Guinness Braised Short Ribs
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Guinness Braised Short Ribs are incredibly flavorful and fall-apart tender! After an easy 20 minute prep on the stove, these short ribs are braised in the oven for 2 hours to create delicious, juicy beef short ribs. Pair the recipe with the best mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables for the perfect meal!
This recipe first appeared on the blog in January 2012, after I was able to get my hands on the recipe for STK’s Guinness Braised Short Ribs. At the time, I was living in LA and right across the street from STK in West Hollywood. I was obsessed with these short ribs and so excited to share the recipe on the blog!
For over 10 years, I’ve been making this recipe to impress friends and family. The smell of the dish wafting through the house as the beef slowly braises in the oven is enough to make your mouth water. Then after just one taste of the fork-tender slow braised ribs, you’ll be hooked!
I always serve these short ribs over mashed potatoes, it really just seems like the perfect pairing. Add a side of roasted vegetables and you’ll have one incredibly flavorful meal!
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Bone-In Beef Short Ribs – I prefer bone-in ribs over boneless, as the bones add so much flavor. I also have this obsession with watching the incredibly tender beef fall right off the bone. However, you can also make this recipe with boneless beef short ribs. If you’re having a hard time finding short ribs at your local grocery store, ask the butcher, or check out a Costco near you. They always have a great selection of well marbled bone-in short ribs.
- Brown sugar – this sweetener is part of the rub. It balances out the bitterness from the beer and adds just a slight sweetness to the ribs, to balance all of the rich, salty flavors.
- Ground coffee – this is part of the rub on the short ribs and it pairs perfectly with the Guinness. In the end, the short ribs don’t taste like coffee, it’s just a flavor enhancer in the rub. Since this recipe only calls for one tablespoon of ground coffee, if you don’t usually drink coffee, there’s no need to buy an entire bag of coffee grounds. You can simply omit it from the rub.
- Paprika + ground cumin + salt + black pepper – each of these spices are in the rub to flavor the short ribs.
- Olive oil – you can also use another neutral vegetable oil in it’s place.
- Onion – I prefer a yellow onion for cooking, but you may use another type of onion, if that’s all you have on hand.
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic will always give you the best flavor.
- Celery + carrots + parsnips – the combination of these vegetables adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the braising liquid.
- Ginger – fresh grated ginger adds a slightly peppery, sweet and spicy flavor to the braising liquid.
- Tomato paste – since tomato paste is cooked down to a thick paste, it adds a wonderful tomato umami flavor to the braising liquid.
- Guinness stout – a lot of recipes for braised short ribs will use red wine to braise the ribs. In this recipe, we’re using Guinness instead. The beer adds a delicious nuttiness, a malty sweetness and a hoppy bitterness, that we’re balancing out with the brown sugar and salt in this recipe. It has hints of coffee and chocolate that add a wonderful flavor to the braising liquid.
- Beef stock – when slow cooking beef in a liquid, you must use a high quality beef stock. I recommend stock for this recipe because it has a richer, deeper flavor than beef broth.
- Bay leaves – adding a few leaves to the cooking liquid before braising the short ribs will add another layer of flavor to the dish.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: combine brown sugar, ground coffee, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub this mixture on each side of the short ribs.
Step 2: heat olive oil in a large dutch oven on the stove over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the short ribs to the dutch oven.
Step 3: sear the short ribs on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Once browned, remove the short ribs from the dutch oven and place them on a cutting board on the side.
Step 4: add more olive oil to the dutch oven, still on the stove over medium-high heat. Add diced onions, carrots, parsnips, celery, minced garlic and fresh grated ginger. Cook the vegetables for 4-5 minutes, or until tender.
Step 5: once the vegetables are tender, add tomato paste to the dutch oven and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Step 6: pour the Guinness into the pot, along with the beef stock. Use a spatula to scrape up any brown bits left behind in the pan from the short ribs. Place the short ribs back in the dutch oven and add bay leaves. Cover the dutch oven and place the short ribs in a preheated 350°F oven for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, remove the short ribs from the oven and remove the lid from the dutch oven.
What to serve with short ribs
These braised short ribs are perfect when paired with a creamy starch and vegetables. I like to serve the short ribs over mashed potatoes with some of the braising liquid spooned over the entire dish. Don’t worry about the bones, they usually slide out of the short ribs in the pot before I ever serve them!
Try the short ribs paired with any of these creamy starch side dishes or delicious vegetable dishes!
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Rosemary Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- Creamy Polenta
- Instant Pot Risotto
- Butternut Squash Risotto
- Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Root Vegetables
- Roasted Garlic Parmesan Broccolini
- Corn Casserole with Cheddar Cheese
- Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts
Pro tips
- A cast iron dutch oven is best for this recipe as it will maintain an even temperature throughout the cooking process, and it’s large enough to hold the recipe. If you don’t have a cast iron dutch oven, use a pot that’s at least 12 inches wide with sides that are 6 inches tall so that the recipe will fit in the pot.
- If you don’t have a lid for the pot, tightly cover it with foil before placing it in the oven.
- Prefer red wine over Guinness? No problem, simply replace the Guinness with 2 cups of red wine. I recommend using a dry red wine, such as a cabernet, pinot noir or merlot.
- This recipe can be made ahead of time. After braising the short ribs for 2 hours at 350°F, simply turn the oven to warm and leave the short ribs, covered in the oven, for up to 4 hours.
- If all of the short ribs will not fit in the bottom of the pot you’re using, you can sear them in two batches. As you can see from the photos, it was a very tight squeeze getting them all in the bottom of my dutch oven!
- The short ribs can be braised on the stove, instead of in the oven, if you prefer. Simply cover the pot, set the stovetop temperature to medium-low heat and allow the short ribs to simmer in the liquid for 2 hours on the stove.
Storage and reheating
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- You can reheat the short ribs in the braising liquid, or remove them from the braising liquid.
- To reheat the short ribs in the braising liquid, place them in a pot on the stove over medium heat for 20-30 minutes, or until the short ribs are heated through.
- If reheating the short ribs without the liquid, I recommend wrapping them in foil and reheating them in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes. This way they won’t dry out.
- The braising liquid can be used as the base for a delicious soup. Simply place the liquid, covered, in the refrigerator overnight. All of the fat will solidify on top and you can easily remove it using a spoon, then use the remaining broth to make an incredibly flavorful soup or stew.
More beef recipes to try
With over 100 beef recipes on the blog, I’m sure you’ll find a new favorite! Start out by trying these popular recipes.
- Beef Wellington
- Sirloin Steak Marinade
- Beef Stir Fry
- Smoked Brisket
- Sous Vide Steak
- Grilled New York Strip Steak
- Carne Asada
- Beef Barbacoa
Guinness Braised Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground coffee, *see note below
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 pounds bone-in beef chuck short ribs, boneless ribs can also be used
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- ½ cup diced celery
- ½ cup diced carrots
- ½ cup diced parsnips
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 14.9 ounces Guinness Stout
- 4 cups beef stock
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Combine brown sugar, ground coffee, paprika, cumin, black pepper and salt in a shallow bowl.
- Rub the short ribs in the spice mixture until all sides are coated.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the seasoned short ribs and sear on all sides, until browned.
- Once browned, remove the short ribs from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add the onions, garlic, carrots, parsnips, celery and ginger to the dutch oven.
- Once the vegetables are tender, add the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the Guinness and beef stock. Use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits left behind in the pan from the short ribs.
- Place the short ribs back in the dutch oven and add the bay leaves.
- Place a tight-fitting lid on the dutch oven, or if you do not have a lid, cover tightly with foil.
- Remove from the stove and place in the preheated 350°F oven for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, remove from the oven and serve.
Notes
- Coffee: since this recipe only calls for one tablespoon of ground coffee, if you don’t usually drink coffee, there’s no need to buy an entire bag of coffee grounds. You can simply omit it from the rub.
- A cast iron dutch oven is best for this recipe as it will maintain an even temperature throughout the cooking process, and it’s large enough to hold the recipe. If you don’t have a cast iron dutch oven, use a pot that’s at least 12 inches wide with sides that are 6 inches tall so that the recipe will fit in the pot.
- If you don’t have a lid for the pot, tightly cover it with foil before placing it in the oven.
- The Guinness can be replaced with 2 cups of red wine, if you prefer. I recommend using a dry red wine, such as a cabernet, pinot noir or merlot.
- This recipe can be made ahead of time. After braising the short ribs for 2 hours at 350°F, simply turn the oven to warm and leave the short ribs, covered in the oven, for up to 4 hours.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Facts
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5 Comments on “Guinness Braised Short Ribs”
Oh man . . . I really shouldn’t be perusing your recipes on an empty stomach. It’s just making me suffer.
Funny thing is, I’ve said the exact same thing to myself while reading through your blog!!
I love how your recipes are growing as well as your plate presentation! Proud of you !!