Mexican Short Ribs

These Mexican Short Ribs are what I call comfort food at its best!! Easy to make and absolutely delicious. A little bit sweet, a little bit spicy and a whole lot of yum!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes

Servings

Calories 208kcal

Author Oriana Romero

Equipment

Dutch Oven

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (28 g) taco seasoning (see notes)
1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) tomato sauce
2 chilies chipotle in adobo sauce + 2 tablespoons of the sauce, pureed
6 beef short ribs (about 400 g)
2 tablespoons (15 ml) vegetable oil, for searing
1 large head of garlic, cut in half horizontally
3/4 cup (180 ml) red wine
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) beef stock
Cilantro leaves to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Combine taco seasoning, brown sugar, tomato sauce, pureed chilies, and adobo sauce in a large mixing bowl. Add ribs and toss to coat with sauce. Cover and refrigerate to marinate for at least 2 hours.
When ready to cook the ribs, preheat the oven to 325º F (165 º C).
Remove the ribs from the marinade, shaking off the excess. Reserve the marinade.
Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Sear the ribs for 5 – 8 minutes, or until brown on all sides. Transfer browned ribs to a plate.
Pour wine into the pot, scraping up the bits at the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add halved garlic head (cut side down) and the reserved marinade. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes to reduce. Then add beef stock; simmer for 2-3 more minutes.
Return ribs to the pot. Cover with the lid and bake in the preheated oven for 2 - 3 hours, basting occasionally, or until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone. When the meat is tender, uncover and cook for 15 – 30 minutes, basting the juices one more time.
Transfer ribs to a serving plate. Cover with foil to keep warm, If desire.
Spoon off any excess fat from the cooking juices and then strain it through the sieve. Squeeze garlic out of their skins and pass through a sieve too. Mix cooking juices and purred garlic well. Pour sauce over the ribs.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with Mexican rice, green rice, or Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice, if desired.

Notes

Store: If you have leftover short ribs, keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, store them in the extra cooking liquid to keep them moist and juicy.

Freeze: This short rib recipe is freezer-friendly. Once the ribs have cooled, shred the meat and transfer it to an airtight freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw: Thaw in the fridge the night before and reheat until heated through.

Quick Extra Tips:

If you don’t want to turn your oven on during the hot summer days, you can also make these in the slow cooker. Just make sure to brown the ribs before transfer to a crockpot to finish cooking on low for 8 hours.
This recipe only calls for 2 to 3 chipotle peppers and 2 tablespoons of the sauce. If you do not have immediate plans to use the rest of the can, you can freeze the leftover peppers and adobo sauce for the next time you need it.
I highly recommend you cook this recipe in a Dutch oven or a cast-iron skillet as it can go from stovetop to oven.
Make sure you sear the ribs ALL over for the best flavor.
Before you sear the ribs, shake off excessive marinade, so it doesn’t cause your ribs to steam. You want them to get a nice brown sear to it!

If you’re going to make this recipe, please read the whole post content to get lots of tips, tricks, and variations.

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Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate, and it can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition