This Short Rib Chili recipe is a hearty chili with short ribs braised in beer and slow cooked. You get a thick, “stick to your ribs” chili with so much flavor. The perfect comfort food for a cold wintery day.
We had our first snow day the first of December and now it’s going to be 69º tomorrow. However, they are calling for snow again on Saturday. Short Rib Chili is perfect for a snow day where you’re stuck inside all day. Just get all the ingredients before you have to hibernate. This is one of those chili’s that needs to cook all day, but oh is it worth it. Instead of traditional ground beef, this uses short ribs, and short ribs take time to get them to the point that they are falling off the bone. Even though it takes some time to cook, the prep time is not bad.
What are Short Ribs
Short ribs come from the lower rib cage of a cow and are known for their meatiness. When cooked slow they produce a rich melt in your mouth flavor. The upper ribs are what you would use if you were making BBQ ribs or spare ribs. Short ribs have more meat and fat which produce a great flavorful meat when cooked low and slow.
How do you make Short Rib Chili
Step 1: You’ll start by browning the ribs in a large dutch oven, this really seals in the flavor.
Step 2: To your browned ribs you’ll add a dark beer, I chose Guinness for it’s rich flavor. Then simmer for a couple of hours on the stove making your house smell amazing.
Step 3: Remove the ribs but save that yummy broth to add back to the chili. Remove any extra fat and the bones and shred the beef. A great way to remove the fat from the broth is with a fat separator, this is the one that I have, I love how easy it is to use.
Step 4: To the same dutch oven you’ll now cook the onions, red pepper and jalapeños and soften them a bit. Then add the seasoning and some diced tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce and let it all simmer together for an hour or so.
I love the deep flavors that come together in this chili. You can reduce the spice if you want it milder, but two jalapeños were just right for me, you feel a little kick but it’s not overwhelming. Add sour cream, green onions, cheese, cilantro or whatever you like to top your chili. This makes about 10 cups of hearty chili and since it’s so thick and filling a cup is about all you need. I froze most of it to have on hand when the girls were home for Christmas, but Mike insisted we have it for dinner after he smelled it cooking all day.
I would estimate prep time to be about 40 minutes all together and about 3 hours of cook time, which isn’t bad for a weekend. I’m sure you’re going to agree that it’s worth every minute. With so many games on TV this weekend, it would be the perfect time to give this a try. If you’re in more of a hurry, you might want to try Instant Pot Chili, or Chili with Chocolate and Kahlua.
I served this in this adorable, but also very practical, Staub 3.5 qt cast iron which the girls gave me for my birthday. It has a cute pumpkin shaped lid but is great for serving soup or chili in because you can keep it warm on the stove until ready to serve.
What to serve with Short Rib Chili
- If you are gluten free or watching your carbs, then try cheesy muffins with almond flour
- Skillet cornbread is fabulous with chili
- Since you’re in the kitchen try some easy yeast rolls
- Go Southern and make buttermilk biscuits
If you make Short Rib Chili, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! I would love to see your creation.
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Adapted from Foster’s Market Favorites
Short Rib Chili
Ingredients
- 4 lbs beef short ribs
- salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces Guiness beer or other dark beer
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 onions chopped
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeno chopped, optional
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 8 cups chicken or beef broth about 4 cups from reserved broth
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup Worchestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Season the ribs on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoons olive oil in a large dutch oven on medium high and add short ribs. Sear on all sides until dark brown, about 4 minutes per side. Add beer and rosemary and about 2 cups of water or enough to cover about ⅔’s of the ribs. Cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook until fork tender, about 2 hours. When tender, remove to a cutting board and save the broth allowing the grease to separate. Once the ribs are cool enough to handle, shred removing any excess fat.
- In the now empty dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat, when hot add onions, then reduce heat and let them cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add red pepper and jalapeños and cook until soft, about 5 more minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
- Add the shredded beaf, chili powder, cumin and basil and cook for about 4 minutes. Stir in 8 cups of broth total, about half of the reserved broth with fat removed and chicken or beef broth making up the rest. Add the remaining ingredients and then add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered until the liquid has reduced slightly, about 1 hour. Remove bay leaves before serving.
- Serve with sour cream, scallions, cilantro, and cheese.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- If you don’t want this spicy, leave out or cut down on the jalapeno.
Nutrition
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You mention in your instructions under #2 to add red pepper and jalapenõs but are not listed as an ingredient. How many jalapenõs are to be used in the recipe????
I’m sorry, I added 1 jalapeno pepper with the red pepper.