Sous vide beef short ribs are cooked for 48 hours in a water bath at 144°F resulting in fork tender meat that’s full of flavor. Paired with a delicious, rich sauce and mashed potatoes, it’s the perfect meal to enjoy when you can plan and ahead and are in the mood for something easy and delicious!
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We don’t use our sous vide machine as often as we’d like, but when we do, we make delicious recipes like these boneless short ribs!
Sous vide is one of Marrekus’ favorite way to cook tough cuts of meat, and even pork and steak. For example, this sous vide pork tenderloin recipe that we did.
These sous vide short ribs is are perfect when you’re craving a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs type dinner. Another plus—you can use the leftovers to make short rib grilled cheese sandwiches, short rib pasta, chili, etc. Are you drooling yet?
The only thing is, you have to plan ahead of time! This recipe calls for a 24 dry brine in the fridge, and then 48 hours in the sous vide machine. So, if you’re planning to enjoy this meal on any given day, make sure you start the process 3 days in advance. The work is worth it!
One of our favorite ways to enjoy leftover boneless short ribs is by making a grilled cheese short rib sandwich. Add the shredded meat onto toasted bread and top with sautéed onions, cheese, bacon, and jam… it’s so good! You can also use leftover short ribs to make chili, pasta, nachos, sliders and more!
What we love about this recipe
- Sous vide cooking method: Marrekus loves using the sous vide machine because of it’s precision when it comes to cooking meats to an exact temperature. Sous vide cooking also ensures that the short ribs are not over or under cooked and retains all the juices.
- It’s flavorful: No need to fuss with a lot of seasonings or spices. When you use quality meat, you can taste the difference. A simple dry brine plus sous vide, and you’ve got yourself rich and delicious beef ribs. The gravy/sauce is just a bonus.
- Fork tender meat: One of the pros of using a sous vide machine is super tender ribs. It’s the easiest and best way to ensure that you are cooking them to perfection.
Ingredients
- Boneless short ribs: Choose short ribs with a lot of meat on them, and not a lot of excess fat, for the best texture and flavor. Your local grocery store should carry beef ribs; we got our boneless short ribs from Wegmans.
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt: This is our go-to salt; we use it for every recipe. Adjust the amount if using a different brand or type of salt!
- Olive oil: For getting a good sear on the short ribs and for making the sauce/gravy. We are currently loving Graza Olive Oil, but any good quality brand will do.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and flavor to the sauce and helps create a beautiful sear on the short ribs. Using cold butter helps control the melting rate when sautéing or making the sauce.
- White onion: Substitute with yellow onion or shallots.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is the way to go. Buy pre-minced to save time and convenience. Alternatively, use 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder or granulated garlic.
- All-purpose flour: Used to make the gravy.
- Black pepper: Season to taste at the very end.
Tools and Equipment
- Sous vide precision cooker: To cook the short ribs.
- Large pot or container: Our Anova sous vide machine came with a container, but if yours doesn’t, you’ll need something to hold the water for the sous vide bath.
- Vacuum sealer (with a vacuum bag) or a large ziplock bag: You’ll need a vacuum seal bag to remove air when sealing the short ribs. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, you can seal the food airtight using the water displacement method and a Ziplock bag.
- Baking sheet and wire rack
- Cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pan
- Tongs, whisk, wooden spoon/spatula
How to Make Sous Vide Short Ribs
- First, pat your short ribs dry with a paper towel. Then, season with kosher salt. Refrigerate on a rack overnight (we recommend 24 hours).
- Next, heat a cast iron skillet or other heavy duty pan with olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear your short ribs for 3-4 minutes per side until browned; set aside and let them cool down.
- Set your sous vide machine to the desired temperature for your short ribs. We recommend 144°F (62.2°C) for medium doneness.
- Vacuum seal the ribs in a bag (or use a ziplock with the water displacement method). Cook in the sous vide water bath for 48 hours. If cooking at a higher temperature, you can reduce the time to 24 to 36 if desired.
- Finally, sauté onions and garlic in a skillet with olive oil and butter. Add flour and pour in the leftover juices from the sous vide bag (after cooking). Simmer the gravy until thickened, then a little bit of butter.
- Serve your sous vide beef short ribs with gravy on top over mashed potatoes and enjoy!
Sous Vide Method Cooking Tips and Tricks
The sous vide process is pretty straight forward. Basically, it’s a cooking technique where food is vacuum-sealed in a bag and then cooked in a water bath at a specific, low temperature. This cooking method ensures even cooking and maximum moisture retainment.
- Maintain the Right Water Level: Make sure the water level is high enough to fully submerge the bag, (but obviously below the maximum fill line, if using a container that indicates as such).
- Use the Water Displacement Method: If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, place the food in a ziplock bag, seal it almost completely (but not all the way), and slowly lower it into the water bath. The pressure of the water will push the air out, allowing the bag to seal tightly.
- Fully Submerged: Make sure the bag does not float; it should be fully submerged in the water.
- Sear Meat: When food comes out the sous vide water bath, it will need a good sear in a hot skillet to develop that beautiful, golden brown crust.
- Plan Ahead of Time: Sous vide cooking takes a long time. This sour vide short rib recipe, for example, takes 72 hours from start to finish.
What to Serve
Sous vide short ribs go good with mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, rice, and vegetables. For a Southern meal, try it with our collard greens recipe, green beans and potatoes, or roasted summer squash and zucchini.
How to Store Leftovers
Cool sous vide short ribs to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Commonly Asked Questions
Below are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions to help ensure your sous vide beef short ribs turn out perfectly every time.
Sous vide beef short ribs are cooked for 48 hours in a water bath at 144°F.
We use the Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker 3.0 (WiFi). They make a few different models, but they’re all really good!
The best temperature time for sous vide short ribs when cooking to medium doneness is 144°F (62°C) for 48 hours.
Sous Vide Beef Short Ribs Recipe (Boneless Ribs)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds short ribs boneless
- 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cold, divided
- 1/4 white onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- 24 Hour Dry Brine: Pat short ribs dry with paper towels and season with kosher salt. Place short ribs on a baking sheet and wire rack in the refrigerator over night.
- The Next Day / Sear Short Ribs: The next day, heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and give it a quick sear, for about 3-4 minutes per side, until a nice crust forms. Remove from the skillet/pan and let cool to room temperature.
- 48 Hour Cook: Set your sous vide machine to 144°F (62.2°C). Vacuum seal the short ribs (or place in a ziplock and remove all of the air from the bag using the). Drop the vacuum-sealed bag in the sous vide water bath and cook for 48 hours.
- Make the Gravy: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy bottom skillet or sauce pan over medium heat. Saute the onions and garlic until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and stir to combine with the onions and garlic.
- Open the vacuum bag, take out the short ribs and set them aside. Save the juices/liquid from the bag and pour it into the skillet/pan; simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until it reaches your desired thickness for the gravy. Remove skillet from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of butter until melted and smooth. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper, if needed.
- Enjoy: Finally, plate your sous vide cooked short ribs and pour the gravy on top. Serve with mashed potatoes or your favorite side dish and enjoy!
Can a slow cooker be used?
Hi there! We’ve never made this in a slow cooker, but we found a similar recipe where they cooked the short ribs on low for 6 hours. The main difference between sous vide and slow cooking is that sous vide keeps the meat at a precise temperature in a water bath, while a slow cooker gradually raises the temperature and cooks at a higher heat. Let us know if you try it!