These melt-in-your-mouth, Dutch oven beer braised short ribs with Guinness are best served on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes. This is comfort food at its best!
Make these succulent and tender beer braised short ribs slow-cooked in the Dutch oven. This is an easy, foolproof way of cooking beef ribs with delicious results. Another bonus: you will only need one pan – the Dutch oven – to cook this short ribs recipe.
Use the Dutch oven to make another delightful dish suitable for St. Patrick's Day, this tender and flavorful Lamb and Potato Stew.
And if you like melty, sticky ribs full of rich flavor, learn How to Cook Beef Ribs in the Oven. Or try these Country-Style Pork Ribs in the Oven.
Featured comment:
Cristina: Oh my God, these ribs were amazing! We had them with mashed potatoes and they might be the best meal ever.
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Recipe ingredients
Beef short ribs: About 2 ½ lbs/ 1200 g of the meatiest bones you can get. They are usually cut into individual pieces; some are rectangular, some a bit square; it all depends on the thickness of the bone. If you can only buy a rack, cutting the individual pieces is easy. Use a large, sharp knife and cut between the bones.
Vegetables: Onion, carrots, celery stalks, and garlic.
Braising liquid: Guinness beer or another stout beer, craft beer, or dark beer. Also, beef broth or chicken stock should be ensured to be low in sodium (See Tips).
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to braise beef short ribs in beer?
Step #1: Brown the seasoned ribs in a Dutch oven for a total of 6-7 minutes or until brown all over. Remove them from the pot.
Step #2: Sauté onion on medium heat, add the carrots and celery, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and stir shortly.
Step #3: Return the ribs to the pot. Add Guinness, stock, thyme, and bay leaves. Simmer, covered, on low heat for 2 ½ hours until very tender.
Step #4: You can leave the sauce as it is or strain it and reduce it slightly on the stovetop. Adjust the taste with balsamic, salt, and pepper.
Tip: Remove some of the excess fat on top of the sauce using a large, flatter spoon.
Alternative cooking methods
Oven: Brown the meat and cook the vegetables on the stovetop. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and transfer it to the preheated oven at 320°F (160°C). Cook for 3 ½ hours until the meat is tender. Afterward, turn the meat into the sauce and cook for another 20-30 minutes without the lid to reduce the sauce.
- How about cooking Lamb Ribs in the Oven? And make some Fingerling Smashed Potatoes to go with them.
Slow cooker or crock pot: Brown the beef on the stovetop, then remove it and sauté the vegetables and tomato paste. Transfer the veggies to the slow cooker, place the meat on top, and add the liquids and herbs. Slow-cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours, checking that the meat is tender. If not, cook a little longer.
- Try the Slow Cooker Country-Style Pork Ribs, too. Or go the fast way and make Air Fryer Country-Style BBQ Ribs.
Good to know!
The meat will shrink a bit during cooking.
Stock: It’s preferable to use homemade or low-sodium stock. Regular stock is generally too salty to be used when braising meat or cooking stews. The liquid will reduce during the long cooking time, concentrating the saltiness. The end dish will probably be too salty if you start with a salty stock.
Recipe FAQs
Sure, the dish tastes even better the next day; I always cook it a day before I want to serve it. Let the food come to room temperature and refrigerate it covered. Reheat before serving.
Beef short ribs must be cooked for a long time and at a low temperature. High temperatures will cook them fast, but they will not have enough time to get tender. The slow cooking process breaks down the connective tissues, making the meat incredibly juicy and tender. Try another melt-in-your-mouth rib recipe: Instant Pot Country-Style Ribs.
How to store and reheat?
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop.
Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat well before serving.
What to serve with braised ribs?
Recipe
Beer Braised Short Ribs
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs beef short ribs
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion 5.5 oz/ 150 g, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot 3.5 oz/ 100 g, finely chopped
- 2 ribs celery finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bottle Guinness 11 fl.oz/ 330 ml, Note 1
- 1 ¼ cups beef stock or chicken stock, low sodium, Note 2
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar more to taste
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Beef short ribs:
- Dry the ribs with paper towels. Rub them with salt and pepper.2.5 lbs beef short ribs + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Brown ribs: Heat the oil in the Dutch oven. Brown the ribs on high heat for a total of 6-7 minutes or until they are nicely browned on all sides. Flip them using tongs and remove them from the pot once they are seared.2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Beer gravy:
- Chop vegetables: While the ribs are browning, chop the vegetables and mince the garlic.1 medium onion + 1 medium carrot + 2 ribs celery + 2 garlic cloves
- Sauté vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium and cook the onions for 2 minutes or until slightly translucent. Add carrots and celery and cook for 4 minutes or until the carrots are softer. Add minced garlic and tomato paste and stir for another 1-2 minutes.1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Simmer: Return the beef to the pot. Pour in the Guinness and the stock, and add the thyme and bay leaves. Cover the pot and simmer the ribs on low heat for 2 ½ hours until they are super tender.1 bottle Guinness + 1 ¼ cups beef stock + 1 teaspoon thyme + 2 bay leaves
- Sauce: You can leave the sauce as it is or strain it. To strain it, first remove the ribs. Next, strain the sauce through a fine sieve (Note 3). Discard the vegetables and return the sauce to the pot. If it’s too thin, bring it to a boil and simmer it shortly to reduce it slightly.
- Adjust the taste with balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. More salt might not be necessary; it depends on the salt content of your stock. Return the beef ribs to the Dutch oven, spoon some sauce over them, and serve.1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar + salt and ground black pepper
Notes
- Beer: You can use another stout/ dark beer if you like.
- Stock: It’s preferable to use low-sodium beef or chicken stock. The liquid will reduce during cooking, and if the stock is too salty, the results will be too salty.
- Fat: Remove some of the excess fat on top of the sauce using a large, flatter spoon
Cristina says
Oh my God, these ribs were amazing! We had them with mashed potatoes and they might be the best meal ever.
Adina says
I am so happy to hear this, Cristina. Thank you for letting me know.