Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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
How do you know if you should cook for 6 or 8 hours?!? Looks delicious!! Planning to make this for Christmas dinner.
It just depends on how much time you have. I prefer to cook for a longer time and usually cook closer to 8 hours, but 6 hours is the least amount of cooking time needed. Does this make sense? Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
So excited to make this for Chrismakah dinner with friends this week. Based on the cook time I would need to start this between 10-12 unfortunately I can’t be home then. Would you recommend starting it early and having it keep warm after it’s done OR put it all in the slow cooker and set it to delayed start so that it then finishes on time? Thanks!
Hey Kelly! I would start early. The longer and slower these cook, the better!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
I would wait on adding carrots, they were overcooked when done as stated. Also I added 2 oranges cut in half with peel on, because I had them on hand and they pair well with the cranberries.
Hi Julie! I hope this still tasted amazing for you! Thank you!
This looks delicious! Is there any good substitute for the red wine, or would it really change the recipe?
HI! You can use half pomegranate juice or cranberry and half beef broth. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
Hello, would I be able to sub the red wine with non alcoholic cooking wine?
HI! You can use half pomegranate juice or cranberry juice and half beef broth in place of the red wine. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
Made this last night!! Seared the short ribs on the grill to save cleaning the stove top (ugh…) and to add a nice smoky flavor. Used half unsweetened pomegranate juice and half red wine (cabernet) and some frozen cranberries leftover from Thanksgiving! Im sure this could easily be adapted to the pressure cooker, but sometimes I really need low and slow…
Thanks for a great recipe.
I am so glad you loved this Lynn! Thank you so much!
Average, at best. This meal is expensive to prepare, takes a long time to cook, and requires more prep than I’d normally put into a crockpot meal. I expected better.
Hi Sarah! I am so sorry to hear that you did not enjoy this as much as you thought. Are there any questions I could help you with? Please let me know. I hope this does not stop you from trying other recipes of mine!
I made this on Sunday, and it was a HUGE hit! I did add a little more salt to my liking to the broth. I love short ribs!
Thank you so much Michelle!
Delicious!! Very easy to make and everyone loved the flavor. As others have said, love the addition of the cranberries – gives it a nice sweet/tart pop. Made it with mashed white sweet potatoes since we’re not big mashed potato fans. Thanks for this recipe, another hit!
Thank you so much Evelyn!
Hi Tieghan! I can’t wait to make this for Christmas Eve dinner! How many pounds of short ribs would you recommend for 10 people?
HI! To be safe I would use 8-10 pound of short ribs! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
I’d love to make this for Christmas Eve, but I have 8 guests. Can you give me suggestions how to increase the recipe to serve 8?
Hey Anna! I would recommend using 8 pounds of shorts rubs and increasing the wine and broth to 3 cups. I’d leave the remaining ingredients as is. For the cooking time, I would add an additional 1 hour or so. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
Made this tonight, absolutely delicious! Love the cranberries. Making it again for a dinner party next week!
Has anyone ever added garlic?
This looks amazing! I was considering it for Christmas dinner. For the oven version, do you think it would work to prep it the day before and just have to put it in the oven on Christmas Day? Thx!
HI! Yes, you can prep the night before, then pop in the oven. Just let the pot sit out while the oven preheats so that i can come to room temp. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
Have you tested this in an instant pot? Thanks! Love your recipes. Just ordered your cookbook for my entire family.
Hi! I am not a big fan of instant pot short ribs, so no I have not tested for the instant pot. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
What would you substitute for the wine? Broth? Thanks!
HI! Yes, I would use beef or chicken broth in place of the wine. You could also use and equal amount of pomegranate juice, which would be delish! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan