These Korean-Inspired Braised Beef Short Ribs are slightly spicy, slightly sweet and totally amazing! Slow-braising makes them fall-off-the-bone tender!
Korean cuisine has grown in popularity in recent years and will likely remain so. 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.) Let’s talk about these Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs!
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.
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, 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.
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 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.
- Brown well on all sides.
- 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 and 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.
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)
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Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs
Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs are slightly spicy, slightly sweet and totally amazing! Slow-braising makes them fall-off-the-bone tender!
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 dark (toasted) sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon canola, vegetable or peanut oil
- salt and black pepper
- 4 long-cut bone-in beef short ribs (2 ½ to 3 pounds), 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.
Notes
MAKE AHEAD: These beef short ribs reheat beautifully. Reheat in a 350-degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until heated through.
FREEZER-FRIENDLY: Cool thoroughly, package securely in an airtight container and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and heat 30-40 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1 short ribAmount Per Serving: Calories: 334Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 3283mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 3gSugar: 20gProtein: 13g
The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Phil says
Hey! What would you recommend as a substitute for the sugar? I’m trying not to eat any, I know it won’t be the same. What do you think?
Carol says
Hi, Phil, Thanks so much for your question. What about using softened and pureed dates, coconut sugar or raw honey? Those are the most “whole” sweeteners I can think of. Thanks again and hope these work for you.
JANICE says
How would I go about doing this in a pressure cooker (ninja foodi)? I bought these, then life happened and now I dont have 6 hours to devote to dinner.
Carol says
Hi, Janice, Thanks so much for your question. I’m not familiar with the Ninja Foodi and frankly don’t care for large cuts of meat done in a pressure cooker. In doing some online research, I would brown them, place them in the cooker with the other ingredients, then cook on HIGH for 40 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. Hope that helps!
Chris says
Great recipe! Tried twice and turned out very well. What would be a good beef alternative to bone-in short rib? e.g., Cheek, chuck or sirloin? Will these work?
Carol says
Hi, Chris, Thanks so much and glad you enjoy this recipe! I’ve never cooked with beef cheeks but a chuck roast or sirloin would work well, too. You could also use beef shanks. Thanks again!
Jess says
I made your recipe in the Instant Pot, turned out really good still lots of flavour. My husband (who is Korean) knew right away with one bite that it was galbijim. He even talked about how good it was. That’s really high praise. Just thought I’d share.
Carol says
Hi, Jess, Thanks so very much!! You really made my day and it means so much that your husband approved! Thanks again!
Kathi says
Loved this recipe! The only thing that I questioned is the amount of cornstarch. Is it truly 2 Tbsp not 2 tsp? The mixture got very thick.
Carol says
Hi, Kathi, Thanks so much and glad you enjoyed! Typically, the rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of corn starch per 1 cup of liquid. With all the ingredients, there would be close to 3 cups of liquid. If you did this recipe in a slow cooker, you might actually get more liquid than that because of the condensation a slow cooker creates. Glad you enjoyed anyway!
Louise says
Hello, the recipe looks great! What size slow cooker do you use to make it?
Carol says
Hi, Louise, Thanks so much for your question. I used a standard 6-quart slow cooker. I have an affiliate link above the recipe if you need one! Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
Elaine says
Would reducing or eliminating the amount of gochujang make the sauce too sweet? Preparing this for my elderly father who loves short ribs but can no longer eat spicy foods.
Will be using about 12-14 ribs for 6-8 people. Is it okay to double ingredients for the sauce, and would oven cooking time using Dutch oven be the same as 2.5-3 hours?
Carol says
Hi, Elaine, Thanks so much for your question. I would do that many ribs in two different Dutch ovens and expect they would need to cook for three hours. You would definitely need to at least double the ingredients. If you use two different Dutch ovens, you could do one following the recipe exactly and modify the other for your father. Perhaps reduce the amount of sugar and leave out the gochujang in the batch your father will be eating. When it’s done braising, taste it and see if it needs adjusting. The sugar and gochujang is always something you can add at the end. Thanks again and hope that answers your question.
Annie says
Piggy-backing on this, I have bone-in short ribs, but they’re not long cut. I also have a dutch oven. How might I go about making this?
Carol says
Hi, Annie, Thanks so much for your question. I still love cooking short ribs in a Dutch oven over any other method! You could do at 325 degrees for a longer period of time or 350 degrees if you want to cut the time a little bit. The shorter cut short ribs may not take as long; you’d just want to check them after 2 hours or so, especially at 350. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!!
Vera yong says
Wow, it was a beautiful and yummy delicious dish. Cooked for 3 1/2 hrs and the meat just fell off the bone. Will definitely cook again. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Carol says
Hi, Vera, Thanks so very much and so glad it was a huge success for you! Have a wonderful holiday season!
Sheila Bailey says
What temperature in the Dutch oven?
Carol says
Hi, Sheila, Thanks so much for your question. When I do short ribs in a Dutch oven in the oven, I do it for about 2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
phx says
Wow, your recipe is so amazing. I have never known this recipe. Thank for sharing. I will share this recipe for my friends and my family. I think they love it too.
Carol says
Thanks so much and glad you enjoyed!
TinyT says
If I make this in a dutch oven, when should I add in the corn starch mixture? Do I need to change the oven temperature after the corn starch mixture is added?
Sara says
I only have a block of boneless short ribs sitting in my freezer. Would this recipe work just as well for that??
Carol says
Hi, Sara, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, this recipe should work fine with boneless short ribs–don’t see why not. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
Kayla says
This was delicious! A little too salty but it tasted so good I didn’t care much. Will just use low sodium soy sauce next time!
Carol says
Hi, Kayla, Thanks so much and glad you enjoyed! Yes, a bunch of Asian pantry ingredients together can be a little salty. Low-sodium soy sauce is a great choice. Thanks again!
Ting says
This looks delicious! I just bought short ribs today and found your recipe. Have 2 questions before I can make it:
1. I don’t have beef broth – can I just use water for this instead?
2. Can I half the recipe since I only bought 2 ribs?
Carol says
Hi, Ting, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, you can use water in place of beef broth. Beef broth will have a little more depth of flavor but these short ribs are pretty flavorful so you should be able to get away with it. You can definitely cut the recipe in half. I’d put the short ribs in a small slow cooker if you have it or a small Dutch oven or other smaller pan so the braising liquid covers the short ribs. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
alex says
If I wanted to braise in a dutch oven and in my oven, how long would you suggest and at what temperature? Thank you!
Carol says
Hi, Alex, Thanks so much for your question and I LOVE that you want to braise them in a Dutch oven in the oven! That’s the ultimate way to cook beef short ribs. You can do 3 hours at 325 degrees or 2.5 hours at 350. Be sure to seal your Dutch oven with some aluminum foil or dampened parchment paper to minimize evaporation. I prefer aluminum foil because you can fold it down over the Dutch oven. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
TinyT says
If I put a lid on the Dutch oven do I still need to seal it with aluminum foil or parchment paper?
Carol says
Hi, Tiny, Thanks so much for your question. I would advise you to do that unless your cover seals REALLY well. If you don’t, you’ll be amazed at how much of the liquid will evaporate. Now, that’s not always a bad thing because that gentle reduction is going to produce a rich sauce. However, even with the added seal of parchment or aluminum foil, there will still be some reduction. Thanks again, hope this helps and hope you enjoy!
Nick says
Hello Carol… I did the Dutch oven method for 3 hours at 325 degrees and the ribs and sauce were phenomenal. I separated the ribs from the sauce and refrigerated overnight then removed the grease from the sauce, recombined the short ribs and sauce and heated it up. Mmm. My only suggestion is to add a bit more broth to the Dutch oven if it’s rather large or when reheating. The sauce cooked down a lot during the three hour braising period,
Excellent recipe!
Kind regards,
Nick
Carol says
Hi, Nick, Thanks so very much and glad you enjoyed! You make a great point about the liquid. A slow cooker or pressure cooker can increase the amount of liquid while slow braising in a Dutch oven can cause the liquid to evaporate. It’s important to seal the Dutch oven well with wet parchment paper or aluminum foil to minimize that. Thanks again so very much!
Tim says
I have made this recipe 5 times for my Korean wife and mother in law. I add 3 or 4 jalapeños to give it just a little kick. I was out of brown sugar once and used equal amount of organic sugar and 1 tbsp of molasses – turned out great. My wife and MIL love this! Thanks for a great recipe!
Carol says
Thank you so VERY much, Tim! It means a lot to me to know that as I love Korean food and want to do it justice. Thank you again and I’m so happy you all enjoy! You really made my day!
Eva says
My Korean boyfriend absolutely loved these. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
Carol says
Hi, Eva, Thanks so very much! So glad you and he enjoyed. I’ve also got Korean Braised Chicken Thighs here on the site so do give those a try, too! Thanks again and you made my day!
[email protected] says
Your recipe of Korean Braised Beef Shortribs is so yummy and very easy to make. My son enjoys it so much. Thank you very much for sharing.
Carol says
Thanks, Alice! So glad you all enjoy!