If you’re like us and you’ve been waiting for the first cold weekend to turn the oven on and leave it there all afternoon, this is your moment. These apple cider braised short ribs are so tender the bones slide out when you lift them, and leave your home smelling like fall for hours.
Wondering how to use up that jug of apple cider and tired of baking? It’s perfect for savory meals, too. The cider melts into a savory, glossy sauce where the apple only shows up as a hint of flavor. It’s so lucsious, you’re going to want a spoon for it. Pile mashed potatoes underneath so no single drip goes to waste.
🔪 Ingredients for Apple Cider Braised Short Ribs
Every quantity lives in the recipe card below. Here is what to look for at the store.
- Bone-in beef short ribs: thick, meaty ribs with a good layer of meat sitting on the bone. That collagen-rich meat is why they need hours, not minutes. New to the cut? Our guide to cuts of beef shows where it comes from. Want the pork version with whole apples and white wine in the pot? That’s our Cider Braised Pork Short Ribs. This one is all beef, with the cider cooked into the sauce.
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Avocado oil: it handles medium high heat for the sear without smoking out the kitchen.
- Yellow onion: thinly sliced so it softens into the sauce.
- Garlic
- Tomato paste
- Unfiltered apple cider: the cloudy kind from the refrigerated case, not hard cider.
- Low sodium beef broth: the sauce reduces at the end, so starting low keeps the salt in your hands.
- Better Than Bouillon Roasted Beef Base: stirred into the broth for a deeper beef backbone.
- Fresh thyme, rosemary and bay leaves: they come out before the sauce is finished, so whole sprigs are fine.
- Apple cider vinegar: goes in at the very end to wake the sauce up.
- Butter: cold, stirred in off the heat for a glossy finish.
- Fresh parsley: for garnish.
Equipment
- Dutch oven with a lid: it goes from the burner to the oven and back to the burner for the sauce, so it has to be oven safe.
- Wooden spoon: for scraping the browned bits off the bottom when the cider goes in.
- Fine mesh strainer: only if you want a smoother sauce.
- Aluminum foil: to tent the ribs while the sauce reduces.
- Paper towels: for drying the ribs before they hit the pot.
- Serving platter
📝 How to Make Apple Cider Braised Short Ribs
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels until no moisture is left on the surface, then season all sides with the salt and black pepper.
- Heat the avocado oil in the Dutch oven over medium high heat until it shimmers. Add the short ribs in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Sear 3 to 4 minutes per side, until browned, and leave them alone until they release on their own. More on getting that crust in our guide to how to sear meat. Move the ribs to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the sliced onions and cook 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Drop the heat slightly if they start browning too quickly.
- Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute more.
- Pour in the apple cider and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release the browned bits. Bring it to a simmer and cook uncovered 5 to 6 minutes, until the cider reduces slightly.
- Stir in the beef broth and beef base until the base dissolves completely. Add the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves.
- Return the short ribs to the pot bone side down and pour in any juices from the plate. Bring the liquid back to a simmer.
- Cover and braise in the oven 3 to 4 hours, until the short ribs are fork-tender and the meat pulls away from the bones. Start checking at the 3-hour mark: a fork should slide into the thickest part of the meat with very little resistance.
- Move the short ribs to a serving platter, handling them gently, and tent loosely with foil. Discard the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves.
- For a rustic sauce, leave the softened onions in the liquid. For a smoother sauce, strain it through a fine mesh strainer.
- Set the Dutch oven over medium heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reduces slightly.
- Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Take the pot off the heat, then stir in the cold butter until it melts and is fully incorporated. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Return the short ribs to the sauce and spoon it over the meat. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over mashed potatoes.
🔄 Substitutions
- Sweet onions for yellow onions: they swap in one for one and soften into the sauce the same way.
- Fresh sage for the rosemary: use 3 to 4 leaves for a more traditional fall flavor.
- Thicker, gravy-style sauce: stir 1 tablespoon cornstarch into 1 tablespoon cold water. Whisk the slurry into the simmering sauce after it reduces and cook 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened. Add the vinegar and butter after it thickens.
- Stovetop for the oven: after the ribs go back in the pot, cover, drop the heat to low and hold a very gentle simmer for about 3 to 4 hours. Check now and then that the liquid isn’t boiling hard, and add a little more broth if it reduces too much before the meat is tender.
💡 Meat Nerd Tips
- Dry ribs, hot pot, hands off. Surface moisture keeps a crust from forming. Pat the ribs completely dry, let the Dutch oven get hot before they go in, and don’t move them too early. They release on their own once the browned crust is there.
- Watch the bottom of the pot. Lower the heat after searing and stir the onions regularly. If the bottom starts getting too dark, a small splash of cider brings it back.
- Tough ribs need time, not heat. If a fork still meets resistance, keep braising in 20 to 30 minute increments. Collagen-rich cuts need enough time for the connective tissue to soften, and cranking the oven won’t speed that up.
- Loose bones are a good sign. As the connective tissue softens, the meat can separate from the bone in the pot. That’s normal with properly braised short ribs, so lift them out gently.
🍽️ What to Serve with Apple Cider Braised Short Ribs
- Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes: the classic call here. A big spoonful of mash under each rib catches every drop of the cider sauce.
- Boursin Mashed Potatoes: the garlic and herb mash leans right into the thyme and rosemary already in the pot.
- Lemon Garlic Broccolini: something green and bright on the side of a plate this rich.
- Apple Sausage Stuffing: when short ribs are the main for a fall dinner party, this keeps the apple running from the main to the side.
🧊 Leftovers and Storage
- Let the short ribs and sauce cool slightly, then move them to shallow, airtight containers.
- Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. They keep up to 4 days.
- Store the meat in the braising liquid so it doesn’t dry out.
- Reheat covered, in the sauce, in a low oven until hot all the way through.
Oven Braised Apple Cider Short Ribs
Short ribs so tender the bones slide right out, sitting in a glossy cider sauce you’ll want a spoon for. You get the coziest Sunday of the fall for about 25 minutes of hands-on work.
Recommended Equipment
- Dutch oven with lid
- Paper towels
- Wooden spoon
- Fine mesh strainer (optional, for a smoother sauce)
- Aluminum foil
- serving platter
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider unfiltered
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon roasted beef base
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
Season the Short Ribs
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels. Season all sides with the salt and black pepper.
Sear
- Heat the avocado oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the short ribs in a single layer, work in batches if needed. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side until browned. Transfer the short ribs to a plate.
Cook the Onions
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the sliced onions to the Dutch oven and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat slightly if they start browning too quickly.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
Reduce the Cider
- Pour in the apple cider, scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook uncovered for 5 to 6 minutes, allowing the cider to reduce slightly.
Add the Broth and Herbs
- Stir in the beef broth and beef base until dissolved. Add the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves.
Braise the Short Ribs
- Return the short ribs to the Dutch oven, placing them bone side down. Pour any accumulated juices from the plate into the pot. Bring the liquid to a simmer.
- Cover the Dutch oven with the lid and transfer it to the preheated oven. Braise for 3 to 4 hours, until the short ribs are fork tender and the meat begins pulling away from the bones. Start checking for tenderness around the 3 hour mark. A fork should slide into the thickest part of the meat with very little resistance.
Rest the Short Ribs
- Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and transfer the short ribs to a serving platter. Tent loosely with foil to keep warm. Discard the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves.
Finish the Sauce
- For a rustic sauce, leave the softened onions in the liquid. For a smoother sauce, strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer.
Reduce and FInish
- Place the Dutch oven over medium heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced slightly.
- Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Remove the pot from the heat, then stir in the cold butter until melted and fully incorporated. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Serve
- Return the short ribs to the sauce and spoon the liquid over the meat. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Moisture on the surface prevents a good sear. Pat the ribs completely dry and allow the Dutch oven to get hot before adding them. Avoid moving the meat too early. It should release more easily once a browned crust develops.
- Lower the heat after searing and stir the onions regularly. Add a small splash of cider if the bottom begins getting too dark.
- Tough short ribs usually need more cooking time rather than higher heat. Continue braising in 20 to 30 minute increments until a fork slides easily into the meat.
- If the bones fall out during cooking, this is normal with properly braised short ribs. Handle the ribs gently when transferring them to the serving platter.
- Sweet onions can replace yellow onions. Replace the rosemary with 3 to 4 fresh sage leaves for a more traditional fall flavor.
- For a gravy like consistency, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water. Stir the slurry into the simmering sauce after reducing it, then cook for 1 to 2 minutes until thickened. Add the apple cider vinegar and butter after thickening.
- Stovetop method: After returning the short ribs to the Dutch oven, cover and reduce the heat to low. Maintain a very gentle simmer for approximately 3 to 4 hours, checking occasionally to ensure the liquid isn’t boiling rapidly. Add a little additional broth if the liquid reduces too much before the meat becomes tender.
- Allow the short ribs and sauce to cool slightly, then refrigerate in shallow, airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking for up to 4 days. Store the meat in the braising liquid to help prevent it from drying out.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 1253mg | Potassium: 870mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 4mg
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Quick Summary
Apple cider braised short ribs are bone-in beef short ribs seared hard, then braised in apple cider, beef broth and herbs at 300°F for 3 to 4 hours until a fork slides in with almost no resistance. The braising liquid reduces into a savory cider sauce finished with apple cider vinegar and cold butter. The one thing to get right is time: tough ribs need more of it, not more heat. For more low and slow beef, start with our Braised Beef Cheeks or browse every braising recipe and beef recipe on the site.
❓ FAQs
Will apple cider braised short ribs taste like apples?
The apple flavor is noticeable but subtle. As the cider cooks with the beef broth, browned onions and herbs, it becomes part of a savory sauce rather than tasting like apple juice poured over beef.
When should I start checking short ribs for doneness?
Start checking around 3 hours. The exact time depends on the thickness of the ribs, the amount of connective tissue and how steadily your oven holds its temperature. Tenderness matters more than hitting a specific internal temperature.
Why are my braised short ribs still tough?
Tough short ribs almost always need more time, not more heat. Keep braising in 20 to 30 minute increments until a fork slides easily into the thickest part of the meat.
Should I leave the onions in the sauce?
Either way works. Leaving the onions in gives you a rustic sauce with soft, sweet onion pieces, while straining gives you a smoother sauce that looks more refined spooned over plated short ribs.
Can I braise short ribs on the stovetop instead of the oven?
Yes. Cover the pot, turn the heat to low and keep it at a very gentle simmer for about 3 to 4 hours, checking that the liquid never boils hard. Add a little more broth if it reduces too much before the meat is tender.
