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!
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.
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
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion - thinly sliced vertically
- 8 large cloves garlic - sliced
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup soy sauce - tamari or coconut aminos
- ¼ 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 ½ 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Bryn says
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!
Carol says
Hi, Bryn, WOW! Thanks so very much! That is quite a compliment and I really appreciate hearing that! Thanks again!
Tony Jones says
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.
Carol says
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!