What You’ll Need
- Beef short ribs. Use 4 pounds of bone-in ribs. Pat them dry so the sauce clings when you coat them.
- Dry onion soup mix. One packet seasons the sauce with savory onion flavor.
- Barbecue sauce. Use 1 cup. The sauce you choose will determine how sweet, smoky, or spicy the ribs taste.
- Condensed cream of mushroom soup. Add it straight from the can for a creamy base that loosens as the ribs cook.
How to Make Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs
Arrange the ribs in an even layer in the slow cooker. Stir together the onion soup mix, barbecue sauce, and condensed mushroom soup, then pour the mixture over the ribs. Turn them gently if needed to coat all sides.
Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. Check a thicker rib with a fork. The meat should yield easily and pull away from the bone.
How to Finish the Sauce
Lift the ribs onto a platter and let the sauce settle briefly. If there’s a layer of fat on top, skim it off with a wide spoon. Stir the remaining sauce and spoon it over the ribs. Serve hot with mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or rice.
Slow Cooker 4-Ingredient Beef Short Ribs Recipe Card
Fork-tender beef short ribs in a sweet and savory barbecue mushroom sauce.
- Prep time — About 10 minutes
- Cook time — 7 to 8 hours on LOW or 4 to 5 hours on HIGH
- Servings — 6
Ingredients
- 4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
- 1 packet dry onion soup mix
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
Instructions
- Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels and arrange them in an even layer in the slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the dry onion soup mix, barbecue sauce, and undiluted cream of mushroom soup.
- Pour the sauce over the ribs and turn them gently as needed to coat them.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and pulls away from the bone easily.
- Transfer the ribs to a platter. Skim excess fat from the sauce if desired, then spoon the sauce over the ribs and serve hot.