A little sweet, a little spicy…..Honey Chipotle Braised Short Ribs are the most fabulous dinner you’ll ever make. Slow roasted in the oven, Instant Pot or slow cooker, this braised short ribs recipe is one for the record books. 

Sweet and spicy Honey Chipotle Braised Short Ribs in a blue Le Creuset Braisier


Braised Short Ribs

Winter weather just brings on all the cozy, comfort food cravings. With a chili in the air, we just want to eat something hearty and hot to warm our bones and these Braised Short Ribs are just the cure for the winter blues.

Tender, melt in your mouth tender beef short ribs are braised in a sweet and spicy Honey Chipotle sauce that’s simple to make. They’re so easy to throw together and make your house smell just amazingly intoxicating.

We love to make these frequently because the leftovers are great thrown into a grilled cheese sandwich or shredded and tossed with buttered noodles.

Or freeze leftovers for a quick weeknight dinner that takes minutes to heat up.

Honey Chipotle Braised Short Ribs and Mashed Potatoes on a blue plate with gold fork.

What Are Short Ribs

Beef Short Ribs are a cut of beef taken from the brisket, chuck, plate, or rib areas of the cattle. They often contain a small part of the rib bone with a big, beefy piece of meat on top. They’re incredibly easy to make.

Because short ribs come from a tougher cut of beef, braising them in liquid like wine or beef stock is necessary to make them tender and melt-in-your-mouth amazing. They soak up flavor like a sponge, too, so it’s fun to play around with the ingredients to amplify the flavor.

I decided to make them with a Mexican twist and had a ton of canned chipotle chiles in the pantry. Honey, ancho chili powder, cumin, hatch chilis….they ended up making the most amazing sauce ever for these Honey Chipotle Braised Short Ribs. Rich, tangy, sweet, spicy, smokey….all the flavors you’d want in a classic comfort dish.

Braised Short Ribs in blue Le Creuset dutch oven

How To Make Braised Short Ribs

These Honey Chipotle Braised Short Ribs can be made in the oven or the slow cooker…..or even the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker. The browning and sautéing all happens right in the same pot.

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet.
  2. Brown the short ribs, working in batches, in the skillet until golden brown and crusty on all sides. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
  3. Add the onions and carrots to the pot cooking until softened. Stir in the celery and cook for a few minutes longer.
  4. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Add the tomato paste and cook until it turns a deep mahogany color, approximately 2-3 minutes.
  6. Stir in the seasoning, chilis and adobo sauce.
  7. Stir in the red wine, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
  8. Add the tomatoes, beef stock and honey.
  9. Cover with the lid and transfer to the oven.
  10. Cook for 90 minutes.
  11. Whisk the butter and cornstarch together. Transfer the ribs to a platter.
  12. Stir the butter mixture into the sauce and cook on low heat until slightly thickened.
  13. Serve the short ribs with the sauce.
Braised Short Ribs on a blue plate with mashed potatoes

What To Serve with Short Ribs

The Very Best Mashed Potatoes | The Suburban Soapbox

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Sweet and spicy Honey Chipotle Braised Short Ribs in a blue Le Creuset Braisier

Get the Recipe: Honey Chipotle Braised Short Ribs Recipe

Rich, meaty, sweet and spicy….Honey Chipotle Braised Short Ribs are classic comfort food.
5 from 10 votes

Ingredients

  • 6 bone-in short ribs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups diced onion
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 canned chopped hatch chilis, drained (if you can’t find hatch chilis, use canned green chilis)
  • 3 canned chipotle chilis
  • 3 tablespoons adobo sauce, from the canned chipotle chilis
  • 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
  • 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons room temperature butter
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Equipment

  • 1 dutch oven

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Season each short rib generously with salt and pepper.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or braisier over medium heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side cooking in batches, if necessary. Do not overcrowd pan.
  • When the short ribs are very brown on all sides, transfer them to a platter. (If using the slow cooker, transfer ribs to the slow cooker or crock pot at this point.)
  • Drain all but two tablespoons of the fat, add the onions and cook until softened. Stir in the carrots and celery, continue cooking for an additional 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
  • Stir the vegetables and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato paste for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the cumin, cayenne, chili powder, hatch chilis, chipotle chilis and adobo sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to release the brown bits. Lower the heat and reduce the mixture by half.
  • Stir in the tomatoes, beef stock and honey. Bring the mixture to a boil and return the short ribs to the pan bone side up. Place the lid on the pot and transfer to the oven. Roast the short ribs for 1 1/2 hours or until the ribs are tender but not falling off the bone. (If using the slow cooker, do not return the ribs to the pot but pour the sauce mixture over the ribs in the slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours.)
  • Return the pot to the stove top over medium heat. Remove the lid and bring the mixture to a boil. Continue to cook for 20 minutes or until the sauce reduces slightly. 
  • Whisk together the butter and cornstarch until smooth. Transfer the short ribs to a platter and cover to keep warm. (This method is the same for the slow cooker or crock pot.)
  • Stir in the butter mixture and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and return the ribs to the pot turning to coat.
  • Serve immediately with 1/2 cup of sauce.

Notes

Braised short ribs can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Cover and store in the refrigerator. To reheat, warm in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
Calories: 520kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 98mg, Sodium: 2221mg, Potassium: 1323mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 4121IU, Vitamin C: 33mg, Calcium: 108mg, Iron: 6mg