These Grilled Flanken Short Ribs are seasoned to perfection with a Cajun spice blend for a flavorful dinner for any night of the week. This recipe is easy to prepare and comes together quickly when you're short on time.
These thin strips of beef ribs can be served on special occasions or as a casual dinner with friends and family. So, the next time you're in the mood to fire up your grill, consider this cut of meat. However, if you're having a hard time locating flanken short ribs at your neighborhood grocery stores, ask your local butcher.
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What Kind of Meat Is Flanken
Flanken is a thin strip of meat that is cut across the bones so that each rib contains 3 to 4 circular bones. The ribs are usually about ½ inch thick and is taken from the short ribs of beef. You may also know this style of rib as Korean BBQ ribs (kalbi) which is usually served with white rice.
The best part is that flanken short ribs require a relatively short cook time, approximately between 20 to 25 minutes on a hot grill. Once they're done, you can slather each rib with your favorite barbecue sauce or simply serve them without sauce, and they'll still be just as delicious with loads of flavor.
Sides Dishes to Serve
For a complete and delicious dinner, serve flanken short ribs with our beautiful and fragrant Saffron Yellow Rice In Rice Cooker, or our Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, this Herb Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe, Sauteed Green Beans, Fresh Spring Mix Salad, or Roasted Beets in Foil are all great options.
If you're into grilled veggies? This 7 Minute Grilled Sugar Snap Pea Recipe requires less than 10 minutes of your time.
You can also serve with Easy Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread or for a lemony twist this Moist Lemon Cake Cornbread. Top things off with Brazilian Pineapple Dessert or Strawberry Parfait (Shortcake).
How to Make Flanken Short Ribs on the Grill
- Wash and pat dry each rib with paper towels.
- Season with kosher salt, pepper, and a Cajun spice blend of (smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and thyme) and allow to marinate in a large ziploc bag for at least 20 minutes or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
- Fire up your outdoor grill.
- Allow fire to die down and temperature set.
- When the grill is ready, place flanken ribs on the grill grates and close the lid.
- Grill for about 10 to 15 minutes on one side.
- Flip each rib over and grill for an additional 10 minutes or until they're done.
Please refer to the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Expert Tips
- Make sure ribs are at room temperature before placing on grill
- Flanken short ribs are thin and cook fairly quickly so make sure to not overcook them as they will become tough and dry
- If using BBQ sauce, slather on towards the last 3 to 5 minutes of removing the ribs from the grill
Frequently Asked Questions
You can marinate flanken ribs with a dry rub or a liquid based marinade. For this recipe, a dry rub was used. To do this, wash and pat dry the flaken ribs with paper towels. Place the ribs in a ziploc bag then add a generous amount of dry rub, kosher salt and black pepper, release the air from the ziploc bag and seal it. Move the ribs around until they're well coated with the dry rub and allow the ribs to marinade on the countertop for at least 20 minutes or in the fridge up to 24 hours before grilling.
Flanken ribs can be bought at your local supermarket or at a nearby meat market or butcher.
Flanken ribs are naturally thin and shouldn't be cooked for an extended period. To achieve tenderness, it's important to avoid overcooking them. Keep a close eye on your ribs and cook them until they reach your desired level of doneness. They should be melt-in-your-mouth tender and not chewy.
Other Grilling Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Grilled Flanken Short Ribs
Grilled Flanken Short RibsEquipment
- Outdoor Charcoal Grill
- Charcoal
- Lighter fluid
Ingredients
- 2 lbs flanken ribs (or 3 packs (typically you can find 8 in a pack))
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1-½ - 2 tablespoon Cajun spice blend
Cajun Spice Blend
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry each flanken rib with paper towels.
- Add kosher salt, black pepper and Cajun spice blend. (Store left over Cajun spice blend in an air tight container and store in pantry for later use).
- Marinate the ribs for at least 20 minutes before placing on the grill.
- Meanwhile, preheat the grill then place the ribs on the grill grates and close the lid. After 10 minutes, flip ribs over and continue grilling for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the ribs are done to your liking.
- Remove the ribs from the grill and place on a baking sheet. However, if you'd like, slather on some BBQ sauce towards the last 3 to 5 minutes of grilling.
- Serve immediately with your favorite sides.
Notes
- Flanken ribs are thin and cook fairly quickly make sure to not overcook them as they will become tough and dry
- If using BBQ sauce, slather on towards the last 3 to 5 minutes of removing the ribs from the grill
- Make sure ribs are at room temperature before placing on grill
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For the most accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information using the specific ingredients and brands you use.
Jimmy Krakorn says
Delicious dry rub! We loved it. Thank you so much for that recommend.
Note: washing the ribs is an old myth that only spreads disease. Just grill 'em.
Cree says
Thanks so much for leaving a comment, Jimmy. It is so appreciated and means a lot. Have a great weekend.
Beverly Timmons says
I may have missed, but I didn’t see what temperature the grill should be.
Cree says
Hi Beverly - Preheat your grill to a temperature of 250°F. However, the temperature will fluctuate with the opening and closing of the lid. So, a temperature between 240°F and 250°F is good. Let me know if you have any other questions.