Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs
Beer-braised beef short ribs are the ultimate comfort food! With tender, flavorful beef simmered in a rich sauce and served over creamy mashed potatoes.
When you’re looking for something cozy and delicious to get you through chilly days and long winter months, these beer-braised beef short ribs are here for you! It’s a fairy easy recipe that let’s your oven (or slow cooker) do most of the work.
The meat is incredibly tender, but it’s the rich sauce that truly elevates this dish. Made with real butter, aromatic vegetables, beer, and beef broth, the flavors meld beautifully during a slow oven braise. Serve the short ribs over creamy, buttery mashed potatoes for a satisfying, soul-warming meal that’s pure comfort on a plate.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Slow-braised beef is very tender and almost melts in your mouth.
- Beer, broth, vegetables and herbs create a deeply satisfying, savory sauce.
- Creamy mashed potatoes soak up every bit of the luscious beef and sauce.
- Perfect for cozy winter nights or special weekend dinners with family and friends.
“I tried this at home and really, this was so yummy!!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐” —from reader Jack
“This was extremely good with a butternut squash polenta! Yum.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐” —from reader Gail
Ingredients you’ll need
- Beef short ribs. You can use boneless or bone-in. Boneless will yield more meat, but bone-in short ribs will have better flavor.
- Butter: For browning both the meat and veggies, and also for the mashed potatoes.
- Carrots, celery, onions, garlic and mushrooms
- Tomato paste
- Beer: Preferably a lager or pilsner.
- Beef broth
- Bay leaf
- Rosemary: I prefer fresh, but dried words too.
- Yukon/gold potatoes: My favorite for producing the creamiest mashed potatoes.
- Milk or cream
- Salt and pepper
How to make beer-braised beef short ribs
- Brown the short ribs. Season and sear the ribs in butter until nicely browned on all sides. This is going to kick-start flavor!
- Sauté the veggies. Cook carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, and garlic in butter until soft and fragrant.
- Build the sauce. Stir in tomato paste, beer, beef broth, rosemary, and bay leaf, then nestle the ribs back into the pot.
- Slow braise. Cover and bake in a 375°F oven for 2 to 2½ hours until the meat is tender but still holds its shape. (You can also assemble everything in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours and high for 3-4 hours.)
- Make mashed potatoes. While ribs cook, boil potatoes, then mash with butter and cream until silky smooth.
- Serve. Add short ribs and sauce to a serving of mashed potatoes, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
If you don’t want to use beer, you can substitute with red wine. If you don’t want to use alcohol, you add 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and increase beef broth to 2 1/2 cups.
You can use boneless or bone-in beef short ribs. Short ribs can be expensive and hard to find, so you can also cut a 3lb beef chuck roast into 2-3 inch pieces.
Yes! You can brown the ribs and veggies the day before, then assemble and braise when ready. Or make the recipe completely, then cool and store in the fridge in an oven-safe dish for up to 48 hours. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until warmed through.
Other cozy meals to try this winter
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- One Pot Sausage and Broccoli Pasta
- Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Meatloaf and Potatoes Sheet Pan Dinner
Get the recipe
Beer Braised Beef Short Ribs
Ingredients
For the Short Ribs:
- 3 lbs short ribs , bone-in or boneless (about 8 short ribs)
- Salt and pepper , as needed for seasoning
- 2 tablespoons butter , divided
- 1 large carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- ½ onion
- 4 oz mushrooms (I prefer to use cremini or baby bella)
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 ½ cup beer (one 12-oz can, preferably lager or pilsner, see Notes)
- 1 cup beef broth , plus more as needed
- 1 sprig rosemary , chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 bay leaf
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- 2 lbs gold or yellow potatoes , peeled if desired and chopped in 1 inch pieces
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup milk or cream
- ½ teaspoon salt , plus more for salting the water
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
To make the short ribs:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place large oven-proof pot over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Season short ribs generously with salt and pepper and add to the pot.
- Cook short ribs until browned on at least 2 sides, which can take several minutes. Short ribs are ready to be flipped when they naturally release from the bottom of the pot. Transfer short ribs to a plate and set aside and drain off any excess fat from the pot.
- While short ribs are browning, chop the carrot, celery, onion, mushroom and garlic. Larger dice will yield a chunkier sauce, or finely dice (or use a food processor) for a thinner sauce.
- Add remaining tablespoon of butter and reduce temperature to medium-low. Add all veggies and cook until softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, beer, beef broth, rosemary and bay leaf and stir until mixed with the vegetables. Add short ribs back to the pot and cover with lid or foil.
- Cook short ribs for 2 – 2½ hours until meat is tender enough to pull apart with fork and knife, but not so tender that it falls off the bone. Check on it a few times, if short ribs are ever more than halfway out of the liquid, add more beef broth.
To make the mashed potatoes:
- During the last 30 minutes of the short rib cook time, prepare the mashed potatoes.
- Add potatoes to a pot of cold water and season generously with salt. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
- Add butter and milk or cream to pot along with the drained potatoes and mash until smooth. Add salt and pepper and taste, adding more seasoning as needed.
- Serve short ribs over mashed potatoes.
Notes
- The best beef for this recipe: You can use boneless or bone-in beef short ribs (boneless will yield more meat, while bone-in will have better flavor). Short ribs can be expensive and hard to find, so you can also cut a 3lb beef chuck roast into 2-3 inch pieces.
- What can I use instead of beer? If you don’t want to use beer, you can substitute with 1 cup red wine and increase beef broth to 1 1/2 cups. If you don’t want to use alcohol, you add 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and increase beef broth to 2 1/2 cups.
- Use a slow cooker instead: Sear and sauté everything as instructed, then assemble everything in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours and high for 3-4 hours.
Disclosure: This recipe was originally created in partnership with Go Bold With Butter in 2020. Thank you for supporting partnerships with brands I love and believe in, which make Completely Delicious possible. All opinions are always 100% my own. To learn more about Go Bold With Butter, you can visit their website. You can also find them on facebook, instagram, and pinterest.
This was extremely good with a butternut squash polenta! Yum.
Really informative! Thanks for sharing.
Wow, this looks really cool. I’m gonna try it this weekend. Thanks for sharing!
Yummy recipe. It really very tasty.
I tried this at home and really, this was so Yummy!!
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Thanks for sharing this mouth-watering recipe. I’ll trying to make this with potatoes like you did.