Smoky Sweet Barbecue Beef Short Ribs Recipe
The sweetness in the barbecue sauce comes from a combination of blueberry jam, brown sugar, and sweet Thai chili sauce which adds a bit of ginger and heat. Chipotles in adobo and smoked paprika infuse the sauce with smoky depth while apple cider vinegar adds tartness for balance.
- 1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, divided
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 3 pounds boneless beef short ribs, cut into 4-inch lengths
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup blueberry jam
- 1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
- 2 chipotles in adobo sauce (canned variety)
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
- In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, chili powder, kosher salt, and minced garlic.
- Oil the inside of a 13x9-inch baking dish.
- Arrange the short ribs in an even layer in the pan and sprinkle with half of the spice rub.
- Turn the ribs and sprinkle on the remainder. Use your hands to coat all surfaces of the meat with the rub (wear gloves if desired).
- Cover pan tightly with foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Let ribs sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
- While the oven preheats, combine the remaining ingredients in a blender to make the barbecue sauce.
- Process until smooth (about 30 seconds).
- Remove foil from pan.
- Coat the ribs with 1/3 of the barbecue sauce, then turn over and pour another 1/3 over the ribs.
- Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 3 hours.
- Remove the pan from the oven and uncover.
- Flip the ribs and remove some of the excess fat and liquid from the pan so that there is only a small amount left at the bottom.
- Coat the ribs with the remaining barbecue sauce.
- Return the pan to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 15 minutes longer, or until the sauce is bubbling.
- Serve the smoky sweet barbecue short ribs immediately with your favorite sides.
Gather the smoky sweet barbecue beef short ribs ingredients
This recipe starts with boneless beef short ribs, trimmed of excess fat and connective tissue (which can toughen during cooking). The ribs are rubbed with a mix of smoked paprika, chili powder, kosher salt, and garlic. This will infuse them with flavor before adding the barbecue sauce. For the sauce, you will need 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 little more smoked paprika.
