Go Back
–+ servings
Braised beef short ribs on a wooden plate next to an apple and carrot slaw salad.

Gochujang Short Ribs With Apple Carrot Slaw {Oven Or Crock Pot}

Braised beef short ribs are cooked low and slow for a long time until the meat becomes meltingly tender. This classic recipe is given a deep, spicy kick with the addition of gochujang, a traditional Korean red chili paste.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: korean
Servings: 4
Calories: 304kcal
Author: Jana Dziak

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

Slow Cooker Instructions For Gochujang Short Ribs
You have two options to making gochujang short ribs in your crock pot.
  1. 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:
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
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 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 4601mg | Potassium: 829mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 13375IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!