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Red Wine Cranberry Braised Short Ribs. Slow cooked short ribs in red wine with fresh herbs and sweet cranberries. If there’s one cozy holiday meal you need to be making, it’s these braised short ribs. They’re a one pot and done kind of dinner, festive, and totally delicious. Serve these over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes and you’ll have the perfect dinner for a cold night in.
I’ve been waiting for Thanksgiving week to be here for so long. This is always such a fun week with so much excitement in the air. I’ve never put a ton of pressure on myself to make Thanksgiving perfect. I think this is why I am able to look forward to it so much. All of my brothers are in town (well one arrives tomorrow). I’m excited to spend some time with them, take a minute to soak everything in, and be thankful for all this year has had to offer. It’s been a big year of growth here at HBH, and I’m so thankful to be doing what I love each and every day.
It’s been go, go, go for months now, so I haven’t really had the chance to organize the studio and make it just right. Plus, we’re still waiting on furniture for the upstairs loft and office. Regardless, on Saturday afternoon I finally decided to put down my computer and spend a couple of hours organizing and tidying up around the studio to prepare for Thanksgiving. It was fun to spend a little time styling out the space. Thanksgiving will be our first “big dinner” here, so I’m getting excited! I may or may not have already set my tables.
Anyway, with all of my family in town, that means I need easy meals that everyone will love.
Enter these tangy red wine braised short ribs.
This recipe has been my go-to for about a year now. I first made these ribs back in December of last year. And ever since then I’ve been making them for big crowds. My brothers love short ribs, so this is the perfect dinner to serve this week…especially with snow in the forecast. Nothing is better on a snowy night than a dinner of slow cooker short ribs.
Plus, they are so easy to make. Just one pot, set the slow cooker, and come home to dinner. EASY.
Like most (good) short rib recipes, this one starts out by searing the ribs in a super hot skillet. Trust me, I know how much of a turn off this is in any recipe. But searing the ribs is an essential step and will give you a tender, flavorful short rib every time. I know you might not want to dirty the pan or deal with the grease splatter, but if you want a delicious meal, take the extra ten minutes and sear the ribs before adding them to the slow cooker (or oven).
Once the ribs are seared, you pretty much just throw all remaining ingredients into the slow cooker and cook all day long. Low and slow is key with short ribs, so I recommend cooking the full six hours on low. You can slow cook these in the oven as well.
The major flavor for these shorts come from dry red wine, fresh herbs, and tangy cranberries. Now, I know the cranberries might be throwing some of you off, but I promise, the cranberries in this recipe are delicious.
One of my favorite things to do this time of year when cranberries are in season is to pair them with beef and red wine. Something about the combo of cranberries, red, wine, and beefy short ribs are just so good. It feels very fancy, very French, and when served over creamy mashed potatoes, it’s really one of the best, coziest meals there is.
I actually made this exact recipe yesterday, for Sunday night dinner with the family. It was the perfect dinner to enjoy on a cold November night. If you need something warm and hearty to serve this week before Thursday’s feast, I highly recommend these short ribs.
They cannot be beat.
If you make these 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 also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
Red Wine Cranberry Braised Short Ribs
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1446 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds bone in, beef short ribs
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 2 cups dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- mashed potatoes, for serving
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- 1. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large oven safe skillet, sear the ribs on both sides. Remove the ribs and transfer to the slow cooker. 2. To the slow cooker, add the onions, shallots, and carrots. Add the wine, broth, tomato paste, brown sugar, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, gently stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. During the last 2 hours of cooking, add the cranberries. 3. Remove the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Serve the ribs over a bed of mashed potatoes. Drizzle with the pan sauce. Enjoy!
Oven
- 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.2. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large oven safe skillet, sear the ribs on both sides. Remove the ribs to a plate. Add the onions, shallots, and carrots, cook 5-10 minutes or until the onions begin to caramelize. Add back the short ribs. Add the wine, broth, tomato paste, brown sugar, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Sprinkle over the cranberries. Season with salt and pepper, gently stir to combine. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until the short ribs are tender and falling off the bone.3. Remove the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Serve the ribs over a bed of mashed potatoes. Drizzle with the pan sauce. Enjoy!
These were absolutely delicious! Love the cranberries in this recipe. Must try!
Thank you so much for trying out this recipe! So glad you enjoyed it! Have a great Halloween 🙂 xT
Question, this looks so good but I happen to have several bottles of cranberry wine (a generous gift) and I am looking for a way to use it in a recipe. Would it be too sweet?
Hi! I think that should work well! xT
I make this all the time…. Crowd pleaser! Today I strained out contents into a separate container and let the broth simmer for additional 30 min in my Dutch oven on the cooktop and WOW! It elevated the sauce to another level. Outstanding!
Love to hear that!! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! xT
Hi Tieghan! Love this recipe.. tried it many times with great success!! Question for you – do you remove the excess oil via spoon after it’s cooked or how do you manage to get rid of the excess oil?
Hey Sarah,
Wonderful! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your comment, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! So you can leave it, or if you take a large metal spoon and fill that with ice, skim the top and all of the grease should stick right to it! xx
I can’t wait to make this, but I cannot find fresh cranberries this time of year. Would dried work? If so, how would you adjust the amount? Thanks!
Hi Jan,
Sorry, I wouldn’t recommend dried cranberries, but frozen cranberries would be just fine for you to use! Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you Tieghan! I’m such a fan of Half Baked Harvest! The frozen cranberries worked great. This recipe is really good. Some didn’t care for cranberries and felt the wine taste was too strong. Probably my fault with the wine because I found out (too late) that my large cast-iron skillet couldn’t quite fit everything and I couldn’t add the full two cups of beef broth to the two cups of wine. Will make this in a large crockpot next time!
Hey Jan,
Perfect!! I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks so much for trying it out! xx
So good! I did half in crock pot and half in Dutch oven because I had a large crowd. They were about the same. Everyone loved it! Felt fancy but it was pretty easy. The cranberries make the dish. Great for December or January. Will definitely make again and everyone asked for the recipe.
Hey Hope,
Happy Monday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
One of my absolutely favorite “look like I worked all day on this meals”. They are so delicious and lovely on a winters night.
Hey Laura,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! xT
I can’t find fresh or frozen cranberries at my store at the moment. Can this be made without or do you have a suggestion for a substitution?
Hey Kristin,
You could try frozen cherries! Let me know how this recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xx
I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times and it is a crowd pleaser every time!!! It’s shockingly incredibly easy to make but tastes like I labored over the stove for hours. I added mushrooms to compliment the carrots and the sauce, absolutely amazing.
Hey Teresa,
Happy Monday!❄️ I am so glad to hear that this recipe is always enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xx
Made this for Christmas Eve dinner and it was a huge hit. We all loved it. Thank you for such a festive and beautiful dinner. We will make this again.
Hey Carmen,
Happy Monday!❄️ I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xx
This is my 3rd time making this dish. I added 4 cloves of sliced garlic, lemon zest and beef flavor Better than Bullion. Also added 1/2 a bag of fresh cranberries at the beginning and the other 1/2 about an hour left of cooking. Delicious every time.
Hey Barb,
I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Merry Christmas! 🎁🎄
Yummy!! I made this following your slow cooker directions, and it was enjoyed by everyone! Recipe is a keeper!
Hey Laura,
Happy Holidays!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! 🎄❄️
Hi,
I can’t get bone in should I adjust the cooking time? Would you still recommend the oven vs crockpot?
Hey Rebecca,
You can still follow the recipe as is with oven or crockpot:) I hope this turns out well for you! Happy Holidays! xT
Hi T!
My family LOVED this dish. I made it last year for Christmas Eve dinner. It looks like it’ll be a traditional dish now. 🍾🍾🍾
Last year, I made it in a regular tall pot, at low heat, all day. Is this ok?
I liked the end result- but I’m not sure if that’s how you’d guide us to make it.
Making it again this year! 🫶🏼
Hey Chanel,
Happy Monday!❄️🎄 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Sure, make it in whatever you have access to! xT
I can’t believe I forgot to ask this-
I bought 16lbs of the short rib. 😅
I’m hosting 9 people.
I was afraid they’d want left overs and I’d be short.
How do you recommend I go about measuring cooking time? Any tweaking?
Hi Chanel,
This recipe only calls for 5 pounds of short ribs, so you’re going to need to triple the recipe and probably use multiple pots. I hope this recipe turns out well for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Hi! Planning on making this for Christmas … in the oven. I wanted to add another 1-2 veggies. Do you think fennel would work well with this?
Hey there,
Sure, fennel would be great to use! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Which cooking method gives the best result – slow cooker or oven?
Hey Natalie,
I like to do the oven:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx