This Short Rib Risotto is a restaurant quality meal that’s guaranteed to impress! It’s made by slow cooking beef short ribs until fork tender, then serving them over creamy mushroom risotto. Your whole family will love this flavorful, comforting dish!

Plate of short rib risotto with parsley garnish.

I love preparing my favorite restaurant dishes at home so that I can enjoy them any time I want to. Coq au vin and Instant Pot beef bourguignon are two restaurant quality dishes that I love serving for date night and special occasions!

This Short Rib Risotto recipe was inspired by a dish that I ordered at a restaurant long ago, and it instantly became a family and reader favorite.

The short ribs are cooked low and slow in the slow cooker after they’ve been browned on the stove top. The caramelized short ribs are then placed in the slow cooker, then the pan is deglazed with dry sherry to remove all of those flavorful brown bits.

The liquid is then added to the slow cooker along with beef stock and aromatics and the short ribs simmer away until they’re amazingly tender and flavorful.

Once the ribs are tender, it’s risotto go time! You can make the risotto using the classic stovetop method as outlined in the recipe card below, or you can make Instant Pot risotto, which eliminates all the excess stirring.

The tender, falling off the bone short ribs paired with the creamy risotto is my definition of “comfort food.”

I’m already craving this dish again. 🙂

Mushroom risotto with beef short ribs.
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Why you’ll love this recipe

  • The fork-tender braised short ribs require minimal prep, and your slow cooker does most of the hard work for you.
  • The creamy mushroom risotto can be made in about 20 minutes on the stovetop, or you can make it in your Instant Pot or oven.
  • The short ribs can be cooked 1-2 days in advance and reheated when it’s time to serve them over the risotto.
  • You can customize this recipe using your favorite herbs, aromatics, and liquids.

Recipe ingredients

You’ll need a few special ingredients to assemble the slow cooked short ribs and risotto, but everything should be easy to find at your local grocery store.

Braised short rib mushroom risotto recipe ingredients labelled.
  • Beef short ribs. Use bone-in short ribs; the bones add so much extra flavor.
  • Beef stock. Enhances the beefy flavor of the ribs. Bone broth would also work well here.
  • Sherry. If you don’t keep dry sherry on hand, you can use bourbon, brandy or simply skip the alcohol altogether and use additional beef stock.
  • Pearl onions. The pearl onions make this dish extra special. You can use frozen pearl onions as a time saver, or slice yellow onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker instead.
  • Cremini mushrooms. This type of mushroom has an even meatier flavor than regular button mushrooms. Sub with your favorite variety.
  • Arborio rice. This Italian short-grain rice has a high starch content, which is what makes risotto so creamy without having to add actual heavy cream.
  • White wine. I used a combination of white wine and chicken stock in the risotto, which may sound strange since it’s paired with beef short ribs. The flavors all work together (I promise!), but you can use whatever liquid(s) you have on hand.  
  • Parmesan. Provides cheesy, umami flavor to the risotto. It can be omitted to make this recipe dairy-free.

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.

How to make short rib risotto

The short ribs can be added to the slow cooker first thing in the morning, then enjoyed for dinner the same night. Just remember that you must wait to make the risotto until the short ribs are done.

Pro tip:  The short ribs should be done before beginning the risotto, and they can be made 1-2 days in advance and reheated to make this meal go more quickly!

See the recipe card below for full instructions.

Prepare the slow cooker braised short ribs

How to make braised short ribs in the slow cooker.
  1. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and brown each side about 2 minutes or until golden and caramelized (if the meat doesn’t release easily from the pan easily, it’s not ready to be turned). Repeat until all of the short ribs have been browned, and place in the slow cooker and set aside.
  2. Add the sherry to the now-empty pan and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet as you do so. Add to the slow cooker.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker.
  4. Cook the short ribs on low for 7 to 8 hours or until very tender.

Prepare the mushroom risotto

How to make risotto with mushrooms.
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and mushrooms, and cook until the mushrooms have softened and the liquid has evaporated, about 3-4 minutes.
  2. Add the arborio rice and toast in the pan, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and saute 30 seconds.
  3. Deglaze the pan with white wine and allow it reduce by half. Add 1 cup of the warm chicken broth, stirring often until it’s mostly absorbed, then repeat by adding another cup of the stock once the liquid has almost been absorbed.
  4. When all of the stock has been added and the risotto is tender, remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve the risotto topped with the beef short ribs and pearl onions.
Beef short ribs in slow cooker.

Recipe FAQs

What’s the best way to peel pearl onions?

I know peeling a whole bag of pearl onions isn’t ideal, but they do make this dish special. To peel easily, I recommend blanching them in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds; once blanched, the peels should slip right off.  

You can also use frozen pearl onions as a time saver, adding them towards the end of cooking time.

Can the short ribs be made in an Instant Pot?

Yes, you can follow my Instant Pot short ribs recipe instead. Cooking short ribs in an Instant Pot takes just an hour, whereas slow cooking takes 7 to 8 hours.

Is it better to slow cook short ribs on high or low?

I prefer slow cooking short ribs on “low” because in my experience they turn out much more tender when they’re not rushed.

Can this recipe be made in advance?

You can slow cook the ribs 1-2 days in advance, then reheat them the same day you plan on serving them with the risotto.

The braised short ribs will taste better over time, so cooking them in advance is a great idea.

Braised beef short ribs in a bowl with parsley.

Serving suggestions

This is a comforting meal that’s great paired with a crusty piece of bread or a green side salad.

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip:  The short ribs should be done before beginning the risotto, and they can be made 1-2 days in advance and reheated to make this meal go more quickly!
  • The dry sherry adds another layer of flavor. If you don’t have any on hand, simply deglaze the pan with some of the beef stock and add it to the slow cooker.
  • The easiest way to peel pearl onions is by blanching them in a pot of boiling water for 30-45 seconds. Drain under cold running water, and carefully peel off the skins. There’s some work involved here, but the tiny, caramelized pearl onions are completely worth the effort! Use frozen pearl onions as a time saver, adding them to the slow cooker during the last 30-45 minutes of cooking.
  • The white wine adds acidity and makes the dish even more flavorful. It can be omitted if you prefer not to cook with alcohol.
  • Store leftover short ribs and risotto in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Beef short rib risotto on a plate with fork.

More risotto recipes you’ll love

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Plate of short rib risotto with parsley garnish.

Beef Short Rib Risotto

Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Additional Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
This Short Rib Risotto is made by slow cooking beef short ribs until fork tender, then serving them over creamy mushroom risotto. It's a comforting, restaurant quality dish that your entire family will love!
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Ingredients

For the short ribs:

  • 3-3 1/2 lbs. beef short ribs
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup dry sherry see note 2
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 10 ounces pearl onions peeled; see note 3
  • 3 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
  • 1 bay leaf

For the risotto:

  • 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
  • 1 cup water sub with additional chicken stock as desired
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large shallot peeled and chopped
  • 16 ounces cremini mushrooms stemmed and sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine see note 4
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • freshly chopped parsley for garnish optional

Instructions 

Prepare the short ribs:

  • Season the short ribs generously with salt and pepper, and allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour if possible.
    3-3 1/2 lbs. beef short ribs
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add enough short ribs to fill the pan and brown each side about 2 minutes or until golden and caramelized (if the meat doesn’t release easily from the pan easily, it’s not ready to be turned). Repeat until all of the short ribs have been browned, and place in the slow cooker and set aside.
    2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Degrease the skillet and add the dry sherry, scraping up the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook over medium heat until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes, and add to the slow cooker.
    1 cup dry sherry
  • Add the beef stock, peeled onions, garlic, and bay leaf to the slow cooker, and turn on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours, until the meat is very tender.
    4 cups beef stock, 10 ounces pearl onions, 3 cloves garlic, 1 bay leaf

Prepare the risotto:

  • Place the chicken stock and water in a medium sauce pan and heat over medium heat until simmering.
    4 cups low sodium chicken stock, 1 cup water
  • Heat the olive oil in a separate medium saucepan or saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and mushrooms, and cook until the mushrooms have softened and the liquid has evaporated, about 3-4 minutes. Add the arborio rice and toast in the pan, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and saute 30 seconds.
    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 large shallot, 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, 1 1/2 cups arborio rice, 1 clove garlic
  • Add the white wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook the wine until it has reduced by half, about 2 minutes, then add 1 cup of the warm stock mixture. Stir the risotto occasionally, and repeat by adding another cup of the stock once the liquid has almost been absorbed. When all of the stock has been added and the risotto is tender, remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
    1/2 cup dry white wine, 1/4 cup grated parmesan, salt and pepper
  • Strain the short ribs and pearl onions from the slow cooker and serve over the risotto. Garnish with chopped parsley as desired and enjoy!
    freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Notes

  1. Pro tip:  The short ribs should be done before beginning the risotto, and they can be made 1-2 days in advance and reheated to make this meal go more quickly!
  2. The dry sherry adds another layer of flavor. If you don’t have any on hand, simply deglaze the pan with some of the beef stock and add it to the slow cooker.
  3. The easiest way to peel pearl onions is by blanching them in a pot of boiling water for 30-45 seconds. Drain under cold running water, and carefully peel off the skins. There’s some work involved here, but the tiny, caramelized pearl onions are completely worth the effort! Use frozen pearl onions as a time saver, adding them to the slow cooker during the last 30-45 minutes of cooking.
  4. The white wine adds acidity and makes the dish even more flavorful. It can be omitted if you prefer not to cook with alcohol.
  5. Store leftover short ribs and risotto in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 853kcal, Carbohydrates: 54g, Protein: 64g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 160mg, Sodium: 613mg, Potassium: 1884mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 36IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 119mg, Iron: 9mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Author: Marcie
All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

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