Sticky BBQ oven Baked Beef Short Ribs cooked low and slow until fork tender for melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
It’s super easy to prepare, requires minimal ingredients, and is very low maintenance. There’s only ONE caveat. This recipe takes between 3½ to 4 hours or possibly a little longer for the best results. It’s baked at a very low temperature, so I would suggest planning accordingly.
This is the perfect weekend recipe and makes for a comforting Sunday dinner. For a quicker version, try my Instant Pot Beef Ribs. Ah, but these Braised Beef Short Ribs and this Easy Short Rib Ragu (Instant Pot) recipe are clear winners. Then, you have my Grilled Flanken Short Ribs which is a must during grilling season.
These baked beef short ribs pair well with these amazing side dishes Crispy Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes, this Herb Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe, Crispy Oven Roasted Broccolini, Sauteed Green Beans, Fresh Spring Mix Salad, Easy Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread or these Roasted Beets in Foil.
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Ingredients Notes
- Beef short ribs (bone-in or boneless)
- Jerk or Cajun seasoning blend
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Shallots
- Fresh garlic
- Your favorite BBQ sauce (store bought or homemade)
You will not go wrong using Cajun seasoning, which is usually my go-to, but for this baked beef short ribs recipe, I used a wet jerk rub which gives a slightly sweet taste. You can make the jerk wet rub yourself or purchase your favorite store brand.
See the recipe card below for quantities.
Essentials
- Oven
- Baking dish
- Aluminum foil
- Paper towels (to pat dry ribs)
- Sharp knife (to remove any excess fat if necessary)
How to cook oven baked beef short ribs
- Make the marinade by adding jerk or Cajun seasoning, grapeseed oil, shallots, and garlic to food processor.
- Blitz until all ingredients are combined.
- Wash the ribs in a colander and pat dry with paper towels until thoroughly dried.
- Arrange the ribs on a prepared baking dish lined with heavy duty foil paper.
- Pour the marinade over the ribs and REALLY massage until the ribs are well coated, especially the meaty side.
- Tightly cover the baking dish with heavy duty foil making sure all sides are well secured (use between 2 to 4 sheets to prevent any steam from escaping).
- Remove the ribs from the oven when they're ready.
- Remove liquid from pan and discard.
- Slather ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce or not either way place the ribs under the broiler for 2 to 4 minutes, closer to 4 minutes.
- Now you have perfectly tender oven baked beef short ribs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Short beef ribs are a tougher cut of meat and when baking in the oven they must be covered tightly with foil to prevent any steam from escaping. This process allows the meat to become moist, soft and fork tender over an extended period of time. Make sure you overlap the foil and tightly seal the edges around the pan to prevent any steam from seeping out; this will ensure that your ribs come out nice and tender.
For this recipe, I recommend baking the short ribs with the bone-side down and the meaty side up as this will allow the fat to melt into the meat which will ultimately add more flavor.
It really depends on the size of the ribs. If your short ribs are large in size and very meaty, like mine were, I suggest baking them in the oven for approximately 3-½ to 4 hours then increasing the oven temperature to 300 degrees F and cooking for an additional 1 to 2 hours until you’re able to cut through the ribs with a fork.
The ideas are endless. However, you can serve with: Herb Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe, Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, Crispy Oven Roasted Broccolini, Fresh Spring Mix Salad, Roasted Beets in Foil, Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread to name a few.
Storing - To store leftover short ribs, place them in a freezer safe container with an airtight lid or a ziploc bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months or in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating - When the ribs come to room temperature, place them on a baking sheet or baking dish, cover with foil, and place in a 375 degree preheated oven until they’re heated throughout.
Yes, however, if you cook beyond fork tender the meat will begin literally falling off the bone and may start shredding. If that's what you prefer then you have nothing to worry about.
Top Tips
- If you’d like, you can also marinade the ribs overnight in the fridge by placing the ribs in a large ziploc bag, pouring in the marinade, and rubbing the marinade all around the ribs until they’re well coated.
- If marinating overnight, the next day, remove the marinated ribs from the fridge and place on the countertop (for 30 minutes or so), so they come to room temperature before baking in the oven.
- For the most tender short ribs, first enclose the ribs in foil (similar to a packet) then cover tightly with 2 to 4 layers of foil (refer to the photos above) while the ribs are baking at a very low temperature.
- If you decide to trim the fat before cooking the ribs, only trim if the fat is really excessive (the fat adds to the flavor and the tenderness of the meat).
- Beef needs salt, season the ribs liberally with kosher salt unless you’re following a low-sodium diet.
- Your baked beef short ribs are done when you can easily cut through them with a fork that ensures they're extremely tender.
If you're not in the mood to fire up the grill or you do not have an outdoor grill, these perfectly baked beef short ribs would be ideal to serve your family or friends.
Other beef recipes:
Did you make this recipe?
If so, let me know how it went. Leave a 'Star Rating' within the recipe card down below and/or TAG @cookingwithbliss on Instagram. I can't wait to see how it turned out.
📖 Recipe
Baked Beef Short Ribs
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking dish
- Aluminum foil
- Paper towels (to pat dry ribs)
- Sharp knife to remove any excess fat if necessary
Ingredients
- 4 lbs beef short ribs
Marinade
- 5 tablespoon jerk seasoning blend (or Cajun seasoning blend (store bought or homemade))
- 6 tablespoon grape-seed (or olive oil)
- 4 garlic cloves (use fresh garlic cloves)
- 1 tablespoon shallot
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt (½ tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of kosher salt UNLESS you're following a low sodium diet)
Instructions
- Add jerk or Cajun seasoning, grape-seed oil or olive oil, fresh garlic cloves, shallot, kosher salt and black pepper to a mini blender, food processor or hand-held blender and blend all ingredients for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Wash the ribs in a colander and pat dry with paper towels until thoroughly dried.
- Arrange the ribs on a prepared baking pan or baking dish lined with heavy duty foil paper.
- Pour the marinade over the ribs and REALLY massage until the ribs are well coated, especially the meaty side.
- Make sure the ribs are arranged with the bone side down.
- Tightly cover the baking dish with heavy duty foil making sure all sides are well secured (use between 2 to 4 sheets to prevent any steam from escaping).
- Place in a 250 degree preheated oven and bake for 3-½ to 4 hours then lift a corner of the foil and open the foil packet, grab a fork and see if you can easily cut through the meatiest rib. If you can't, they're not ready to come out of the oven. Increase the oven to 300 degrees F and continue cooking for about 1-½ more hours.
- Remove the ribs from the oven when they're ready meaning you can cut through them easily using a fork.
- Place the ribs on a clean platter leaving the liquid from the baking pan behind.
- Place the ribs back into the baking pan and slather the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Place the ribs under the broiler for approximately 2 to 4 minutes to caramelize the outer surface of the ribs (stand by to make sure the ribs do not burn).
- Serve them with your favorite side dish.
Notes
- If you’d like, you can also marinade the ribs overnight in the fridge by placing the ribs in a large ziploc bag, pouring in the marinade, and rubbing the marinade all around the ribs until they’re well coated.
- If marinating overnight, the next day, remove the marinated ribs from the fridge and place on the countertop (for 30 minutes or so), so they come to room temperature before baking in the oven.
- For the most tender short ribs, first enclose the ribs in foil (similar to a packet) then cover tightly with 2 to 4 layers of foil (refer to the photos above) while the ribs are baking at a very low temperature.
- Beef needs salt, season the ribs liberally with kosher salt unless you’re following a low-sodium diet.
- If you decide to trim the fat before cooking the ribs, only trim if the fat is really excessive (the fat adds to the flavor and the tenderness of the meat)
- Bake the short ribs long and slow until you’re literally able to cut through the ribs with a fork.
- Although BBQ sauce is optional, it also adds another depth of flavor and gives you the feeling of eating outdoor BBQ if a grill isn’t available.
Ben Pawliger
I love this recipe and shared with a few friends. Great taste and meat fell right off the bone. Perfectly cooked.
CookingwithBliss
Hey Ben - Thanks so much for leaving a comment. I'm so happy that you enjoyed this recipe and shared it with a few friends. I hope you have a great week and take care.
kinsey bruno
Amazing! Tasted great and fell right off the bone, thanks for sharing!
CookingwithBliss
Hey Kinsey - You are so welcome and thank you very much for taking a moment to leave a comment. Have a wonderful day and thanks for visiting.