Korean-style oven-braised short ribs are beef ribs cooked slowly with soy sauce, pear, garlic, ginger, and other savory-sweet seasonings, then served with rice and vegetables. For thick, bone-in English-cut ribs, plan on about 2 hours 35 minutes in a 325°F (163°C) oven; the covered braise makes them tender while the sauce seasons the meat.
Ingredients
- 3½ lb (1.6 kg) bone-in beef short ribs, English-cut into pieces about 2 inches (5 cm) thick
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil, such as canola or avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, about 1 cup (150 g) sliced
- ½ cup (120 ml) low-sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup (80 g) finely grated Asian pear, including its juice
- ¼ cup (50 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) mirin
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 5 garlic cloves (about 15 g), finely chopped or grated
- 1 tbsp (6 g) finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium beef broth
- 2 medium carrots, about 1 cup (130 g), cut into thick diagonal pieces
- 1 small daikon radish, about 1 lb (450 g), peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
- 2 scallions (about 30 g), thinly sliced, for serving
- 1 tsp (3 g) toasted sesame seeds, for serving
- Cooked rice, for serving (about 4 cups / 600 g cooked)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Pat the ribs dry with paper towels and trim away any unusually thick, hard pieces of surface fat, while leaving a thin layer for flavor. Slice the onion, prepare the carrots and daikon, and set them aside. Drying the meat helps it brown instead of steaming in the pan.
- In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, grated pear and juice, brown sugar, mirin, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. The pear adds sweetness and a little fruitiness; it also helps the sauce cling to the meat. If you do not have mirin, use 1 tablespoon (15 ml) rice vinegar plus 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water. The flavor will be less sweet and rounded, so taste the sauce before adding it to the pot.
- Heat the neutral oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the ribs in batches, turning them to color several sides, for about 8 to 10 minutes total. Avoid packing the pot tightly; crowded ribs release moisture and will not brown well. Transfer browned ribs to a plate. If your Dutch oven is not wide enough, use a sturdy oven-safe covered roasting dish for the braise.
- Scatter the sliced onion in the Dutch oven, then arrange the ribs on top, bone side down where possible. Pour the soy mixture over them and add the beef broth. The liquid should come partway up the ribs rather than cover them completely. Add the carrots and daikon around the meat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid; if the lid is loose, seal the pot with a layer of foil before putting the lid on.
- Bake covered for 2 hours 20 minutes. Start checking around the 2-hour mark, since rib size, the pot, and the oven can affect the timing. The meat should be very tender and beginning to pull from the bone, and the vegetables should be soft but not disintegrating. For food safety, check a thick piece of beef with a food thermometer, avoiding the bone: USDA FSIS gives 145°F (63°C) followed by a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for whole cuts of beef. For braised short ribs, continue cooking as needed until they are fork-tender; tenderness usually takes longer than reaching that minimum temperature.
- Carefully uncover the pot, watching for hot steam. Spoon some of the cooking liquid over the ribs and bake uncovered for 15 minutes to concentrate and glaze the sauce. If the liquid looks very oily, skim fat from the surface with a spoon before this final step. Remove the pot from the oven and let the ribs rest for 10 minutes before serving. This rest is included in the total time but not the oven cook time.
- Serve the ribs and vegetables with plenty of sauce. Finish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds, and offer rice on the side to catch the savory-sweet braising liquid.
Tips
- Choose the right cut for this timing. English-cut ribs are thick pieces cut parallel to the bone and need a long, covered braise. Thin flanken-cut ribs, sliced across the bones, cook much faster and should not be left in the oven for 2½ hours.
- Asian pear is traditional in many Korean-style rib marinades, but a ripe Bosc pear is a practical substitute. Grated apple also works, though it makes the sauce a little more tart. If neither is available, use ¼ cup (60 ml) unsweetened applesauce; expect a smoother, less fresh-fruited flavor.
- Use low-sodium broth and soy sauce if possible. The sauce reduces as it cooks, and regular-sodium versions can become overly salty. If your soy sauce is particularly salty, replace up to 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of it with water.
- Do not rush the covered braise or judge tenderness by color alone. If the ribs are still chewy when checked, cover the pot again and cook in 15- to 20-minute increments. Add a splash of broth or water if the bottom of the pot is nearly dry.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the ribs hot over steamed short-grain or medium-grain rice, with the carrots, daikon, and sauce spooned over the top. A bowl of plain rice balances the rich, sweet-salty braising liquid and makes it easier to enjoy every bit of sauce. For a fuller meal, add a simple cucumber salad, lightly dressed greens, or steamed broccoli. Korean banchan such as kimchi or pickled vegetables are also good alongside the ribs because their bright, tangy flavors contrast with the braise. Put extra scallions and sesame seeds on the table so diners can garnish their own portions.
Variations
For a little heat, stir 1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 g) gochujang into the sauce before baking. Gochujang is a fermented Korean chile paste; it adds heat, savory depth, and a touch of sweetness. If you cannot find it, use 1 teaspoon (2 g) gochugaru, Korean red-pepper flakes, or a smaller amount of another mild chile powder. The result will be less fermented and complex, so avoid adding extra salt until you taste the finished sauce.
To make the dish without daikon, use another 1 lb (450 g) of carrots, or add 8 oz (225 g) quartered cremini mushrooms during the last hour of covered cooking. You can leave out the vegetables for a more meat-focused braise, but keep the broth amount the same. For a less sweet sauce, reduce the brown sugar to 2 tablespoons (25 g); the finished ribs will taste more savory and less glossy. These are Korean-inspired braised ribs, and recipes vary by household and region, so adjust the balance of sweetness, salt, and heat to suit your table.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftover ribs and sauce within 2 hours of cooking, in a covered container. They keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. The sauce may firm up as its fat cools; that is normal, and you can lift off some of the solid fat before reheating if you prefer. For longer storage, freeze the ribs with enough sauce to cover them for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator for more even reheating.
Reheat gently in a covered oven-safe dish at 300°F (149°C), with a few tablespoons of broth or water if the sauce has thickened, until hot throughout. You can also reheat a portion in a covered saucepan over low heat, turning the ribs occasionally. USDA FSIS recommends reheating leftovers to 165°F (74°C); check the thickest part with a food thermometer without touching bone. Avoid repeated cycles of cooling and reheating: warm only the portions you plan to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do Korean short ribs take in the oven?
Thick English-cut ribs take about 2 hours 35 minutes at 325°F (163°C) in this recipe: 2 hours 20 minutes covered, followed by 15 minutes uncovered. Allow another 10 minutes for resting. The exact time depends on the thickness of the ribs and how steadily your oven holds its temperature, so use fork tenderness as the cue to finish.
Can I use flanken-cut Korean short ribs for this recipe?
Not with the same cooking time. Flanken-cut ribs are thin strips with several small cross-sections of bone, often used for quick grilling. For a separate oven-roasted approach, arrange them in a single layer and roast at about 425°F (218°C), beginning to check after 10 minutes; thin pieces may take roughly 10 to 16 minutes total depending on thickness. Check beef with a thermometer and follow the USDA FSIS safe minimum of 145°F (63°C) plus a 3-minute rest.
Do I have to brown the ribs first?
Browning is not required to make the ribs safe or tender, but it builds a deeper roasted flavor in the finished sauce. If you are short on time, you can skip the searing and put the patted-dry ribs straight into the pot. The sauce will still cook into the meat, though it may taste less rich and the ribs will look paler.
Can I cook the ribs at a higher temperature to save time?
A higher oven temperature can make the liquid boil more vigorously and the meat cook unevenly, so it is not a dependable shortcut for this covered braise. Keep the oven at 325°F (163°C) and check tenderness near the end. If the ribs need extra time, continue in short covered intervals instead of turning up the heat.
Can I make these ribs ahead?
Yes. Cook them fully, cool and refrigerate them within 2 hours, then reheat the next day to 165°F (74°C). The sauce may taste even more integrated after chilling, and the cooled fat is easy to remove from the surface. Reheat the ribs covered with some sauce so the meat does not dry out, and add a little broth if the sauce has become very thick.
How can I tell when the ribs are tender?
A fork should slide into the meat with little resistance, and the meat should pull away from the bone easily without turning mushy. A thermometer confirms the safe minimum, but temperature alone does not tell you whether a braised rib has softened enough. If it reaches the safety minimum but still feels chewy, cover it and keep cooking until the texture is tender.
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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