Name: Slow Cooker Short Ribs with Red Wine
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 500 min
Ingredients: 5 slices bacon (finely chopped); 8 pounds bone-in short ribs (or 4 pounds boneless beef chuck cut into 2-inch cubes); 2 cups red cooking wine; 2 cups beef stock; 1/2 cup tomato sauce; 1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce; 2 tablespoons gluten free flour; 3 garlic cloves (whole); 1 tablespoon dried thyme; 1 bay leaf; 1 white onion (quartered); 5 medium carrots (cut into 3-inch sections); 8 oz fresh mushrooms (sliced)

Slow Cooker Short Ribs with Red Wine are the perfect comfort food to cook in the Crock Pot! These short ribs cook all day in the slow cooker ending with fall off the bone meat filled with delicious flavor. These short ribs are a cozy and satisfying dish that will warm your soul and stomach.

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Slow Cooking Short Ribs

Beef short ribs are a prized cut for slow cooking. Cooking them slowly in the Crock Pot breaks down the tough connective tissues and the meat becomes tender making it fall of the bone delicious.

Short Ribs is my go to for special occasions or just a delectable dinner. I make them for birthdays, holidays. Every one always loves this recipe and I even have people ask me to make them when they are coming over. The quick sear and deglazing of the short ribs before you add them to the slow cooker adds so much incredible flavor. The flavorful combination of all the ingredients will make these your favorite go-to recipe!

Once they are finished cooking you make a quick gravy that is out of this world because of all the goodies it cooked in all day. Skip the restaurant and try these next time!

This recipe has a few more steps than normal but the end result of succulent meat is worth the extra effort. Once you get them in the slow cooker you don’t have to pay attention all day while they cook. I love recipes like this so I can make a fabulous fancy dinner with limited effort.

Bone In or Boneless Short Ribs

Either version will work for this recipe so use what you can find! Mine choice usually is determined by which is less expensive. There is so much flavor between the red wine, veggies and beef broth that the bone in doesn’t add that much more flavor. However, I do like to get the bone in for presentation since they look so show-stopping on top of big pile of my Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

How to Pick the Cooking Wine

Use full bodied red wine, like cabaret sauvignon or merlot. Even a shiraz will work! I’m a big fan of using a wine is the $7 category. I like to refer to this article by the New York Times whenever my inner self is deciding what kind of wine to use. She does a taste test using different price ranges of wines and proves that there isn’t a difference when using expensive or cheap wine. So save the good stuff and drink it with dinner instead of using it in dinner. I used this wine in this recipe.

How to Make Slow Cooker Short Ribs with Red Wine

Step 1. In a large skillet cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp. Put bacon in slow cooker.

Step 2. Salt and pepper the beef and add to the skillet and sear on each side for 5 minutes.(DO NOT TOUCH IT during 5 minutes) Transfer beef to the slow cooker.

Step 3. Add carrots and onions to the skillet and brown them in the skillet for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 Tablespoons of flour and pour 1 cup of wine. Deglaze pan, scraping skillet to get all the brown bits on the pan.

Step 4. Add veggies from skillet to slow cooker on top of beef. Top with mushrooms and garlic cloves.

Step 5. In a separate bowl, mix beef broth, tomato sauce, gluten free soy sauce, thyme and bay leaf. Pour into crockpot. Add 1 cup red wine to almost cover the beef.

Step 5. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours.

Step 6. Strain liquid and fat. Reserve liquid to make gravy.

How to Make Gravy for Slow Cooker Short Ribs with Red Wine

If you want to make a gravy to go with this you will need to follow the steps below.

Strain liquid from meat and veggies using a fine mesh sieve. This will catch all the little bits.
Separate fat from liquid. I use this handy measuring cup that is made for this. Or you can just use a large spoon to remove it off the top.
Make a cornstarch slurry using 1 tablespoon of cold water and 1 Tablespoon cornstarch and mix together.
Pour liquid from short ribs into sauce pan and heat until boiling. Add cornstarch slurry and turn to simmer. Allow to combine for 2-3 minutes or until gravy thickens.

Food Allergies

Gluten-Free- I make all my recipes gluten-free since my husband has celiac disease, which means he is allergic to gluten. This recipe uses gluten free soy sauce. I love the flavor of Kikkoman Gluten Free Soy Sauce, you cannot tell a difference at all. Also, there is flour used in the recipe so you will need to swap for a gluten free flour. I use Cup for Cup gluten free flour. It has no weird aftertaste and doesn’t have a grainy texture.

Need a Slow Cooker? My favorite is this Crock Pot 6 quart Programmable Slow Cooker. First and foremost, I love being able to set the timer in case I’m not home when the food is finished cooking and it just switches to warm. Plus you can lock the lid and just carry it to a party. Not only is it easy to carry but also you will never lose another Tupperware or serving dish again at a potluck party!

Looking for more Hearty Recipes?

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