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Sticky Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs: tender beef short ribs slow-cooked in a savory, sweet, and sour pomegranate sauce until the beef is caramelized around the edges and falling off the bone. The meat is then shredded and served over steamed rice or creamy mashed potatoes. Add butter-fried sage leaves, sesame seeds, and pomegranate arils for a delicious meal cooked all in one pot. A super easy, slow-cooked dinner!
You know what my mom said to me over the weekend? She feels like so many sites are becoming too cookie-cutter and less personal. She mentioned that she loves that we’ve always shared personal stories with each piece of content we put out.
I said it’s almost impossible for me to write a post without sharing something semi-personal. It’s the way we’ve always written and it feels the most natural to me!
Short ribs are something I’ve been cooking for my family in place of pot roast since way ack. Until recently, I was never interested in cooking a pot roast. I always felt that short ribs were the way to go.
While I do now love a good post-roast, I think the flavor of short ribs is still superior. Cooking them every so often feels special, especially during the fall. Slow-cooked short ribs on a Sunday—it’s so cozy!
Plus, my older brother, Creighton, always gets so excited when I slow-cook short ribs. I couldn’t wait to share these with my family. The sauce on the ribs is a little sweet, mixed with sour, yet still feels savory with fresh thyme and sage. It’s truly the most delicious sauce. We loved these ribs!
These are the details
Ingredients
- bone-in beef short ribs
- yellow onions
- garlic
- honey
- dry white wine, or use broth
- pomegranate juice
- tamari, or use soy sauce
- fresh thyme
- a dried bay leaf
- salted butter
- fresh sage
- toasted sesame seeds
- pomegranate arils
Special Tools
None, just an oven safe Dutch oven or braiser. You could also easily make this recipe in the crockpot as well!
Steps
Step 1: prepare the ribs
This process could not be easier. Use your Dutch oven or a large braiser. I use a cast iron braiser—it cooks the meat perfectly. You could also slow cook the ribs in the crockpot, but I love to use the oven, as it allows the ribs to caramelize and develop a little more flavor.
Add everything to the braiser—no searing, no pre-cooking, none of that. Simply add the beef short ribs, black pepper, onions, and garlic. Drizzle over some honey, then pour over the pomegranate juice, white wine, and tamari/soy sauce.
Add the fresh thyme and a dried bay leaf. Use some chili flakes to your taste.
Cover the pot and let the oven work its magic. I never sear the ribs because they caramelize naturally while cooking in the oven and in all that sweet/sour sauce. By the time I uncover my pot, the ribs are perfectly caramelized and falling off the bone.
This is the easiest method of cooking short ribs, at least for me!
Step 2: shred the ribs
When the short ribs are tender and falling off the bone, shred them and toss them with the sauce. If you notice a lot of grease on top of the sauce, do your best to drain that away before you toss the ribs.
Step 3: fry the sage
Now, fry the sage in butter until it’s crisp. Add chili flakes, again to your taste, and some sea salt too.
Step 4: serve
Serve the ribs and sauce with rice or mashed potatoes. We like both; it just depends on the day.
Then, top with sesame seeds, sage, and fresh pomegranate arils. The pomegranate arils might seem off, but they add fresh flavor and texture. Give them a try!
Enjoy! These Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs are cozy but fresh all at the same time. And most importantly, they’re so darn yummy!
Looking for more easy dinners? Here are a few to try for fall:
Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice Tortilla Soup.
30 Minute Thai Peanut Chicken Ramen
Better For You Chicken and Spinach Ramen
Lemony Garlic Chicken and Orzo Soup
Creamy Gnocchi Soup with Rosemary Bacon
Lastly, if you make these Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Sticky Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 692 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
- black pepper
- 3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup dry white wine or broth
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds/arils
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.2. In a large, oven-safe brasier, season the short ribs with pepper. Add the onions, garlic, and drizzle over the honey. Pour over the wine, pomegranate juice, and tamari. Add the thyme, bay leaf, and chili flakes. Cover and roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the short ribs are tender and falling off the bone.3. Crank the heat on the oven to 400° F. Remove the lid and toss with the sauce. Return to the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the ribs are caramelized. 4. Shred the ribs and discard the bones. Drain any excess grease away from the sauce. Toss the ribs in the sauce. Keep warm.5. In a skillet, cook the sage in butter until fried. Add chili flakes to taste. 6. Serve the ribs and sauce over rice or potatoes. Top with sesame seeds, sage, and pomegranate arils.
This was the perfect fall/winter meal! It was delicious and turned out perfectly. I didn’t have a braising dish, so I used a casserole pan instead, and the meat was tender and falling off the bone. It wasn’t dry at all, and I really loved how all the flavors came together.
Hey Carlee,
Awesome!! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed by your family. I appreciate you giving it a try and your feedback! Have the best day! XxT
I am looking forward to making these – what vegetable or salad would you recommend to go with this?
Thanks!
Hey Tanya,
I think broccoli would be delicious with this recipe and then here are some salad recipes you might enjoy:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/cheddar-apple-kale-salad/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/lemon-parmesan-sesame-salad/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/brussels-sprout-candied-bacon-salad/
I hope this helps! Let me know how this recipe turns out for you:) xT
This turned out so well and was a hit. I did the lemon Parmesan salad and it went very well with it. Thanks!
So glad to hear this, Tanya!!
This is my first time ever reviewing a recipe because…. This recipe was one of the most simple most delicious recipes I have ever made. It made me feel like and look like a real chef. My husband said “this is the best thing you’ve ever madeâ€. I removed the bones one step early (accidentally) and cooked on 400F for closer to 30min and it was still perfect.
Hey Kelsey,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Monday! xT
Delicious, a new family favorite. Thank you!
Hey Jill,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Monday! xT
Will definitely make this again! Such a great fall/winter recipe. Only thing was there were too many onions for my family’s taste and I only put two so will just do one next time. They were rather large onions though. Happy to find a yummy gluten and dairy free recipe as it is a new thing for me and all I had to do was switch out the butter for olive oil. This was actually super easy too!
Yay!! Thanks so much, Abbie! So glad this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for trying it out! XxT
It was just okay. I probably won’t make it again. There were a lot of expensive ingredients and the end result was very unattractive. It DID taste good, but the whole thing was very dark and black. I followed the directions explicitly.
Hi Kay,
Thanks for trying this dish and your feedback! So glad you enjoyed the flavors, sorry to hear it was pretty dark! Have the best day! xx
I enjoyed the flavors. Even though you said you don’t sear, I seared mine that is just a must especially with short ribs. It adds so much more flavor. 3 stars because there was literally no sauce, this needs way more liquid. The ribs came out of the oven and there was very little liquid left in the pan. Served with rice but because there was no sauce the whole dish was a little dry. Don’t think I would make again without adjustments.
Hi Kristin,
I appreciate you giving this dish a try and sharing your feedback! Glad you enjoyed the flavors, I’m sorry to hear there wasn’t enough liquid for the sauce! xx
Didn’t love this one. I think some of the flavors were a bit ethnic and overall the final product was very dry and tough. I thought this would be a bit saucier.
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. If there is anything specific that I can help with, please let me know! xx
The pictures are gorgeous, as always. I love how you captured the smoke. 🙂
Thank you so much, Jackie:)
Steam
Did you serve yours with sauce in the pictures above? They look dry with no sauce on them or the rice.
Hi Jo,
Yes, I did, you are going to toss the short ribs in the sauce in step 3. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
Hi! Two questions:
-What pot do you recommend to make this in?/What is your favorite oven-safe brasier?
-Is this something that can be done in a crockpot?
Thank you! Congratulations on all you have accomplished!
Hi Kerry,
Thanks so much! Here is the link for my favorite braiser:
https://rstyle.me/+5ugt1IJZS8DFkw3WrPLbeA
Your favorite dutch oven will also work well here. Yes, you can definitely do this in the crockpot, I would cook for 6-8 hours on low. I hope you love this recipe! Happy Halloween week! xx