A sweet, savory, and succulent, melt-in-your mouth dinner! These gochujang braised short ribs are so flavorful and so much better than your average braised short ribs.
These gochujang short ribs aren't traditional Korean short ribs, since we're not using thin LA style short ribs, but they're braised for a couple of hours which really transforms a tough cut into a melt in your mouth chunk of meat. It's exploding with flavor so if you're not a fan of flavor, you're gonna want to go back to Google :).
What are Gochujang Braised Short Ribs?
Let's first understand what gochujang is. Gochujang is a Korean fermented chili paste that's a staple in Korean cooking. It's kind of sorta like the Korean equivalent to sriracha, though not exactly since you usually mix gochujang with something to make a sauce or marinade, whereas sriracha can be consumed right out of the bottle. Gochujang is made from red chili peppers, fermented soybeans, glutinous rice, and salt. It's aged to develop it's signature rich flavor!
For these braised short ribs, I added gochujang to the braising liquid and cooked it low until fall-off-the-bone and fork tender. This braising method transforms tough meat into something that's succulent and melts in your mouth. It's luscious, savory, and has a slight kick.
Why you'll love this Gochujang Braised Short Rib Recipe
- Impressive but easy - Use a premium cut like short ribs to elevate what is basically a pot roast dish. It'll look like you spent hours working on it but it's a leave it and done kinda dish.
- One-pot cooking - Easy cooking equals easy clean up. Everything is made in a Dutch oven!
- Minimal active cooking time - Just 15 minutes of prep and it'll simmer away for the rest of the time, with occasional stirring to ensure the bottom doesn't burn.
- High protein comfort food - Each serving packs about 40 grams of protein!
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Short ribs: I use bone-in English cut short ribs. Look for good marbling and have the butcher cut it into 2 inch blocks for easy cooking and serving.
- Gochujang: This is what makes these short ribs superior! Find it at your local Asian supermarket or on Amazon. Don't skip out on this!
- Onion: Adds natural sweetness to the braising liquid.
- Ginger: Aromatic layer of flavor for more warmth.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for the most flavor!
- Rice Vinegar: Cuts through the richness and balances the sweetness.
- Soy Sauce: Use low-sodium for umami and color, without being too salty.
- Beef Broth: Creates the braising liquid that keeps everything moist and flavorful. The BEST beef broth is made using Better Than Bouillon Beef Base. It is incredibly flavorful. You can also use bone broth here for more protein!
- Brown Sugar: To balance out the salt and heat.
- Salt and Black Pepper: For seasoning the meat.
- Scallions: For garnishing.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Korean Gochujang braised short ribs
- Pat the short ribs completely dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and sear the short ribs for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. Remove the seared short ribs and set aside.
- In the same pot, add diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and ginger and saute until aromatic and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the gochujang paste and cook for 2 minutes until it darkens in color. Deglaze with rice vinegar and add in beef broth, soy sauce and brown sugar. Stir to combine all the flavors.
- Return seared short ribs to the pot, nestling them into the liquid. The liquid should come about more than halfway up the sides of the short ribs.
- Bring the pot to a gentle simmer then cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low and let it braise for 1.5-2 hours, scraping the bottom occasionally to ensure it doesn't burn. The short ribs are ready when the meat is fork-tender and falling off the bone. Enjoy short ribs over rice with the remaining sauce spooned on top and garnish with scallions.
Top tip
The most flavorful beef broth I found was when I dissolved Better Than Bouillon Beef Base with water. The flavorful beef base really adds to this already flavorful gochujang braised short rib.
FAQ
This can be baked in the oven at 325F for 3-3.5 hours until tender!
Yes! However, the cooking time for boneless short ribs will be less, so watch it carefully!
Other comforting recipes to try:
- Easy lemongrass beef stew
- One pot ginger chicken congee
- Japanese-style beef curry
- Vietnamese-style thousand layer hot pot
Gochujang Braised Short Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs bone-in beef short ribs
- 2 tbsps gochujang paste
- ½ onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 inch knob or 2 tbsps ginger finely minced
- 2 tbsps rice vinegar
- 3 tbsps low sodium soy sauce
- 4 cups beef broth
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- Scallions for garnishing
Instructions
- Pat the short ribs completely dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil and sear the short ribs for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. Remove the seared short ribs and set aside.
- In the same pot, add diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and ginger and saute until aromatic and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the gochujang paste and cook for 2 minutes until it darkens in color. Deglaze with rice vinegar and add in beef broth, soy sauce and brown sugar. Stir to combine all the flavors.
- Return seared short ribs to the pot, nestling them into the liquid. The liquid should come about more than halfway up the sides of the short ribs.
- Bring the pot to a gentle simmer then cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low and let it braise for 1.5-2 hours, scraping the bottom occasionally to ensure it doesn't burn. The short ribs are ready when the meat is fork-tender and falling off the bone. Enjoy short ribs over rice with the remaining sauce spooned on top and garnish with scallions.
Nosheen says
We made these for our Christmas dinner and everyone loved them! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
trang says
Honored you made this for your family to enjoy on Christmas! What a special occasion and so happy you loved it! Thanks for trying it and for the sweet review Nosheen 🙂