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Red Wine Cranberry Braised Short Ribs. Slow cooked short ribs in red wine with fresh herbs and sweet cranberries. If there’s one cozy holiday meal you need to be making, it’s these braised short ribs. They’re a one pot and done kind of dinner, festive, and totally delicious. Serve these over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes and you’ll have the perfect dinner for a cold night in.

I’ve been waiting for Thanksgiving week to be here for so long. This is always such a fun week with so much excitement in the air. I’ve never put a ton of pressure on myself to make Thanksgiving perfect. I think this is why I am able to look forward to it so much. All of my brothers are in town (well one arrives tomorrow). I’m excited to spend some time with them, take a minute to soak everything in, and be thankful for all this year has had to offer. It’s been a big year of growth here at HBH, and I’m so thankful to be doing what I love each and every day.
It’s been go, go, go for months now, so I haven’t really had the chance to organize the studio and make it just right. Plus, we’re still waiting on furniture for the upstairs loft and office. Regardless, on Saturday afternoon I finally decided to put down my computer and spend a couple of hours organizing and tidying up around the studio to prepare for Thanksgiving. It was fun to spend a little time styling out the space. Thanksgiving will be our first “big dinner” here, so I’m getting excited! I may or may not have already set my tables.
Anyway, with all of my family in town, that means I need easy meals that everyone will love.

Enter these tangy red wine braised short ribs.
This recipe has been my go-to for about a year now. I first made these ribs back in December of last year. And ever since then I’ve been making them for big crowds. My brothers love short ribs, so this is the perfect dinner to serve this week…especially with snow in the forecast. Nothing is better on a snowy night than a dinner of slow cooker short ribs.
Plus, they are so easy to make. Just one pot, set the slow cooker, and come home to dinner. EASY.

Like most (good) short rib recipes, this one starts out by searing the ribs in a super hot skillet. Trust me, I know how much of a turn off this is in any recipe. But searing the ribs is an essential step and will give you a tender, flavorful short rib every time. I know you might not want to dirty the pan or deal with the grease splatter, but if you want a delicious meal, take the extra ten minutes and sear the ribs before adding them to the slow cooker (or oven).
Once the ribs are seared, you pretty much just throw all remaining ingredients into the slow cooker and cook all day long. Low and slow is key with short ribs, so I recommend cooking the full six hours on low. You can slow cook these in the oven as well.
The major flavor for these shorts come from dry red wine, fresh herbs, and tangy cranberries. Now, I know the cranberries might be throwing some of you off, but I promise, the cranberries in this recipe are delicious.
One of my favorite things to do this time of year when cranberries are in season is to pair them with beef and red wine. Something about the combo of cranberries, red, wine, and beefy short ribs are just so good. It feels very fancy, very French, and when served over creamy mashed potatoes, it’s really one of the best, coziest meals there is.
I actually made this exact recipe yesterday, for Sunday night dinner with the family. It was the perfect dinner to enjoy on a cold November night. If you need something warm and hearty to serve this week before Thursday’s feast, I highly recommend these short ribs.
They cannot be beat.

If you make these ribs be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
Red Wine Cranberry Braised Short Ribs
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1446 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds bone in, beef short ribs
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 2 cups dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- mashed potatoes, for serving
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- 1. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large oven safe skillet, sear the ribs on both sides. Remove the ribs and transfer to the slow cooker. 2. To the slow cooker, add the onions, shallots, and carrots. Add the wine, broth, tomato paste, brown sugar, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, gently stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. During the last 2 hours of cooking, add the cranberries. 3. Remove the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Serve the ribs over a bed of mashed potatoes. Drizzle with the pan sauce. Enjoy!
Oven
- 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.2. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large oven safe skillet, sear the ribs on both sides. Remove the ribs to a plate. Add the onions, shallots, and carrots, cook 5-10 minutes or until the onions begin to caramelize. Add back the short ribs. Add the wine, broth, tomato paste, brown sugar, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Sprinkle over the cranberries. Season with salt and pepper, gently stir to combine. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until the short ribs are tender and falling off the bone.3. Remove the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Serve the ribs over a bed of mashed potatoes. Drizzle with the pan sauce. Enjoy!

This post was originally published on November 19, 2018
















So delicious!! I followed the recipe pretty exact except I used less onion and no shallots (allium family bothers my tummy) and I couldn’t find fresh cranberries but I thawed some frozen cranberries and that worked well. I used the oven method in my Dutch oven. I followed the mashed potato recipe from the cider/beer braised chicken and it was a wonderful combo. 😊
Hey Sarah,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, love to hear it turned out well for you!
Delicious-restaurant quality. This recipe is easy; yet, it tasted like I slaved over the stove all day. Thank you for another great recipe that always impresses!
Hey Tina,
Happy Sunday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, love to hear it turned out well for you!
How far ahead can I make the short ribs using the oven method? I love the cranberry beef stew can’t wait to try this recipe.
Thank you
Hey there,
You could make these a couple days in advance if you wanted to:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Good idea but not sure where I went wrong. Followed the slow cooker instructions and cooked on low for 6 hours. Meat was not fall-off bone and was a bit overcooked in my opinion. What should I have done differently?
Hi Nikita,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! Unfortunately, I don’t think your short ribs were over cooked, I think that they were under cooked. I would add more time or try the oven method next time. I hope this helps!
This recipe looks amazing! My husband does not eat beef. Do you think this would work with pork or chicken?
Thanks Joy! Totally, I think chicken thighs would be a great option here. Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it!
Wow…Just wow. Delicious. Made for a beautiful and festive Christmas dinner. Absolutely a keeper!
Hey Mark,
Big thanks for making this recipe and sharing back. So glad it hit the spot!
Happy Holidays!
Would this recipe work with a roast? Looking forward to it on Christmas Eve!
Hey Elizabeth,
You bet, that will work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe!
Merry Christmas!🎄🎁
Served this recipe for a dinner party of eight recently and it was a crowd pleaser! Had to make some modifications – not due to the recipe, but due to the quality and fat content of the short ribs I purchased. With 2 hours of slow cooking left, I pulled all the meat off the bones, trimmed off some of the fat and skimmed oil off the top of the crock pot liquid. I then discarded the bones, added the cranberries and some mushrooms to the crock pot along with the large meat chunks. Two hours later – YUM!
Hey Molly,
Happy Monday! I love to hear this recipe turned out well for you! Thanks for making it:)
Happy Holidays!