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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 recipe yesterday – it was delicious!!! I put the ribs over semolina polenta – bit lighter than mashed potatoes, but I’m sure either would be yummy!!!
Hey Christine,
I appreciate you trying this dish and your comment! So glad it turned out well for you! xT
I really would love to make this in the InstantPot! Could you add directions for that cooking method?
Hi Caleb,
So sorry, I have not tested this recipe in the instant pot, for best results I would stick with the oven or slow cooker method:) xT
I’ve made this recipe before and absolutely loved it! Looking to make it again but half the amount of servings. Do I need to adjust the cooking time?
Hi Madison,
Love to hear that you have enjoyed this recipe in the past!! If you are doing half the recipe, I would roast for 2 hours in the oven. I hope this helps! xT
Family loved this but I was not a fan; just my personal taste and beef issues. A fair bit of work but family thought it was worth it.
Hi Martha,
I appreciate you trying this dish and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy, but glad your family liked it:) xx
I’m curious to know if it should just be Apple Cider, or Apple Cider Vinegar? Excited to make this for Sunday night dinner!!!!
Hey Darcie,
It’s just apple cider, not vinegar:) I hope you love this recipe, let me know how it turns out! xT
This dish was everything I didn’t know I was needing for a rainy fall night. It wasn’t difficult to make, but it was so incredibly cozy and flavorful. We went with our dutch oven over the slow cooker, and I do believe that was the best choice for this particular dish. We will certainly be coming back to this recipe again. Even the reheated leftovers were so delicious! No thing bad to say about it at all. Thank you for this!!
Thanks so much Gen!! Love to hear that this dish turned out well for you and thanks a lot for trying it! xT
Amazing, although with the apples I do think you need to season veggies and maybe a touch more salt to finish. All in all a new fall favorite!
Hey Stefani,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it was a hit! xT
Slow-cooked this dish and it was so tender and hearty. The only think I would recommend is to season liberally~when I seared the short ribs, they smelled and looked amazing. Eight hours later, the beef needed more seasoning. After reading some of the other comments, I agree that a red-wine addition could add to a heartier gravy-sauce, but the apple flavoring from the cider and apple slices are a plus.
Will make again and correct the user-errors. Hah.
Hey Karen,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it was a hit! xT
So excited to make this!! Do you think I could use red wine instead of white? Love all your recipes Tieghan!
Hi there! I haven’t ever tried this with red wine but that should be yummy! You could also use chicken broth if you’re looking for a sub for white wine! xT
Is there a way to convert slow cooking time into pressure cooker time in order to shorten the cook time? This looks delicious – I would love to make it in the morning before travelling many hours by car to our family’s thanksgiving. thank you1
Hi Julia! I haven’t ever tried this in the pressure cooker so I can’t say for sure! So sorry! xT
This is my favourite recipe! Short ribs are cooked perfectly and so much flavour with the apple cider, delicious!!
Hey Steph,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your review:) Have a great weekend! xT
I made this for my partner and I tonight and we enjoyed it a lot. We ate the short bits over mashed potatoes. One thing we both felt was slightly missing was an acidity/bitterness. I did use chicken broth instead of white wine, which could have made the difference… If/when I make this again, I might try to add a little Merlot. Overall, this was the perfect dish to make on the night of our first snowfall of the year. Definitely a warm cozy dish! Thank you for the yummy recipe.
***short ribs
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try! Hope you’re having a great Halloween weekend! 🙂 xT
I made this today for dinner, what a wonderful meal.. The taste was so amazing with so much depth. I did use a chuck Roast cut into large pieces and added peeled quartered potato the last hour. The flavor was so amazing, definitely will make again. I made it in a dutch oven placed in the oven.
Hi! So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for trying it out! xT
I made this tonight and it was delicious! And super easy too! Easy 5 stars!!!
Thank you Diana! xT
Hi Tieghan!! I have been looking for apple cider without luck. I live in Mexico, I have only found sparkling…can I use that? If not what can I use?
Yes, sparkling cider should work just fine!
Hi Tieghan!
Sent my lovely fiancé to the store and he came back with flanken style short rib. Will this still work or do I need to go buy some English cut short rib instead?
Hi there! That should work just fine! xT
Hi Tieghan! So excited to try this – I picked up 5 pounds of beef chuck roast given that’s what the store had, and I saw some people in the comments had success with that. I’m planning on the oven method with my Dutch oven. Do you have any modification suggestions, given my substitution, or can I proceed ahead as the recipe directs? Thank you!
to clarify – it’s boneless beef chuck roast!
Hi Claire! Yes, you can follow the recipe the same, I would maybe just decrease the cook time a little bit since the recipe calls for bone in short ribs! The chuck roast should cook a little but quicker since they don’t have bones! xT