Jamaican Brown Beef Short Ribs Stew
Jamaican Brown Beef Short Ribs Stew – A rich, fragrant, braised short ribs stew with fall-off-the-bone delicious with just 10 minutes of prep time! Spicy, economical, and absolutely delish!
If you want something bad to the bone, finger-licking good, insanely delicious, and impossible to mess up with almost no time invested, this is the one!!! Braised beef short ribs stew with Jamaican spices. Yes, short ribs.
If you love brown stew chicken, then you have to try it with short ribs. The same aromatics, garlic, thyme, bell pepper, and smoked paprika, spice up beef cooked to fall apart tenderness.
Ah! You haven’t lived until you’ve tried these short ribs.
This deliciousness is elegant enough for any special holiday, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or any day of the week for that matter. Definitely a great alternative to those fancy, schmancy (aka expensive) restaurants.
Why Make Short Rib Stew at Home
I remember a short rib plate I tried at one of those restaurants, yeah! It was really good, I won’t lie. I would eat there all the time if my pocketbook could handle it.
But the serving was so small I was still famished when we finished. It upset me so much that I stopped at the supermarket, got some short ribs, and cooked them like they should be. We ate the whole thing. Then, and only then, did I truly feel happy.
Ingredient List
- Short Ribs make this stew what it is. They’re usually cut from the brisket, chuck, plate, or rib areas, but you can replace them with chuck roast if you can’t find them. And a little oil for browning.
- Seasonings – Brown sugar, bay leaf, ginger, garlic, onion, green onions, thyme, Scotch bonnet pepper, smoked paprika, bell pepper, browning sauce, and ketchup deliver sweet and spicy goodness.
- Broth – Beef broth or water with bouillon powder gives you a flavorful braising liquid.
How to Make Jamaican Brown Beef Short Ribs Stew
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190℃).
- Season – Thoroughly season short ribs with salt and pepper to cover all sides.
- Sear – Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or oven-safe pan over medium heat. Add short ribs and brown well, turning once, 2-3 minutes per side, until short ribs are brown. Do not overcrowd the pan, cooking in batches if necessary. (Photo 1)
- Saute – Drain excess oil from the skillet, leaving about two tablespoons of oil. Add onions, green onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, scotch bonnet pepper or hot sauce, and smoked paprika. Stir for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent. (Photo 2)
- Braise – Add ketchup, browning sauce, brown sugar, bell pepper, bouillon, and water. Bring to a boil, cover, and place in the oven for 2½-3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process, and add more water as needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time. (Photos 3-4)
- Serve – Adjust for salt, pepper, and consistency. Enjoy!!!
Recipe Notes
Here are a few tips to get you going on your way.
- You can’t rush short ribs because it takes time in the braising in liquid to become melt-in-your-mouth tender. The good news is that it’s hands-off in the oven or stovetop. I prefer the oven.
- After cooking, feel free to remove the grease for a lower-fat meal.
What to Serve With Serve Jamaican Brown Beef Short Ribs Stew
This hearty goodness is excellent with rice or Caribbean coo coo. Of course, easy 3-ingredient biscuits or boiled dumplings are always a winner, even if they’re not the classic pairings.
More Hearty Stew Recipes to Try
Jamaican Braised Short Ribs Stew
Ingredients
- 2½-3 pounds (1-1.5k) short ribs (with salt and pepper to taste)
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) canola oil (or other cooking oil)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1-2 green onions, sliced
- 1-2 teaspoons (2-4g) minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon (1-2g) thyme, fresh or dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon (2g) grated ginger
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper or 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon (2g) smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon (15g) ketchup
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) browning sauce
- 1 tablespoon (13g) brown sugar
- 1-2 small bell peppers
- 2-3 cups (475-700ml) beef broth
- 1 teaspoon (3.5g) bouillon powder (optional)
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190℃).
- Thoroughly season short ribs with salt and pepper to cover all sides.
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven or oven-safe pan over medium heat. Add short ribs and brown well, turning once, 2-3 minutes per side, until short ribs are brown. Do not overcrowd the pan, cooking in batches if necessary.
- Drain excess oil from the skillet, leaving about two tablespoons of oil. Add onions, green onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, ginger, scotch bonnet pepper or hot sauce, and smoked paprika. Stir for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Then add ketchup, browning sauce, brown sugar, bell pepper, and broth (or water and bouillon). Bring to a boil, cover, and place in the oven for 2½-3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process, and add more water as needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time.
- Adjust for salt, pepper, and consistency. Enjoy!!!
Tips & Notes:
- You can’t rush short ribs because it takes time in the braising in liquid to become melt-in-your-mouth tender. The good news is that it’s hands-off in the oven or stovetop. I prefer the oven.
- After cooking, feel free to remove the grease for a lower-fat meal.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
I have a question. It’s been a while since I made this. I see that you said Browning and brown sugar am I using both? And the measurement for the Paprika how many tsp or tablespoon please.
Hi Melly. Yes, use both. And the measurement for Paprika is 1 tsp.
This was sooo tasty! My first time making braised short ribs. I’ll be doing it all the time now. I pureed the med. onion, and since I had no ketchup, I added 1 pureed tomato (without the skin),. Also a cap full of soy sauce in the beef broth . 2 cups was perfect for 3lbs of short ribs. thanks for posting
Awesome! Thank you for the feedback, Dan!
Thanks for catching that. Add it with the hot sauce. I’ve corrected the recipe:)
Oops. Thanks for pointing that out. You add it with the garlic.
The flavor was spot on..minus the brown sugar (used Browning instead). This is now a weekly meal.
Thank you
Sounds amazing! Thank you so much for showing your love for my recipes:) Much love!
Hi, what size Dutch oven do you recommend?
For this recipe I used a 5 quart Dutch oven. Hope this helps
Question. I don’t have a dutch oven pot can I follow the recipe in a baking dish instead?
Hi Siobhan! For the oven part, that will work. Just sear the meat and sauté the seasonings in a skillet first, then put everything in a baking dish large enough to hold everything.
Let me know how it would turn out for you. Hope you like it! 🙂
Can’t wait to try this!!! Looks amazing my only question is what kind of bullion do I use or an I use beef broth and how much???
Any works out just fine .Replace the water(2-3 cups) with beef broth- adjust thickness with more broth , if desired
I’m 81, live alone and don’t really know how to cook. I am leaping for joy. I just found the place to learn.
My wife was from the Caribbean (Grenada). No need for restaurants any more. I’ve been looking at your recipes and can’t wait to start. Thank you very much.
This sounds more Jamaican inspired than authentic Jamaican. We don’t use Bay Leaf and Paprika in our cooking.
Nor have I or anyone else I know ever put brown sugar in stewed anything
Not true. Born and raised in Jamaica and we use brown sugar to substitute browning sometimes.
And a Jamaican friend of mine suggested brown sugar for browning as well… perhaps everyone in Jamaica doesn’t cook the same lol.
What delicious flavors in this sauce! I tend to forget about cooking with short ribs, but this recipe has made them memorable. I’ll be making this again, sooner rather than later. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Nancie! This is perfect for this season. Glad you like it.
Do people eat short ribs with rice? I’m always seeing mash potatoes or the like; just wondering… thanks!
I do and know others that do. It’s a matter of preference – whatever rocks your boat.Happy cooking!!
Thanks for recipe…I loved every bit of it.
Thank you, Jovan! Glad you love it. 🙂
Hi I want to make roses ribs. I don’t have a Dutch oven or crackpot though. Have you personally tried to cook them in a pot, on the oven top?
No I haven’t yet. If you do let me know how it works out for you. Thanks