Thai Braised Short Ribs with Brothy Rice (Slow Cooker Recipe)

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who have eaten Thai braised short ribs, and those about to have a very good week. This slow cooker version takes bone-in beef short ribs, gives them a proper sear, then lets red curry paste, ginger, garlic and a splash of fish sauce do the heavy lifting for the rest of the day. The result is beef so tender it practically shreds itself, piled over jasmine rice with a silky coconut-curry broth ladled on top.

The hands-on work is about 20 minutes. You brown, you sizzle, you walk away. Go to work, walk the dog, watch something you'd never admit to. The slow cooker won't judge, and dinner will be waiting when you get home.

Why you'll love it

• Set-and-forget dinner. Twenty minutes at the stove, then the slow cooker takes over for five to ten hours.
• Big flavour from the pantry. Most of the magic comes from four staples you can keep in the cupboard year-round.
• Proper comfort food. About 42 g of protein per serve, and the leftovers are arguably better the next day.
• Broth you'll drink from the bowl. Nobody's watching. Probably.

Ingredients

Serves 4 · Prep 20 min · Cook 5–6 hrs on HIGH or 8–10 hrs on LOW

A quick note on spoons: this recipe uses Australian 20 ml tablespoons. If you're working with a 15 ml spoon, add an extra teaspoon to each tablespoon measure.

For the short ribs

• 1–1.1 kg bone-in beef short ribs
• 1 tbsp neutral oil (rice bran or vegetable)
• 2 brown onions, thinly sliced
• 4–5 garlic cloves, smashed
• 10 cm piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 2½ tbsp Thai red curry paste — we swear by Mae Ploy red curry paste, the one Thai cooks actually keep in the fridge
• 2 tsp soy sauce — Pearl River Bridge superior light soy sauce adds clean, salty depth without muddying the colour
• 1 tsp Squid Brand Thai fish sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 750 ml–1 L beef stock
• 400 ml can full-fat coconut milk — TCC coconut milk is rich enough to make the broth silky
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the rice

• 1 cups jasmine rice

To serve

• Sliced spring onions, sesame seeds, Thai basil, chilli oil (optional)

Method

1. Sear. Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the ribs well on all sides, then transfer them to the slow cooker with tongs. Leave the fat and browned bits in the pan.
   • Chef's tip: Pat the ribs dry and don't crowd the pan. Sear in two batches if you need to. Crowded meat steams instead of browning, and that dark crust is where most of the savoury flavour comes from.
2. Onions. Add the onions to the same pan with a big pinch of salt. Cook for 8–10 minutes until soft and golden.
   • Chef's tip: The salt draws water out of the onions, so they soften and caramelise rather than stew. That moisture also loosens the browned bits from the beef, so nothing goes to waste.
3. Aromatics. Add the curry paste and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more.
4. Deglaze. Pour in 250 ml of the stock, scrape up every browned bit and simmer until slightly thickened. Tip everything into the slow cooker.
5. Braise. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar and enough of the remaining stock to come three-quarters of the way up the ribs. Cook on HIGH for 5–6 hours or LOW for 8–10 hours, until the meat falls off the bone.
   • Chef's tip: Leave the tops of the ribs poking out of the liquid. Fully submerged meat boils rather than braises, and the sauce ends up thin. Cooking less than a kilo? Check at the early end of the time range, because short ribs can turn stringy if they go too long.
6. Brothy sauce. Lift out the ribs, shred the meat and discard the bones. Strain the braising liquid into a saucepan and skim off the excess fat. Stir in the coconut milk, warm it through and season to taste.
7. Serve. Spoon rice into bowls, ladle over the coconut-curry broth, top with shredded beef and finish with your garnishes.

Perfect microwave jasmine rice

No rice cooker? No problem. This method gives fluffy, separate grains in a 1000 W microwave.

1. Rinse 1½  cups jasmine rice once to remove excess surface starch.
2. Place in a large microwave-safe container with 2¼ cups water.
3. Cook covered for another 4 minutes 30 seconds
4. Leave covered and stand for 5 minutes. Don't peek.
5. Cook covered for another 4 minutes 30 seconds.
6. Stand for 5 minutes more, untouched, then fluff with a fork and serve.

Use a container at least three times the volume of the rice and water, or you'll be cleaning starchy foam off the turntable. Ask us how we know.

Serving and garnish ideas

The classic finish is sliced spring onions and a scatter of sesame seeds. Torn Thai basil adds a sweet, aniseed lift, and a drizzle of chilli oil brings the heat for anyone who likes to suffer a little.

For a fuller table, add steamed bok choy or Chinese broccoli with a splash of soy, or a quick smashed cucumber salad to cut through the richness. A wedge of lime on the side never hurt anyone. To drink, a crisp lager or an off-dry Riesling plays nicely with the curry.

Storage, freezing and make-ahead

• Fridge: Store the beef and broth together in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep the rice separate.
• Freezer: Freeze the shredded beef in its broth for up to 3 months. Coconut milk can look slightly split after thawing; a good whisk while reheating brings it back.
• Make-ahead: Braise the ribs a day early and refrigerate the strained liquid overnight. The fat sets on top and lifts off in one piece, leaving a cleaner broth. Add the coconut milk when you reheat.
• Rice: Cool leftover rice quickly, refrigerate within an hour, eat within a day and reheat until steaming hot.

FAQ

Do you need to brown short ribs before slow cooking? Technically no, but you should. Searing builds a browned crust that gives the broth its deep, savoury flavour. Skip it and the ribs will still be tender, but the sauce will taste flatter and look paler. Ten extra minutes at the stove is the best trade in this recipe.

Can you overcook short ribs in a slow cooker? Yes. Short ribs are forgiving, but left too long they dry out and turn stringy, especially in smaller batches. Start checking at 5 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW. They're ready when a fork twists the meat off the bone with almost no effort.

Can I use boneless short ribs? You can. Use about 800 g of boneless ribs and check them an hour earlier, as they cook faster without the bone. You'll lose a little body in the broth, because the bones release gelatine as they braise, but the flavour will still be excellent.

Can I make this in the oven instead? Absolutely. Follow the method using a lidded Dutch oven or heavy casserole dish, then braise covered at 160°C for 3 to 3½ hours, until the meat falls from the bone. Check the liquid level halfway and top up with a little stock if it's dropping too low.

How spicy is it? Moderately. Red curry paste brings real warmth, and the coconut milk softens it considerably. If you're cooking for kids or heat-shy guests, drop the curry paste to 1½ tablespoons and serve chilli oil on the side so everyone can set their own level.

Bring the flavour home

Great Thai cooking starts in the pantry. Every key ingredient in this recipe is waiting at Petits Trésors, so stock up once and you're four ingredients away from this dinner whenever the mood strikes. We ship Australia-wide, so wherever you are, your slow cooker can get to work.