Balsamic Short Ribs Recipe

This Balsamic Short Ribs Recipe is tender and melt in your mouth. The short ribs are cooked in the slow cooker in balsamic vinegar to infuse the flavor into them. These short ribs work great over gnocchi paired with brussels sprouts or even shredded for tacos or rice bowls. 

BALSAMIC SHORT RIBS RECIPE

There is something about cooler weather that makes me want to eat comfort food on repeat.

When I think of comfort food short ribs has always been up there as one of my favorites.

I especially love short ribs made in the slow cooker because they are so tender and juicy from the low and slow cooking all day.

Ohio Beef Council and I are partnering today to bring you this Balsamic Short Ribs Recipe, a new favorite in my house. If you have had my Slow Cooker Red Wine Short Ribs or these Slow Cooker Italian Short Ribs then you will love today’s recipe.

Where I live we have a local restaurant that makes really delicious short ribs and pairs them with gnocchi and brussels sprouts. I also like pairing it with this Creamy Polenta Recipe.

When I was creating today’s short rib recipe in the crockpot I knew I wanted to pair them with gnocchi and brussels sprouts for you guys.

The gnocchi provides the perfect base for the tender short rib meat.

I added a simple red sauce to my gnocchi but you can easily just use a little olive oil and parmesan cheese.

You will see what I will serve the short ribs on the bone or shredded.

Since the meat is so tender it is easy to shred it and add it to tacos or rice bowls. If you haven’t had a short rib taco with a drizzle of salsa verde you are missing out.

And lets talk about that balsamic vinegar for a minute.

I just love the flavor that it infuses into the meat along with the garlic, basil and oregano.

When you make these short ribs feel free to throw in whatever vegetables or potatoes you have on hand to help create a complete meal. Like I mentioned, I like to roast a simple brussels sprout to go with the meal too. 

IS BEEF NUTRITIOUS FOR ME?

Beef is a healthy addition to your families meals each week. Lean beef is an important part of a healthy diet for kids. Research shows that enjoying lean beef daily can help lower cholesterol levels. 

For student athletes and active kids, there is no better choice than beef.

The protein in beef helps build muscle and strong bodies, and exercise is more effective when paired with a high-protein diet.

Preparing healthy meals ahead of time can help avoid eating unhealthy foods on days you’re short on time.

A 3-ounce serving of beef provides more than 10 essential nutrients and half the daily recommended value of protein for less than 150 calories.

HOW DO I COOK BEEF IN THE SLOW COOKER?

I don’t know about you, but I love my slow cooker. And preparing beef in the slow is easy, saving you time in the kitchen and letting you have more time at the table eating as a family.

 When preparing beef in the slow cooker, it should be cooked to 160 degrees, or until it is fork tender. 

When using a slow cooker, set the heat to low as often as possible.

A slow, gentle heat really brings out the flavors.

This is especially true with these short ribs. You really want tender meat when it comes to short ribs, so make sure to set that crockpot to low and let it cook low and slow.

Another important tip is to not over-crowd the cooker!

A slow cooker works best when it’s between ½ and 2/3 full of ingredients. And something many people are guilty of is opening the lid of that slow cooker to see how the meal is cooking.

Don’t do it! Resist the urge to peek when using a slow cooker and keep the lid shut.

This prevents heat from escaping which could lead to slowing the cooking process.

Preheat the slow cooker

Rather than adding all of the ingredients and then turning on the heat, give your cooker an extra 20 minutes to warm up. 

While the slow cooker preheats you can brown your beef, which boosts the flavor!

Taking extra minutes to brown meat in a skillet before adding to the slow cooker gives it a deep, caramelized flavor. You will notice today’s short rib recipe is browned before they go in the crockpot.

Another really important thing to me and my family is knowing where our food comes from and getting to know our farmers. I feel lucky to live in Ohio where their are over 17,000 beef farming families.

This October, thousands of families across Ohio will buy beef. Ohioans spend $4.1 billion each year on beef, which is a healthy, high-quality protein choice.  

Although many believe that industrial farming has taken the place of family farms and ranches, 98 percent of beef farms are family-owned and operated.

And the Ohio beef community includes more than just farmers!

Small business owners, community leaders, animal caretakers nutritionists and environmentalists are all dedicated to producing safe, wholesome, nutritious beef.

Adding a salad to your meals is a nice way to get those vegetables and greens in. A few of the ones I serve on repeat are this Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts, Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing or this Mediterranean Bean Salad.

Simple side dishes work nicely with these short ribs.

A few I make are this Simple Roasted Broccoli, Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt Tahini Sauce or these Za’atar Roasted Carrots. 

Slow Cooker Balsamic Short Ribs

Slow Cooker Balsamic Short Ribs are tender and melt in your mouth. The short ribs are cooked in the slow cooker in balsamic vinegar to infuse the flavor into them. These short ribs works great over gnocchi paired with brussels sprouts or even shredded for tacos or rice bowls.

4.34 from 3 votes

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Course: Beef

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours hours

Total Time: 8 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

6

Author: Julia

Ingredients

• ▢ 3-4 pounds short ribs, bone in {you can also use no-bone but be aware that it will be slightly more meat without the bone}
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 4 cups beef broth
• ▢ 1 - 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
• ▢ 1/2 of a sweet onion, diced
• ▢ 3 carrots, peeled, cut into large chunks
• ▢ 3 bay leaves
• ▢ 6 garlic cloves
• ▢ 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano

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Instructions

• Sprinkle the short ribs with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. In batches, brown the short ribs on all sides then transfer to a large slow cooker.
• Add the broth, tomato sauce, onion, carrots, bay leaves, garlic, balsamic vinegar, basil, thyme and oregano.
• Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours, or until meat is tender. If the meat is not tender you need to continue slow cooking.
• Remove the short ribs and garnish with fresh parsley, a drizzle of balsamic and serve over gnocchi with brussels sprouts.

Notes

You can also shred the meat for tacos or rice bowls.

The meat freezes well in an airtight container or freezer ziplock bag for up to 6 months.