Asian Braised Beef Short Ribs

Meltingly tender Asian Braised Beef Short Ribs, perfect for entertaining or a comforting family meal.

beef short ribs with cilantro and sliced chillies in black roasting tray

Braised Beef Short Ribs

As meat is very expensive where we live, I am always on the lookout for cheap cuts, and my recent discovery has been beef short ribs.

There’s an old saying that, “the closer to the bone, the sweeter the meat”, and what is particularly marvellous about beef short ribs is not only the tender chunk of meat on the bone, but the lovely layer of fat in each piece which renders down during cooking to add delicious flavour to the sauce.

In addition, the bones help to add a meaty richness to the dish, making beef short ribs pretty much the perfect cut of meat for braising or slow-cooking.

raw beef short ribs on white chopping board

Beef Short Ribs Recipe

I think you could use beef short ribs in almost any recipe which calls for a cut of meat which needs slow-cooking, such as brisket or chuck steak, but you will need to adjust the amount accordingly to allow for the weight of the bones.

I was unable to find the translation for “beef short ribs” into German, so it was rather amusing to discover that, not only did my butcher readily supply this cut, but that they had adopted the English name, seemingly because it was only the foreigners who were buying this cut!

asian beef short ribs in black casserole tray with cilantro and chilli

Asian Short Ribs

I love stews and braises with Asian flavourings, and whilst these Asian short ribs are typically something I would make in winter, we love it at all times of the year.

In fact, there’s something comforting about sitting down to some braised short ribs during the week, especially if you might be working from home and can simply pop this into the oven to cook slowly during the day.

This recipe for Asian short ribs uses many of your typical Asian aromatics, such as ginger, Chinese five-spice powder, cinnamon and star anise. Together with soy sauce and hoisin sauce, the beef short ribs are braised in a lovely flavoursome sauce.

asian braised beef short ribs with chopped cilantro and chiliies

What to Serve with Beef Short Ribs

Due to the rich and flavourful sauce which accompanies the meat, the best accompaniment for these beef short ribs is plain Steamed Jasmine Rice and either some steamed broccoli or Asian greens such as pak choy.

An alternative to rice would be steamed bao buns. Simply fill the bao buns with some of the shredded meat, together with some coriander (cilantro) sprigs, and drizzled with some of the sauce.

To make your own homemade bao buns, please see my easy recipe for bao buns with step-by-step photos.

Our children are going through an oddly surprising phase where they can’t get enough steamed broccoli (or other vegetables, for that matter!), so I am taking full advantage of the situation and serving them as a side dish wherever possible!

Some Pickled Chillies for the grown-ups would also go very well here.

asian braised beef short ribs with a plate of steamed rice and broccoli

More Beef Stew Recipes

If you are looking for beef stew recipes, you might also enjoy:

Beef Bourguignon

Beef Stew with Anchovies and Thyme

Chinese Braised Beef with Carrots

Vietnamese Beef Stew

Print
beef short ribs with cilantro and sliced chillies in black roasting tray

Asian Braised Beef Short Ribs

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 20 reviews

  • Author: Thanh Eat, Little Bird
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 3 hours
  • Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4-6
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: Asian

Meltingly tender Asian Braised Beef Short Ribs, perfect for entertaining or a comforting family meal.

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1.5 kg (3.5 lb) beef short ribs
  • 2 large brown onions, thickly sliced
  • 4 cm (2 inch) piece of ginger, coarsely grated
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 12 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) hoisin sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 4 cups (1 litre) chicken stock
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 star anise
  • fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
  • red chillies, finely sliced
  • Steamed Jasmine Rice, to serve

Instructions

Instructions for Stove Top and Oven

  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) (without fan).
  2. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pan (which has a fitted lid) over medium-high heat.
  3. Sear the short ribs until they are browned and golden on all sides. You may need to do this in batches.
  4. Remove the ribs to a large dish and set aside.
  5. Turn the heat down.
  6. Add the onions, ginger and garlic to the pan. Sauté for a few minutes until the onions have softened.
  7. Add the Chinese five spice powder and cook for about a minute.
  8. Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, chicken stock, cinnamon stick and star anise.
  9. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
  10. Return the short ribs to the pan, along with any juices which have settled in the bowl.
  11. Cut a piece of baking or parchment paper to fit the pan, and cut a small hole in the centre to allow the steam to escape. Place the baking paper directly on top of the stew – this helps to keep everything submerged while it’s cooking and to prevent the loss of too much moisture.
  12. Cover the pan with a lid and place in the oven for about 2.5 to 3 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone and a spoon cuts through the meat easily. Alternatively, you can cook on the stove over very low heat.
  13. Use a slotted spoon to gently remove the ribs to a large dish.
  14. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce in the pan.
  15. Place the pan over medium-high heat on the stove and let the mixture simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened slightly.
  16. Taste the sauce for seasoning.
  17. Serve the ribs with steamed Jasmine rice and steamed broccoli (or other Asian greens), with the sauce drizzled over the meat.
  18. Garnish with coriander (cilantro) and red chillies.

Instructions for Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot

  1. Follow Steps 1 to 10 as for cooking on the stove.
  2. Make sure the liquid is below the 2/3 mark on the pot.
  3. Cook on high pressure for 35 to 45 minutes. The length of time depends on how big your beef short ribs are. To err on the side of caution, I recommend checking for tenderness at 35 minutes. If a spoon does not cut through the meat easily, cook the meat for another 5 to 10 minutes on high pressure.
  4. Once the meat is cooked until tender, continue with Steps 13 to 18 as for cooking on the stove.

Kitchen Notes

OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.

CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 6
  • Calories: 575
  • Sugar: 12.4g
  • Sodium: 949.3mg
  • Fat: 29.3g
  • Carbohydrates: 23.1g
  • Fiber: 1.6g
  • Protein: 55.3g
  • Cholesterol: 201.9mg

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment below and share your photos by tagging @eatlittlebird on Instagram and using #eatlittlebird

#eatlittlebird

#eatlittlebird

Update

This recipe was first published on 25 August 2017. It has been updated with new photos and more comprehensive recipe notes.

SaveSave

Shop this recipe

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

61 comments

  1. Dahn 25 August 2017

    wow these short ribs look great and that sauce looks so rich and delicious. I actually have quite a bit of chinese five spice powder and think I will give this a try






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 26 August 2017

      I sometimes bump up the Chinese five spice powder if I want it more heavily spiced. But if the children are eating this dish, I tend to use just 1-2 teaspoons.

      Reply
  2. Kim @ Three Olives Branch 25 August 2017

    These look amazing! And I love the idea of using these Asian flavors for a short rib. Perfect for the coming colder months!






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 26 August 2017

      Indeed! I will definitely be making this dish again throughout winter 🙂

      Reply
  3. Calleigh - TheForkBite 26 August 2017

    One of the things I love about slow cooking is the wealth of creative possibilities it offers. Cooking ingredients for prolonged periods of time at controlled temperatures can yield appealing textures & flavorful cut of meat like beef short ribs.

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 26 August 2017

      I absolutely agree! I think beef short ribs are my new favourite cut, too!

      Reply
  4. Mary 26 August 2017

    I love this flavor profile! Short ribs always feel like a treat, but the oven does most of the work! This looks great!

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 26 August 2017

      Yes, aside from the short prep time to sear the meat, the oven does most of the work here. I love this type of hands-off cooking 🙂

      Reply
  5. Patty @ Spoonabilities 26 August 2017

    I can’t event begin here! What a great recipe creation and your photos are excellent!






    Reply
  6. Cynthia 26 August 2017

    You found beef short ribs in Zürich?!? That’s fantastic! May I ask the address of your butcher? I have been looking for beef short ribs forever here and never found them. I even looked for them in France and Germany but no luck.
    Your recipe looks absolutely amazing! It’s still early in the morning but it makes me hungry and I wouldn’t mind having this for breakfast!

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 26 August 2017

      Hi Cynthia! Yes, I found beef short ribs at the butcher downstairs at Jelmoli. I first bought them there several years ago, but only started to buy it regularly during the last winter. They usually have it behind the counter, but if I plan on cooking them for guests, I will pre-order them, just in case.

      Reply
  7. Tabitha 11 September 2017

    Slow cooking really is a winner if you’re after strong, intense flavours and there’s so much creativity to be had with these asian flavour combinations! Looks like a great recipe whatever your time span!

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 26 September 2017

      Hi Tabitha,
      I agree! There’s something really delicious and comforting about using these Asian flavours in slow-cooking. I love it!

      Reply
  8. Kate Lim 26 September 2017

    Hi Thanh! This dish looks delicious and amazing! I would love to try this. However, I don’t have any cinnamon stick on hand. Can I bump it off? Or it will greatly affect the flavor? Thanks a lot! 🙂

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 26 September 2017

      Hi Kate,
      The cinnamon lends a gentle spice to the dish, but I don’t think it will affect the flavour much if you leave it out 🙂 There’s also cinnamon in the Chinese five-spice powder, so I think you should be fine. Enjoy!

      Reply
  9. Julia 16 April 2018

    Oh my goodness this look absolutely amazing! It truly looks delicious!






    Reply
  10. Niki 21 September 2018

    Hi! I bought Asado Beef Ribs.. Would they work too?

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 26 September 2018

      I’m not sure, but I think they would work. You might need to adjust the cooking time, though. Good luck!

      Reply
  11. Debbie Yue 25 March 2019

    I made this recipe tonight and made the outside a bit crispy by pan frying the short ribs after reemoving from the cooking liquid. Then made a sticky sweet sauce from another recipe to toss with the ribs. Tasted fine. The grandkids liked the sweetness, that coated the savory meat. Question: What was the cilantro and chili peppers for? Where both supposed to be garnish and accompaniment?

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 30 March 2019

      Hi Debbie,
      The cilantro and red chilli peppers are for garnish. I let people garnish themselves as not everyone, especially young children, like the chillies. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  12. Eddy de Ruyter 5 May 2019

    Just found the receipe today , Sunday night dinner for the two of us in NZ
    Amazing flavours , fall Apart ribs , used the pressure cooker
    Love site looking forward to using more receipez

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 22 May 2019

      Hi Eddy,
      Thank you for your feedback! So glad you enjoyed this recipe and that it worked well in the pressure cooker. Hope you will also enjoy the other recipes on this site 🙂

      Reply
  13. Kate Wolfsohn 4 June 2019

    I made this and it was easy and delicious. Will definitely make this again. Broccoli is the perfect partner.






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 5 June 2019

      Hi Kate,
      So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. It’s a favourite in my family. Thanks for popping by!

      Reply
  14. Rachel 8 December 2019

    Hello ,
    This sounds delicious. Would a croc pot work, as a method , as well ?? I’m thinking this may be an obvious question but , there may be a reason it’s not mentioned .
    Thank you !

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 18 December 2019

      Hi Rachel,
      Yes, I’m sure this recipe would also work in a crock pot or slow cooker, but I haven’t tried it myself. You would need to brown the meat first in a separate pan before continuing with the rest of the recipe in the crock pot. Hopefully I can update the recipe with instructions for crock pot or slow cooker sometime soon 🙂

      Reply
  15. Heleen 25 January 2020

    Really good and even better the day after!






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 25 January 2020

      Hi Heleen,
      Great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! And indeed, it does taste better the next day 🙂

      Reply
  16. Brandy 13 April 2020

    Made these short ribs last night… wow! delicious, great recipe. great balance of spices. I did go a little long on the cook time because I got busy elsewhere, so by the time I opened the lid on my dish, quite a bit of the sauce had reduced down and was quite concentrated… I saved it by whisking in a full can of coconut milk after removing the meat. It worked perfectly. Served with sticky rice and sautéed shitake mushrooms, and pok choi with black sesame. Tanks for the inspiration and recipe!






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 15 April 2020

      Hi Brandy,
      Thank you for your feedback! I love the sound of adding coconut milk – I will have to try that myself next time 🙂

      Reply
  17. Brandy 13 April 2020

    Made these short ribs last night… wow! delicious, great recipe. great balance of spices. I did go a little long on the cook time because I got busy elsewhere, so by the time I opened the lid on my dish, quite a bit of the sauce had reduced down and was quite concentrated… I saved it by whisking in a full can of coconut milk after removing the meat. It worked perfectly. Served with sticky rice and sautéed shitake mushrooms, and pok choi with black sesame. Thanks for the inspiration and recipe!






    Reply
  18. Tine Ferreira 17 June 2020

    Absolutely delicious ! The flavours that come from this dish are amazing – become selfish with left overs






    Reply
  19. Andy W 16 October 2020

    I made a version of this yesterday lunchtime to be ready for dinner.

    I used the oven version baked on very low 140deg c for 4 hours, 80 deg c – hold until ready (2 hours)

    omitted the sugar, it sounded too sweet to me. Flavour without sugar was great, plenty of sweetness.

    reduced the short rib weight and added chunks of belly pork too.

    Served with kale (Great complement to the sauce flavour) and plain rice.

    It was delish!

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 23 October 2020

      Hi Andy,
      Thank you for your feedback! I love the idea of serving this dish with kale – I will put that on the menu next time! Glad you enjoyed this short ribs recipe 🙂

      Reply
  20. Tom 17 February 2021

    Brilliant recipe that came out perfectly! I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you 🙂






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 17 March 2021

      Hi Tom,
      Thanks for your comment! So glad you enjoyed these short ribs 🙂

      Reply
  21. Scott 14 March 2021

    Beautiful recipe!
    Only additions were a dash of Shaosing wine at the beginning and a cube of fermented red bean curd!






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 17 March 2021

      Hi Scott,
      So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Love the additions you made as well – I might try that myself next time!

      Reply
  22. Ron Grossmith 28 March 2021

    I went through Bejing, China on my way back home to Canada after winter holidays in Thailand and had the best Braised Short Ribs in my life and have been looking for sequel recipe ever since. I’ve tried many, but none have ever come close to what I remember… until now! Your recipe on a scale of 1 to 10 is definitely a 12+. The flavors are incredible which suggest that they are even better than what I had in China. Thank you for ending my search as I’ll be making this many times over with raves coming from the friends I serve it to.






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 1 April 2021

      Hi Ron,
      Thank you for your wonderful feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. I love to make it when we have friends and family over, and it’s always a winner. I’m happy to hear that others like yourself really enjoy this recipe too.

      Reply
  23. Diana 27 April 2021

    Can you please add to the adaption segment on how I can prepare this recipe using a slow cooker ? Thanks a

    Reply
  24. Adrian 4 September 2021

    I have made this dish several times over the past two years; it always works out well. Brown the meat well and give it enough time to cook slowly in the oven; the meat falls apart. Last night I gave my family a spoon and a fork to eat with, no knife required. The sauce is beautiful over rice.






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 17 September 2021

      Hi Adrian,
      So glad you enjoyed this recipe. I agree – no knife required for this dish! My family love it too. Thanks for popping by.

      Reply
  25. Melanie 13 March 2022

    I made this recipe tonight and I can honestly say this is one of the best meals I’ve made and eaten. Thank you for the pressure cooker and instant pot instructions, that’s what I used. Delicious!!!!!






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 17 March 2022

      Hi Melanie,
      I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! It’s one of my favourite recipes 🙂

      Reply
  26. Dani 21 May 2022

    Simply delicious! My only regret is that there are no leftovers. Everyone ate so much because it was that good!






    Reply
  27. Bianca 7 June 2022

    Wonderful recipe! I ended up with way more sauce that it is almost like a soup! Do you have any suggestions for what I can do with the remaining sauce/soup? Slurping it up with ramen noodles is on my list but I would love to hear your ideas!

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 8 June 2022

      Hi Bianca,
      I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! We’ve never had the problem of too much sauce (maybe because my kids like to drown their rice in it!), but maybe you could reheat the sauce and serve it with steamed greens like broccoli?

      Reply
  28. Melissa 12 July 2022

    This recipe is so delicious! I even made substitutions and forgot some ingredients. Working from home had my attention divided. My Instacart shopper did not find the hoisin so I combined bbq sauce, peanut butter, and honey. I substituted yellow onions for brown onion. I didn’t have star anise and couldn’t find my fennel seed to replace it. I also think I forgot to add the soy sauce that was sitting right there! But even with these mistakes, it was so yummy! Me and my husband both went bananas over it 🙂 I served it over steamed rice. I will definitely make this again.






    Reply
  29. Deb 9 October 2022

    Absolutely love this recipe in the oven but Do Not try the pressure cooker version, I have spent two hours staring at a pan with very disappointing results for an expensive cut of meat! Fab recipe but take your time!

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 25 October 2022

      Hi Deb,
      Ah so sorry to hear about your dish. I generally have no problems making this dish with the pressure cooker. What cut of meat did you use? It is possible that you may have over-cooked the meat and/or you released the steam too quickly. However, provided that you have enough liquid in the pressure cooker, this is generally not a problem. If the meat ever toughens up in the pressure cooker, let it rest and cool in the sauce, and then re-heat it the next day. Some of the liquid will go back into the meat to tenderise it again, although it will not be as tender as initially planned. I don’t quite know the science behind it, but I tried this once and it worked for me.

      Reply
  30. Lizzie 2 April 2023

    So good! We used beef rib plates and cooked for 2 hours and they were so soft!!! My husband said this was one of the top 5 dishes I’ve made. Thanks for the yummy recipe!






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 13 April 2023

      Hi Lizzie,
      Wow! That’s a wonderful compliment from your husband! So glad he enjoyed this recipe, and he is very lucky to have such an excellent cook as his wife 🙂

      Reply
  31. Stuart Tilling 4 May 2023

    Best ribs ever!!






    Reply
  32. Julia 28 June 2023

    All my friends and family go CRAZY for this. To make it cheaper/add some more meat I also add some casserole steak 🙂






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 3 July 2023

      Hi Julia,
      That’s so great to hear! And that’s a great tip also to add casserole steak. That would definitely make the recipe go further 🙂

      Reply
  33. Patsy Cottam 3 March 2024

    So fantastic …my husband was raving . Just delicious. Thanks for a great recipe and will try your other braised slow cook ones also.






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 5 March 2024

      Hi Patsy,
      Thank you for trying this recipe! I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed these braised ribs 🙂

      Reply