Short Rib Chili
The perfect cozy Sunday afternoon recipe, this beef short rib chili takes just minutes to prep, and then it simmers on the stove (or in the crockpot!) all afternoon. It’s loaded with plenty of beans and veggies but also filled with tender, fall-off-the-bone shredded beef short ribs.
You Will Love This
- The prep time is minimal and most of the cook time is hands off! Sear the ribs and saute the veggies – then just add the remaining ingredients and let it go. This short rib chili cooks low and slow so you have more free time!
- You can make it on the stove top or in a crock pot. This recipe is flexible and you can easily adapt it to your busy mid week chaos or your lazy weekend routine. If you’re going be out all day, cook it low and slow in the crock pot. If you’ve got an afternoon at home planned, then let it simmer on the stove for a few hours!
- You’ve never had anything like it! We all love the classic flavors of a good ol’ fashioned ground beef chili. But have you tried using those same comforting chili flavor to braise short ribs?!?! Yeah, it’s pretty much the best thing ever and you are going to love love love it!
Instructions
Sear short ribs in olive oil until dark golden brown on all sides.
Set ribs aside and saute onion and green pepper in the same pot.
Add garlic and jalapeno and saute for another minute.
Stir in spices.
Add all the beans.
Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.
Add tomato juice and stir to combine.
Nestle the seared ribs into the chili.
Simmer, covered, for 2.5-3 hours or until beef is tender and falls apart easily.
Gently remove beef from the chili and transfer it to a plate.
Use two forks to shred the ribs and discard the bones and gristle.
Transfer meat back into the chili.
Stir in apple cider vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese, tortilla strips and sliced green onions.
Short ribs vs. country style ribs
- I’ve tried both and honestly I don’t notice much of a difference either way. They both tasted amazing!
- I’d say the bone in short ribs might have just a bit more flavor and moisture, but the difference is so negligible, I’d suggest you use whatever you have on hand or whatever is on sale!
- Sometimes the bone in ribs tend to have less meat on them, so if they’re looking a little stingy I’ll opt for the country style ribs.
- Alternately, you could even use a chuck roast for this recipe. I would recommend cutting it into short rib size pieces so that the cook time is the same.
Stovetop vs. Crockpot
- I’ve tried both and they both work great! Either way you’re going to get the same cozy flavors!
- I like to cook this short rib chili on the stove when I’ve got a free afternoon at home. I love that it takes just about 3 hours so I can start it around lunch time, get some cleaning done or just lounge around the house and then by dinner time we’ve got a slow cooked, flavor-filled dinner!
- The benefit of the crock pot is that it does all the work while you’re out and about. When we have a busy day but I know we’ll be home for dinner, I sear the ribs, saute the onion, pepper, garlic and jalapeno and throw everything in the crock pot for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Then when I get home all I have to do is shred the beef and dinner is ready!
Tips
- Be sure to taste the chili and season as needed. Don’t wait until the end to taste your food. I like to taste this chili after an hour or two of simmering and add a little more salt, maybe a pinch of sugar or even a little cayenne pepper. Then taste it again at the end and season a bit more.
- Adjust the flavors to your family’s tastes. If they don’t like spice, omit the chiles in adobo. If they don’t like kidney beans, add more pinto beans instead. If they love cilantro, add a tablespoon of fresh chopped cilantro in there! This recipe is just a blueprint – use it as such!
- If you’re feeling adventurous add a couple teaspoons of brewed coffee or espresso powder to your chili! You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the depth of flavor that it adds!
- Don’t skip the apple cider vinegar at the end! It’s going to amplify all the flavors SO MUCH. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use white wine vinegar, red white vinegar, white balsamic vinegar or regular balsamic vinegar.
Freezing
- This recipe makes a nice big pot of chili so I like to freeze half of it for later.
- Allow the chili to cool on the counter for an hour or so.
- Transfer to an air tight container.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating
- Thaw chili in the fridge overnight if possible, or add frozen chili to a large pot.
- Add a splash of tomato juice to help loosen up the chili.
- Add a moderate pinch of salt to give it a boost of flavor.
- Put a cover on the pot of chili to help it heat up faster and prevent it from bubbling and making a mess.
- Heat chili in a covered pot on the stove over medium heat.
- Stir every couple minutes to make sure it’s not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Warm until heated through and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Try these easy soup recipes next!
Did you love this recipe?
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Short Rib Chili
The perfect lazy Sunday afternoon recipe, this beef short rib chili is loaded with beans and veggies but also tender, fall-off-the-bone shredded short ribs.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish – Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American/Mexican
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 pounds beef short ribs
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2–3 teaspoons diced chiles in adobo, (adjust based on spice preference)
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz.) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz.) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 28 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1–2 cups tomato juice, adjust based on preferred thickness
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Serve with:
- sour cream
- shredded cheddar cheese
- tortilla strips
- sliced green onion
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Season short ribs with salt and pepper on both side.
- Sear short ribs in batches, adding more oil as needed. Cook ribs on each side for 2-3 minutes or until a dark golden brown crust forms. Set ribs aside.
- Reduce heat to medium and add onions and green pepper to the pot (without wiping it out) along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add garlic and jalapeno and sauté for another minute.
- Add chili powder, cumin, chiles in adobo, wocestershire sauce, cocoa powder, sugar, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato juice and another pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Nestle the short ribs back into the chili. Turn the heat up and bring to a simmer.
- Cover and simmer over low heat for 2.5-3 hours or until the short ribs are tender and fall apart easily.
- Remove ribs from chili. Use two forks to shred beef. Discard bones and gristle.
- Transfer shredded beef back into the chili and stir to combine. Stir in apple cider vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese, tortilla strips and sliced green onions.
Notes
Be sure to taste the chili and season as needed. Don’t wait until the end to taste your food. I like to taste this chili after an hour or two of simmering and add a little more salt, maybe a pinch of sugar or even a little cayenne pepper. Then taste it again at the end and season a bit more.
Adjust the flavors to your family’s tastes. If they don’t like spice, omit the chiles in adobo. If they don’t like kidney beans, add more pinto beans instead. If they love cilantro, add a tablespoon of fresh chopped cilantro in there! This recipe is just a blueprint – use it as such!
If you’re feeling adventurous add a couple teaspoons of brewed coffee or espresso powder to your chili! You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the depth of flavor that it adds!
Don’t skip the apple cider vinegar at the end! It’s going to amplify all the flavors SO MUCH. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use white wine vinegar, red white vinegar, white balsamic vinegar or regular balsamic vinegar.
This post was originally published in March 2019. It was republished in October 2019 to include process shots, step-by-step instructions and tips for making the best short rib chili every single time!
My husband made this for a chili cook off at work. He won by a landslide! It’s the only chili we now make.
Ahhhhh I love to hear that, Laurie! This is definitely a 1st place winner!
This is hands down the BEST chili I’ve ever had. My husband was “not a chili guy” until I made him this and now we eat it once every other week or so. I’m hooked. 10000/10
How many people does this recipe serve? I want to make for the Super Bowl!!!
You’ll get about 8-10 servings out of this chili depending on the age and size of the folks you’re feeding and what else they’ll be eating. Hope that helps!
DIL made it the other day for us and hubby loved it. I’m making it right now so we will see how it turns out. I used beef broth instead of tomato juice. Also put a little more meat and spice in it. Excited for the results.
The cooking time seems off. 4 hours in and the short ribs are not ready. Plan accordingly if cooking on the stove.
It may depend on how large your ribs are and if you had them simmering the whole time. Also, the type of pot you’re using, how hot your stove gets, etc.
I wondering if the short ribs make the chili greasy? I’m thinking that short ribs are pretty fatty.
Thanks!
I didn’t find the chili to be greasy. When I shred the short ribs, I just discard the fat/gristle.
I love this recipe! I made it today and followed it completely, and it turned out amazing! It’s my husband’s new favorite chili recipe! Thank you for leaving very informative notes as well! I almost never leave reviews, but I felt obliged after trying it out. The only thing that I dis differently is I used Spare Rib Trimmings for the meat and I cut them into small pieces. I used the instapot and after 5.5 hours of slow cooking, I pressure cooked it for 15 minutes, and the meat was falling off the bones! I also added coffee and apple cider vinegar.
So good! I used a stout beer instead of the tomato juice and it was such a hit, everyone loved it.
I make this all the time. Tonight I’m trying it with both beef and pork ribs. Can’t wait.
Always gotta drain and rinse your granulated sugar. That’s key.
That’s actually the secret that makes this recipe a cut above the rest 😉 Thanks for catching my typo!!
What does it mean to drain and rinse granulated sugar? I’ve never heard of this, how do you do that?
Hi Heather! The “drained and rinsed” part of the recipe instructions is referring to the beans. The granulated sugar is just listed as 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar, no draining or rinsing necessary. Hope that helps 🙂
Love, love, love this recipe. Have made it several times and has always been a hit. My only two changes have been:
1) I now add more coffee – about an expresso size. Deepens the flavor palate even more.
2) I wait to add the bean in the last hour of cooking. I find they remain firmer, which is just a personal preference.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!
you mean eSpresso???🤔
The recipe doesn’t say to drain and rinse the beans, but it looked that way in the instruction photo. I just wanted to be sure. I can’t wait to make this!
Just updated the recipe card!! Thanks for pointing that out KB! They are drained and rinsed 🙂
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Carol! Thank you for leaving a review!! 🙂
Just made this chili and oh my gosh, so delicious. I left out the adobe because we don’t like really spicy but other than that, I made as written. It was amazing, such great flavours!
Yayyyy! I am so glad you enjoyed this chili! It is one of our family’s favorites. Glad you were able to adjust to suit their tastes! Thanks so much for leaving a review!! 🙂
Your family will love this hearty, delicious chili! It’s the perfect way to say goodbye to winter and hello spring!
At one point do you add the green pepper?
They are added along with the onions. I just updated the recipe card! So sorry about that 🙂 Thank you for bringing it to my attention!