Sous Vide Short Ribs (Korean, Boneless Beef)
You will knock it out of the park with these mouthwatering sous vide short ribs made with boneless beef short ribs and a bold Korean-style marinade that’s sweet, salty, garlicky, and deeply savory.
If there was ever a reason to use the sous vide cooking method, short ribs are it. This tough cut becomes incredibly tender and perfectly cooked to the temperature you choose (even medium-rare) – something that’s impossible to achieve with a traditional oven method.
What to expect
The process: The short ribs are marinated, bagged, cooked sous vide until ultra tender, then finished on the grill for caramelized edges and extra flavor. Most of the cooking time is completely hands-off.
- No sous vide equipment? No problem. You can grill the short ribs after marinating (but they won’t be as tender)
- No grill for finishing? We have a bake/broil option in the recipe notes.
The marinade: The Korean-style marinade makes the dish – sweet, salty, garlicky, savory, and rich with sesame flavor. It’s similar to a traditional kalbi or bulgogi sauce and gives the beef incredible flavor.
The result: Ultra-tender, juicy sous vide short ribs that practically melt in your mouth, with deep savory flavor and beautifully charred edges from the grill. You will wow your guests.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Beef: I use boneless beef short ribs about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, sliced horizontally into thinner strips to make them 1/2 inch (1.3 cm). I buy them at Costco. You can also use thin-cut bone-in flanken short ribs (LA galbi) if you prefer – more traditional.
- Korean-style marinade: soy sauce, brown sugar, Asian pear (or a regular pear), green onions, garlic, mirin, water, and sesame oil.
Substitutions
- For the Asian pear: Use a regular pear, grated apple, or kiwi instead
- For the brown sugar: use honey
- For the mirin: use sherry, sake or rice vinegar plus a pinch of sugar
- For the water: you can replace half with pineapple juice, but don’t over-marinate or it can turn the meat to mush.
Variations
- Instead of short ribs: try ribeye, sirloin, chicken, pork tenderloin, or pork chops. Only marinate for 2-6 hours.
- Add heat: with gochujang or chili flakes
- Finishing: instead of grilling, put the cooked ribs briefly under the broiler.
Step-by-step instructions
Time and Temperature
My preferred setting: I cook these sous vide short ribs at 135F/57C for 24 hours. The result is ultra-tender beef that still slices cleanly and stays juicy (medium rare-ish) rather than shredding like a traditional braise.
Other good options
- 12 hours: Still tender, especially for thinner ribs, but not quite as soft and melt-in-your-mouth as 24 hours.
- 24 hours: My favorite balance of tenderness, texture, and rich beefy flavor.
- 30 hours: Still very good, especially for thicker ribs.
- 6 hours: A reasonable shortcut, but the ribs will be noticeably less tender.
If your short ribs are very thin (under 1/2 inch / 1.3 cm thick), I suggest keeping the sous vide time closer to 12 hours.
Shortcuts
Make the recipe as written for the best texture and flavor, but these shortcuts still deliver delicious results.
- Marinate and sous vide the short ribs for 6 hours each instead of 24 hours. They won’t be quite as tender, but still good.
- Use a store-bought Kalbi/Galbi sauce instead of making the marinade. You can find these at Asian grocery stores and some mainstream supermarkets.
- Skip the glaze/sauce at the end if you’re short on time (although it adds great flavor and presentation).
- Use thinner bone-in flanken-cut ribs to reduce cooking time to 12-18 hours.
What to serve with Korean ribs
Traditionally, Korean short ribs shine with simple white rice. If you’d like to mix it up:
Grains & Bases: Jasime rice with chili crisp, mashed potatoes, or seasoned cauliflower rice for a lighter option.
Salad sides: Try grilled purple cabbage slaw, spicy Asian coleslaw (5 min), or Thai mango salad
Veggie Sides: roasted bok choy and broccoli, or grilled cauliflower.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Marinate the short ribs, then grill them directly over high heat. They won’t be as tender, but they will still be delicious. You can also use more tender cuts like ribeye, flank steak, or sirloin with the same Korean-style marinade instead of the tougher short ribs cut.
Flanken short ribs (sometimes called LA galbi) are thin-cut, bone-in beef short ribs sliced across the bone. They are commonly used in Korean BBQ recipes. They cook faster than thicker boneless short ribs and work well in this recipe too (sous vide 12-18 hours).
Kalbi (or galbi) means “ribs” in Korean and is typically made with flanken short ribs, while bulgogi is usually made with tender cuts like ribeye or sirloin. The marinades are very similar – sweet, savory, garlicky, and rich with soy sauce and sesame flavor.
Yes. Thin-cut bone-in flanken ribs (Miami-style ribs) work especially well and can reduce the sous vide time to about 12-18 hours, depending on thickness.
For the best flavor, marinate the ribs overnight or up to 24 hours. If you’re short on time, even 4-6 hours will still add flavor.
Yes. Broil the ribs for 1-2 minutes on one side (so they don’t overcook).
Love beef ribs?
Here are a few more show-stopping options:
- sous vide beef back ribs (bone-in)
- baked beef back ribs with maple bourbon glaze.
- BBQ sous vide short ribs recipe
Please leave a 5-star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe. Thank you so much!
Sous Vide Short Ribs (Korean)
Equipment
- Sous vide equipment and grill (or see other options in notes)
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless beef short ribs 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick (cut in half horizontally if needed), Note 1 I get them at Costco
- Garnish (optional) – chopped green onion, parsley and/or toasted nutty sesame seeds.
Kalbi Marinade (see Note 2 for substitutes)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup light soy sauce
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 2 tablespoon mirin
- 1/4 cup chopped onion, about 1/2 small onion grate it if not using blender/processor
- 1/2 Asian pear (or regular pear), peeled, cubed
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic (6 cloves)
- 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 green onion, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- MAKE MARINADE: Use a food processor or immersion blender. Place all ingredients in a food processor (or bowl). Process/blend until smooth. If you don't have a processor or blender, grate the pear and onion, then mix with the remaining ingredients.
- MARINATE SHORT RIBS: Pour marinade into large zipper lock bag along with boneless beef short ribs. Ribs should be in a single layer. Use 2 bags if needed. Remove air and seal bag. Squish meat around to ensure meat is well covered with marinade. Place in fridge for 24 hours (or 6 hours if taking a shortcut). Remove meat and reserve the marinade (save it in a sealed container in fridge). Dab meat with a paper towel and place in a fresh ziploc in a single layer. Use 2 bags if needed.
- SOUS VIDE SHORT RIBS (see Note 3 for non-sous vide option). Heat water with sous vide equipment to 135F/57C (for medium rare) or 140F/60C for medium. Lower bag of short ribs into water, unsealed, until top of bag is just above water line, then seal it once all air is pressed out by water. If using a circulator sous vide, cover pot with lid, foil, or towel to reduce evaporation. Sous vide ribs for 12-30 hours. I find 24 hours perfect or, if ribs are very thin, 12 hours. (For a shortcut, sous vide for 6 hours – but not as tender). Remove short ribs from bag. Pat dry well with paper towel for better browing.
- MAKE GLAZE/SAUCE (optional but recommended): Pour reserved marinade juices into small pot (I pour it through a sieve/strainer to remove small bits). Bring to boil, then reduce to medium high heat Boil for about 10 minutes until reduced by half and slightly thickened. If you like spicy, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- GRILL KOREAN SHORT RIBS: Spray grill with oil and heat to medium high (450-500F/232-260C). Brush glaze on both sides of short ribs. Spray ribs with oil on one side to avoid sticking. Grill for 2 minutes on the side that is sprayed with oil. No need to grill the other side. Brush on extra glaze and serve with remaining sauce on the side. Garnish with chopped green onions and/or sesame seeds if desired. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
- Short ribs options: I use boneless beef short ribs, but thin bone-in flanken ribs (LA galbi) also work. Ribeye, sirloin, chicken breast, or pork tenderloin can also be used with the marinade, especially if grilling only.
- Substitutes in Marinade :
- Instead of pear – use apple, kiwi or pineapple.
- Instead of water – use half pineapple, half water. Don’t over-marinate with pineapple juice as the ribs can get mushy.
- Instead of mirin – use sherry or sake + a pinch of sugar. Or rice vinegar + a pinch of sugar.
- Instead of dark sesame oil – use light
- Instead of onion – use green onion
- If no sous vide equipment: Marinate at least 24 hours. Grill ribs over medium-high heat (450-500°F/232-260°C) for 2-3 minutes per side until an instant thermometer reads 130°F/54°C. If grilling isn’t available, broil or bake as an alternative.
- If you don’t have a grill:
- After sous vide cooking, broil ribs for 2 minutes close to the heat on one side. Brush with glaze first.
- If you don’t have sous vide equipment or a grill, bake short ribs at 375F for 20 minutes, then broil for 2-3 minutes close to heat to brown.
- Make Ahead:
-
- Timing options/shortcuts:
- Marinating time can range from 6 hours to 24 hours.
- Sous vide time for this recipe is 24 hours. But I’ve tried the short ribs for only 5 hours and the meat was a lot more tender than no sous vide, but less tender than 24 hours. This tells me that anywhere from 12-24 hours will be good too. Even 30 hours should be fine.
- If your meat is thin (less than 1/2 inch/1.3 cm thick), sous vide for a maximum of 12 hours.
- The entire recipe can be made ahead except for the final step of grilling (or broiling) for 2 minutes just before serving.
- Timing options/shortcuts:
Alright, alright, alright 🙂 I am giving this a shot right now as I type. I have made this before but not sous vide. We have out of town company coming in so trying to get schedule/menu down and this works out perfectly so I just have to sear it off on the grill. Saw Jacque’s comment and because I have made this style recipe/marinade before, I added the ginger, toasted sesame oil and the soy sauce he recommends. Funny ending, they brought me the wrong short ribs (8lbs flanken) so the beef ended up being free :). It was supposed to be the dino ribs so I had to scramble a little to find a suitable recipe and this appears to be it. Thanks so much for doing the research and testing on this. I really like how you provide alternatives for folks that may not have all the equipment nor time. I am confident that this will be great. I frequently sous vide beef to the perfect temp then sear over wood/charcoal to give it that steakhouse finish and this seems to be right in line with my practices.
I am crossing my fingers that the Korean ribs work out perfectly for you Brett! Thanks for the lovely comments. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
I would just like to clarify that you do marinade a day & then drain marinade & sous for a day?
Thank you
Toni
That’s correct Toni. If you are short on time, just marinate the ribs for 4-6 hours. Hope you like them!
Your passion and dedication to your craft shine brightly through every article. Your positive energy is contagious, and it’s clear you genuinely care about your readers’ experience. Your blog brightens my day!
Thank you Bryan! That’s probably the nicest compliment I’ve received on the blog! It means a lot – so appreciated 🙂
The marinade is great and the recipe was so well organized, but we found the ribs to be way too fatty where to fat didn’t render at all. I googled it and found that maybe the temperature needs to be increased above 140. See https://www.reddit.com/r/sousvide/comments/2whuhd/short_ribs_48_hrs_136f_way_too_fatty_is_that/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=1
Hi Oliver, so much of sous vide cooking is personal preference which requires experimenting. Thanks for sharing your experience for other readers to consider. You won’t get the meat as medium rare with 140F, but the fat may render more. I hope you’ll let us know if you try it.
As a korean, this is fairly accurate but not a few minor additions / tweaks.
We don’t use light soy sauce. We actually use Korean soy sauce (fermented). It’s lighter in salt but way more umami with a much different flavor than typical japanese soy. Same for Korean Mirin (higher alcohol content). We also use toasted sesame oil (sold in a giant alumninum tin at a korean grocery store) which has a much different flavor than the ones i bought in regular western stores.
Lastly: your recipe is missing Ginger.
Ginger is as key an ingredient to this as garlic and onion.
Otherwise this isn’t a bad rendition…
Also a hack I sometimes use (which pisses off my dad) is pre-soak the ribs in pepsi for a few hours prior to marinade. It’s a trick korean restaurants use if you don’t have access to AAA grade angus, or USDA Prime.
Has to be pepsi and not coke because pepsi uses sugar whereas coke uses caramel (butter screws with the flavor).
Hi Jacque. Thanks so much for the helpful tweaks and information toward making this recipe more authentic. Plus the fun hack with pepsi. It’s true that I try to use ingredients that are easily accessible to most western readers, but I, and hopefully others, appreciate hearing about the more traditional Korean ingredients and how they compare to western ingredients.
In a quandary about temp and time in sous vide. My ribs are about 3/4″ thick. I saw another vid showing cooking @ 160 for 11hrs? They looked great after browning. But, scares me because of high heat? Makes more sense to me to cook 130-135 for 24hrs. Wondering what your thoughts are on the 2 methods?
Hi Charles, If you scan the internet for sous vide recipes, you will always find a range of temperatures. That’s why it takes some experimentation to see what you like best. If you like your meat medium rare-ish, I would go for the lower temperature 130-135F for 24 hours or less. At 3/4″, you might be fine at 12-18 hours. You can test them at that point and see what you think if you are using the water displacement method with a ziploc. If you like well done meat, you can try the higher temperature. I hope that helps.
I LOVE this reciepe – very well written, with multiple methods depending on your equipement and access to ingredients. Also providing different measures (e.g. 4 tbsps or 6 cloves of garlic) SO helpful for a busy peron trying to get food ready,
Finally LOVE being able to skip right to the recipe
Waiting to see the results but had to say this is how ALL recipes should be written
Thank you so much! I can’t tell you how much your comments means to me. I so appreciate them. I hope you get great results!
Interesting that when you cut the ribs down to 1/2 inch thickness, the cut looks to be with the grain. Is that so that when you serve the final product, the cuts look to be against the grain.
Hmm. I never really thought about that! I cut the meat in half horizontally just to get a thinner strip which is more typical for Korean-style short ribs. Ideally, this would be across the grain, but less important for for this recipe since the long cooking time with sous vide breaks down the connective tissue, making the meat more tender anyway. Regardless, it’s always best to cut perpendicular to the grain with cooked meat to make it more tender, juicier and easier to chew. I hope that answered your question.
This marinade is actually incredible omfg! I didn’t have the pear and it was still amazing.
I cooked it a bit differently because I had thick short ribs on the bone:
I marinated the ribs for 8 hours then I left the marinade aside and seared the ribs in a cast iron pan. Then I did sous vide at 131 for 48 hours. When they were done I took the leftover marinade and brought it to a boil, then simmered it for a few minutes. Meanwhile I brushed some marinade on the ribs and popped them in the oven for a bit to get the tops all nice and glazed. I used the reduced marinade as the glaze/sauce to serve it with. I wish I could post a photo here, they were THE BEST short ribs I’ve ever had, let alone made myself. This recipe is a keeper 100%
Thanks for sharing your process Amie. Glad the short ribs worked out so well!
I’m experimenting with Sous Vide myself lately and I’m amazed by how consistent the results are, it’s literally hard to make a bad meal when using this method 🙂 I’m about to give your recipe a try the next time I turn my sous vide machine on, the marinade looks VERY promising!
Hi Matej, Hope you like the short ribs if you try them! Just don’t over marinate if you’re using pineapple and sous vide for less time if your meat is thin. Let us know how they turn out!
I made these, but since I’m an impatient person, I’ve cut the times down a bit 🙂
6 hours of marinating and then overnight (about 10 hours) in the water bath. The ribs I had were quite small/thin though.
I was very happy about the result, great recipe!
Thanks Matej. It’s great to hear that the lower timing (marinating and sous vide) worked well (probably best) with a thinner cut of short ribs. Thanks for leaving a comment.