I tried a short rib ragu at an Italian restaurant a while back and immediately went home and started testing recipes to try and recreate it – once I got it right, I tested it in the slow cooker and the Instant Pot so you guys can decide how you want to cook it! Low and slow cooking is our favorite. It is a main dish that I come back to again and again and has quickly become my favorite short rib recipe (and is the perfect recipe for those chilly winter months).
Looking for More Ragu Recipes?
If you love ragu recipes as much as we do, you definitely need to try our Lamb Ragu or our Pappardelle Bolognese!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, & estimated nutritional information.
- short ribs – highly recommend picking up some bone-in beef short ribs at your local grocery store or butcher shop. They add so much more flavor than boneless short ribs!
- marinara sauce – if you have the time, we cannot recommend our homemade marinara sauce enough but any of your favorite store-bought varieties will work too.
- herb bundle – tossing in the bunch of fresh thyme, rosemary, oregano, and parsley really brings so much great flavor!
- pasta – we always serve this beef short rib ragu over al dente pasta but it is also great with spaghetti squash or mashed potatoes!
How To Make Short Rib Ragu
Pro Tip
So we took bit of a short cut … Instead of buying canned tomatoes and spices ….. we just used a jar of homemade marinara sauce (and then I tested it with some store bought marinara sauce as well). Such an easy short cut! And it tastes SO good!
Best Way To Serve Short Rib Ragu
Typically, we love to serve this amazing ragu sauce over some pappardelle noodles but any type of noodle would work here. You can also enjoy it over some cooked zoodles or spaghetti squash to amp up your vegetable intake. Option to garnish with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese or chopped parsley.
Substitutions to Make It Whole30/Paleo
- Marinara Sauce: just pay attention to the marinara sauce you use. There are so many compliant brands out there now – it will be easy to find one!
- Red Wine: simply omit the red wine or sub with some pomegranate juice.
- Serving: stick with serving over zoodles or spaghetti squash!
Storage & Freezer
Leftover ragu can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. It also freezes really well. Just let cool, transfer to a freezer-safe container (leaving room for expansion), and freeze for up to 3 months. Save the noodles to make right before serving.
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- What are short ribs? If you picture a cow, its ribs would obviously be found in the section of its body behind its shoulders. There are four defined areas there, the ribs, plate, brisket and chuck. Short ribs can be taken from any of these areas.
- What types of short ribs are there?
- Boneless: The meat from the ribs is cut away from the bone.
- English Cut: English style short ribs are pictured below and used in this recipe. This is probably what you will get if you simply ask for short ribs at your typical grocery store. It is a 2-3 inch bone with meat sitting on top of it.
- Flanken Style: Cut across several bones so you have a longer piece of meat with little chunks of bone throughout.
- What cuts of beef are good for ragu? Highly recommend using bone-in short ribs, but any type of short rib would work for this recipe. There is just so much more flavor than in a beef chuck roast.
- What are some side dishes to eat with short ribs? If you don’t want to serve with noodles, it would also be great over some Instant Pot mashed potatoes with some steamed green beans or roasted broccolini on the side.
Made this recipe and loved it?!
We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Short Rib Ragu Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 hours
- Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Description
Our easy Short Rib Ragu recipe is an easy, set-it-and-forget-it meal that is cozy and delicious! Make in the slow cooker or Instant Pot!
Ingredients
- 6–8 beef short ribs (approx. 3-4lbs)
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil (or butter), divided
- 25oz marinara sauce, divided (homemade marinara sauce or store-bought)
- 2 teaspoons garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
- 2–3 celery stalks, sliced
- 2–3 medium carrots, peeled, sliced and quartered (halved works too)
- 1–2 bay leaves
- 1 herb bundle
- (optional) splash of red wine, 1/4 -1/2 cup works perfectly
- serving suggestion: pappardelle pasta or spaghetti squash; shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prep + Sear Short Ribs: If possible, let short ribs sit out and come to room temperature (approx. 1 hour). Pat dry short ribs with clean paper towels and season with salt and pepper all over; set aside. Add 1 tablespoon oil or butter to large cast iron skillet and bring to medium-high heat. Sear short ribs on all sides (do this in batches, if you need to). Add about 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce to the slow cooker and spread out to coat the bottom. Transfer the browned short ribs to the slow cooker.
- Sauté Veggies: In the same skillet the short ribs were in, add another tablespoon of oil or butter. Then add 2 teaspoons garlic and diced onion. Stir, allowing them to cook 1 minute on medium-high heat until softened. Add celery and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir and allow to cook 2-3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add Ingredients to Slow Cooker: Pour vegetable mixture into the crockpot on top of the short ribs. Pour the rest of the marinara sauce on top and add bay leaves, herb bundle and red wine (if using). Mix to coat the short ribs.
- Cook: Cover and let cook for 7-8 hours on LOW or 5-6 hours on HIGH.
- Shred Meat: Before serving, remove short ribs and place on a cutting board. Shred meat using two forks, discarding bones and connective tissue. Place shredded meat back into the crockpot and mix to combine.
- Serve: Serve with pasta, zoodles or cooked spaghetti squash. Top with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Instant Pot Directions: Pour marinara sauce into the Instant Pot. Set aside. Pat dry short ribs with clean paper towels and season with salt and pepper all over; set aside. Add 1 tablespoon oil to large cast iron skillet and bring to medium-high heat. Sear short ribs on all sides. Transfer the browned short ribs to the Instant Pot. In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of oil. Then add garlic and stir, allowing it to cook 1 minute. Add celery, onion and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir and allow to cook 2-3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour vegetable mixture into Instant Pot on top of the short ribs. Add bay leaves and red wine (if using). Cover and ensure Instant Pot is set to Seal. Cook on High Pressure for 1 hour (60 minutes). Allow to naturally release for 10-20 minutes. Then (carefully) manually release per manufacturers instructions. Remove short ribs and shred meat, discarding bones and connective tissue. Place meat back into the Instant Pot and mix to combine. Serve with pasta, zoodles or spaghetti squash. Top with parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Marinara Sauce: For the marinara sauce, I tested it with both my own homemade marinara sauce and some Whole30 compliant store-bought sauce from Primal Kitchen.
- Instant Pot Note: For the Instant Pot, you can sauté the vegetables in the Instant Pot, but I would recommend still searing the Short Ribs in the cast iron – it’s hard to fit them into the pot and maneuver them around.
- Whole30/Paleo: be sure to check marinara sauce ingredients (we used Primal Kitchen Marinara Sauce) and serve with zoodles or spaghetti squash. Omit any red wine or parmesan cheese.
- Cooking Time: cooking time will vary greatly between slow cooker and instant pot – we used the slow cooker cooking time on the recipe card.
- Make it spicy: feel free to add in some red pepper flakes, if you want more of a spice.
- Boneless short ribs: you can use boneless short ribs, if you want, but a lot of flavor comes from having the bones being cooked as well.
- Nutrition info is only for the beef ragú, since it can be served a variety of different ways.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 421
- Sugar: 17.4 g
- Sodium: 1587.8 mg
- Fat: 20.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.5 g
- Protein: 32.4 g
- Cholesterol: 115.4 mg
Originally published November 14, 2019.
Libby says
Any changes you might make if using boneless short ribs? I have some in the fridge and would love to put this in my slow cooker!
Erin says
Hey Libby! I don’t think you need to change anything actually, the meat still needs the same amount of cook time whether it is on the bone or not – you might just lose a little extra flavor from the bones not being there, but it will still be delicious!!
Marina says
What a wonderful recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it! It was delicious.
Ginger says
The best!! Used in a GF lasagna and sooooo delish.
Erin says
Ooooh that sounds amazing!!!
Chelsea says
Absolutely delicious!! It will be on repeat in my house
Amy says
My absolute favorite bolognese-ragu recipe! Thank you so much.
Jenny says
I am a terrible cook. I made this and everyone loved it! So easy, such wonderful flavor!
Erin says
Thanks, Jenny!