This luxurious red wine braised slow cooker short ribs is a knockout meal! Holiday dinner, perhaps? Made with red wine, garlic, herbs, and mushrooms, it’s super fancy but also really easy, and you can let the slow cooker do all the work.

For a side dish, try my delicious garlic mashed potatoes, which pair perfectly with the rich sauce from the short ribs. For a complete meal, you could also serve them with some oven roasted vegetables.

 

Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs Recipe

If you’re looking for an easy dinner idea that will impress everyone at the table, look no further, my friends! Even though this beef short ribs recipe involves “fancy” ingredients like red wine, your slow cooker actually does most of the work. Don’t you just love it when that happens? I am thrilled when my kitchen appliances help me make something restaurant-quality delicious without spending all day in the kitchen.

The end result is tender, fall-off-the-bone short ribs that pair so well with either mashed potatoes or crispy parmesan smashed potatoes for the perfect contrast.

With this recipe, you can immerse yourself in the ultimate comfort food experience, chasing each bite with a glass of red wine to complement those bold flavors. Don’t hesitate to grab a slice of crusty bread to sop it all up and capture every delicious drop. And, of course, don’t let that remaining wine feel left out – it’s the perfect excuse to pour an extra glass and toast to a well-made meal.

Recipe Ingredients

You don’t need very many ingredients to make this special dish of red wine braised short ribs. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples like dried herbs, onions, and olive oil.

• Short Ribs: You’ll need three pounds of bone-in beef short ribs, measuring about 2.5 inches across. Don’t get the thinly cut rib meat – that is meant for barbecuing or grilling.
• Salt & Black Pepper: To enhance all the flavors of the dish.
• Olive Oil: For sautéing.
• Onions: I use two small yellow onions or one large one. You can also substitute white or sweet onions.
• Mushrooms: You’ll need a pound of baby mushrooms, quartered.
• Garlic: Mince four cloves of garlic, or put them through a garlic press. Garlic powder is okay to use, but I prefer fresh garlic.
• Red Wine: For this short ribs slow cooker recipe, I use two cups of Cabernet Sauvignon, but you can use your favorite dry red wine. 
• Beef Broth: Use your favorite beef broth. Homemade is wonderful, or you can go with packaged broth; if you do, I recommend using a low-sodium broth.
• Dried Herbs: We’ll be using ½ a teaspoon each of dried oregano, thyme, rosemary and marjoram, plus two bay leaves.

How to Make Slow Cooker Short Ribs Recipe

The great thing about cooking short ribs in a slow cooker is that it’s very similar to making a pot roast! Super simple. Essentially, all you need to do is brown the beef, then cook it in the wine, broth and seasonings!

1. Brown the ribs. After coating the insert of your slow cooker with cooking spray or oil, season your short ribs with salt and pepper. Then, heat the olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet, and brown on all sides. You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your skillet. Then, place the browned ribs in the slow cooker insert and set aside.
2. Sauté the onions, garlic, & mushrooms. Return your skillet to the heat, add the onions, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the quartered mushrooms and garlic; cook for 2 minutes more.
3. Deglaze the pan. Once the veggies have been sauteed, pour the wine into the hot skillet and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the beef broth and herbs (except for the bay leaves). Bring to a boil and let simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Slow-cook the ribs in the sauce. Pour the red wine mixture over the short ribs, add the two bay leaves, cover, and cook on LOW for 9 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 6 to 8 hours.
5. Finish and serve. When the short ribs are tender and done cooking, remove them, along with the mushrooms, to a platter. Pour the rest of the cooking liquid through a strainer, remove the fat from the top of the strained liquid, and then pour the strained liquid into a gravy boat and serve.

Serving Suggestions

When serving saucy short ribs, some homemade rolls are a must. I love pairing them with my orange glazed sweet dinner rolls or the fabulous no knead skillet cheese bread. For a creamy side, try my Instant Pot mashed cauliflower, or asiago cauliflower rice.

No dinner is complete without some vegetables, and my easy asparagus with lemon butter sauce is a great choice. To finish the meal, depending on the season, I recommend my microwave baked apples, apple crumble, or peach cobbler.

You can also serve Yorkshire pudding, buttered egg noodles or mushroom rice, polenta, buttered peas, bacon risotto, or just a simple garden goddess salad.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Store leftover beef short ribs in their sauce in airtight food storage containers. They will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge or for up to 2 months in the freezer. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

To reheat, place the short ribs and sauce in a covered skillet set over low heat until they are completely heated through.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

I have tons of recipes that are easily and conveniently cooked in the slow cooker. Check out a few of my favorites!

• Slow Cooker Pork Loin Chili Verde
• Slow Cooker Beef Stew
• Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
• Beef Barbacoa
• Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin (Chicken in Wine)
• Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate