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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!
I tried the slow cooker recipe but I must have messed up somewhere cause it came out really watery. I’ll try it again using the oven next time! It looks so good I hope to get it like the picture next time. 🙂
Hey Jennifer,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it was watery. Let me know if you try it again! xTieghan
Is this supposed to be a thicker sauce? Mine is in the crockpot right now and I agree it’s very watery
Hi Kim,
You can add some cornstarch to help thicken the sauce if you want! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Wasn’t a huge fan of the vinegar after taste, I think I’ll stick to my usual red wine instead of apple cider vinegar
@KT – I think you misread the ingredient list! It’s Apple Cider, as in the juice you could drink straight from a cup ( similar to Apple Juice)
Apple cider Vinegar WILL ALTER this recipe big time, yikes!!
Try white or you could use your red wine! You should have 4 cups of liquid total.
Hi there,
This recipe does not call for apple cider vinegar, just apple cider. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Is there any way to redeem to the recipe if you accidently used apple cider vinegar?
Hey Amber,
Ahhh so sorry to hear this! You could try adding some honey to see if that will help sweeten things up a bit! Let me know! xTieghan
This recipe was so good!! It really does feel fancy and would be great for entertaining friends. We’re doing Whole30, so I switched the butter for ghee and didn’t use flour. I was going to try almond flour but forgot it. When searing the meat, my pan was way too hot on high, so I turned it down to medium and that did the trick. We made it with GrossyPelosi’s Cauliflour Mash recipe. To die for!! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Kaitlyn,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Easy recipe to follow but it wasn’t very flavorful and kind of oily. Just not what I expected.
Hi Laura,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry it was not enjoyed! xTieghan
If I have a family that does not love short ribs, is there a different type of beef that would work for this recipe? We would really love to try this one!
Hey Kristine,
You could use a beef chuck for the recipe. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Hey Tieghan,
We went with the Beef Chuck and holy wow. Tieghan, this recipe is a masterpiece! I cooked a 4lb roast for 3.5 hours and I cut up a turnip for a little veggie boost. Served it over some buttery egg noodles and my family was in heaven! Ridiculously delicious, thank you!
Hey Kristine,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your comment! xTieghan
Amazing, I was looking for a substitute for short rib since it’s a little pricey where I am.
I made this for Sunday night dinner and it was fabulous ! My family loved it ! I followed the recipe exactly as written,
My only problem was when searing the meat the flour burnt and caused scorching on my pot and lots of smoke, I was able to wipe the pot enough to continue with searing the meat but I did add some vegetable oil to prevent further scorching. Any idea why this happened ? Why not have oil in the recipe?
Hey Michelle,
I really appreciate you giving the recipe a try, so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! Maybe not enough oil and your pan could have been too hot, sorry about that! Have a great week! xxT
Highly recommend. This is the 2nd time making the short ribs this week. My family requested them for Sunday dinner. I served them with browned butter mashed potatoes. This would make a vegetarian eat meat, that’s how good they are!
Hi Gail,
I really appreciate you giving the recipe a try, so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xxT
This recipe was amazing and scrumptious! The aroma lingered in the house for an extra day….& I loved it!
Question: why coat the ribs with the flour? Is this to thicken the sauce into a gravy? In the process of searing the ribs, the flour burned so quickly, it was enough to set off all the smoke alarms in my house ?.
In the future, I will sear the ribs outside and then finish cooking the meal inside.
But again, no problem!….I will definitely make this again. So yummy and comforting.
Hi Marlena,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Yes, the flour helps to create a crust on the short ribs and thicken the sauce. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Delicious and simple! Thank you!
Hi Tanya,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xxT
This was a great recipe and I can’t believe how easy it was! Highly recommend making this. I used apple juice instead of apple cider, i’m not sure how big of a difference there is, and it still worked great.
Hi Anna,
Fantastic!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan
Couldn’t find the short ribs so using beef top sirloin cap steaks which I’ll cut into thick strips and hope for the best lol
I hope you love the recipe Meghan!
I made these for Christmas Day and they did NOT disappoint. They were so good and overall so easy to prepare. Everyone loved them!
Hey Colleen,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it. Have the best weekend! xT
Hi! If I can’t find Apple cider can I use Apple juice?
Thanks
Hi Sam,
Yes, that will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
My two daughters made this for us over the holidays, absolutely delicious! The combination of the caramelized onions and apple , so good! Just walking in the house , the aroma took me back years to when we spent Sundays in the kitchen for the family dinner. Came to get this recipe to make again.
Hey Missy,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
What white wine do you recommend?
Hey Gail,
I like to use a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan