Maple Bourbon Glazed Short Ribs (Printable)
Tender beef ribs with sweet maple-bourbon glaze, fall-off-the-bone perfection in under 4 hours.
# What You'll Need:
→ Beef
01 - 3.3 lbs beef short ribs, bone-in
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
02 - 1 large yellow onion, chopped
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
04 - 2 celery stalks, chopped
05 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
→ Glaze & Sauce
06 - 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
07 - 1/3 cup bourbon whiskey
08 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
09 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
10 - 2 cups beef stock
11 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
12 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
13 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
14 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
15 - 1 teaspoon salt
16 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 325°F.
02 - Pat the short ribs dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and black pepper on all sides.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the short ribs on all sides until deeply browned, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove meat and set aside.
04 - Add onion, carrots, and celery to the same pot. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Add tomato paste and stir for 1–2 minutes to deepen the flavor. Deglaze the pot with bourbon, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook for 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
06 - Stir in maple syrup, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, and beef stock. Bring to a gentle simmer.
07 - Return the short ribs to the pot, nestling them into the sauce and vegetables. Cover tightly with the lid and transfer to the preheated oven.
08 - Braise for 2.5 to 3 hours until the meat is fork-tender and nearly falling off the bone.
09 - Remove the lid for the final 30 minutes of cooking to allow the glaze to thicken and develop a rich caramelized finish.
10 - Remove ribs from the pot and cover loosely to keep warm. Skim excess fat from the surface of the sauce. Simmer on the stovetop over medium heat until reduced to desired consistency.
11 - Arrange ribs on a serving platter and drizzle generously with the reduced maple-bourbon glaze. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired and serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The maple-bourbon glaze strikes that perfect balance between sweet and savory that makes people go quiet after their first bite
- These ribs cook mostly unattended, leaving you free to handle the sides or just enjoy the aromas drifting through the house
02 -
- Patting the ribs completely dry before searing makes the difference between a proper crust and steamed meat
- Removing the lid for the final 30 minutes is what transforms the sauce into a glaze rather than just braising liquid
03 -
- Use pure maple syrup rather than pancake syrup, the artificial stuff burns and tastes noticeably off
- Skimming the fat from the finished sauce makes all the difference in how rich versus heavy the final dish feels