These Cranberry Braised Beef Short Ribs are rich savoury, succulent and delicious. They can be made in the oven or Instant Pot. Perfect for a special holiday meal.

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This recipe was originally published on December 11, 2012. It is now updated with new photos, techniques, video, and many more tips and suggestions.

First time I made these ribs was seven years ago. I’ll never know what posessed me to make those ribs on a work week night.

It’s not like I had ingredients at home and needed to use them. There was also no crazy good deal on the ribs at my local store.

I just, one Monday night, went to the supermarket, approached a meat counter and asked a butcher to cut a big hunk of ribs into cute little cubes. Then I purposely drove to a liquor store and bought some wine.

The next day I went to another grocery store again and purchased thyme. So, as you can see, I was obviously delusional since I actually went to three stores on two different occasions and then decided to make those ribs on a Tuesday night. I think I was temporarily insane.

It’s not a difficult recipe by any means. In fact, it’s actually quite easy and I would recommend it to a novice cook.

However, it just takes w-a-y t-o-o l-o-n-g to make it. If, on the other hand, you have a few extra hours (and a glass or two of wine to spare for yourself), then these succulent ribs are a very impressive dish to cook!

I don’t make Cranberry Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs often though. Even though they are not difficult to make, the whole process is a bit cumbersome. They are also very rich in flavour and don’t work for everyday dinner. But they are perfect for a special occasion. And all the pretty cranberries are great around the holiday season!

These Cranberry Braised Beef Short Ribs are rich, savoury, and slightly sweet. They are melt in your mouth tender and delicious. These Beef Short Ribs can be made in the oven or in Instant Pot. The flavour is the same. Instant Pot option is slightly faster.

Ingredients to make Cranberry Braised Beef Short Ribs

Olive oil

Beef short ribs cut into 3-inch cubes (bone in) – ask your butcher to cut them into pieces

Onion

Garlic

Seasonings (I use salt, pepper, chili powder)

Flour

Cranberry juice (sweetened)

Red wine

Thyme

Fresh or frozen cranberries for serving (optional)

I will talk about the meat in detail at the end of the post as there are different variations that can be used.

How to make Cranberry Beef Short Ribs in the Oven or Instant Pot

The steps to making Cranberry Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs in the oven or Instant Pot are the same. The only difference is what pot is used and the time of cooking. If you are making these braised ribs in the oven then you must use a heavy-bottomed Dutch Oven pan with a tight-fitting lid.

Heat up oil in the pot (Dutch Oven or Instant Pot). Once it’s really hot, sear the Beef Short Ribs on each side. This step takes a very long time as it must be done in batches. If ribs are added all together then they will not sear. For 8 pounds of ribs, I usually do it in 3 batches. Use medium-high heat for the stove. Or if you are using Instant Pot, then make sure that you are using highest sauté temperature. Once all the Beef Ribs are seared, drain the oil. Add the roughly sliced onion and crushed garlic to the pot, add a splash of cranberry juice to deglaze and scrape the pot. Let the juice cook out. Add the seasonings, flour, and mix really well. Add the rest of the cranberry juice, wine, and mix. If you are using oven method, then you will use 3 cups of cranberry juice. If you are using Instant Pot then you’ll need to use only 2 cups of cranberry juice. Add the thyme sprigs. Return the seared ribs to the pot.

If you are using the oven method, then bring the mixture to boil, cover with a lid and place in the oven preheated to 350F for 3 hours. If you are using Instant Pot, then no need to bringing the mixture to boil, just cover with the lid and cook on High Pressure for 45 minutes. Once everything is cooked, remove the meat to a platter and cover with foil to keep it hot. Strain the juices from the pot. Then use a fat separator to remove all the fat. I suggest doing it twice. Return the strained juices to the pot and cook for about 10-15 minutes until the sauce reduced and slightly thickened. Pour the sauce over the ribs, add some cranberries (if desired) and fresh thyme and serve.

As you can see, both oven and Instant Pot methods are very similar. The difference in the amount of cranberry juice is due to the way Instant Pot works.

If you use stove and oven method, then liquid evaporates slightly while cooking. However, if you cook in Instant Pot, it is actually hermetically sealed so nothing evaporates, in fact, you end up with more liquid than you start with because of all the juices from the meat. Because of that, less juice is used for the Instant Pot version of the recipe.

Tips for making Beef Short Ribs Braised in Cranberry Juice

As you can see from the steps above, the whole process isn’t that difficult. It boils down to basically 3 main steps: sear the ribs, cook the ribs in the sauce, make the sauce. Although those steps are really easy, they are also quite messy.

Searing the beef ribs

One of the reasons why I love making these ribs in Instant Pot is because of the height of the pot. The walls are high enough that the fat doesn’t get splashed all over the stove like it does with my regular Dutch Oven. There’s still some splashing but not as much.

I strongly recommend using a good splash guard for the pot! You want a good fine-mesh kind. I have a cheap dollar store version and it doesn’t work as well as my more expensive stainless steel guard.

TIP: If you have access to a BBQ, then I strongly recommend doing the searing on the grill outside. There are many reasons why it’s the best:

Grills have bigger cooking surface so you can actually sear all the ribs at the same time instead of batches, so the whole searing process is much faster.

You don’t need to worry about splashing fat all over your kitchen counters, floors, stove etc. Everything is outside, so there’s no cleanup.

Higher temperatures of flame burn off much more fat than when you sear the ribs, so in the end you get less fatty meal and sauce.

Finally, searing over open flames just adds the most delicious and smoky flavour to the ribs!

I don’t operate the grill on my own (I’m deadly afraid of it) but when my husband is home and if it’s not too cold, he always sears the ribs for me on the grill!

Sauce

There’s a lot of fat in beef short ribs, so it’ll end up in the sauce. You’ll need to remove the fat and it is practically impossible to do without a fat separator or fridge.

So, I highly recommend getting a fat separator. They aren’t expensive and they don’t take a lot of space.

I also recommend doing the whole process of straining the sauce and using the fat separator in a kitchen sink. There’s a lot of liquid, some of it is hot and it is bound to spill. Keeping the bowls in the sink means easier cleanup.

These Cranberry Braised Beef Ribs keep extremely well, so they can totally be made early in the morning for the evening meal or even a night before. They are easily reheated in the oven without any loss in flavour or texture.

If you have time to keep the sauce in the fridge, then you can forgo the step of separating the fat. Just strain, cook it down for 10-15 minutes until thickened, then pour into a bowl and refrigerate for a few hours. Once it’s very cold, the fat layer on top can easily be removed.

How to use a fat separator

I don’t use fat separator often enough so I forget how to use it all the time and then end up frantically googling while cooking. There are different kinds of fat separators on the market currently but the one I have is the most common one.

Here is how to use a fat separator:

Place the stopper snuggly into the spout, it needs to be closed to push the air out. Pour the liquid into the fat separator. There’s usually a strainer lid on top to help catch whatever solids were in the sauce. Wait for a couple of minutes. You’ll notice that the sauce will start to separate into two layers: fat on top, actual sauce/gravy on the bottom. Once separation is clearly visible, remove the stopper from the spout. It will make the sauce go inside the spout. Carefully pour the sauce out into a bowl until only fat is remained in the fat separator.

Meat alternatives to Beef Short Ribs

I love Beef Short Ribs, they are soft and tender when cooked this way and also very flavourful. However, they are pretty fatty. Depending on where you buy them they could have more or less fat. The ones I used for the video had way too much fat unfortunately and I wasn’t able to find a better cut. If you have a chance, try and find a really good cut of beef short ribs, you may need to ask your butcher to cut some fat off also.

This method of cooking and the sauce are really delicious and you could use other cuts of meat as well:

Boneless beef short ribs

Osso bucco

Lamb shanks

Boneless leg of lamb

Beef you’d use for pot roast such as chuck or round

You can even use regular stew meat as the sauce will elevate it and make it taste fancy

If you are using big cuts of meat, such as leg of lamb or chuck then you might need to adjust the cooking time for longer. It is easy to adjust in the oven as you can just take the pot out and test for doneness. I usually do about 4 hours for braising big cuts of meat in the oven.

For Instant Pot I would suggest doing 60 minutes but I actually have not tried it, so I cannot be sure 100%.

Note, that since the recipe uses bone-in short ribs, it serves 8 people. If you use equivalent weight of boneless meat, it will most likely serve more people.

Storing and reheating Braised Short Ribs

These ribs keep absolutely amazingly well. Because of the long braising time (or cooking under pressure), all the tough fibres are broken down and the meat is succulent and very tender. It means that the ribs reheat really well.

If you just made the ribs, then I suggest storing the meat and sauce separately in the fridge. This will help removing the fat from the sauce. Just let it solidify in the fridge for a few hours and then remove the white part on top.

If the sauce is already done, then you can keep the meat and the sauce together or separately. It is your decision. The sauce will slightly solidify in the fridge from all the gelatine in the beef bones. It is expected and nothing to worry about.

To reheat, just place everything in the oven at 350F until fully reheated. Or, you could also reheat on the stove if desired.

Ingredient variations for the recipe

Cranberry juice In most cases cranberry juice is actually cranberry cocktail because it is sweetened with sugar. This is the kind I use in the recipe. If you choose to use unsweetened cranberry juice, then I suggest adding about 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey. I’ve made this recipe with a mixture of sweetened and unsweetened cranberry juice before and a bit of maple syrup. You can also use pomegranate juice instead. Remember: you need 2 cups of cranberry juice for Instant Pot; or you need 3 cups of cranberry juice for oven.

Red wine You’ll want dry red wine that you like: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet, whatever you prefer. Alcohol in wine evaporates while cooking so it is not a problem with serving to someone who doesn’t drink alcohol. However, if you prefer not to use wine, I suggest using sugarless cranberry juice instead.



Herbs I like the delicate flavour of thyme with beef short ribs. If I make this recipe using lamb, then I love using a mix of thyme and rosemary.

Fresh or frozen cranberries Cranberries are absolutely beautiful on the platter and make the dish look very festive, however they are optional. You can add them right before serving or add to the meat and cooked sauce and boil for a few minutes to soften. If you are using pomegranate juice instead of cranberry juice then you can add fresh pomegranate seeds also.



More recipes with cranberries:

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Print Pin Cranberry Braised Beef Short Ribs These Cranberry Braised Beef Short Ribs are rich savoury, succulent and delicious. They can be made in the oven or Instant Pot. Perfect for a special holiday meal | imagelicious.com Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes Servings 8 servings Calories 396 kcal Author Julia Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil

4 pounds beef short ribs (bone-in, cut into 3-inch cubes)

1 onion (cut in wedges)

5 cloves garlic (smashed)

1 teaspoon salt pepper

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup flour

2 cups cranberry juice (See note!!)

1 cup dry red wine (such as Merlot)

10 sprigs thyme

fresh or frozen cranberries for garnish (optional) Instructions Oven Braised Beef Short Ribs Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large Dutch Oven or other large and heavy oven-proof pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat.

In batches, brown the ribs on all sides and transfer to a plate. Make sure to not brown too many ribs at a time or they will start steaming instead of searing.

Once all the ribs are seared, pour off most of the fat from the pot.

Reduce heat to medium-high and add onion and garlic.

Cook, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until the onion is slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the salt, pepper, paprika, flour and stir to coat.

Whisk in the cranberry juice and wine.

Add the sprigs of thyme.

Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Return the ribs with all the juices to the pot, cover, and transfer to the oven.

Cook in the oven until the ribs are easily pierced with a tip of a pairing knife, about 3 hours.

Once cooked, with a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer ribs to a large platter and cover with foil.

Strain the liquid into a fat separator , let sit briefly, and pour back into the pot, discarding fat. Although, I prefer using the fat separator twice.

Bring the liquid to boil over medium-high heat and cook until reduced to a sauce-like consistency, about 10 minutes.

Strain again if desired, adjust the seasoning if needed and pour over ribs.

Garnish with fresh or frozen cranberries if desired. Instant Pot Braised Beef Short Ribs Press sauté button on your Instant Pot . Depending on your model of Instant Pot, you may have different temperatures for sauté mode, if so, then choose high temperature. Add the olive oil and wait until it heats up. The display should read hot.

In batches, brown the ribs on all sides and transfer to a plate. Make sure that you do not overcrowd Instant Pot or the ribs will begin to steam instead of searing.

Once all the ribs are seared, pour off most of the fat from the Instant Pot.

If your Instant Pot model allows to change the temperature of sauté function, then reduce it to medium. Add the onions and garlic.

Add a splash of cranberry juice (about 1/4 cup) and scrape really well to make sure that there are no brown bits stuck to the bottom of Instant Pot, otherwise it may give a burn notice.

Once the bottom is clear, cook for a few minutes until the cranberry juice evaporates.

Add the salt, pepper, paprika, flour and stir to coat.

Whisk in the cranberry juice and wine.

Add the sprigs of thyme.

Return the ribs with all the juices to the pot.

Turn sauté mode off.

Close the lid of your Instant Pot and turn the valve to Sealing.

Press Manual or Pressure Cooker button (depending on your model) and use the arrows to select 45 minutes. Use default High Pressure. It will take about 10-15 minutes to come to pressure.

Once the Instant Pot beeps that the 45 minutes of cooking are done, do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes (it means that you need to just wait for 10 minutes). Then do a quick release. This should take another 4-5 minutes.

With a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer ribs to a large platter and cover with foil.

Strain the liquid into a fat separator , let sit briefly, and pour back into Instant pot, discarding fat. Although, I prefer using the fat separator twice.

Click cancel to turn off Keep Warm function.

Press sauté mode on. Bring the liquid to boil and cook until reduced to a sauce-like consistency, about 10 minutes.

Strain the sauce again if desired, adjust the seasoning if needed and pour over ribs.

Garnish with fresh or frozen cranberries if desired. Video Notes Use 3 cups cranberry juice for oven recipe. Use 2 cups cranberry juice for Instant Pot recipe. Check out the body of the post for my tips for searing the meat and using the fat separator. Equipment Instant Pot Dutch Oven Fat separator Nutrition Calories: 396 kcal | Carbohydrates: 14 g | Protein: 33 g | Fat: 21 g | Saturated Fat: 8 g | Cholesterol: 98 mg | Sodium: 401 mg | Potassium: 681 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 8 g | Vitamin A: 211 IU | Vitamin C: 9 mg | Calcium: 30 mg | Iron: 4 mg Tried this recipe?

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And just for fun, photo from 2012, although I edited it a bit.