Slow Cooker Boneless Beef Ribs and Soy Ginger Sauce

These slow cooker boneless beef ribs are cooked low and slow until they’re so soft they start falling apart when you touch them with your fork. One step before you thicken the sauce (don’t skip it!) is what keeps it glossy and clingy rather than pooling and getting greasy at the bottom of the bowl. This is the well-balanced kind of dinner for a set-and-forget-it style on Sunday.

We first made this country style beef ribs recipe back in 2013, and it’s stayed in regular rotation in our house ever since. We eat it over rice most often, because of the way the sauce clings to it. It soaks in, clings to every grain, and you end up scraping the bowl for the last of it!

The fat skimming step isn’t optional, even though it’s tempting to when you’re hungry and you’ve been smelling them cook all day. We've tested it both ways and when you don’t skim it, the sauce turns greasy and thin. That’s when you end up with it pooling at the bottom of the bowl rather than clinging to the meat. It’s the difference between a sauce that coats every bite and one you’re trying to spoon around.

We've also tested searing the ribs first before they went into the crockpot because that’s usually where you pick up extra flavor. Here, it isn’t worth it. The difference was so small we doubt anyone could tell in a side-by-side. Between this and the years of making it, we can promise you it results in extra dishes without a big pay off.

Why Country Style Beef Ribs Recipe stays in the rotation

• The beef gets incredibly soft. After eight hours on low, it should be soft enough that you need to even be careful when transferring it out of the slow cooker.
• The sauce stays on the meat. Thickening the cooking liquid at the end turns it from thin crockpot juices into a glossy sauce you can spoon over the beef and rice.
• It has salty, sweet, and a little spice all at once. Soy sauce and brown sugar do most of the work, while the rest keep it from tasting bland or too sweet.
• It’s an straightforward start-in-the-morning type of dinner. This one gets a full eight hours, which is exactly what you need from a dinner that mostly takes care of itself.

What kind of Boneless Beef Ribs Should we Buy?

For this recipe, we use boneless beef shoulder ribs or boneless country style beef ribs. At HEB, we usually see them labeled Boneless Texas Style Beef Shoulder Ribs or Boneless Country Style Beef Ribs. They are long, boneless strips of beef, and they work well for a full 8 hour cook in the crock pot.

We do not use short ribs for this recipe. Short ribs are a different cut, and they can actually be hard to find consistently at HEB (the grocery store we shop most often).

If your store uses different wording, look for a boneless beef cut meant for slow cooking rather than relying on the word “ribs” alone. Grocery store labels can vary quite a bit, so the shape and cut matter more than finding the exact same wording on the package.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Soy Ginger Beef Ribs

Boneless beef ribs: we use the boneless beef shoulder or country style ribs sold in long strips. They are not boneless short ribs, so check the package rather than assuming anything labeled “beef ribs” is the same cut.

Onion powder: Seasons the beef itself before the sauce goes in and gives it a little more savory flavor through the long cook.

Black pepper: Adds a little bite to the beef so the finished ribs don’t taste too sweet once the sauce is added.

Soy sauce: This supplies most of the salt in the sauce, so there is no additional salt in the recipe.

Brown sugar: Gives the sauce it’s sweetness and helps it have that sticky, glossy texture.

Rice vinegar: This helps break through some of the richness without making it taste sharp or vinegary.

Minced garlic: You can go with fresh minced or the jarred kind here.

Ground ginger: You can also use fresh here if you prefer, but ground ginger disperses easily through the sauce and works well for a recipe that cooks all day.

Sesame oil: You only need a little bit. Sesame oil is strong and the goal is for it to sit in the background rather than take over the whole sauce.

Crushed red pepper flakes: These give the sauce a little bit of heat. It doesn’t make it spicy, it’s a little bit in the background.

Cornstarch: This is what thickens the cooking liquid after the beef is finished.

Cold water: Mixing the cornstarch with cold water before it goes into the hot liquid keeps you from having clumps of cornstarch in the sauce.

How to Cook Boneless Beef Ribs in the Slow Cooker

1. Add the beef to the insert of the crock pot.
2. Sprinkle with the onion powder and black pepper.

1. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, minced garlic, ground ginger, sesame oil, and crushed red pepper flakes.

1. Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the ribs.

1. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. By the end, the beef should be soft and may start falling apart as you move it.

1. Carefully transfer the ribs to a separate bowl and cover them with foil while you finish the sauce.
2. Skim the fat from the liquid remaining in the crockpot and discard it.
3. Turn the crock pot on high. Whisk the cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water until completely smooth, then whisk the mixture into the cooking liquid. Let it thicken, then pour the sauce over the ribs.

Tips and Tricks

• Use the cut the recipe actually calls for. Boneless beef shoulder ribs and country-style beef ribs can be confusing because grocery store labeling is not especially consistent. We look for the long boneless beef strips rather than short ribs.
• Be gentle when you take the beef out. If you try to grab a piece aggressively with tongs after eight hours, there is a good chance it will break in half before it reaches the bowl. A wide spoon or spatula can make the transfer easier.
• Do not skip skimming the fat. There will be some after a long cook with beef. Thickening all of it into the sauce will make the finished sauce feel greasy rather than glossy.
• Make the cornstarch mixture completely smooth before adding it. Cornstarch goes into cold water first. Once there are no dry pockets or lumps left, whisk it into the hot cooking liquid.

What to Serve with Soy Ginger Beef Ribs

We almost always want something underneath these ribs that can catch the extra sauce. The beef is hearty enough that the rest of dinner can stay pretty plain.

• White rice: Our first choice. Spoon the beef and plenty of the thickened sauce right over it.
• Roasted broccoli: Especially good with some of the extra sauce spooned across the top.
• Green beans: Keep them simply seasoned since there is already plenty going on with the beef.
• Parmesan Roasted vegetables: Broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower all work well here.
• Rice and vegetables together: Probably the easiest way to turn this into a full dinner without making three complicated sides.

How to cook It Ahead of Time

You can mix the sauce ingredients together ahead of time and keep the mixture covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook.

Because the beef needs the full 8-hour cook on low, this is also a good recipe to get into the crock pot earlier in the day rather than trying to rush it later that afternoon.

Storing Beef Country Style Ribs

Refrigerator

Store leftover beef and sauce together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keeping the meat in the sauce helps keep it from drying out.

Freezer

This type of slow-cooked beef freezes well. Let it cool, then freeze the beef with its sauce in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

How to Reheat Boneless Beef Ribs

Stovetop

For a house favorite texture, put the beef and sauce in a covered skillet or saucepan over low to medium-low heat. Heat gently until warmed through, stirring the sauce occasionally and turning the beef carefully.

Microwave

Place an individual portion of beef and sauce in a microwave-safe dish and cover loosely. Reheat in shorter intervals until hot, spooning the sauce over the beef as needed so the edges don’t dry out.

Frequently Asked Questions