Gochujang Short Ribs With Apple Carrot Slaw {Oven Or Crock Pot}
SO incredibly flavorsome, this gochujang short ribs recipe makes braised beef short ribs that are cooked low and slow for a long time until the meat becomes meltingly tender. Serve them with my simple recipe for vinegary carrot and apple slaw. This classic recipe is given a deep, spicy kick with the addition of gochujang, a traditional Korean red chili paste.
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Why You’ll Love Gochujang Short Ribs
- Beef short ribs remain a cheaper cut of beef in many places.
- Short ribs are a source of collagen.
- Super flavorful and satisfying sauce.
- An easy carrot and apple coleslaw side that cuts through the richness.
- Even better tasting the next day!
- Great meal-prep dinner that can last for 4 days in the refriegerator and be reheated as necessary.
- Can be made in the oven or in a slow cooker.
- You can control the gochujang spice level and adjust it to your taste and tolerance levels.
You can make this recipe for gochujang short ribs in the oven or in your Crock Pot (or any slow cooker) and I will give you separate instructions for each method.
And I’ll give you a quick and easy side dish recipe for a vinegary apple and carrot slaw that cuts through the richness of the meat.
Beef short ribs are a fantastic cut of meat to cook low and slow. The end result is meltingly tender meat and a rich, savoury sauce that pairs well with many side dishes.
Enjoy your Asian-inspired beef short ribs with other side dishes like mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, scalloped potatoes, rice, risotto, blitva (garlicky potatoes with Swiss Chard) and more.
Ingredients
For The Gochujang Short Ribs
- Beef Short Ribs | Beef short ribs are a tough cut of meat that work beautifully with long cooking techniques like in this recipe. And cuts of meat like this are usually packed with beneficial collagen.
- Gochujang sauce | gochujang sauce is a traditional Korean red chili paste with a lot of flavour. It comes in various heat levels and can be quite spicy — not overwhelmingly so in this particular recipe — but it is also savoury and sweet which gives it a unique depth of flavour. Buy gochuchang sauce at that link.
- Soy Sauce | or coconut amino acids which can be nicely substituted. Buy amino acids at that link.
- Maple Syrup | or honey may be used too and would a more traditional Asian ingredient.
- Rice Vinegar | or apple cider vinegar may be substituted. Buy rice vinegar at that link.
- Tomato Paste | adds a deep umami flavor.
- Cinnamon Stick | ground cinnamon may be substituted instead as well. Cinnamon is not just for sweet recipes and it adds a background note to the sauce — far in the back!
- Onion, minced | a mirepoix of onion, celery, and carrots make up an essential flavor base.
- Carrots, diced | carrots add sweetness.
- Celery, diced | lovage may be substituted as well.
- Beef Bone Broth | chicken broth/stock is fine as a substitute. Homemade is preferred.
- Ginger, minced
- Garlic, minced
- Bay leaves
- Espresso powder or finely ground coffee | completely optional, adds another depth to the sauce.
- Salt and pepper
- Sesame seeds | this is at the end, for serving. Toasting them first is nice!
For The Carrot Apple Slaw
- Apples | any variety you like to eat or have on hand.
- Carrots | try a multi-color variety pack for visual interest.
- Rice Vinegar | or, as above, apple cider vinegar can be easily substituted.
- Honey or Maple Syrup | either one works beautifully.
- Toasted Sesame seed oil | although you can use plain or even just olive oil, the toasted sesame oil really shines here.
- Sesame Seeds | toasted makes for a great extra touch and flavor.
Equipment
You will want a heavy stock pot or dutch oven with a lid for this recipe.
Instructions (Step-By-Step Photos)
This gochujang short ribs recipe is largely hands off as it will spend most of the time braising slowly. It’s very simple to do. These are the stovetop and oven instructions. The slow cooker Crock Pot variation is immediately below and does not have step-by-step photos.
Get everything prepped: dice your onions, celery, carrots. Sprinkle a bit of salt over your beef short ribs and add some freshly cracked black pepper. In a hot, heavy pan on medium heat add your cooking oil or fat of choice (I prefer lard or tallow) and then brown your ribs on all sides. This will take 2-3 minutes per side, do not overcrowd your pot and do it in batches if necessary or the meat will steam and not brown. Set ribs aside on a plate.
Add the mirepoix (carrots, celery, onion) to the same pan. Stir it until it begins to give up most of its liquid and brown, as you see in the photo. Deglaze the pot as required with water or stock, making sure to scrape up the browned bits.
Add the tomato paste and gochujang sauce and cook, stirring until tomato paste is no longer raw.
Add liquids:
Add short ribs back into the pot along with any juices from the plate they were resting on. It’s okay if the meat isn’t fully submerged, we will be flipping it half way through. Starting uncovered, the pot will be covered after about an hour and allowed to simmer away to completion.
The short ribs are done when they are falling off the bone and very tender. We will now remove the ribs, and reduce the sauce on the stovetop to thicken it. These instructions are in the recipe card.
The carrot and apple slaw and dressing can be made just before the ribs are ready. They should be cut as thin as possible, matchstick if you can. Refrigerate the slaw tossed in the dressing until ready to serve.
Slow Cooker Instructions For Gochujang Short Ribs
You have two options to making gochujang short ribs in your crock pot.
- Throw all of the ingredients into your slow cooker and set it on low for 10 hours or until meat is falling off of the bone and tender OR:
- Sear all of your ingredients, same as above and then throw the seared ingredients and all the other ingredients into your slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat is falling off of the bone and tender.
- At the end of cook time, remove the meat, transfer the rest of the contents into a big enough pot to hold the liquid and simmer until thickened, using an immersion blender to puree any solids. The blending is optional but a nice touch.
Hint: have everything prepped before you start cooking, and then clean as you go: dice, slice, mince any vegetables. Measure out the other ingredients. This is a great habit to get into and makes for easy clean up.
Variations & Substitutions
- Mild or Spicy | Leave out the gochujang sauce, or only use half the amount if you’re very sensitive to spicy foods. Or increase the spice by doubling the amount.
- BBQ | Instead of gochujang sauce, use your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Gluten-Free & Grain-Free | This recipe is basically naturally gluten and grain free, but make sure to use coconut amino acids instead of soy sauce and make sure the gochujang sauce you’re buying is gluten-free by reading the label.
Storage & Freezing
Gochujang short ribs are even better the next day!
Enjoy your meal for up to 3-4 days after the fact, just keep it covered and refrigerated.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat by putting contents in pot with a splash of water or broth and letting the ribs slowly heat up.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with beef short ribs:
Ingredients
- 4-6 beef short ribs
- ¾ cup of gochujang sauce
- 1 cup soy sauce or tamari sauce or coconut amino acids
- ½ cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder or finely ground coffee, optional
- 1 cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup onion minced
- 1.5 cups carrots diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 2 cups beef bone broth chicken broth is fine as a substitute
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
For The Apple Carrot Slaw
- 2 apples
- 2 carrots
- 1 tablespoon rice or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 Fahrenheit
- Sprinkle beef liberally with pepper and a bit of salt. Do not overdo the salt as you will be adding soy sauce and other salty elements later — no more than a teaspoon.
- In a large ovenproof pot like a Dutch/French oven, heat up a tablespoon of oil (I prefer lard, tallow, or olive oil) over medium-high heat, add enough ribs that they are not crowded, and then brown them on all sides. Do this in batches and add more oil as needed.
- Add a splash of water, stock, or wine to deglaze the pot, scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Do this as required as you cook the beef. Set aside.
- Turn heat down to medium. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Allow to soften and turn golden. Do not rush this step. Deglaze pot as required.
- Add the tomato paste and stir until the bright red colour begins to deepen (about 1 minute).
- Add the garlic and ginger and stir until fragrant. About 1 minute.
- Add the gochujang sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, bay leaves, the cinnamon stick, espresso/coffee grinds or powder (if using), and the beef stock. Whisk to combine.
- Add back in the beef short ribs. They should be completely covered or just about. If too much of the beef is exposed, add more stock, water, or red or white wine.
- Cover with lid and transfer to oven for 3 hours, or until the meat is falling apart and very tender.
- Remove the beef ribs carefully, trying to keep the meat on the bone.
- Place the pot with all the solids and liquid onto the stove top over medium heat. Mash with a fork or use a stick blender to blend all of the solids. Let the sauce simmer until it is thick, add more broth or water into the pot if it is too thick.
- Meanwhile, make the apple and carrot slaw: peel and core the apples, peel the carrots. Slice them into thin matchsticks. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing together and toss the apples and carrots together. Set aside.
- Spoon the thickened sauce over the beef short ribs and arrange them on a plate or in a bowl next to the slaw. Top both with additional sesame seeds.
- A bowl of rice and fresh or charred green scallions are wonderful accompaniments to this dish, as are potatoes or even polenta.
Notes
- Throw all of the ingredients into your slow cooker and set it on low for 10 hours or until meat is falling off of the bone and tender OR:
- Sear all of your ingredients, same as above and then throw the seared ingredients and all the other ingredients into your slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat is falling off of the bone and tender.
- At the end of cook time, remove the meat, transfer the rest of the contents into a big enough pot to hold the liquid and simmer until thickened, using an immersion blender to puree any solids. The blending is optional but a nice touch.
Mild or Spicy | Leave out the gochujang sauce, or only use half the amount if you’re very sensitive to spicy foods. Or increase the spice by doubling the amount.
BBQ | Instead of gochujang sauce, use your favorite BBQ sauce.
Gluten-Free & Grain-Free | This recipe is basically naturally gluten and grain free, but make sure to use either gluten-free tamari sauce or coconut amino acids instead of soy sauce and make sure the gochujang sauce you’re buying is gluten-free by reading the label.
Storage & Freezing
Gochujang short ribs are even better the next day! Enjoy your meal for up to 3-4 days after the fact, just keep it covered and refrigerated. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat by putting contents in pot with a splash of water or broth and letting the ribs slowly heat up.
