Our Easy Short Rib Ragu is an easy, set-it-and-forget-it recipe that the whole family is going to love! Made with mouthwatering braised beef, fresh veggies, and all of the most amazing flavor. Serve with pappardelle pasta or mashed potatoes for the perfect cold-weather comfort food!
The Best Short Rib Ragu Recipe
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. This 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!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Set-It-And-Forget-It: Just put in a little work in the morning and dinner will be ready and waiting for you when you get home! Nothing beats that!
- Cozy: we look forward to making this every Fall/Winter. It is total comfort food!
- Paleo/Whole30 Friendly: we also love that it is Paleo/Whole30 when served with zoodles or spaghetti squash!
What You Will Need
- salt and pepper – a simple seasoning needed when cooking any cut of meat.
- avocado oil – a little bit in the large skillet help to sear the beef and the fresh vegetables.
- fresh garlic – everything is always better with some garlic in the mix.
- celery + carrots + sweet yellow onion – these are sautéed together with the garlic add depth of flavor to the ragu.
- 6-8 beef short ribs (bone-in) – you will need approximately 3 pounds of bone-in short ribs.
- marinara sauce – this is our little short-cut or secret ingredient – makes it so easy!
- bay leaves – toss a bay leaf or two into the slow cooker or Instant Pot for that added flavor.
- herb bundle – our typical herb bundle is made up of fresh thyme, rosemary, oregano, and parsley – but any fresh herbs would be great here. Or toss in a parmesan rind for even more depth of flavor.
- (optional) red wine – if you want to add in a little red wine, that is encouraged!
- your favorite pasta – for serving, any type of al dente pasta work be great.
How To Make Short Rib Ragu
The first steps to making this easy recipe are to pat dry with a clean paper towel. Season short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper – make sure you get in every nook and cranny!
Bring a cast iron skillet or dutch oven to a medium-high heat on the stovetop and sear beef on all sides. Transfer them to a slow cooker or Instant Pot.
In the same cast iron skillet sauté the garlic and veggies. Transfer them to the slow cooker as well along with any brown bits left behind from the ribs.
Add everything to a slow cooker (or pressure cooker) along with some red wine (if using), bay leaf and an herb bundle. Cook per the times listed in the recipe card below (we like to put a little bit of the marinara sauce down first).
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!
When you have everything in the crockpot, give it all a good stir with a wooden spoon and then seal the lid on top.
Cook for 7-8 hours on the low setting. Or shorten the time to approx. 5 hours on the high setting, but we recommend the low and slow method, if you can!
Once the beef is falling off the bone, remove the short ribs from the braising liquid and discard the bones. The short ribs will be fork tender (and falling apart). Shred meat on a cutting board and place back in the slow cooker. Make sure you find and discard any connective tissue.
Serve over your favorite noodle or with some spaghetti squash or zoodles!
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.
Recipe FAQs
- 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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Other Recipes You Might Like
Short Rib Ragu Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 hours
- Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- 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
- 2 teaspoons garlic cloves, minced
- 2–3 celery stalks, sliced
- 2–3 medium carrots, peeled, sliced and quartered (halved works too)
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
- 25oz marinara sauce (homemade marinara sauce or store-bought)
- 1–2 bay leaves
- 1 herb bundle
- (optional) splash of red wine, 1/4 -1/2 cup works perfectly
- serving: pappardelle pasta or spaghetti squash
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 approx. 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 garlic and onion. Stir, allowing them to cook 1 minute on medium-high heat until the garlic is fragrant and the onion has 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 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 on HIGH.
- Shred Meat: Before serving, remove short ribs and place on a plate. 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 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: 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: For Whole30/Paleo just be sure to check marinara ingredients (we used Primal Kitchen Marinara Sauce) and serve with zoodles or spaghetti squash. Omit any red wine or parmesan rind.
- Cooking Time: cooking time will vary greatly between slow cooker and instant pot – we used the slow cooker cooking time on the recipe card.
- Spaghetti Squash: here is how to roast spaghetti squash in the oven and here is how to cook spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot!
- 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!