Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs Recipe [Gluten-Free]

Bust out the slow cooker for a delicious beef short ribs recipe that cooks all day and tastes like a million bucks. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

In my last post featuring my gluten-free popovers recipe, you may have caught a glimpse of this beefy dish that I served alongside those buttery popovers.

The dish you saw is my slow cooker beef short ribs recipe. I’ve been making it for years now.

It’s a recipe my mother-in-law first discovered on Food.com (which is no longer available online) and she has since shared with me. (I begged her to send me the recipe because I wanted to be able to enjoy it again and again.)

This beef short ribs recipe is one of my favorite go-to recipes when I’m looking for something to make when I entertain guests, and I think it’s the perfect recipe for special occasions too. The last time I made it was New Year’s Eve. Prior to that? I made it when I had some good friends over for dinner. Every time I serve it I get rave reviews.

Simply put… this is a no-fail, always-delicious, can’t-mess-up kinda recipe!

In case you’re not familiar with beef short ribs, they are a tough cut of meat due to their extensive connective tissues. They require slow and low cooking in order to break down the tissue (similar to beef brisket). If you cook beef short ribs slowly and on a low, consistent heat, you’ll wind up with a fall-apart meat dish that is irresistible and mouthwatering!

Preparation and Patience Required

To make this beef short ribs recipe, you need to employ two important Ps – preparation and patience!

First, PREPARATION!!

You need to leave yourself a solid 30 minutes in the morning to prepare all the ingredients. You’ll want to brown the short ribs in butter to bring out their intense beefy flavor, and you’ll also want to saute the onions and garlic before piling all the ingredients in your slow cooker.

You also may need to make a run for the grocery store, as there are several ingredients in this recipe that you may not have on hand.

Please check ingredient labels carefully, especially when it comes to these specific products:

• Beef stock:  Not all beef stock is gluten free. Pacific Foods makes a gluten-free and organic beef stock that I like. Of course, if you make your own homemade beef broth, you can use that instead.
• Worcestershire sauce:  Most worcestershire sauces are not gluten free as they are distilled from soy sauce or malt vinegar. Lea & Perrins is gluten-free (just check labels to be extra cautious). Lea & Perrins should include the “gluten-free” label on the product. If not, put it back on the shelf.
• Chili Garlic sauce: I use the chili garlic sauce by Huy Fong Foods and have no problems with it. It is not labeled gluten free though but does not contain any gluten ingredients and many people I know who are gluten free use it without problems. You can find this in the Asian section of most grocery stores. If you prefer to omit it, simply add some red pepper flakes and/or sriracha sauce to your mixture. You’ll net similar results and a fiery and spicy outcome.

Of course, you also need a large slow cooker. You can find some reasonably priced slow cookers on Amazon if you’re in the market for a new one. I’m amazed at how far slow cookers have come from when I first got mine 17 years ago as a wedding gift.

Second, PATIENCE!!

Once you place all the ingredients in your slow cooker, you want to leave it so it cooks on low and slow for 8 hours. The smell in your house will be incredible and you will be tempted to poke at it sooner, but don’t.

Allow it all the time it needs to cook. Do not open your slow cooker to mix it either. Trust the process. It’s cooking and it will be delicious when dinner time rolls around.

I served this delicious slow cooker beef short ribs recipe with my soft, doughy and buttery gluten-free popovers recipe. The popovers soaked up the delicious gravy and worked well as an accompaniment to this beef dish. You could also serve it alongside a baked potato, my gluten-free dinner rolls, my gluten-free artisan bread, or even on a bed of rice or quinoa.

You will love this recipe because it’s savory, beefy, spicy and sweet. It’s a joyride for your tastebuds – and you won’t miss the gluten one bit – I promise!

A Note about Short Ribs

Finding beef short ribs for your recipe can be a challenge. Costco has the best value but beef short ribs not always in stock.

When purchasing short ribs, look for boneless ones. I have not tested this recipe with bone-in short ribs.