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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
I can’t find cranberries anywhere, could you substitute canned?
Hey Jada,
I would not recommend using canned cranberries for this recipe, if you can’t find cranberries I would recommend giving this one a try: https://fett-weg.today/white-wine-braised-short-ribs/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
What if you are pressed for time can I do 5hours on Low and the last hour with the cranberries on high?
Hey Ashton,
I would cook on high for 5 hours, and add the cranberries in the last hour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made these yesterday and they were delicious, however they were extremely greasy and my leftovers today have a ton of hardened fat in them. The recipe never called for skimming off the fat- would you recommend doing so? With such a fatty meat I surely can’t be the only one who encountered this problem…
Hey Lisa,
So sorry you had issues with the fat, you can certainly skim that off as needed. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
We had these for dinner last night. ? My ribs were still partially frozen when I seared them & yet 2 1/2 – 3 Hrs later they were tender & fell off the bone. I braised them in the oven. I added a few cloves of garlic. I only had Craisins (sweetened dried cranberries) so I threw them in. About 1/2 hr before removing from the oven I took 1/2 the sauce & reduced it in a pan on the stove & stirred it back in when serving. The whole meal was Delicious.! My DH a couple hours later was still thinking of the ribs & asked how I made them. Served with mashed potatoes & fresh asparagus.
Wow sounds like an amazing dinner! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan
Hi! I want to make this for an anniversary dinner but since it’s spring I’m not sure if I should be using cranberries? Would you still recommend cranberries in this dish at this time of year or should I substitute it for something else? Or just omit completely. Thanks!
Do you think I can sub out the fresh cranberry for frozen cherries? It’s all I got during the quarantining. Looking forward to making this meal, looks delicious!!
Hi!
Yes you can absolutely use fresh cranberries. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was “Out of this world, delicious”. I got rave reviews with a lot of compliments. I made mine in the oven and I thought it wouldn’t be done in time, but it was tender and so flavorful. The only thing that took time was skimming the grease that was on top. It took a while, but has to be done. Thank you for the great recipe. I am always looking in for flavorful different recipes. Will be making this again.
Thank you so much June!! I am so glad you enjoyed this and hope you love other recipes of mine as well! xTieghan
My family has made this for our Christmas dinner two years running, and it’s one of our favorite new traditions. Thank you for sharing your beautiful recipes with us!
Thank you Sara! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
So good! Definitely think I will make this again when we have company over!
Love that! So glad this turned out so well for you Rebecca! Thank you! xTieghan
Omg! The both grocers were sold out of short ribs. I bought back ribs instead. Think that’ll work? I’m so bummed.
HI! How did it go? Very curious if the ribs worked. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you loved this recipe! Thank you and I hope you had Merry Christmas! Sorry my response is a bit late! xTieghan
Do you think going longer than 2.5 hours at 325F in the oven would make them more tender?
HI! Yes, the longer and slower you can cook the ribs, the more tender they will be. Just be sure the ribs are always sitting in liquid so that they do not dry out. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and Merry Christmas! xTieghan
Oh wow…guess I didn’t review here last Christmas but I did tag on IG….Anyhoo…this recipe is to die for! We had it for Christmas and I will be making it again this year.
One must make and eat this!
YES! Thank you Karen! I am so glad this turned out so well for you and I hope it does again this year!! xTieghan
Hi! If I make this for Christmas for 12ppl how can I make in oven? What kind of pot do you recommend if I don’t have a slow cooker? Thank you!
HI! The oven directions are listed directly below the slow cooker directions. I recommend using a large cast iron Dutch oven. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and Merry Christmas! xTieghan
This short rib recipe looks wonderfully delicious. I’d like to make this for a gathering in which one person cannot have alcohol. Do you have a suggestion to replace the red wine? Maybe balsamic vinegar or any other ideas?
Hi! I would use an equal amount of pomegranate or cranberry juice. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Hi there! So excited to make this for my girls night in on Monday. Problem is I definitely prefer to make them in the oven but I need to be out of the house in the middle of the day. Could I cook the whole thing in the morning and then reheat for an hour or so before serving? Thanks so much!
Hey Sadie! Yes, of course. That will work really well! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan