Slow Cooker Boneless Beef Short Ribs Bourguignon is the easiest way to make this classic French wine country dish!
Before you say, “OMG, Beef Bourguignon….! Isn’t that some fancy French dish?” Let me just say “Yes, it is, but I guarantee you can make it better than the French.”
No doubt them’s fightin’ words to someone of French origin.
I was in the French wine country this past fall and had the worst Beef Bourguignon ever!
Since then, I’ve been wanting a GOOD Beef Bourguignon and friends… This is it! Slow Cooker Boneless Beef Short Ribs Bourguignon!
Not gonna lie. This isn’t the traditional way to make Beef Bourguignon. After having what I had in France, I’m all about doing it my own way and this is the EASIEST way to make a French-inspired winter comfort dish your family and friends will love!
How to make Slow Cooker Boneless Beef Short Ribs Bourguignon:
- Start with boneless beef short ribs. I know… it’s an oxymoron. Boneless ribs? Actually, “boneless” beef short ribs are cut from the chuck and consist of rib meat already separated from the bone.
- Next, cook a little bacon.
- Then, brown 2 to 3 pounds of boneless beef short ribs in a skillet or saute pan with some of the drippings with olive oil.
- Place them in a slow cooker with copious amounts of red wine, some beef broth, tomato paste, carrots, garlic and herbs.
- Be sure to use GOOD WINE! Not your best, but something you would actually drink. Weak, mass-produced wine won’t give you that same hearty depth of flavor. Keep in mind that a bad wine doesn’t get any better when it’s cooked or placed into a dish.
- Let it all simmer away until the boneless beef short ribs are ridiculously tender.
- Create a slurry with flour and some of the hot liquid to thicken the gravy.
- Saute the mushrooms in a little butter then add them to the slow cooker.
- Let the meat rest a little bit before serving.
- Friends! May I just let the next few photos speak for themselves?
Slow Cooker Boneless Beef Short Ribs Bourguignon is a totally company-worthy dish made with an inexpensive cut of beef. So rich tasting, so easy and the perfect winter comfort food!
Serve with:
- Cauliflower White Bean Puree
- Spinach Parmesan Ranch Twice Baked Potatoes with Parmesan Crumb Topping
- Brussels Sprouts Gratin with Brie and Bacon
- Roasted Cabbage Steaks with Mustard Vinaigrette
- Asparagus Cordon Bleu
Want more great beef short rib recipes? Try these:
- Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs Barbacoa with Cilantro – Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Cabernet Braised Beef Short Ribs with Cauliflower – Leek Puree
- Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs
- Stout-Braised Beef Short Ribs and Colcannon
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Slow Cooker Boneless Beef Short Ribs Bourguignon
Slow Cooker Boneless Beef Short Ribs Bourguignon is the easiest way to make this classic French wine country dish! It's totally company-worthy dish made with an inexpensive cut of beef. So rich tasting, so easy and the perfect fall and winter comfort food!
Ingredients
- 5-6 slices bacon, diced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 pounds boneless beef short ribs (5-6 ribs)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bottle (750mm) dry red wine
- 2 cups beef broth
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 8 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 bag (12-ounce) frozen pearl onions, thawed under hot running water
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 package (8-ounce) cremini mushrooms, quartered
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Place bacon in a skillet and heat skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon, adjusting heat as necessary until the bacon is is crisp.
- Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings and refresh with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Generously season ribs with salt and black pepper. Continuing on medium-high heat, place half the ribs in the skillet. Brown well on both sides. Transfer to a slow cooker. Repeat with remaining ribs.
- Add wine, broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, carrots, garlic and bacon to slow cooker.
- Cook for 4-6 hours on HIGH heat or up to 8 hours on LOW heat.
- Approximately half an hour before ribs are done, add thawed frozen pearl onions. Place flour in a small bowl. Remove 4-6 tablespoons of the hot liquid from the slow cooker. Stir 1 tablespoon of the hot liquid at a time into the flour until you have a thick paste.
- Add the slurry (liquid and flour mixture) to the slow cooker and gently stir it in.
- Cook uncovered on HIGH for 20 more minutes or until thickened and pearl onions are heated through.
- Heat butter in a small skillet or saute pan. Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat or until tender and they release their juices. Add to slow cooker and gently stir.
- Shut slow cooker off and let stand for 10 minutes or so. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, cauliflower puree or polenta.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 733Total Fat: 46gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 592mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 49g
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.
Jen says
Hi there! This looks incredible. However I can’t find the frozen pearl onions… any advice?
Carol says
Hi, Jen, Thanks so much for your question. Can you find fresh? You’ll need to peel them which can be a bit labor-intensive. Cut the tip opposite the root end off with a small paring knife. Bring a small pot of water to a boil then cook for about 2 minutes. Drain and when cool enough to handle, gently squeeze at the root end and the onion should come right out. Thanks again!
Jen says
Thanks so much! Another question for you. I went to a few stores today to get the beef boneless short ribs, but was only able to find boneless short pork ribs. Will that be detrimental to the dish?
Carol says
Hi, Jen, Thanks much for your question. I did a quick search for “pork bourguignon” and didn’t find many recipes for it, so I’m not sure it’s going to be a successful dish with pork. Can you get a chuck roast or bone-in short ribs? Those would be the closest thing to boneless short ribs in terms of nature and cooking time. I generally get my boneless short ribs at Costco. You can always freeze the pork ribs and do pulled pork for sandwiches or something. Thanks so much and hope it works out!
Britany Harrison says
I’m going to try this tomorrow, but we don’t eat mushrooms. Is there anything that can be substituted? Will the recipe turn out if they’re omitted?
Carol says
Hi, Britany, Thanks so much for your question. You can just leave them out–perhaps add a few more carrots and/or pearl onions. I do this recipe for a personal chef client who does not care for mushrooms and my husband is allergic to them so I have to leave them out a lot. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
Sarah says
Does this freeze well?
Carol says
Hi, Sarah, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, this freezes very well. Simply cool it down thoroughly before placing it in the freezer. Any residual heat/steam is going to cause ice crystals at the top of your container which can cause freezer burn and affect the quality. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
Nicole says
Making this right now it slow cooking away. Super excited and the house smells amazing!
Carol says
Hi, Nicole, Thanks so very much and hope you enjoyed!
Suzie says
Hi there,
I am excited to try this today. I plan on putting flour on the beef ribs before I sear them in the pan. I have seen this in other recipes and helps with making sure they are tender.
Is this okay to do?
Carol says
Hi, Suzie, Thanks so much for your question. Yes, that’s totally fine to do. As far as I know, that is usually done to help in the browning and thickening process, but definitely is fine to do. Thanks so much and hope you enjoy!
Colleen says
I followed the instructions to the exact, and the gravy never thickened? What was wrong? Taste was delish!
Carol says
Hi, Colleen, Sorry you had a problem. I clarified the instructions for thickening the sauce/gravy; perhaps it was just in the process. 4 tablespoons of flour should thicken it up quite a bit without it being too thick. Glad you enjoyed the taste and flavor!
Diane Bloodhart says
I followed the instructions precisely. The result looked like the photos but the taste was “blah”. The meat was very tender. What did I do wrong??
Carol says
Hi, Diane, Thanks so much for your feedback but I’m not sure I have an answer for you. After having extremely bland Beef Bourguignon in of all places–France!–I really tried to remedy that here with this recipe. Perhaps it needed more salt? Perhaps the beef broth was bland? I always use Swanson and never “beef-flavored broth.” I did a quick internet search and this recipe is along the lines of Ina Garten’s except she adds cognac and uses less tomato paste. Wish I had a better answer for you!
Angie says
I found it slightly bland as well so I added ground black pepper and it brightened the flavor up. I think it would also benefit from more fat so maybe using stock instead of broth or even just fattier boneless ribs. Bone in ribs would add flavor too and if cooked long enough bones will pull out. That might beef it up so to speak. Overall good rendition but like another person mentioned, my gravy did not thicken either. Maybe not enough fat? I make gravy from drippings a lot and I think just needs adjusting?
Carol says
Hi, Angie, Thanks so much for your feedback. Boneless beef short ribs are cut from the chuck so fattiness and connective tissue are generally the same as a chuck roast. I’ve made a couple of adjustments to the recipe. I think part of the problem is the steam produced if the cover is placed back on the slow cooker after adding the flour slurry. The steam is going to work against thickening the sauce/gravy so I changed the recipe to simmer uncovered after adding the slurry. Flour can also lose thickening power if cooked too long. I also added, “Adjust seasoning to taste.” Still not sure why some folks said it was a little bland with a whole bottle of wine, bacon, garlic and the other herbs! In my personal chef business, I’ve cooked for numerous people over the years who were afraid of too much flavor so I love that my readers are loving more of it! Thanks again and great feedback like yours helps to make the recipe better! I appreciate it!
Jules says
Could I sub almond flour?
Carol says
Hi, Jules, Thanks so much for your great question! I did some quick research and it appears you can. It won’t thicken like flour, but will give the sauce some body. Here’s a YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srt93alIgWU
Oliver says
Awesome! Just plain delicious.
Carol says
Thank you, Oliver! You made my day!
Felix says
This looks like something I gotta try over the weekend. Yummy
Carol says
Hi, Felix, Hope you enjoy! Thanks so much!
Kiki Johnson says
I love recipes that start with “cook a little bacon” ! Cannot wait to try your “better than the French” bourguignon – it looks absolutely delicious and would make a great dinner for Sunday night!
Carol says
Thanks, Kiki! This is definitely better than what I had in France! You’re right; it’s the perfect Sunday dinner. Hope you enjoy and thanks again!
Jim Huff says
This post inspired me to change my planned menu for our belated family Holiday celebration. As I read through the recipe I realized that it is very similar to the way I make Beef Bourguignon in my pressure cooker using cubed chuck roast. I’m a big fan of Boneless Short Ribs and have adapted Carol’s recipe for Cabernet Braised Short Ribs using them with great success. (Full disclosure I’m also a Personal Chef and these are a client favorite!) The Beef Bourguignon was a big hit–so much so that the 2 leftover grabbing children left us with barely two ladle-fulls of the gravy with a few carrots and mushrooms! We also served it with our favorite Cauliflower & Leek Puree that Carol paired with the aforementioned Cabernet Braised Short Ribs. All three of these recipes are company worthy and yet some of the best comfort food you’ll ever make! Enjoy!
Carol says
Thanks for the wonderful endorsement, Jim! So glad you all enjoyed and the recipes didn’t disappoint for something as important for a holiday celebration.
Donna says
I searched for the ingredients list and couldn’t find it. Can you help a girl out?
Carol says
Absolutely! Not sure what’s missing in the post as they are in the recipe area but I know it’s easy to scroll past things sometimes. Here’s the list:
5-6 slices bacon, diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 pounds boneless beef short ribs (5-6 ribs)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bottle (750mm) dry red wine
2 cups beef broth
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
8 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bag (12-ounce) frozen pearl onions, thawed under hot running water
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 package (8-ounce) cremini mushrooms, quartered
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Thanks so much and hope you enjoy!