Short Ribs in the Air Fryer are an easy recipe for a quick dinner! Make tender ribs with minimal effort. No need to worry about braising short ribs every time you cook them anymore! If you're looking for beef short ribs quickly, your air fryer will give you the best results.
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If you're looking for a short rib recipe that puts your air fryer to good use and lets it do the heavy lifting, this recipe is for you! We know you may be skeptical as you've most likely always enjoy beef ribs braised, but we promise these juicy ribs may be one of your new favorite ways to enjoy this cut of beef.
Looking for more tasty beef recipes? Try out our steak and seafood skillet, this Dutch oven pot roast, or this bavette steak recipe!
Looking for more air fryer recipes? Make sure to check out this air fryer ribeye, this bacon wrapped asparagus, or these air fryer smashed potatoes with garlic and herbs.
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❤️Why you'll love this
- Simple ingredients. There are only 6 ingredients that you need for this recipe, if you include the salt and pepper. Anything you don't have can easily be found at regular grocery stores.
- Naturally low carb and gluten free. Simple ingredients with nothing funky added, so it's perfect for a variety of diets. These short ribs are 0 net carbs per serving!
- Quick & easy. Typically, short ribs are braised, but we promise, they are delicious and juicy in the air fryer as well. They're ready in 20 minutes or less from start to finish, you have a delicious meal.
📋Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need.
- Beef short ribs. We used English cut, bone-in beef short ribs because they are incredibly flavorful, tender, and juicy with lovely marbling.
- Garlic powder & onion powder. Technically optional, but trust us, you're going to want these!
- Olive oil. To coat the short ribs while they cook and help the seasoning adhere.
You can find the full instructions, ingredient measurements, and nutrition information in the recipe card.
✨Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few flavor variations you can try!
- Add some sweetness. Mix in some brown sugar or brown sugar replacement to add a touch of sweetness to the dry rub.
- Add a little umami flavor. Coat the short ribs with soy sauce, tamari, or liquid aminos and reduce the salt added by half. Soy sauce adds complex savory flavors and will darken the color of the ribs.
- Spice them up. Add in a pinch of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or a little chili powder to the dry rub for a little heat.
- Herbaceous. Herbs and short ribs go hand in hand! Try adding some thyme or rosemary for a lovely earthy flavor.
- No olive oil? Swap olive oil for avocado oil, or any other cooking oil of your choice.
🔪Prep work
- Allow short ribs to sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Dry short ribs off really well with paper towel.
- Preheat your air fryer to 390°F.
📖Instructions
In a small bowl, make a simple dry rub with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. (Image 1)
Sprinkle seasoning on the ribs (Image 2), ensure all sides are coated (Image 3).
Now, drizzle with olive oil (Image 4). Coat on all sides (Image 5).
Place ribs in a single layer on air fryer trays or the bottom of the air fryer basket (Image 6).
Cook until internal temperature reaches at least 165°F internally (Image 7).
*Although other cuts of beef can be consumed rare at 120°F, you will want to cook these longer, or else they won't be tender enough. This should take roughly 15 minutes.
Please be mindful that cooking times will vary. The time needed to cook the meat is based on the model of your air fryer. Higher wattage may want to use a lower temperature/shorter cooking time.
✨Pro Tip: The best way to know if they have reached the correct internal temperature is by using a meat thermometer like an instant read thermometer or an oven-safe thermometer to watch the temperature increase.
Allow the short ribs for 10 minutes before digging in to seal in all the juices. That's it! Garnish with fresh parsley and serve (Image 8)!
✨Tips & tricks
While these air fryer beef ribs may not exactly be completely fall-off-the-bone tender, they are incredibly juicy, like eating a yummy, well-seasoned steak. It's one of those easy meals you'll end up eating over and over again.
Making these in the air fryer may change your mind about the cooking method. It's the easy way to cook short ribs and it tastes amazing! Here are our top tips.
- Season generously. Generally speaking, you want about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat. We went with a little less in this recipe because some of the final weight comes from the bone. If you have time, it's always great to season them a day or two in advance and store them in the fridge. This will dry age them a bit, making the meat incredibly flavorful!
- Use a meat thermometer. We love using an oven safe thermometer so we can walk away from the air fryer and keep an eye on the internal temperature, so we take it out at exactly the right time for your preferred temperature.
- Don't overcook the meat! Similar to what we said above, keep in mind that the short ribs will continue cooking once we take them out of the air fryer, so you can take them out about 5°F below your desired temperature.
- Let the meat rest. It's important to let the meat sit for a few minutes before digging in. This keeps the meat juicy, as the moisture will be re-distributed throughout the meat.
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🍴What to Serve with this
Wondering what to pair with these short ribs if you're planning a dinner menu? We've got you covered!
- We have tons of side dishes and extras that would pair perfectly with this recipe. Short ribs have a steak like texture, and would love a slathering of our popular cowboy butter sauce.
- Serve it over these redskin mashed potatoes or truffle mashed potatoes. For a low carb alternative, try our creamy mashed turnips!
- These brussels sprouts with bacon and balsamic or these lemon garlic green beans are both ideal pairings as far as veggies go. Maybe you'd prefer to serve it with this spinach and arugula salad and creamy balsamic dressing or this honey lemon dressing instead!
- Don't forget the steakhouse creamed spinach, a side of this Southern baked mac and cheese, and these honey cornbread muffins with whipped honey butter, or this air fryer garlic bread!
More Side Dish Ideas
💭Frequently asked questions
English cut are the ones you want to use for this recipe. These are the ones with the thick cut of meat stacked on top of the bone. These ribs are cut parallel to the bone, and there is one piece of bone per piece of meat.
Flanken style is cut across the bone. Each piece has three to four short sections of bone, with lots of meat around them. The meat is thin and cooks very quickly.
This article helps to learn more about the different styles of short ribs available.
If you have any leftover ribs, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat gently on the stovetop, in the microwave, or in the air fryer.
More Recipes to Consider
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Short Ribs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2.25 pounds bone-in beef short ribs (English cut)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil (as needed)
- parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Dry short ribs off really well with a paper towel. Preheat your air fryer to 390°F. In a small bowl, make a simple dry rub with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of coarse black pepper, ½ teaspoon of onion powder, and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder. Coat all sides of the ribs with the seasoning blend. Now, cover the ribs with 1-2 tablespoons (as needed) of olive oil on all sides.
- Place ribs in a single layer on air fryer trays or the bottom of the air fryer basket. Cook until internal temperature reaches at least 165°F internally. *Although other cuts of beef can be consumed rare at 120°F, you will want to cook these longer, or else they won't be tender enough. This should take roughly 15 minutes.
- Allow short ribs to rest for 10 minutes before digging in to seal in the juices. That's it! Garnish with fresh parsley and serve!
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently in the air fryer, on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Notes
- Although beef can be consumed at an internal temperature of 120°F (rare) we recommend cooking this cut to 165°F - 200°F so it becomes more tender.
- Allow short ribs to sit out at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
- Be mindful that cooking times will vary. The time needed to cook the meat is based on the model of your air fryer. Higher wattage may want to use a lower temperature/shorter cooking time.
- Season generously. Generally speaking, you want about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat. We went with a little less in this recipe because some of the final weight comes from the bone. If you have time, it's always great to season them a day or two in advance and store them in the fridge. This will dry age them a bit, making the meat incredibly flavorful!
- Use a meat thermometer. We love using a bluetooth thermometer so we can walk away from the air fryer and keep an eye on the internal temperature, so we take it out at exactly the right time for your preferred temperature.
- Don't overcook the meat! Similar to what we said above, keep in mind that the short ribs will continue cooking once we take them out of the air fryer, so you can take them out about 5°F below your desired temperature.
- Let the meat rest. It's important to let the meat sit for a few minutes before digging in. This keeps the meat juicy, as the moisture will be re-distributed throughout the meat.
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