Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe
These Korean-Inspired Braised Beef Short Ribs are slightly spicy, slightly sweet and totally amazing! Slow-braising in the slow cooker makes them fall-off-the-bone tender!
“FABULOUS!! One of our favorite dishes of ALL time!!”
Korean cuisine has grown in popularity in recent years and will likely remain so because it is amazing like these Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs!! The cuisine always seemed mysterious and intimidating to me until I was intrigued enough to try one of Korea’s staple side dishes—kimchi.
Now I’m hooked on Korean food and so hooked I now make my own kimchi! (See recipe for Homemade Kimchi.) That led me to create this Korean short rib recipe–one of the best beef short ribs recipes you’ll find with 350 4 and 5-star ratings!
What is braising?
One of my favorite cooking methods in all the world is a slow braise. With a little time, it is truly magical how a tough cut of meat is transformed like these Korean braised short ribs.
Braising uses both moist and dry heat. A tough cut of protein that has lots of connective tissue such as short ribs, is first seared at a high temperature. Then, it simmers at a low temperature for several hours. During this process, the connective tissue breaks down and the tough cut of protein is transformed into something buttery and fall-off-the-bone tender.
When this magical cooking method is paired with a robust cuisine such as Korean and this short rib recipe, the result is truly extraordinary.
Ingredients:
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Beef Broth or beef stock
- Soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos
- Brown sugar or coconut sugar
- Unseasoned rice vinegar
- Gochujang
- Sesame oil
- Canola oil
- Salt and black pepper
- Beef short ribs on the bone
- Cornstarch
- Scallions, sesame seeds, kimchi, shredded carrots and cooked brown rice
How to make Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs:
- Ask your butcher for long-cut beef short ribs on the bone. Beef short ribs can appear intimidating at first with their boney, hunky appearance. Don’t let that scare you!
- This beef short ribs recipe is scaled for two people. I like to use four ribs for two servings because as the connective tissue melts away, they shrink quite a bit.
- Trim as much fat as you can but leave the bone side intact.
- Brown well on all sides in a skillet with a heavy bottom over medium-high heat.
- Place in the slow cooker with simple ingredients found in any grocery store and let them cook away!
- It’s not often I use a slow-cooker for just the two of us, but because of their size, four long-cut bone-in beef short ribs fill a large oval slow-cooker nicely. If four ribs end up being too much, they reheat beautifully.
- Thicken, turning the heat on the slow cooker to High then let it boil over high heat for approximately 20 minutes.
- Let rest so it continues to thicken up then serve! One of the main characteristics of Korean cuisine is the abundance of side dishes and condiments served at the table. In addition to the seared scallions in this recipe, serve with kimchi, brown rice and fresh, shredded carrots.
What is gochujang?
This recipe uses gochujang, an ingredient that is being referred to as the “new” sriracha. I call it umami in a jar! Loving this stuff!
Gochujang is a savory, spicy, slightly sweet, fermented Korean condiment made from red chiles, rice, soybeans and salt. It used to be difficult to find but am now seeing it in almost all grocery stores.
What is braising?
One of my favorite cooking methods in all the world is a slow braise. With a little time, it is truly magical how a tough cut of meat is transformed. As long as there is so much as a cup of water, the cooking method is considered braising.
Braising uses both moist and dry heat. A tough cut of protein that has lots of connective tissue such as short ribs, is first seared at a high temperature with dry heat. Then, it simmers at a low temperature for several hours with the moist heat. During this process, the connective tissue breaks down and the tough cut of protein is transformed into something buttery and fall-off-the-bone tender.
When this magical cooking method is paired with a robust cuisine such as Korean, the result is truly extraordinary.
What is gochujang?
This recipe uses gochujang, an ingredient that is being referred to as the “new” sriracha. I call it umami in a jar! Loving this stuff!
Gochujang is a savory, spicy, slightly sweet, fermented Korean condiment made from red chiles, rice, soybeans and salt. It used to be difficult to find but am now seeing it in almost all grocery stores.
Serve with:
For more amazing slowly-braised beef recipes, be sure to try my:
- Slow-Cooker Beef Short Ribs Barbacoa with Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Slow-Cooker Boneless Beef Short Ribs Bourguignon
- Cabernet-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Cauliflower-Leek Puree
- Stout Braised Beef Short Ribs and Colcannon
- Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto) and Oven-Baked Gorgonzola Polenta
- Beef Braciole (Braciola)
Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 medium onion - thinly sliced vertically
- 8 large cloves garlic - sliced
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1/2 cup soy sauce - tamari or coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup brown sugar - or coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons gochujang - fermented Korean chile paste
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons canola oil - jor vegetable or peanut oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 short ribs - 2 1/2 to 3 pounds, bone in, trimmed of excess fat
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 bunches scallions - root ends trimmed
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- Kimchi
- Shredded carrots
- Cooked brown rice
Instructions
- Combine the first 9 ingredients in a slow cooker. Set slow cooker to high to preheat.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Generously season beef short ribs with salt and black pepper. Add short ribs to pan, reduce heat to medium and brown well on all sides, approximately 2-3 minutes per side.
- Transfer ribs, meat side down, to slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or until very tender.
- Combine cornstarch with approximately 4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Pour cornstarch mixture into slow cooker, stir to blend and cook uncovered on high for approximately 20 minutes.
- Turn slow cooker off and let stand 10 minutes. (Sauce will thicken more upon standing.)
- Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet or sauté pan over medium-high. Cook scallions, 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened and browned.
- Serve short ribs with scallions, kimchi, cooked brown rice and shredded carrots.
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Notes
Nutrition
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I just made these and they are so tender they melt in your mouth! Rich and full of flavor.
I wasn’t sure what to do with the carrots and kimchi but the ribs were wonderful
Hi, Sandra, Thanks so very much and so happy you enjoyed!! Korean cuisine is often served with various sides; the carrots make a nice garnish and kimchi is a nice easy side you can purchase. Thanks again!
This was delicious! I am wondering if it would be just as good if I used country style pork ribs in place of the beef short ribs in this recipe? I would imagine the delicious flavors of the sauce would work with several types of meat.
Hi, Brenda, Thanks so much and happy you enjoyed! Yes, these flavors will also work with pork ribs, which should be less expensive than beef ribs. Thanks again and let me know if you end up doing it.
Have you tried cooking it on low versus high? I work so I’m hoping to cook it slower so its not sitting on the crockpot for too long.
Hi, Katie, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, you absolutely can do it on low but allow 8-10 hours. Short ribs are a pretty tough cut. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
Made this today and it was sooo good! I loved the flavors! I may also try making it with another cut of meat as the short ribs are rather expensive right now. Thanks again for a wonderful recipe!
Hi, Melinda, Thanks so very much and so happy you love this recipe! All beef is expensive right now and probably going higher. Have you seen this other Korean-inspired recipe of mine? Korean Braised Chicken Thighs. It would be a bit more budget-friendly. Thanks again!
Excellent recipe for braising beef ribs! I added just one tablespoon of gochujang and it was perfect for my tastes. This is the first time I’ve ever made beef ribs. I now know what I was missing!! This is definitely a keeper!
Hi, Kathy, Thanks so very much and so happy you enjoyed! I’m pretty enamored with beef short ribs myself. So excellent for braising! Thanks again!
Delicious recipe! I used flanken short ribs which made the recipe a lot less fatty. Also, instead of dusting the ribs with salt and pepper, I added 1/4 teaspoon each to the crockpot. Next time I will eliminate the added salt because it was salty enough with the soy sauce. For the Gochujang, I started with 1 teaspoon because I was concerned about the heat. However, I ended up gradually adding the entire 2 tablespoons because the sugar in the recipe calibrated the heat of the Gochujang. With the crockpot set at high heat, the meat was falling off the bones in 4 hours. Oh, I also was short on fresh ginger — only had 1 tablespoon, so I supplemented it with 2/3 tablespoon bottled ginger juice. Today I’m going to enjoy the meat with mashed potatoes and asparagus. A very delicious recipe — thank you!
Hi, Carole, Thanks so very much and so happy you enjoyed! Love that you adjusted the heat to your taste at first and increased as you went. Thanks again so very much!!
One of our favorites! Sometimes we cannot get short ribs, so we have improvised and it’s always a winner!!
Hi, Elicia, Thanks so much and so happy you love this recipe!
This was absolutely delicious! I made 3 batches of this recipe and used only 2 tablespoons of gouchujang and it was delicious. Thank you so much for your yummy recipe!!
Hi, Lisa, Thanks so very much for letting me know it worked out well! So happy everyone enjoyed! Thanks again!
Can I braise this in a glass casserole dish using foil to seal it? Making this for party of 8. Your recipe sounds yummy!
Hi, Lisa, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, you absolutely can do that. Sear the ribs as directed then assemble everything in your baking dish. You’ll need a pretty large baking dish and make sure you have a couple of extra short ribs because some are not very meaty. Braise at 350 degrees for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until they’re tender. Thanks again and hope everyone enjoys!
Thank you for all the information and quick reply! I will have some elderly people coming for dinner and they don’t like anything spicy. Is it okay to leave out the gochujang?
Hi, Lisa, If you need to. The Gochujang is a nice flavor component, too. Perhaps keep it on the table for people who want to add it. Thanks again and I hope everyone enjoys!
Made these delicious ribs and served them with leftover roasted garlic mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli…. definitely will make them again! Never used gochuchang before so it was a fun time!
Hi, Pam, Great to hear from you and thanks so very much!! So happy you enjoyed!
Made this today for my husband and I…….absolutely delicious! Thank you! Quick note: I cooked ours in a crock pot on low for 9.5 hrs before uncovering, adding the cornstarch and liquid slurry and turning to high. Turned out amazing!!!
Hi, Whitney, Thanks so much and happy you enjoyed!!
Can I make this without a slow cooker and if so how long does it take?
Hi, Colleen, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, you absolutely can do it without a slow cooker. Short ribs done in the oven in a Dutch oven are divine! Just follow the directions in this recipe: Braised Beef Short Ribs. Basically, braise at 350 in the oven for 2-2 1/2 hours or until tender. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
My husband tried Korean braised ribs at a nicer restaurant on a business trip and was obsessed. He asked if they were something I could make at home, so I tried this recipe. He said they were exactly like the ones he had and now he requests this recipe a lot! We love it!
Hi, Bryn, WOW! Thanks so very much! That is quite a compliment and I really appreciate hearing that! Thanks again!
Really good recipe, thanks.
For liquid I used an unfavoured 440ml can of alcohol-free Guinness and 250ml water – I had more like 4 pounds of beef so scaled up a third.
Meat went very soft.
Bit of work separating meat from fat but easy enough.
I used 3tbsp of gochujang – first taste seemed too hot, but it calmed down over the day.
I’ll be doing this again.
Hi, Tony, Thanks so very much and glad you enjoyed!! Interesting using the near-beer; I’ll need to give that a try. Thanks again!