thing and you're all set!
This is a very elegant meal that's perfect for Christmas or New Year's, date night or Valentine's Day. (No one has to know how easy they are to make!)
They can be made a few hours or even a day or two in advance and then reheated or kept warm in the oven.
They're gluten free and dairy free!
Red wine braised short ribs make an

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