Beef · Slow cooker

AB's Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs

R By Richard · Adapted from Smokin' & Grillin with AB · Published 23 June 2026
👁 1M source views ❤️ 34.4k source likes
⏱Prep 25 min
🍲Slow cook 8 hr (Low) / 4 hr (High)
🍽Serves 4
Crockpot Beef Short Ribs | Short Ribs Recipe

Source video by Smokin' & Grillin with AB on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

Smokin' and Grillin with AB walks through his crockpot take on beef short ribs. The ribs are seasoned with salt and pepper, browned hard in a cast iron frying pan, then transferred to the slow cooker. A pan gravy is built in the same frying pan from diced onion, garlic, butter, flour and beef broth, finished with red wine vinegar, soy sauce and honey. Everything goes into the crockpot for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. AB serves it over rice with a California vegetable blend, but mashed potato works just as well.

Ingredients

Ribs
  • 1.8 kgbeef short ribs
  • kosher salt
  • black pepper
Gravy
  • 1 tbsprendered bacon fat
  • 1 wholelarge onion, diced
  • 4 clovesgarlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 2 tbspbutter
  • 80 mlplain flour
  • 480 mlbeef broth
  • red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbspsoy sauce
  • honey

Method

  1. Heat a cast iron frying pan over high heat.

    ~3 min

  2. Season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.

    ~2 min

  3. Add a heaping tablespoon of rendered bacon fat (or olive oil) to the hot frying pan and move it around to coat.

    ~1 min

  4. Brown the short ribs about 4 minutes per side. Reduce to medium-high if they colour too fast. Stand them on their edges for the last minute to brown all sides.

    ~20 min

  5. Drip dry the ribs over the frying pan to keep the rendered juices, then transfer them to the slow cooker.

    ~2 min

  6. Add the diced onion to the same frying pan and saute until golden brown.

    ~5 min

  7. Add the smashed garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.

    ~1 min

  8. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and stir until melted.

    ~1 min

  9. Sprinkle in the flour in increments, stirring constantly, until it reaches a nutty brown colour.

    ~2 min

  10. Pour in the beef broth and keep stirring until the gravy thickens.

    ~3 min

  11. Stir in the red wine vinegar, soy sauce and honey. Taste and adjust with a couple of pinches of salt.

    ~2 min

  12. Pour the gravy over the ribs in the slow cooker.

    ~1 min

  13. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, until the meat is fall off the bone tender.

  14. Stir gently to avoid dislodging the meat from the bones, then plate over rice or mashed potato with a side vegetable.

    ~2 min

Frequently asked

Do I have to brown the short ribs first?
Yes. Slow cookers steam rather than sear, so the deep colour and flavour comes from browning the ribs in the frying pan before they go into the pot.
Can I skip the bacon fat?
Yes. AB calls out two substitutes: render down 4 rashers of bacon and use that fat, or use 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
What should I serve these short ribs with?
AB serves them over rice with a California vegetable blend. Mashed potato also soaks up the gravy well, as does buttered noodles or a thick slice of crusty bread.
Can I cook them for longer than 8 hours?
Yes. AB notes that extra time renders down more of the fat. Keep an eye on them past the 8 hour mark so the meat does not completely fall apart before you serve.
Do I need to thicken the gravy further at the end?
Usually not. The flour roux built in the frying pan thickens the broth before it goes into the slow cooker. If it looks thin after cooking, lift out the ribs and reduce the sauce in a pan on the hob.
Extraction notes (transparency): Honey, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper quantities not stated in the transcript (added to taste). Default servings inferred from a 4 lb rack of short ribs; AB does not state a serving count.