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Beef Short Ribs with Bourbon in a Slow Cooker

One of the easiest ways to make a meal is to put everything in a slow cooker and let the dish cook by itself. This is how I cooked these Beef Short Ribs in Bourbon in a Slow Cooker. I braised the beef ribs quickly on the stove and placed them in the slow cooker with the sauces, seasonings and rest of the ingredients. I left and came home to a large slow cooked entrée of beef short ribs falling off the bone, tender and succulent boldly flavored with bourbon and more. The original recipe of this was ‘Country Style Pork Ribs with Bourbon and Coke BBQ Sauce’ from “The Southern Slow Cooker: Big-Flavor, Low-Fuss Recipes for Comfort Food Classics” by Kendra Bailey Morris (Ten Speed Press, 2013). I used beef short ribs instead for this dish. Servings were for 4 if served with rice.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time7 hours 15 minutes
Total Time7 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino
Keyword: Beef Short Ribs Bourbon
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 1352kcal

Equipment

  • Slow cooker - 7 quarts

Ingredients

  • 8 pounds beef short ribs bone-in,lean with fat trimmed, cut into 2 to 3-inch pieces
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups tomato ketchup
  • 1/2 cup Coke or Pepsi soda regular (do not use diet)
  • 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons spicy chili sauce bottled
  • 2 Tablespoons bourbon (or substitute with cognac)
  • 2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon molasses
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish
  • for serving: boiled white rice
  • 1 whole onion sliced
  • 3/4 cup beef broth

Instructions

  • Season the beef short ribs with a salt and black pepper.
  • Over medium high heat, heat a large skillet. Add the oil and after 1 to 2 minutes, add the short ribs. Brown well on all sides for 2 to 3 minutes to seal in the flavors. Add the garlic.
  • Separately prepare the slow cooker (about 7 quart size or more for this recipe) by spraying the inside with cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together the ketchup, cola, tomato paste, brown sugar, chili sauce, bourbon, cider vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, beef broth. Stir well. Then add this mixture to the slow cooker.
  • Add the ribs to the slow cooker, layering the larger ribs on the bottom. Cover the meat with the sauce and onions. Place the slow cooker cover and cook on HIGH for at least 6 to 7 hours until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. (Note: author suggested cook on LOW for at least 8 to 9 hours).
  • Once cooked, transfer ribs to a large platter and cover to keep warm. Reduce the sauce by pouring the leftover liquid into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes till slightly thickened. Pour the sauce over the ribs. Serve with boiled white rice. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.
  • Cook’s comments: the original recipe in the cookbook used bone-in pork country-style ribs which are just as good if you prefer that meat cut. I used what I had on hand at the time and the beef short ribs were fantastic. For the spicy based sauce, the author suggested American brand chili sauce, but I used the spicy Ma Ploy sweet sour sauce I had on hand (from Asian markets).
  • Disclosure: I was not paid to review or mention this book. The cookbook was a gift from the author and it was such a perfect cooking helper that I highly recommend it to anyone who loves good home cooked meals but does not have the time to stay home all day. Find more information on "The Southern Slow Cooker" by Kendra Bailey Morris on Amazon.com.

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    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 1352kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 129g | Fat: 71g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Cholesterol: 391mg | Sodium: 2118mg | Potassium: 2889mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 793IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 16mg