master-cooks | Smoky Sweet Barbecue Beef Short Ribs Recipe

Smoky Sweet Barbecue Beef Short Ribs offer a flavorful and tender dining experience, perfect for barbecue enthusiasts. The recipe begins by selecting meaty beef short ribs, which are then seasoned with a blend of spices including smoked paprika, garlic powder, and brown sugar to create a balance of smoky and sweet flavors. After marinating, the ribs are slowly cooked to ensure tenderness, either by grilling over indirect heat or using a slow cooker for convenience. As the ribs cook, they are periodically basted with a homemade barbecue sauce that combines ketchup, molasses, apple cider vinegar, and a touch of honey for added sweetness and tang. This continuous basting process enhances the flavor and helps create a sticky glaze. The slow cooking process allows the meat to absorb the smoky essence while the barbecue sauce caramelizes, resulting in juicy ribs with a rich, flavorful crust. Once cooked to perfection, the ribs are allowed to rest briefly before being served, allowing the juices to redistribute for maximum tenderness. These smoky sweet barbecue beef short ribs are ideal for a summer cookout or any gathering where a hearty, delicious dish is appreciated.

Gather the smoky sweet barbecue beef short ribs ingredients

This recipe begins with boneless beef short ribs, which have been trimmed of any excess fat and connective tissue that could become tough during cooking. The ribs are coated with a blend of smoked paprika, chili powder, kosher salt, and garlic to enhance their flavor before the barbecue sauce is added. For the sauce, gather light brown sugar, blueberry jam, sweet Thai chili sauce, canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and whole grain mustard, along with a bit more smoked paprika.

Step 1: Make the dry rub

In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika, chili powder, kosher salt, and minced garlic.

Step 2: Oil a baking dish

Grease the interior of a 13x9-inch baking pan.

Step 3: Sprinkle ribs with dry rub

Place the short ribs in a single layer in the pan and evenly coat them with half of the spice rub.

Step 4: Coat all surfaces of the ribs with the dry rub

Flip the ribs and apply the remaining seasoning. Use your hands to thoroughly cover all sides of the meat with the rub (wear gloves if you prefer).

Step 5: Cover pan with foil

Tightly seal the pan with foil and place it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. Allow the ribs to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to baking.

Step 6: Preheat oven

Set the oven temperature to 325°F.

Step 7: Add sauce ingredients to blender

As the oven heats up, blend the other ingredients together to create the barbecue sauce.

Step 8: Process sauce

Blend until smooth (approximately 30 seconds).

Step 9: Remove foil from pan

Take the foil off the pan.

Step 10: Coat the ribs with sauce

Spread 1/3 of the barbecue sauce over the ribs, then flip them and drizzle another 1/3 on top.

Step 11: Bake the ribs

Seal the pan securely with foil and bake for three hours.

Step 12: Remove ribs from oven

Take the pan out of the oven and remove the cover.

Step 13: Ladle off excess liquid

Turn the ribs over and drain off some of the excess fat and liquid from the pan, leaving just a small amount at the bottom.

Step 14: Coat ribs with remaining sauce

Spread the leftover barbecue sauce over the ribs.

Step 15: Finish baking the short ribs

Place the pan back in the oven without covering it, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling.

Step 16: Serve the short ribs

Enjoy the smoky, sweet barbecue short ribs right away alongside your favorite side dishes.

How should you serve smoky sweet barbecue beef short ribs?

These smoky, sweet barbecue beef short ribs are sure to be the star of your meal, effortlessly complementing any of your favorite BBQ sides, whether it’s potatoes or macaroni and cheese. Remember to plan for marinating time with the dry rub, as this spice blend truly enhances the meat's flavor, requiring time to penetrate the fibers—ideally, 24 hours.

If you prefer to bake the ribs in advance, take them out of the oven about 20 minutes early and wrap them tightly in foil. The meat will continue to cook slightly while resting, but you can return the ribs to a 325°F oven uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes to finish cooking and allow the smoky sweet sauce to caramelize. These ribs pair wonderfully with a variety of sides, including salads or slaw, roasted vegetables, and perhaps some deviled eggs.

What can I use instead of blueberry jam?

Kinnaird appreciates the tangy, subtly earthy taste of blueberry jam, as it complements the smoky notes from the paprika, chipotles in adobo sauce, and Worcestershire sauce in these sweet and smoky beef short ribs. However, she also wholeheartedly supports the use of other berry jams, such as lingonberry, blackberry, or raspberry, which share a rich color and a hint of tartness.

For this recipe, it's best to opt for a seedless jam, since even a high-speed blender won't eliminate the gritty texture of the seeds. You can also swap out apple cider vinegar for different fruit vinegars, like pomegranate or plum. The goal is to maintain a deep berry or stone fruit flavor profile in the sauce that can stand up to the smoky elements and the richness of the beef short ribs. The combination of smoky and sweet is the perfect pairing for barbecue sauce!

Smoky Sweet Barbecue Beef Short Ribs Recipe