This easy, hands-off short rib recipe with just 10 ingredients makes perfectly tender, fall apart beef.
This post may contain affiliate links. I receive compensation for purchases made using affiliate links (more information).
Short ribs are one of my favorite cuts of beef. I typically make short ribs in my Le Creuset braiser, but it was really warm outside when I made these, and I didn’t want the oven on for several hours. I was a little skeptical of being able to get the same kind of cook on these short ribs as I can in the oven, but I was impressed with how these turned out. I think using beer rather than my go-to red wine in the cooking liquid is what helped these come together so nicely in the slow cooker. I’ve found that using a lot of red wine in the slow cooker doesn’t produce a good result because it doesn’t reduce in the slow cooker like it does in the oven.
I used Montreal steak seasoning with this recipe. If you don’t have any, I recommend this recipe from Culinary Hill for making your own. This is what I do!
Want more short rib recipes? Check out these 11 Mouthwatering Beef Short Rib Recipes.
Continue reading after the recipe card for step-by-step photos.
Beer Braised Short Rib BBQ Sandwiches {Slow Cooker}
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless beef short ribs
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 carrot cut into large chunks
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and halved
- 1 can beer 12 oz. can
- ½ cup beef stock OK to substitute chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 tsp Montreal steak seasoning
- Olive oil
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- 4 sandwich rolls Recommended: brioche buns or pretzel rolls
Instructions
- Place chopped onion, carrot, and garlic in the slow cooker.
- Preheat a saute pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Once the pan is preheated, coat with olive oil to prevent sticking. Brown each of the 4 long sides of the short ribs for about 2 minutes per side. You can brown them in batches if all of the ribs you have won't fit in the pan at one time.
- Transfer the short ribs to the slow cooker.
- Add beer to the slow cooker. Then add the beef stock until about one-fourth to half of each short rib is covered with liquid. Depending on the shape and size of your slow cooker and short ribs, you might need more or less than a half cup of stock.
- Add Montreal steak seasoning over the top of everything in the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Remove from the slow cooker and pull the meat apart with a fork. Toss with BBQ sauce. Serve on sandwich rolls.
Step-By-Step Photos
Place chopped onion, carrot, and garlic in the slow cooker.

Preheat a saute pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Once the pan is preheated, coat with olive oil to prevent sticking. Brown each of the 4 long sides of the short ribs for about 2 minutes per side. You can brown them in batches if all of the ribs you have won’t fit in the pan at one time.

Transfer the short ribs to the slow cooker. Add the beer to the slow cooker. Then add the beef stock until about one-fourth to half of each short rib is covered with liquid. (Depending on the shape and size of your slow cooker and short ribs, you might need more or less than a half cup of stock.)

Add Montreal steak seasoning over the top of everything in the slow cooker.

Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove from the slow cooker and pull the meat apart with a fork. Toss with BBQ sauce. Serve on sandwich rolls or bun-less with desired sides.


Looks and sounds so tasty! Happy that I have stumbled upon this recipe 🙂