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These Slow Cooker Italian Short Ribs are juicy, tender and full of flavor. The shorts ribs cook low and slow in the crockpot creating fall apart tender beef that pairs nicely with the Italian flavors and a creamy risotto. You will love this easy, comforting meal!
I love when fall rolls around and I can start making comforting meals again. You know, those meals that you eat and just stick to your bones and warm you right up.
The Ohio Beef Council and I are celebrating Crocktober with these mouthwatering, comforting Slow Cooker Italian Short Ribs that are sure to be a cold weather favorite.
I love short ribs and often rotate between today’s Slow Cooker Italian Short Ribs, Balsamic Short Ribs Recipe and Slow Cooker Red Wine Short Ribs.
These fall apart, tender short ribs are the perfect pairing for creamy risotto and are sure to make you and your family happy. One of my favorite ways to cook short ribs is in the crockpot.
I love that they cook while I go about my day and how tender them become after cooking all day. These short ribs cook in an Italian style sauce that helps lock in flavors to the short ribs. I like to use the sauce over my short ribs to add that extra flavor boost.
Recipe Ingredients
See full list of ingredients below in recipe card with exact measurements.
- Short Ribs: For this recipe you can use bone in or boneless short ribs. I tend to like the boneless short ribs because I can get more meat out of those but either work great. Today’s recipe uses about 2 1/2 pounds to 3 pounds of boneless short ribs but if you do bone-in I would do 3 1/2 to 4 pounds.
- Tomatoes: The short ribs cook in an Italian style sauce using diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. The beef cooks in the sauce helping to infuse the flavors but it also creates a nice sauce to pour over your short ribs. You can also shred your short ribs after they are done cooking, put it back in the sauce and use it over pasta as a short rib style sauce.
- Spices and Herbs: The sauce uses oregano, basil and bay leaves. I also like to finish my dish off with fresh herbs if I have them. Parsley, basil and thyme are nice ones to use!
- Risotto: For today’s recipe I paired it with a creamy risotto because I love tender beef with risotto. If risotto isn’t your thing you could try pasta or even polenta.
How to Make these Slow Cooker Italian Short Ribs
Step 1: Sear Short Ribs: Remove the short ribs from the fridge about 15 minutes before you are ready to cook them and set them on the counter to come to room temperature. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of the short ribs. Once the oil is hot, add the short ribs to the skillet {you will probably need to do two batches}. Sear the short ribs for 3 to 4 minutes per side to brown them.
Step 2: Add Short Ribs to the Crockpot: Add the short ribs to the slow cooker in an even layer if possible.
Step 3: Create Sauce: In a medium mixing bowl add the garlic, onion, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme and give it a good stir. Pour the sauce over the short ribs and spread over to cover the short ribs. Add the bay leaves.
Step 4: Slow Cook: Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or 5 to 6 hours on high. Once the ribs are done, skim the fat off the surface (I just use a small spoon to do this). Remove the short ribs and serve over risotto with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Storage Tips
Store the leftover short ribs in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat you can heat in the microwave or in a skillet.
More Beef Recipes
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Slow Cooker Italian Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of short ribs {no-bone},, fat trimmed {you can use bone-in short ribs but you will want to get about 3 1/2 to 4 pounds}
- Salt & pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup sweet onion, diced
- 1 – 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1 – 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
Additional ingredients to serve:
- Risotto
- Fresh parsley
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Remove the short ribs from the fridge about 15 minutes before you are ready to cook them and set them on the counter to come to room temperature.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of the short ribs.
- Once the oil is hot, add the short ribs to the skillet {you will probably need to do two batches}. Sear the short ribs for 3 to 4 minutes per side to brown them.
- Add the short ribs to the slow cooker in an even layer if possible.
- In a medium mixing bowl add the garlic, onion, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme and give it a good stir.
- Pour the sauce over the short ribs and spread over to cover the short ribs. Add the bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or 5 to 6 hours on high.
- Once the ribs are done, skim the fat off the surface (I just use a small spoon to do this). Remove the short ribs and serve over risotto with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- You can shred your short rib meat and put it back in the sauce and serve the sauce and meat together over pasta or the risotto. Or you can serve the meat and drizzle the sauce over the meat.
- If you choose to do bone-in short ribs I suggest using more than the 2 1/2 to 3 pounds. I would go with 3 1/2 to 4 pounds of meat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you to The Ohio Beef Council for sponsoring this recipe. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
Best recipe for beef short ribs that I have eaten. I served over Polenta this time and next I will try risotto.
So glad you enjoyed them! This is one of my favorite recipes. Great idea to serve over polenta-always a great pairing.