Name: Crockpot Red Wine Short Ribs
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 390 min
Ingredients: 3½-4 lb bone in 7-9 short ribs (boneless will work as well); 2 Tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp sea salt (enough to cover all sides of meat); 1 tsp pepper; 2½ cups low sodium beef broth; ¾ cup red wine; 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 5 garlic cloves (minced); 1 tsp onion powder; 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning; 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme; 2-3 sprigs fresh oregano; 2 Tbsp cornstarch; 4 Tbsp cold water

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These fork tender, melt in your mouth crockpot red wine short ribs have quickly become a family favorite. About 15 minutes of prep for a cozy comforting meal that feels almost too fancy to be a weeknight meal, but is surely easy enough! Easy to vary, can cook veggies along with the meat if desired, and freezer friendly! Serve with juices or take a few minutes to make a simple gravy to serve over these short ribs!

Crock pot red wine short ribs served over mashed potatoes.

Why We Love THese Crockpot Red Wine Short Ribs
Ingredient Notes
Recipe Variations
Step-By-Step Instructions
Recipe Tips
Storage
Other Slow Cooker REcipes
Crockpot Red Wine Short Ribs Recipe
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Crockpot meals that include beef are some of our family’s favorite recipes. They are cozy, nostalgic and just warm the soul and the body all at once.

This new crockpot short ribs recipe has become my husband’s often requested dinner on cold days and I hope it becomes that for you as well!

Love crockpot meals too? Try these other favorites: Crock Pot Shredded Beef, Crockpot Chuck Roast Recipe, Slow Cooker Beef Brisket Chili, and Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos.

Why We Love THese Crockpot Red Wine Short Ribs

One of our favorite restaurants serves the best short ribs and every time we go there, I always think, why don’t I make short ribs more often??

The reason is likely because they are pricey, so I try to keep an eye on them for when they are on sale and these days its either these red wine short ribs or my personal favorite this CrockPot Short Rib Ragu.

These crockpot red wine short ribs are:

so rich and flavorful
very very easy to prep–only about 15 minutes!
fall apart, melt-in-your-mouth tender
very freezer friendly
great for an easy weeknight dinner but also a festive gathering

I really hope you love this cozy crockpot recipe as much as we do!

Ingredient Notes

Full list of ingredients with exact measurements below in recipe card.

Short ribs in parchment, olive oil, red wine, and other ingredients arranged on surface.

Look for nicely marbled, bone-in short ribs with plenty of meat on them. (Boneless will work too.) We find the bone-in beef ribs turn out more tender and juicy, but boneless are still great. Look for a deep red color as well. We use beef chuck ribs for this recipe.
When it comes to selecting the type of wine to use to slow cook your short ribs, the first choice is a wine you enjoy drinking as well. I mean, first of all you can cook and sip on it right? But also, the richness it adds will be one with flavor profiles you prefer. If you are looking for suggestions, typically a full bodied dry red wine that is not overly sweet is what works well when cooking red meat. This can include Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon. I do find Merlots often suggested as well.
- If you are not comfortable cooking with red wine, or don’t want to add alcohol to the dish, you can sub it for an alcohol free red wine, more beef broth or stock, a splash of red wine vinegar, or even some cranberry juice just to add another layer of flavor.

Recipe Variations

add veggies to the dish: you can add sliced onion, carrot chunks, mushrooms and more. If you are worried about the vegetables becoming too soft, you can add them about half way through the cook time.
add a bit of butter: I love adding a touch of butter over top of the meat for some extra richness and flavor. I use it when making my Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast and it really adds a wow factor.
vary the herbs: I like oregano and thyme for this recipe, but if you have other fresh herbs to add, rosemary and others are also delicious.
sprinkle some flour over the ribs before searing: after seasoning the short ribs, lightly coat in flour on all sides. This will add extra flavor and texture.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Seasoned short ribs in parchment before searing.

Step 1: After the meat has come to room temperature, pat dry and season the short ribs on all sides generously.

Step 2: Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add oil and allow it to heat up. Add the ribs and sear on all 4 sides for about 1 minute each, working in batches if necessary.

Slow cooker with short ribs, broth and herbs before slow cooking.

Step 3: Add the beef broth, wine, Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar to the crock pot and stir to combine. Place the seared short ribs into the crockpot. Sprinkle with seasoning, minced garlic cloves and place the thyme and oregano over top.

Step 4: Cover and cook the short ribs on low for 6-8 hours or until the meat is tender and falling off the bones, as you can see in this image, it has already fallen off!

Strainer over saucepan catching drippings.

Step 5: Once the meat is cooked, you can either serve with the juices, or take the juices to make a rich gravy. Transfer the juices to a small saucepan, using a mesh strainer to remove any small bits.

Step 6: Allow the juices to come to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, whisk together cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Pour the mixture slowly into the sauce pan and whisk to combine. Allow the gravy to cook another minute or so, or until desired thickness is reached. Keep in mind, it will thicken more as it cools, so I like to pull it off the heat a bit before it’s where I like it. Serve over top of meat and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

Allow the meat to sit out for about 30 minutes to an hour before searing. This will make for the most even searing.
Make sure the pan you sear the meat in is HOT. This is how you get that nice caramelized browned exterior. If the pan isn’t hot enough, you wont’ get quite the same texture.
Cook the meat until it begins to fall apart of off the bone. May readers become afraid of overcooking their meat, but it can take extra time to break down the tissue of the meat to allow it to become soft and tender. If it’s still tough, it most likely means the ribs need to cook longer.
You can just add the corn starch slurry into the juices in the last half hour or so instead of simmering stove top. We sometimes like just slightly thickened juices or don’t want to add another step to the recipe and just whisk the slurry into the slow cooker and let it cook for about 30-45 minutes to thicken a touch. You could also add a bit of tomato paste to thicken the gravy slightly.

Red wine short ribs with gravy served over mashed potatoes on plate.

Storage

Store leftover meat in juices/gravy for about 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To freeze, allow the meat to cool completely and then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.