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Cider Braised Short Ribs with Caramelized Onions. Slow cooked short ribs in apple cider with fresh herbs and sweet caramelized onions. If there’s one cozy fall and winter meal you need to be making, it’s these braised short ribs. They’re simple to put together and totally delicious. Serve over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes and you’ll have the perfect dinner for a cold night in.
It’s about this time every year that I lean into making more low and slow dinners, either in the crockpot or braised in the oven.
There’s just something so comforting knowing that dinner is slow cooking all day long. It means a warming meal is sure to be had at the end of the day. And in fall, that’s really all I want. What I love about short ribs is that there’s something so “fancy” about them. But yet they’re actually so simple and easy to prepare.
And when cooked properly, totally delicious!
Of course, these short ribs were inspired by my brother Creighton. He’s a huge fan of pot roast. He’s always asking me to make a recipe similar to what my mom made growing up.
I’m sure at some point I will make a classic pot roast, but I love slow braising short ribs. I knew these would not disappoint anyone.
And trust me, Creighton was very pleased with this dinner. He’s been talking about it ever since I made the recipe, so I’m excited to share it today!
The details
I’ve been really into caramelizing onions lately. I love the added richness in flavor they bring. I also love that caramelizing the onions really takes the bitter bite out of them. Therefore, I knew I wanted them to be a big part of this recipe.
Start by searing the ribs in a nice big cocotte that’s oven safe. When the ribs are browned, pull them out, then add the onions and start to slowly cook them down. I love to add a splash of the apple cider to help the onions cook down a little quicker.
When the onions have reached a light gold color, the rest is simple. Just add the short ribs back to the pot, add lots of apple cider, white wine (or broth), carrots (my favorite part), garlic, and fresh thyme.
Arrange some apple wedges around the meat. Then cook low and slow all day long either in the oven or in the crockpot.
The kitchen will smell incredible as this slow cooks all day, and the outcome is beyond good.
I love the pairing of sweet apple cider and tangy caramelized onions. Something about the combo with beefy short ribs is just so good.
Finish it up
I love to serve this over creamy mashed potatoes, with gravy and onions spooned over top. Then simply add some crusty bread on the side. This really is one of the best, cozy meals there is.
It feels very fancy, and very French too, which is so fun!
I made this exact recipe for Sunday night dinner with the family. It was the perfect dinner to enjoy on our first snowy night of the year. If you need something warm and hearty to serve this fall, this recipe is a go-to.
Looking for other slow cooked fall recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Red Wine Cranberry Braised Short Ribs
Slow Cooker Red Wine Braised Short Rib Pasta
Slow Cooker Coq au Vin with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
Lastly, if you make these Cider Braised Short Ribs, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the how-to video:
Cider Braised Short Ribs with Caramelized Onions
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 868 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 5 pounds bone in beef short ribs
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 4 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 2 cups apple cider
- 2 cups chicken broth or dry white wine
- 6 carrots, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 apple, quartered (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
Oven
- 1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.2. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, then rub with flour to coat. Heat a large oven-safe Dutch Oven over high heat, sear the ribs on both sides. Remove the ribs to a plate, wipe the pot clean of grease. 3. Add the butter and onions and cook 5 minutes, until softened. Add a 1/2 cup apple cider, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking another 5-8 minutes, until the cider has evaporated and the onions are lightly golden. Add the thyme, then add the short ribs back to the pot. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups cider, broth or wine, carrots, garlic, and bay leaves. Arrange the apples around the meat. Cover and roast in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the short ribs are tender and falling off the bone.3. Remove the bay leaves. Serve the ribs over a bed of mashed potatoes. Drizzle with the pan sauce and onions. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker
- 1. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, then rub with flour to coat. Heat a large Dutch Oven over high heat, sear the ribs on both sides. 2. To the bowl of your crockpot, add the butter and onions, then place the ribs over the onions. Add thyme, apple cider, broth or wine, carrots, garlic, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. During the last 1-2 hours of cooking, add the apples, arranging them around the meat.3. Remove the bay leaves. Serve the ribs over a bed of mashed potatoes. Drizzle with the pan sauce and onions. Enjoy!
Made this tonight and it was a huge success! Printed and filed 🙂
Thank you!
Hey Jacquie,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
Full of flavor and wonderful. Makes a lot. But wonderful to know I have two more of this flavorful meal in the freezer. As short ribs tend to be, mine were fatty. I removed as much as possible before browning but there still was a lot, so into the fridge the pan went so I could remove fat after it solidified. Good move on my part. I did go wrong in being too zealous when removing fat from the ribs post cooking, as the actual meat then shredded leaving few good meat chunks. Served over polenta but due to my too well shredded meat the consistency reminded me of baby food. Next time I will probably serve with bread or over boiled potatoes. Definite keeper recipe!!!!! Thank you Tieghan!
Hey there,
I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for testing it out! Have a great week! xTieghan
Would you adjust the slow cooker time if the recipe is cut in half? There are just two of us so 5 lbs seems a bit much for just us, but I want to make it!
Hey April,
I would still follow the cooking instructions as is. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! My husband adores short rib but is super picky about how it’s cooked. He loved this, and so did I! Perfect for a New Year’s Eve dinner at home, as the expensiveness of short rib relative to other dishes made it feel special. The only change I made was to halve the amount of short rib given it’s just the two of us (and we had lots left over). This one is going in the permanent rotation!
Hey there,
Awesome! I love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
Just made this for NYE and it was delicious! I halved the recipe and did half broth and half wine (instead of one or the other) and it was a perfect mix. Served it with truffle mashed potatoes and it was *chef’s kiss* so good. Thank you for this great recipe! I will definitely make it again.
Hey Emily,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Have the best week! xTieghan
If I’m cutting recipe in half, should I cut cook time in half as well? Thanks!
Hey Sarah,
I would still follow the cook time as is. Please let me know if you give there recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Great recipe! I Had to make a few substitutions. (only had 1 1/2 c of apple juice & luckily I read all the comments) I just added 1/2 c apple cider vinegar plus some brown sugar to fight the bitterness. Also, didn’t have an apple so I used canned apples & it still turned out to be so delish!! Had a hard time waiting for it to get done because of the mouth watering aromas that filled the house. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Hey Yvonne,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
Hey Tieghan! I’m in the process of making these in the slow cooker for NYE dinner and am super excited to see how it turns out! I’m a little confused about the shallots that are mentioned in the “how-to” video though? I don’t seen the shallots listed in the recipe, only yellow onions.
Hi Debby,
You can add shallots if you like, if not just use the yellow onions. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
I accidentally used apple cider vinegar rather than Apple cider.
About 1 hour into cooking, any recommendations or is this a lost cause?
Hi Shea,
So sorry to hear this! You could try adding some brown sugar and see if that helps a little. Let me know! xTieghan
I was very excited to try this. Followed the recipe exactly and it was mediocre, certainly not worth the cost of the ribs.
Hi Mark,
So sorry you did not enjoy this recipe, please let me know if there is anyway I can help! xTieghan
Hi! I’m going to attempt this recipe for NYE dinner. My local grocery store doesn’t sell short rib, though. Is there something else I can use as an alternate? Thank you!
Hey Lori,
You could use another type of meat, a roast would work well. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan. I’m in Canada and when u say apple cider, do u mean apple cider vinegar or I’m assuming it’s like an apple juice or is it alcoholic apple cider? Looking forward to trying out this recipe. Happy New Year. Lisa
Hi Lisa,
For this recipe, you will want to use apple cider, so the option closest to apple juice. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Can I make this with boneless short ribs?
Hi Lana,
Yes, that will work well for you, you can follow the recipe as is. Please let me know if you give it a try! I hope you love the recipe:) xTieghan
We made this for Christmas and loved it. I stressed about not having short ribs but back ribs were okay. 🙂
Hi Terri,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas!?? xT
After reading the reviews I was so excited to try this recipe out…unfortunately I was extremely disappointed. I substituted the chicken broth for white wine and the white wine was so overpowering. It gave the dish an acidic bland taste. After spending so much money to make this I would not recommend this dish to anyone. I had to throw it all out because on how bland it was and how bad it tasted.
Maybe try cooking it as written? 🙂
It says you can used chicken broth or white wine so I used white wine.
Hi Bianca,
So sorry you did not enjoy this recipe, thanks for giving it a try. xTieghan
I made this for Christmas dinner tonight along with the buttery herbed mashed potatoes and the honeycrisp apple and kale salad. Everything was absolutely AMAZING! So delicious!
Hi Mandy,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas!?? xT
Just made this for dinner and it was AMAZING! Next time I might change the short ribs to either a beef or pork roast only because my short ribs were so expensive and pretty fatty. Definitely going to become a family favorite!
Hi Bridgette,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas!?? xT
Is it possible to slow cook the ribs in a cast iron skillet with a foil lid? So excited to make these!
Hi Christine,
That would probably work for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi there! Can I sub beef back ribs for the short ribs? Thanks!
THIS WAS DELICIOUS!! thank you for another great recipe. 😀
Hi there,
Happy Holidays! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!?? xTieghan
Hi Devin,
Sure, that should work well for you. I hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
That’s all they had at my store, so I hope so. They’ll be fattier and less meaty, but will have to do!