Asian Short Ribs {Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or Oven Braised}

Name: Asian Short Ribs {Slow Cooker OR Oven Braised}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 10 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3-4 lbs short ribs, bone-in; Kosher salt or coarse ground sea salt; 1 cup (236ml) soy sauce (If you are pre-salting the meat, use low-sodium soy sauce.); 2 1/2 cups (591ml) chicken or vegetable broth - Or, simply use water. (See note below.); 2/3 cup (142g) dark brown sugar; 3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped; 1/4 cup (60ml) toasted sesame oil; 6 tbsp (90ml) chili garlic sauce; 2 tbsp (14g) cornstarch (Optional; for thickening the cooking liquid into a sauce)

Published: May 4, 2021 · Modified: Apr 1, 2022 by RebeccaBlackwell · This post may contain affiliate links · 57 Comments

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These Asian Short Ribs are melt-in-your-mouth tender and super easy to prepare in the Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or in the Oven.

These Asian Shorts Ribs are my new obsession!! Next time I need to double the recipe, my family loved them. The smell while these are cooking is intoxicating!! The is the best short rib recipe I have ever tried.
-Debbie

Serve Asian Short Ribs on their own, over rice or potatoes, or use the meat in a variety of other recipes, such as:

Someone lifting a forkful of short ribs from a wood bowl that's filled to the top with Asian short ribs.

The Asian Short Rib Recipe I'm Obsessed With

There are a handful of recipes I make so often that you'd think we'd be tired of them, but actually love even more every time I make them. Simple Roast Chicken, Black Bean Enchiladas, and comforting double crust Chicken Pot Pie. Pasta with Homemade Marinara, or Pork Green Chili spooned over Crispy Chili Rellenos.

All of these are simple, comforting, soul satisfying recipes that are impossible to get tired of. This short rib recipe is that kind of recipe.

Oh wow, these Asian short ribs are fall off the bone delicious. Love, love, love this recipe! Thank you for sharing it!
-Kelly

5 reasons Why I Love This Short Rib Recipe So Very Much:

The meat is so tender it literally melts in your mouth.
The short ribs take about 5 minutes of work before you throw them in the Instant Pot, Slow Cooker or oven and let them do their thing.
Cooking these short ribs will make your entire house smell so good that neighbors will be knocking on your door begging for a dinner invitation {Ok. Depending on your neighbors, that might not be a benefit.}
You can eat them straight from the cooking pot, or add the short rib meat to an endless number of dishes. {You'll want to do this. Make extra.}
The cooking liquid is easily transformed into an incredibly flavorful sauce just by letting it simmer away on the stover for a bit.

Using a fork to shred cooked short rib meat.

How to Cook Short Ribs in an Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or the Oven

The only difference between cooking these short ribs in an Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or the oven is the length of cooking time. Each method will give you the same deliciously tender result.

For me, this decision about whether to cook short ribs in the Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or Oven is a matter of convenience.

If I'm home all afternoon and want to start cooking the short ribs at 3pm so that they are ready to eat by 7pm, I'll use the oven. If I'm not going to be home all day, I'll put the short ribs in the slow cooker in the morning, set the timer, and know that they'll be ready and waiting to eat later that evening. And if I want short ribs in about an hour, I'll use the Instant Pot.

In all three cases, you simply add the short ribs to the pot with all the other ingredients let them cook. It really just doesn't get any easier than that.

The most delicious Asian Short Ribs - cooked in a slow cooker or in the oven.

Should You Salt Short Ribs in Advance?

Salting meat in advance allows time for the salt to permeate throughout the meat, flavoring it from the inside out.

It really does make a difference. So, when possible, salt the short ribs the night before you want to cook them. It will result in short ribs that are even more flavorful and delicious.

Having said that, these short ribs are delicious even if you don't pre-salt the meat. If you purchase short ribs right before you want to cook them, or simply forget about pre-salting them, no worries. They'll still be fabulous.

Sprinkling short ribs with salt before cooking.

How to Make a Simple Sauce from the Short Rib Cooking Liquid

Serving these short ribs in a deliciously rich sauce is as easy as reducing the short rib cooking liquid. The recipe includes instructions for thickening the sauce with a bit of cornstarch or simply allowing it to cook down until it's concentrated and thick.

The difference between the two methods depends on how much time you have and how much sauce you want to end up with.

If you want quite a bit of sauce and you want to make it quickly, thickening it with cornstarch is the way to go. This recipe for Asian Short Rib Pasta with Mushrooms and Asparagus includes instructions for thickening the sauce with cornstarch to ensure plenty of sauce is available to coat all the noodles. The same is true for Asian Short Rib Lasagna.

For other recipes, like this one for Asian Short Rib Nachos, a smaller amount of more concentrated sauce is desirable. The same is true if you want to serve your short ribs as the main dish, perhaps over cream cheese mashed potatoes, rice, or polenta.

The thing to remember is that if you reduce the sauce (allow it to boil for a while until much of the excess water has evaporated) instead of thickening it with cornstarch the flavor will be more concentrated. In other words, a little goes a long way.

Pouring sauce over a plate of Asian Short Ribs.

A bowl of Asian short rib meat with a fork, ready to eat.

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to rate this recipe, leave a comment, or take a picture and tag it @alittleandalot on Instagram.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Asian Short Ribs {Slow Cooker OR Oven Braised}

These melt-in-your-mouth tender short ribs are super easy to prepare and can be cooked in an Instant Pot, Slow Cooker or the oven.

NOTE: The cook time for this recipe varies depending on whether you choose to cook your short ribs in an Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or in the Oven.

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to rate this recipe and leave a comment for me!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

3-4 lbs short ribs, bone-in
Kosher salt or coarse ground sea salt
1 cup (236ml) soy sauce (If you are pre-salting the meat, use low-sodium soy sauce.)
2 ½ cups (591ml) chicken or vegetable broth - Or, simply use water. (See note below.)
⅔ cup (142g) dark brown sugar
3-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
¼ cup (60ml) toasted sesame oil
6 tablespoon (90ml) chili garlic sauce
2 tablespoon (14g) cornstarch (Optional; for thickening the cooking liquid into a sauce)

Instructions

Pre-salt the short ribs (optional, but recommended): Lay the short ribs out on plate or in a baking dish. Sprinkle them lightly on all sides with salt. Cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Add the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar, ginger, sesame oil, and chili garlic sauce into the bowl of an Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, OR a heavy bottom saucepan with a lid (preferably a dutch oven), OR a ceramic baking dish with a lid. Whisk to combine and then add the short ribs, turning them in the liquid to coat.
Too cook the short ribs in an Instant Pot: Close the lid and choose the manual high pressure function set to high. Cook the short ribs for 45 minutes, followed by a 10 – 15 minute natural release.
To cook the short ribs in a slow cooker: Cover with the lid and cook the short ribs until the meat is so tender it’s falling off the bone, about 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 on low. If possible, stir the meat in the sauce halfway through cooking.
To cook the short ribs in the oven: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (162 degrees C). Cook in covered pot or baking dish for 3-4 hours, until the meat is so tender it's falling off the bone. If possible, stir the meat in the sauce halfway through cooking.
If using the meat in another recipe: Use tongs to remove meat from the slow cooker to a plate or cutting board and let sit until cool enough to handle, then proceed with the recipe.

To turn the cooking liquid into a sauce:

Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl; discard any solids left in the strainer. Let the sauce sit undisturbed for 5-10 minutes than skim as much excess fat from the top of the liquid as possible, discarding the fat. *If possible, put the cooking liquid into the refrigerator, uncovered, for an hour or two (or, covered, for up to 2 days). This will allow the excess fat in the liquid to harden across the top of the liquid, making it very easy to remove.
To thicken the sauce with cornstarch: Add the cornstarch and about ½ cup of the cooking liquid to a bowl and stir to combine. Add the rest of the strained cooking liquid to a heavy bottom saucepan. Slowly whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce in the saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, and let simmer, stirring frequently, for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce is thick and has reduced slightly. (If, after 10 minutes of cooking, the sauce isn't as thick as you like, add about ½ cup of sauce to another tablespoon of cornstarch and whisk back into the saucepan. OR, just continue to simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. The sauce will continue to reduce and thicken the longer you allow it to simmer.
To thicken the sauce by reducing it (without cornstarch): Add the strained cooking liquid to a heavy bottom saucepan and set it over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce has reduced to the desired consistency. This should take between 10 and 20 minutes.

Notes

Why does this recipe call for chicken or vegetable stock instead of beef stock?

For the most part, I find the flavor of prepared beef stock to be considerably lower quality than chicken or vegetable stock. Therefore, even in beef recipes, I prefer to use chicken or vegetable - or just plain water. Of course, if you have some homemade beef stock, use that.

Recipes that use leftover short ribs:

I almost always make extra short ribs just so I'll have enough meat to make one (or more!) of these recipes later in the week:

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