Braised Chinese Short Ribs with Ginger & Scallions is the newest member of the comfort food club!
Short ribs make a hearty, satisfying gluten free dinner. Ginger and scallions are a perfect union of flavor. Bringing the two together is the ticket to a memorable meal!
Quick Look: Braised Chinese Short Ribs
⏲️Ready In: 4.5 hours (30 min prep, 4 hours cook)
🍽Servings: 4
🥗Nutrition: 466 Calories / 49g Protein
🥘Main Ingredients: Beef short ribs, ginger, scallions, beef broth
📋Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Dairy free, Grain free, Nut free
⭐Why You'll Love It: Beef short ribs braised low and slow with subtle ginger scallion flavor makes a perfect comfort food dinner!
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Braised beef makes for incredible comfort food meals! I've already explored the sweet and savory side with Easy Apple Cider-Braised Short Ribs and Orange Braised Pork Shoulder, and it's time for savory braised short ribs.
Ever since I first made Homemade Ginger Scallion Sauce, I've adored this epic flavor combo. Ginger and scallions are truly meant for each other.
Braised short ribs are the hygge of beef cuts. Imagine nestling into a couch in a warm, chunky sweater with a fluffy blanket smothering your lap. Now plop a bowl of ginger scallion short ribs with spicy ginger and the mild bite of scallion into your hands and we've got a perfect scene.
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Key Ingredients
Beef Short Ribs: Opt for bone-in cut short ribs for the best flavor. You can use Korean-style short ribs if you'd like, but the cook time may change.
Ginger: The best option is fresh ginger; ground ginger just isn't the same when it's one of the main ingredients! You can mince or grate the ginger.
Scallions: Also known as green onions. You'll use the white parts when braising the short ribs, and save the green parts as a topping!
Beef Broth: I always reach for high quality beef broth like Kettle & Fire Beef Broth to really enhance that beefy flavor. I think low-sodium broth works best for this braised beef recipe!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Braised Chinese Short Ribs
Note that the last step is optional. You can shred the braised short ribs if you'd like, or keep each portion intact for serving. Your choice!
Step 1: Season the short ribs with black pepper and kosher salt.
Step 2: Sear short ribs over high heat for about 1 minute per side. Remove to a bowl or plate.
Step 3: Deglaze the pot with rice wine vinegar and tamari/soy sauce, then sauté ginger, garlic, and scallions in leftover fat for 3-5 minutes, until ginger is fragrant and scallions have softened.
Step 4: Add short ribs back to the Dutch oven and pour in beef broth and Chinese five spice powder.
Step 5: When the short ribs are done, remove them from the Dutch oven. skim excess fat off the top of the braising liquid.
If the remaining liquid hasn't reduced enough to your liking, bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until reduced.
Step 6 (Optional): Remove the bones and shred the beef short ribs. Stir with the braising liquid before serving over rice or cauliflower rice.
Top Tips from Chelsea
Low and slow: For braising, low and slow cooking is the way to go. Similar to Easy Apple Cider-Braised Short Ribs or Plantain Gnocchi with Savory Short Ribs, set the oven for 325 degrees F. Ginger and scallions have a tendency to burn at higher heats.
Make sure there's enough liquid: Be sure you have enough beef broth to come up at least ¾ of the short ribs before you put it in the oven. Even better if the short ribs are submerged.
If you have a smaller pot or baking dish, that means you may need less broth; however, for a larger Dutch oven like I used, you may need a bit more broth. Use too little liquid and it'll evaporate and end up burning the ginger and scallions to the bottom of the pot.
Don't bother peeling the ginger: It's rarely worth the effort to peel ginger. Just make sure you wash it! The outer skin truly doesn't affect anything... not the flavor, not the texture. So save yourself the trouble and leave it!
Braised Chinese Short Ribs FAQs
I like using beef broth to really enhance the beefy flavor. For this braised Chinese short ribs recipe, I prefer low-sodium beef broth to prevent the finished dish from tasting too salty.
It's also important to use some sort of acid while braising, and I used rice wine vinegar to achieve that!
Yes. Don't skip it. Searing the meat first is for the Maillard reaction, which browns the meat and deepens flavor.
Yes, but I recommend using bone-in if you can. Braising with the bone means more even cooking and typically more flavor!
Rather than relying on a temperature, the physical cues are the best way to tell if braised short ribs are done. Does a fork slide into the meat with zero-resistance? Does it easily shred apart? Has the meat shrunk away from the bones, and can you easily slide the bone out?
A "yes" to all those questions means the short ribs are ready to serve!
Serving Suggestions
When serving the braised short ribs, you have a couple options.
- Serve each portion of meat with the bone and spoon sauce overtop; or
- Remove the bones, shred the meat, and stir with sauce before serving.
I've done both, and either way works great!
I prefer to serve these ginger scallion short ribs over rice or cauliflower rice with extra sliced scallions and toasted cashews or peanuts overtop. However, you can also serve these with roasted vegetables like Simple Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Easy Oven-Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds if you'd prefer.
Did you try this braised Chinese short ribs recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating or tag me on Instagram - I appreciate your feedback.
Print📖 Recipe
Braised Chinese Short Ribs
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Braised
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Ginger scallion short ribs make a hearty, satisfying gluten free dinner. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice for a flavorful comfort food dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef short ribs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tamari or coconut aminos
- 2-inch piece of ginger, sliced and minced (roughly 3 tablespoons minced)
- 1 large clove garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon five spice powder
- ¾ cup sliced scallions, white parts only (reserve the green parts for garnish)
- 2 cups bone broth or stock
- 2 cups cooked basmati rice or prepared cauliflower rice
- Toasted cashews or peanuts, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Sear ribs. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the short ribs, for 1-2 minutes on each side to brown all sides.
- Cook aromatics. Remove the short ribs from the pot and add the rice vinegar, using a spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Add the tamari/coconut aminos, ginger, garlic, crushed red pepper, five spice powder, and scallions. Sauté for 3 minutes, until fragrant, being sture the ginger doesn't burn.
- Braise ribs. Turn off heat. Return the short ribs to the pot and pour in the beef broth. If there isn't enough liquid to reach at least ¾ up the sides of the short ribs, add more broth or water. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3.5-4 hours. The short ribs are done when they pull away easily from the bone.
- Reduce sauce. Let the short ribs rest in the Dutch oven for 10 minutes, then remove the short ribs to a plate. Skim the excess fat from the braising liquid. Bring the braising liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes, until it's the consistency of a thick sauce. Remove from heat. Cut the short ribs away from the bones, then add to the sauce and stir to coat. (Alternatively, you can pour the sauce over the short ribs when serving).
- Serve. Serve the short ribs over rice or cauliflower rice and garnish with green scallion slices and toasted nuts.
Notes
Braising liquid: Be sure there's enough liquid to reach at least ¾ up the sides of the short ribs before braising in the oven. Depending on the size of the Dutch oven or dish you use, you may have to add more liquid. On the other hand, if you're using a smaller dish and the short ribs are fully submerged, that's fine! If you use too little liquid, it may evaporate too quickly and leave the ginger and scallions to burn.
No Dutch oven? Before I had a Dutch oven, I would simply use a casserole dish and cover in aluminum foil before putting in the oven. Be sure the dish you use is deep enough for the braising liquid.
Don't skip the sear. Searing the meat before braising is essential for maximum flavor. Don't skip it!
Anne says
I really dislike 5 spice powder. Odd since I like all the flavors separately just that it’s a real put off when all combined. What would you recommend in place of 5 spice?
Chelsea says
Hi, Anne! That's a good question! Frankly, you could leave the 5 spice powder out and I don't think it would break the recipe. I use it just to add more depth of flavor, but it's not on the main stage here. Otherwise, you could use 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (start low, and add more if necessary). I haven't tried it, so I don't know if the flavor would be the same, but it would be the best alternative I can think of!
Patricia says
Can this be cooked in the crockpot instead of in the oven?
Chelsea says
Yes, I think you could - but I haven't tried it that way, so I can't comment on how it would turn out! If I were converting for a slow cooker, I'd use a little less liquid - 1/2 cup to 1 cup less broth - and cook it on high, checking after 2 1/2 hours (although it could take up to 4 hours). If you try it, let me know how it turns out!