Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs Recipe (2024)

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These Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs are tender, insanely flavorful, fall of the bone perfection because they have baked away in glorious liquids and spices galore. The pomegranate flavor lends the perfect wintery tang and sweetness to this hearty dish that will impress anyone you serve it to, especially during the holidays.

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The Heart and Soul of this Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs Recipe

In my family, my Uncle BB is the Short Rib King. This is a title I happily bestow on him with honor and pride. He has crafted some of the best short ribs I have ever tasted. You know the kind: Tender, falling off the bone, and flavorful because they have baked away in liquids and spices galore. It gives you that comfort deep in your soul that you need on a cold winter’s night.

These short ribs are filled with those same qualities but with a fun winter twist. I’ve added pomegranate juice to bring these alive in the most incredible way! There is nothing better than seasonal cooking and baking, and this will become a winter and holiday entertaining classic for you for years to come!

Cuisine Inspiration: Middle Eastern Fusion
Primary Cooking Method: Braising
Dietary Info: Contains slight amounts of gluten but can be made gluten free
Key Flavor: Tangy Pomegranate with Rich, Meaty Undertones
Skill Level: Intermediate

Sweet Highlights:

Lip-smacking Flavor: Dive into the delicious merger of pomegranate’s tanginess and the rich taste of short ribs.
Tender Perfection: The braising process ensures each rib is tender and succulent.
Gluten-Free Goodness: All the taste, none of the gluten. A win-win for those with dietary needs!
Impress the Guests: This isn’t your everyday rib dish. Surprise and wow your dinner attendees.
Versatile Pairing: Pairs beautifully with a variety of side dishes from creamy mashed potatoes to a zesty quinoa salad. Choose your adventure!

Ingredients

There are multiple ingredients in this recipe that really bring the sensational flavors alive! The main ones that truly make a huge difference (because there are quite a few).

Beef Short Ribs (of course)
Bacon
Onion
Garlic
Pomegranate Juice
Beef Stock
Soy Sauce
Brown Sugar
Ginger

To begin this braised short ribs recipe, you must have some high quality beef short ribs. When shopping for short ribs, you want to make sure that you are getting some very meaty ribs! No one wants ribs that are full of fat but fat is essential to flavor so there must be some nice marbling there as well. The goal is to pick very meaty ribs that don’t have a lot of surface fat. Short ribs are cut from the chuck, or shoulder of the cow.

Tip 1: Here I used boned short ribs (you can use boneless) but according to Cooks Illustrated, you can replace with chuck roast if it isn’t available.

To really bring out intense flavor, I add bacon, onion, and garlic. The flavors are insanely incredible. The bacon grease adds an incredible base to the liquid that the meat will be braised in. Adding that foundation will allow your liquids to start with flavor so you don’t have to add much more.

How to Braise Short Ribs

Braising really starts with browning your meat. The short ribs are seasoned and seared in olive oil to give it a gorgeous color and also start that flavoring process. It also leaves incredible flavor in the pot that I use for the onions, garlic and bacon. We are talking insane flavors right there!!

Tip 2: Make sure you deglaze the bottom of that pot!

You want to make sure all of that incredible flavor is getting right back into your food and sauce.

The next part of braising is the slow cooking in liquids. A combination of pomegranate juice, beef stock and soy sauce really pick up all of that deglazing and adds even more flavor to the pot.

You will need incredible patience here. It takes hours, and I mean hours, to get those tender fall apart short ribs that most people are used to. You have to really let that sauce create something special and marry with the ribs, and you need to let those ribs tenderize.

Tip 3: Make ahead!

If you are planning to make for a holiday event or winter Sunday supper, start the process the night before. Honestly make the whole thing the night before and put in the fridge overnight! The fat will solidify on the top and you can scrape it off and then heat them through again.

They will be even better the NEXT DAY!!

How to Serve Braised Short Ribs

These braised short ribs are truly the star of the dinner show. However, you need some sides that will truly make this shine. Here are some recipes you can serve along with these:

Garlic Mashed Potatoes are always a win however….
Try GRITS! OMG these creamy, buttery grits are a win! Serve on a bed of these.
More of a rice fan? Try this Jollof Rice!
This Potato and Squash Gratin is sensational too! A nice change!
This Roasted Butternut Squash is also a lovely compliment to the short ribs.
And of course, you need veggies! Try these Collard Greens or Mustard Greens!

Other Braised Recipes to Try

Chipotle Short Ribs
co*ke Braised Short Ribs
Jamaican Oxtails
Italian Pot Roast
Mississippi Pot Roast
Beef Ribs
Classic Pot Roast

Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs Recipe

4.62 from 18 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 416kcal

Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Ingredients

▢ 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
▢ 3 lbs beef short ribs about 6-7 bone in short ribs
▢ kosher salt and pepper to taste
▢ 1 medium onion chopped
▢ 3 bacon slices cut into smaller pieces
▢ 3 tsp minced garlic
▢ 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
▢ 2 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
▢ 1 1/2 cups beef stock
▢ 1/3 cup soy sauce
▢ 1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
▢ 1/2 tsp ground ginger
▢ 3 sprigs fresh thyme
▢ Fresh parsley and pomegranate seeds for garnish Optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add olive oil to large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Liberally season short ribs with salt and pepper to taste then add short ribs to the hot pot.
Sear ribs on all sides until golden brown. Once beef is finished searing, remove from pot, drain on paper towels, and place to the side. Using a knife, deglaze the bottom of the pan getting up all of the bits of deliciousness stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Next add chopped onion and bacon to pan and brown until onion is tender (about 6-8 minutes). Add garlic and only cook for 30 seconds. Sprinkle in flour and stir together and cook for about 2 minutes.
Pour in pomegranate juice, beef stock, and soy sauce then stir in brown sugar and ground ginger and whisk until everything is smooth. Add thyme sprigs then bring the braising liquid to a boil.
Once boiling, return beef short ribs to liquid, cover with top and place in the oven for 2 – 2½ hours or until ribs are completely tender (easily separated with a fork) and the liquid has thickened into a gravy that has stuck to the ribs.
At this point, there will be lots of fat that has rendered to the top from the ribs. You will want to scoop this out to remove it. If you have time, place the entire dutch oven in the fridge for a few hours and let the fat solidify. You can easily scoop it out then and place the oven right back on the heat to heat up. It also let’s the flavors intensify even more.

Notes

Here I used boned short ribs but you can use boneless or you can replace with chuck roast if it isn’t available.

Nutrition

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FAQs

Do short ribs get more tender the longer you cook them? ›

Short ribs are commonly cut into 2x3-inch rectangles, giving you a cross-section view of the layers of fat, meat, and flat rib bones. You can also purchase boneless short ribs. Either way, short ribs require long, slow cooking for tender results because they start out so tough.

Can you braise short ribs too long? ›

Believe it or not, it is possible to braise short ribs for too long. While you want the short ribs to be fall-apart tender, cooking them too long will result in ribs that are mushy. There's a fine line, but it is there. (On the opposite end of the spectrum, if the beef is tough, it needs to cook longer!)

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How long to braise short ribs at 225? ›

Leave the ribs in the pan for best results. Apply cherry smoke for about 2 hours. Cover the pan tightly with foil and let it cook for 3 hours at 225°F (107°C). During this time, the wine and beef juices will create steam and the beef will get a good braising inside the covered pan to super tenderize the beef.

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Why are my braised short ribs not tender? ›

If they aren't braised long enough, they can be super tough to eat; if they are cooked too long, the meat will just fall apart. The key to preparing short ribs is to cook them until they reach a point that is just before they would fall apart.

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Can you overcook slow cooked short ribs? ›

Technically, yes. Anything can become overcooked in the slow cooker if it goes for too long. Fortunately, since there's plenty of liquid in a stew, there's very little risk of that happening in this recipe. Still, I don't recommend cooking longer than the 8 hours listed!

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Should short ribs be covered in liquid? ›

You want liquid to come about a quarter and no higher than half way up the side of the meat. Because of the curvature of the dino ribs, we'll be cooking them on their sides, so they make a crescent in the pan. Then, of course, you must cook them.

Keep Reading ›

What is the difference between short ribs and braising ribs? ›

When the rib bone is cut into a 3-to-6-inch (7.6 to 15.2 cm) length, left as a section of meat (a "plate") containing three or four ribs or cut into individual ribs with meat attached, the short rib is known as an "English cut". They may also be known as barbecue ribs, braising ribs, or fancy cut ribs.

Keep Reading ›

Are braised short ribs better the next day? ›

Braises tend to taste even better the the day after cooking, but there's another reason to cook beef short ribs a day in advance: if you can let the cooking liquid cool overnight, the fat can be easily skimmed away. Beef ribs are a fatty cut, and too much fat in the final sauce makes the dish overrich.

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What is the best temp to braise ribs? ›

Cook at 350 degrees for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 degrees and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be very tender, nearly falling off the bone. Remove the pan from oven and allow rest for 20 minutes, with the lid on, before serving.

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Should you season short ribs overnight? ›

Dry Brine Beef Ribs

Salt the meat! We like to dry brine our beef ribs. Just as we would with any BBQ meat, dry brine beef ribs a few hours before cooking, preferably overnight or even longer.

How do you thicken short rib braising liquid? ›

To thicken, mix flour and cold water to create a slurry, then slowly whisk into sauce until desired consistency is reached.

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Is braised short rib bad for you? ›

While we would never recommend eating short ribs every day, they do provide a good amount of nutrition. With less saturated fat than cooked back ribs, short ribs are rich in vitamins such as B-12 and B-6 as well as also being a good source of zinc and selenium.

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How to tell when braised short ribs are done? ›

Cook at 350°F for 2 hours, then reduce the heat to 325°F and cook for 30 to 45 minutes more. The ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to sit, lid on, for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Does meat get more tender the longer you braise it? ›

The long, slow cook time helps develop flavor and turn even the toughest meat cuts fork-tender. One of the most popular types of braised beef is pot roast, which is usually a chuck or round roast with added vegetables.

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How long does it take for short ribs to get soft? ›

Brown the ribs in olive oil and butter, then set the ribs aside. Cook the onion and garlic in the same pot, then return the ribs to the pot. Pour in the beer and stock. Simmer until the short ribs are very tender, about two hours.

Do ribs get softer the longer you cook them? ›

When using a slower method like the grill, smoker, or oven, you'll need about 3-5 hours. Slower methods can be ready in as little as 30 minutes - however, keep in mind that the longer you cook your pork back ribs the more tender and succulent they'll be.

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Why are my beef short ribs so tough? ›

Short ribs aren't tender, they need to be braised in order to make them edible. A long slow cook in a flavorful liquid will break down the connective tissue within their meat, transforming it into luscious gelatin and give you a satiating satisfying meal.

Does slow cooking ribs make them more tender? ›

The best way to cook beef and pork ribs

We'll give away one secret: It starts with low and slow cooking, then finishes with fire. At Ribs & Burgers, we use a 35-year old secret recipe to create the most perfect, succulent, tender ribs you've ever tasted.

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