These sweet and sticky slow-cooked short ribs use my fail-proof method for fall-apart meat, packed full of flavour!
First we cook them slowly in a flavoured stock in the oven, then lightly fry them to crisp the edges, then coat them in a delicious Asian-inspired sticky sauce.

Slow cooked short ribs with chilli glaze on a bed of rice on a dark plate. Kale is also on the plate in the background.

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Slow-cooked until the meat is falling off the bone, then pan fried to crisp up the edges and given a sticky coating right at the last minute. That’s my kind of meal!

It’s a technique I first used for my Chinese pork belly (which is one of our most popular recipes on the blog) and I’ve been using it ever since. It works best for meats that are fatty and/or a little on the tough side, and it turns a cheap piece of meat into something amazing!

The slow cooking process makes the meat melt-in-the-mouth, and most of the fat renders away. Any fat that’s left, is soon crisped up during the second stage.

📋 What do we need for the slow-cooking stage?

Ingredients for slow cooked Short ribs on a wooden table

Those lovely short ribs are going to be cooked gently in a flavoured stock until fall-apart tender.
Once they’re out of the oven, they’re fried for a few minutes to get those edges lovely and golden.

After that we add a flavourful sticky glaze to the pan with the ribs.

Overhead photo of sticky short ribs in a frying pan with sauce bubbling around the short ribs.

📋 What do we need for the sticky glaze?

Ingredients for a sticky chilli glaze on a wooden table
  • The sticky glaze is made with
  • Ginger
  • Honey
  • Light brown sugar
  • Soy sauce
  • Lemongrass paste
  • A chopped up chilli pepper
  • Plus a little salt and pepper.

📺 Watch how to make it

Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

🍽️ What to serve them with

What will you serve yours with?

Overhead shot of slow cooked sticky short ribs on a bed of boiled rice.

🍲 More fantastic slow-cooked recipes

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Sticky chilli-glazed short ribs on a bed of rice on a dark plate with kale in the background.
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5 from 14 votes

Sweet and Sticky Slow-Cooked Short Ribs

By Nicky Corbishley
These sweet and sticky slow-cooked short ribs use my fail-proof method for fall-apart meat that’s packed full of flavour!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian, British

Ingredients

Slow cooked stage:

  • 4 short ribs
  • 1 ¼ litres (5 1/4 cups) beef stock
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp white pepper
  • 1 thumb sized piece of ginger peeled and finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped in half
  • 1 tbsp rice wine
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar

For frying the beef short ribs:

  • 2 tbsp sunflower oil

For the crispy/sticky coating:

  • pinch salt and pepper
  • 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger peeled and minced
  • 1 red chilli pepper I use Fresno chillies, de-seeded and chopped finely)
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp lemon grass paste

Instructions 

  • Start with the slow-cooked stage – Preheat the oven to 170C/350F (fan). Place all of the ingredients from the slow-cooked stage into a large oven-proof casserole pan.
    4 short ribs, 1 1/4 litres (5 1/4 cups) beef stock, 2 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp white pepper, 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp rice wine, 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • Heat over a high heat until boiling, then place a lid on and place in the oven for 3 hours. Check a couple of times during the last hour of cooking and top up with water if it’s starting to go dry.
  • Take out of the oven and carefully remove the ribs from the pan (the meat will want to fall off the bone, so I find a good set of tongs helps to get them out). Drain any excess liquid off the ribs. Discard the cooking liquor – or use it in soup or Ramen.
  • Heat the oil on a high heat in a large frying pan (skillet). Add the ribs and cook, turning once or twice until the edges are golden and crisp. It takes about 6-7 minutes. Be careful as the oil will spit due to the fat on the meat.
    2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • Mix together the sticky coating ingredients in a small bowl and add to the frying pan. Bubble together, tuning the ribs to coat, until the sauce thickens to a sticky glaze.
    pinch salt and pepper, 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, 1 red chilli pepper, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp light brown sugar, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp lemon grass paste
  • Turn off the heat and serve the ribs with rice and stir-fried vegetables or salad.

Video

Notes

Can I make it ahead?
Yes, you can make it up to the end of step 3 (where the short ribs are slow-cooked and then drained). Then quickly cool, cover and refrigerate for up to two days.
You can also make the sauce ahead, then cover and refrigerate it up to a day ahead.
Take the cooked beef out of the refrigerator about an hour before you want to finish cooking it – to take the chill off it.
Then you can complete the recipe – frying the meat first in the oil (fry on a medium heat for a few minutes longer than it says in the recipe, as we want to ensure the short ribs are piping hot in the middle). Then we add the glaze and bubble it all up as per the recipe.
Can I use my slow cooker?
Yes, you can do the first stage in the slow cooker, rather than the oven. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7 hours. Keep an eye on the level of liquid and top up with a little more if needed.
Nutritional Information is per serving of short rib.

Nutrition

Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 928mg | Potassium: 617mg | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 600IU | Vitamin C: 16.8mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 3.8mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

This recipe was first published February 2017. Updated July 2021 with new photos, video and some housekeeping.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

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Comments

  2. 5 stars
    This is one of the best things I’ve ever made…and I am a prolific cook. Not great. Not a chef, but I enjoy feeding my family well.

    I stood over the stove, dipping them in the extra sauce… I don’t post comments, but felt compelled to encourage others to try this. I did this over the course of a couple days, even putting them in the fridge for a day (or two?) until I had time to fry and make the sauce… I can’t even describe. I need to go eat another. I should not have shared them with my SO.

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    Awesome flavours, perfect instructions
    1 correction. Step 5 spell check you meant “bowl” and not “boil”
    1 suggestion. maybe separate out the oil from the second ingredient list, as I made the mistake of combining it with the other ingredients, and then realised that was just for crisping up the beef, dumb mistake for me, I’ll know better next time! And, there will definitely be a next time! I used a bit more beef broth, when finished kept the remainder, let it cool, took off the fat, and now have a tub of extra tasty add-on for my noodle dishes.

    Reply

  8. 5 stars
    Your recipe is so delicious I couldn’t stop eating totally a picture!! Thanks so much for sharing!!

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    This was the most delicious preparation for short ribs. My family ate them up! I need to make a double batch next time.

    Reply