Baked Short Ribs with Gremolata

4.86 from 7 votes

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Baked short ribs with gremolata are pure comfort food, and better than a restaurant dish. Make this recipe for an easy gourmet-style meal!

Gremolata spooned over bone-in beef


With the holiday season coming up on us fast, I think show stopping meals are in order. This year, I challenge you to skip the traditional prime rib roast or holiday ham. There will be no carving a turkey this year, because these beyond tender baked short ribs can be cut with a butter knife.

Instead of braising beef short ribs, this recipe calls for them to be covered so they can bake slowly. The fat renders down and the meat becomes beyond tender. The herb and citrus gremolata is served over to accent and cut through the richness of the meat.

Types of short ribs

Bone-in short ribs are the cut of beef taken from the brisket, chuck or rib area of the cow. They have a decent amount of connective tissue and fat, so the cooking method of choice is usually a low and slow bake.

Boneless beef short ribs are cut from either the chuck or plate, and consist of rib meat that the butcher has separated from the bone.

Making baked short ribs

After their salt and pepper rub, all these bad boys need next is a cup of beef broth or water to add to the roasting pan. Place the ribs meaty side up in the pan, cover pan with aluminum foil and cook in a 325°F oven until meat is tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Uncover the roasting pan and bump up the oven temperature to 400°F. Roast until ribs are browned on top, about 25 minutes longer.

overhead: baked short ribs covered with gremolata

What temperature should short ribs be cooked to?

What we’re looking for is super tender, fall apart baked short ribs. To achieve this, the internal temperature should be between 190°F and 205°F. The meat collagens and fats melt at this temperature and that’s what makes the meat more tender and juicy.

NOTE: Don’t be shocked at the small size of your baked short ribs; they shrink down quite a bit during cooking.

citrus gremolata over beef ribs

What is a gremolata?

A typical gremolata is simply fresh herbs chopped and mixed with garlic, lemon zest and juice, olive oil and breadcrumbs. It’s similar to fresh herb condiments like pesto and cilantro chimichurri.

This one gets kicked up with a slight punch from prepared horseradish (or grated peeled horseradish) and it is wonderful.

The herb and citrus gremolata is served over the baked short ribs to accent and cut through the richness of the fall apart tender meat.

No knives required for this dinner! The tender, baked ribs easily give way and fall apart with the fork alone.

gremolata over baked short ribs

This post, first published on Kevin is Cooking June 3, 2014, was last updated with new content on Sept. 18, 2021

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Gremolata spooned over beef short ribs

Baked Short Ribs with Gremolata

4.86 from 7 votes
Baked short ribs with gremolata are pure comfort food, and better than a restaurant dish. Make this recipe for an easy gourmet-style meal!
Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Generously season ribs all over with salt and pepper. Allow to rest one hour or overnight, uncovered and refrigerated.
  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Toast Panko breadcrumbs on a rimmed baking sheet until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool, set aside.
  • Add a cup of beef broth or water to add to the roasting pan. Place the ribs meaty side up in the pan, cover pan with aluminum foil and bake in oven until meat is tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
  • While ribs bake mix garlic, parsley, horseradish, lemon zest and juice, breadcrumbs, and oil in a small bowl. Season gremolata with salt and pepper to taste. Set aide, covered, in the refrigerator.
  • Uncover the roasting pan and bump up the oven temperature to 400°F. Roast until ribs are browned on top, about 25 minutes longer.
  • Spoon the gremolata over the short ribs before serving.

Notes

  1. If you can, use a Meyer lemon for the juice and zest. I prefer it for the lemon/orange essence.

Nutrition

Calories: 470kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 191mg | Potassium: 848mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 317IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 5mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course: Dinners
Cuisine: American
Have You Made This Recipe? Let Me Know on InstagramTag @keviniscooking or tag me #keviniscooking!
overhead of baked short ribs with gremolata on top

Kevin

Whether in the kitchen or on the grill, you’ll find me cooking American favorites with a love for BBQ, Mexican and Tex Mex. I’m passionate about making tasty food because life’s too short to be bland!

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24 Comments

      1. 5 stars
        I wasnt trying to bust your chops! Thanks again you provide great content and recipes thanks again 😉