| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 7 hr 40 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Inactive: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 7 hr |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 7 hr 40 min |
| Prep: | 25 min |
| Inactive: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 7 hr |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 dried ancho chiles*, stemmed, seeded, and ribs discarded
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
- 6 pounds beef short ribs
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Warm corn tortillas
- Mexican crema or sour cream
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Soak the ancho chiles in boiling water until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and discard the liquid. Transfer the softened chiles to a blender. Add the onion, garlic, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, beef broth, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Puree until smooth.
- Pat ribs dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown the ribs in 3 batches, turning occasionally, about 7 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned ribs to a slow cooker.
- Pour the sauce over the ribs (liquid should reach about halfway up sides of meat),
- cover and cook for 7 hours on high until very tender. Allow the ribs to cool slightly in the sauce.
- Remove the ribs from the sauce. Discard the bones and shred the meat into a large bowl. Skim the fat from the surface and discard. Mix the sauce into the meat and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon the meat and sauce into warm corn tortillas and serve with Mexican crema and chopped fresh cilantro.
Reviews
This was excellent. We seared it off in an instant pot and then used the instant pot in slow cooker mode. I tried pulling it after 7 hours and it was still a little tough so I pressure cooked it for 10 minutes…. Like butter……
Per recommendation by other reviewers we made a day in advance. The recipe was easy and is one of the best beef taco recipes I’ve had. We will make again but likely reduce the brown sugar by about 1/2. Fantastic!!
I made this with brisket and it was super yummy. Reduced the sugar to 2TBSP at the recommendation of other reviewers and used jalapeno peppers bc we don’t get ancho where I live. cooked it in oven for 6 hrs and it was flavorful and so tender. I used 4 jalapeno peppers and I think I will increase to 6 for a slight spicy kick. This recipe is yummy and impressive for a gathering.
Trued the Sweet and Spicy ribs and they were very tasty. pretty easy to make and my family loved them.
Thank You,
Scott L
Sweet and Spicy Short Ribs says it perfectly. I needed to add a couple more tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar and next time I’ll add maybe 2-3 T’s brown sugar in place of the 1/3 cup. My crew loved every last bite, it was easy, so I’ll do them again.
Best short rib taco recipe, this gets even better as leftovers. I top with a drizzle of chipotle ranch, perfection
Tried this for the first time on Saturday! Made it 2 days ahead as suggested because I was also making slow cooker pork tacos…started it Thursday night when I went to bed & it was done in the morning! Great way to do it! The meat was literally falling off the bone that morning! I would probably cut down on the sugar next time to allow for more spice to come through.
I have made this recipe many times…LOVE IT! I add guajillo (sp) chilies and a little cayenne plus fresh peppers for freshness.
not easy to find short ribs for a deal, but i’ve made with chuck roast as well. Flavors are fab. Great in tacos, but also “eggs benedict”, salads, pasta, etc.
Great base recipe1
OH SO GOOD!! I made it 2 days ahead as suggested. When I shredded the ribs I discarded a lot of fat that made it healthier. I actually did the oven method because I didn’t have 7 hours for the crockpot. I may cut the sugar back to 1/4 cup as the sweetness came through more than the spicy. The meat is very saucy so I drained off some of the sauce before putting leftovers away.
These are excellent. My husband and I LOVE them. Best tacos we’ve ever had.