Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (2024)

Rebecca Baron 40 Comments

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These Paleo braised short ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender and barely any work, yet are fancy enough for company. No one will even know or care you are serving them a healthy dinner!

Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (1)

This is short ribs with garlic and rosemary that's baked in the oven. It's really easy to make these short ribs partly because there are only seven ingredients.

This recipe is one I tried to copycat from a restaurant I went to. I'd never had short ribs before and I fell in love with them. Have you seen short ribs in the store and didn't know how to make short ribs? I don't know what took me so long to get on board with short ribs, but I had them for the first time at Disneyland earlier this year at La Brea Bakery Cafe in Downtown Disney. They were so good. I went back a few days later and had more. I had to come home and re-invent the short ribs recipe.

I don't know how many times I saw short ribs in the grocery store before I decided to give them a try. I don't really like BBQ ribs because they have too many ribs and not enough meat for my liking and I thought short ribs were basically the same thing. Wrong. This recipe makes the ribs taste like a really good roast, but I like the texture of the meat better and it has a richer flavor.

The extra flavor comes from the bone, the fat, the location of the meat on the cow and this technique. Browning the ribs then cooking them in a crockpot for several hours makes tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs you can sometimes eat with a spoon.

So good and so easy. I like to get this started while my children are all still at school and it's quiet and I can turn on my favorite TV show or movie and watch while I get the ribs ready. Then they just cook away and smell insanely awesome while we do homework, clean the kitchen, do laundry, drop them off places, read to them, etc.

Then when we are done with all that stuff, I normally make a side dish by throwing a bag of cauliflower from Costco in one of my Instant Pots and cooking it for 10 minutes, then I mash it with my fork and put a good amount of butter on it. So good and so easy.

Alternately, you could make polenta. It's more traditional and looks so pretty with it, but it can be difficult to make polenta Clean (especially to buy it Clean) and my children don't really like polenta. It must be the texture. They love mashed cauliflower though.

This short rib recipe uses red wine, but beef broth can also be used in its place if you don't want to use wine. If you do not have a dutch oven, the first step of browning the ingredients can be done in a regular saute pan and it can be transferred to a crockpot to finish cooking (on low for 6-8 hours).

This recipe is a great addition to our Sunday meals list. We can prepare it before leaving for church and let it cook while we are gone and then have a great meal after church as a family. I always remember having great Sunday dinners with my family growing up.

We would eat together as a family every night but Sunday's we would have a little bit more of a nicer meal. This meal reminds me of something we would have for a special dinner.These ribs would be perfect served over polenta (as pictured) or a parsnip or cauliflower puree. Also, note that some people do not consider red wine to be Paleo. If that is you, substitute with beef broth.

What are short ribs?

I kind of just always assumed that ribs were ribs. I didn't really care that much because we hardly ever ate them anyway. When we did they were always barbecued.

Well, I learned that spare ribs are pork. My dumb! Short ribs are beef. Spare ribs in pork are the equivalent of short ribs in beef. Beef short ribs are usually meatier and larger than pork spare ribs.

Can you overcook beef short ribs?

Of course. You can overcook everything. Although, there is a large margin of error with these.

I think they are very best if you cook them until they are very well done and fall apart so much that you can break them apart with your spoon.

How can you tell when they are done?

When the meat is very tender and starts pulling away from the bone, then it is time to take it out of the oven and let it rest in a covered pan for about 20 minutes before serving.

Please let me know if you try this recipe. I would love to know how it turns out for you and if you have any questions! I have a whole bunch more clean eating recipes that I make for dinner all of the time.

Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (2)

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Recipe

Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (3)

Paleo braised Short Ribs Recipe with Garlic and Rosemary

★★★★★5 from 24 reviews

  • Author: Rebecca Baron
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 120 minutes
  • Total Time: 140 minutes
  • Yield: 10 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Paleo
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Description

These Paleo short ribs are fall off the bone tender and hardly any work. Perfect for a fancy weekend dinner.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 2 ½ pounds Beef Short Ribs (bone-in, cut into 2-3 inch pieces)
  • Real Salt * (to taste)
  • Ground Pepper (to taste)
  • 2 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Sweet Onion (Sliced)
  • 3 Cloves Garlic (Sliced)
  • 2 Tbl Tomato Paste
  • ¾ Cup Red Wine
  • 1 ½ Cups Beef Broth
  • 4 Rosemary Sprigs

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Heat the olive oil over medium/high heat in a ceramic coated cast iron pot.
  3. Coat the short ribs in coarse salt and pepper and place in the hot pan.
  4. Cook until deep golden brown and then flip each piece over and brown on the other side.
  5. Remove the ribs from the pan to a plate.
  6. Add the onion to the hot pan and saute until onion is translucent, 4-5 minutes.
  7. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
  8. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 30 seconds, coating the onion.
  9. Add the red wine, if using, and let it reduce by one half. Add the beef broth and bring to a simmer. If you are not using the wine, simply add in the beef broth and bring to a simmer.
  10. Put the short ribs back in the pan. Toss in the rosemary sprigs, cover with a lid, and place in the preheated oven.
  11. Bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours, or until ribs are fall off the bone tender.
  12. Serve over polenta or a vegetable puree, such as parsnips or cauliflower.

Keywords: Tender, Baked, Braised

Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (4)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. LQS

    Made this last night. Hubs liked it, son not as much but still ate it. The gravy/sauce it makes is really delicious and the first thing hubs noticed and appreciated. I find the cut of meat a little difficult to eat, especially when it's still on the bone and so fatty. Think we prefer shredded short rib meat since they're easier to eat and not as messy, but that's our personal thing not an issue with the recipe. The presentation looked really nice and the recipe was super easy to make! May try again with another cut of meat since the sauce was so delish. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply

  2. Heather

    Braised short ribs over mashed rutabaga. Delicious!!!

    Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (9)

    Reply

  3. Sharon F.

    I altered this recipe a bit because I didnt have everything but they were amazing.

    Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (11)

    Reply

  4. Alex

    I can't wait to eat these!

    Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (12)

    Reply

  5. Jodi

    I’ve been using this recipe for years (since I was so fortunate to have found it!). Not only do I use it for short ribs, I double the recipe and use it for my 4 lb. pot roasts!! I just add a bag of baby carrots to the roasting pan and it is AWESOME!!! It is my go to for feeding a large family crowd. I serve the pot roast with mashed potatoes. By far, the BEST recipe EVER!!!

    Reply

  6. Brittani

    OMG! Delicious- used apothic red wine & reduced it

    Reply

  7. Chris

    Made a paste with the garlic and rosemary. Twice as many mushrooms. Reduce oil and use butter 😉 go full time in oven as then the meat melts.

    Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (13)

    Reply

  8. Kara Farnsworth

    Delish!

    Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (14)

    Reply

  9. Meghan H

    Served over mashed potatoes. Turned out so good, meat falls right off the bone, great flavor!

    Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (15)

    Reply

  10. Chris

    WOW!! Beautiful pictures. Adding to the menu

    Reply

  11. Hope Hausman

    Excellent! The recipe’s a keeper!

    Reply

  12. Lisa Roesler

    Delicious dinner tonight

    Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (16)

    Reply

  13. Becky

    fantastic only used 2 sprigs rosemary for a lighter flavor and served over buttery garlic egg noodles. yumm

    Reply

  14. Mariette N

    Delicious!

    Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (17)

    Reply

  15. Leesa Lavender

    Wow. These were simply outstanding! I used all beef broth since I'm on Whole 30. I served with a cauliflower puree. Probably one of the best meals I've ever made.

    Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (18)

    Reply

  16. Danielle W.

    Amazing!!!! Used boneless and bone-in. Both are super tasty! Will DEFINITELYI be making this again.

    Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (19)

    Reply

  17. Anna I

    This is our favorite short ribs recipe! We serve over garlic grits.

    Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (20)

    Reply

  18. Diane S

    Made these tonight! They were fantastic. The best short ribs recipe I’ve tried. We had ours with mashed cauliflower.

    Reply

  19. Lyme Of Mine

    Perfect just the way they are!

    Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (21)

    Reply

  20. Leslie Z

    Turned out wonderful.

    Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (22)

    Reply

  21. Roy M

    Added 1 tbsp of honey after an hour in the oven and continue baking for 1 and half hour more. It turned out soft, tender and deliciously sweet.

    Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (23)

    Reply

  22. J. M. RODAK

    Hi! Thank you for sharing! I just made this and it was amazing! Although I made it stovetop, but it turned out fabulous. I just wanted to let anyone who thought they could NOT make this unless they had a Dutch oven know that it turned out very well via stovetop in a big stock pot with lid. I cooked it on low heat for about 3 hrs and it was fall-ofd-the-bone delish!! So, don't be discourage or think you have to go out an buy an expensive new pot. Just take your time and trust your nose. ?

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      Thanks for this comment. I'm sure it will help encourage lots of people!

      Reply

  23. Noreen

    I made this over the weekend per the recipe and it was delicious. I served it with a cauliflower rice side. Put the leftovers in the fridge overnight, skimmed the fat off the top in the morning, then took the leftovers from both dishes, added some additional veggies, some beef broth, a splash of chicken stock and some water to make a fabulous, delicious soup! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      Sounds wonderful. Thanks for the suggestions too!

      Reply

  24. Richard Kohout

    This recipe looks good. But if you serve it over polenta, it definitely will not be Paleo then!

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      So true!

      Reply

  25. Jen

    Sooo good! I will make this again.

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      I'm so glad you like it! It's one of my favorites too and I feel like short ribs get the "short" end of the stick sometimes, which is too bad cause they are awesome!

      Reply

  26. Miryan

    I've made asian shor ribs inthe past and brased short ribs. This recipe looks simple and looks delicious! I will definatly be making them this week. I have all the ingrefiants already. Can't wait!

    Reply

  27. Tiarra L Nelson

    I made this tonight and I ran into a few problems so I decided to write here to let people know how to fix them if they happen to run into the same. My rosemary is right from the garden and is incredibly sticky like pine needles. Because of this the 4 sprigs was too much- and that's considering that I made double what the recipe called for in meat and only used an extra 2 sprigs of rosemary- for someone buying from the store or whose rosemary is not as strong as mine this likely would not be an issue. The rosemary made it bitter because of how overpowering my bush is. This is easily fixed with fat or salt. Both fat and salt balance bitter. I opted for salted butter. I'm not sure how paleo butter is considered but it fixed the problem instantly and saved the night for us. I also wanted mine a hint less sweet from the tomato paste so I slowly add'd in a squeeze of lemon until it was the balance I like. Nobody else minded the sweetness here but they all liked the taste after the lemon (you could not taste lemon you really add in only tiny amounts to taste)- this is just me nit picking but wasn't really a problem, it could have gone without the lemon if I didn't have it on hand it it would have been an enjoyable meal. I made sure to simmer the sauce until the flavors were well combined because this was the first time I made this and that's how I determined what I wanted to adjust before putting it in the oven, so I recommend others do so to account for personal preference as well. After adjusting to taste as far as the flavors in the base recipe I threw in two bay leaves and about a teaspoon of dried thyme. Overall I liked this recipe and its not the OP's fault my rosemary was way too strong, lol I just thought I would mention it. I am going to make this again regardless.

    Reply

  28. Donna

    This looks real good, I'll have to try it real soon.

    Reply

  29. Lindsay

    Can you make this in the crockpot? This recipe looks delicious!

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      You could. It wouldn't be the same, but it would still be good. If I had to guess, I would say 6-8 hours on low.

      Reply

  30. Daisy

    Could i do this in a cast iron ( not enameled) dutch oven? Ive heard rumors of tomato products and cast iron not working well together.

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      I wouldn't. Tomato definitely ruins mine, although if it's seasoned really well, you can get away with it. Some people line theirs with tin foil or just buy one of the expensive pans. That's my least favorite part of cast iron pans.

      Reply

      • Daisy

        Thanks for confirming this for me.
        Guess I'll start saving my money for an enameled Dutch oven 🙂

        Reply

  31. Andrea

    How much tomato paste is needed? It's listed in instructions, but not in list of ingredients.

    Reply

    • Rebecca

      2 Tablespoons of tomato paste. I like to buy the little squeeze tubes and use only what I need.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Paleo Braised Short Ribs Recipe - My Natural Family (2024)

FAQs

Why are my braised short ribs tough? ›

If they aren't braised long enough, they can be super tough to eat; if they are cooked too long, the meat will just fall apart. The key to preparing short ribs is to cook them until they reach a point that is just before they would fall apart.

What is the best cut of meat for braised short ribs? ›

Choosing the right cut of short rib:

Look for well-marbled, bone-in short ribs with a good amount of meat versus fat. This marbling adds flavor and keeps the meat moist during the cooking process. Opt for bone-in ribs as they contribute to the richness of the dish and provide additional depth to the braising liquid.

What is the difference between short ribs and braising ribs? ›

When the rib bone is cut into a 3-to-6-inch (7.6 to 15.2 cm) length, left as a section of meat (a "plate") containing three or four ribs or cut into individual ribs with meat attached, the short rib is known as an "English cut". They may also be known as barbecue ribs, braising ribs, or fancy cut ribs.

Can you cook braised short ribs too long? ›

Believe it or not, it is possible to braise short ribs for too long. While you want the short ribs to be fall-apart tender, cooking them too long will result in ribs that are mushy. There's a fine line, but it is there.

Does meat get more tender the longer you braise it? ›

Cooking low and slow breaks down the tough meat so it's tender and delicious. Check on it occasionally. The liquid level needs to remain the same, so add more if necessary. It will take about 1 1/2 to 3 hours to become fork-tender.

Can you slow cook short ribs too long? ›

Technically, yes. Anything can become overcooked in the slow cooker if it goes for too long. Fortunately, since there's plenty of liquid in a stew, there's very little risk of that happening in this recipe. Still, I don't recommend cooking longer than the 8 hours listed!

Should you sear short ribs before braising? ›

First, brown or sear the ribs at a high temperature then cook them in liquid at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. This is an excellent cooking method for tougher cuts of meat that will become tender after prolonged cooking!

What is the best way to tenderize beef short ribs? ›

Braising, which is actually slow simmering (after browning in a bit of oil or butter), brings irresistibly tender and boldly flavored results to this meaty cut of beef. Because short ribs require long, slow cooking for tenderness and flavor, braising is the perfect technique for cooking them.

Do you put meat up or down for braised short ribs? ›

Immediately after adding oil, add the beef ribs. Place them face down on the meat side (not the bone side). Make sure they are not on top of each other and they are fully touching the bottom of the pan.

How many short ribs per person per pound? ›

The ideal short rib serving size varies by the weight of the short rib pieces and the style they're cut in, but you can estimate that you'll need between one to three short ribs per person. You'll want to serve each person approximately one pound of bone-in short ribs.

How many beef short ribs for 4 people? ›

You'll need about three-quarters of a pound of bone-in short ribs per person. If you cook the beef the day before and chill it overnight, you'll be able to lift off much of the fat that hardens on top of the sauce.

How do you know when short ribs are done braising? ›

Cook at 350°F for 2 hours, then reduce the heat to 325°F and cook for 30 to 45 minutes more. The ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to sit, lid on, for at least 20 minutes before serving.

How much liquid do I need for braised short ribs? ›

Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups water or until the water has just about covered the meat. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed.

What goes well with braised short ribs? ›

The best side dishes to serve with short ribs are polenta, sweet potato French fries, rice pilaf, blooming onion, sautéed mushrooms, green beans, honey glazed carrots, corn on the cob, coleslaw, cucumber salad, mashed potatoes, shrimp skewers, roasted potatoes, gravy, and rosemary bread.

How do you thicken braised short rib sauce? ›

To thicken, mix flour and cold water to create a slurry, then slowly whisk into sauce until desired consistency is reached. If necessary, reheat the short ribs in the sauce in the oven until hot. Serve.

How do you make beef short ribs not tough? ›

Braising, which is actually slow simmering (after browning in a bit of oil or butter), brings irresistibly tender and boldly flavored results to this meaty cut of beef. Because short ribs require long, slow cooking for tenderness and flavor, braising is the perfect technique for cooking them.

How do you make short ribs less chewy? ›

What is the best way to cook ribs so that they are tender and not tough or chewy? Low and slow is the key. 250 degrees to 275 for 4 to 5 hours. Baste or squirt them with apple juice every 30 minutes.

How do you tenderize tough short ribs? ›

Braising is an ancient means of cooking tough cuts of meat to tenderize them, and is also quite simple. Start with meat, and brown it well. Browning gives the whole braise flavor, especially the meat itself. Those Maillard-browning byproducts are what make everything taste meaty, so don't skimp on the browning stage.

Why is my braised meat not tender? ›

To keep meat tender yet safe during braising, you must maintain an important balance. Cooking temperatures must be high enough to kill microorganisms, yet not so high that the meat toughens. Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the surrounding stock and keep it at a simmer of 180 F/82 C-190 °F/88 °C.

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