For the first time ever I decided to experiment with 5-spice powder in this Asian short ribs recipe. And what better way to incorporate this flavor than in the slow cooker?! In case you haven’t heard me say it before – I LOVE making everything from soups to stocks to beans to dinners in my crock pot.
Preparing a delicious and nutritious meal in advance that is ready and waiting for you at dinner time, keeps your house smelling amazing all day long, and usually requires minimal cleanup after eating? I am sold. Especially on those nights when the kids have early evening extracurricular activities. Slow cooker dinners are the way to go in my opinion!
Another great thing about this recipe is that, for those who have an allergy or sensitivity, it does not contain any gluten or dairy (as long as a gluten-free soy sauce is used). You could also just omit (or replace) the soy sauce topping if someone in your family can’t eat soy. Oh, and while we are on the topic, there are no nuts in this recipe either. So there you go…this is officially an allergy-friendly dish that everyone can enjoy together!
Slow Cooker Asian Short Ribs (with Soy Sauce Glaze)
Instructions
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In a small bowl, combine the 5-spice powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
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Place the onion and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker.
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Put the ribs on top of the onion and coat them evenly with the spice mixture. Keeping the ribs on top of the onions helps to keep them out of the juices and fat that will collect at the bottom during cooking.
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Turn slow cooker onto LOW and cook for 9 to 10 hours. (No need to add any water or liquid before starting.)
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Just before serving the ribs, combine the soy sauce and honey in a small pot on the stove. Bring to a light boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
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Carefully transfer the ribs to a serving platter (on top of the brown rice noodles and bok choy if using – as pictured above) and pour the sauce over the top of the entire dish. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free soy sauce.
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
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It looks great! Where do I find the five spice powder?
It’s with the spices in the supermarket – just one of the blends.
Would this work with pork ribs if I do not like beef? Looks amazing and I love all these ingredients!
Hi Christine. I imagine it would. Let us know how it turns out. ~Amy
Christine,
Did you make this with pork ribs? I’m curious bc I wanted to do the same! Will you let us know if it turned out?
Thank you so much for sharing this! I swear, my husband thinks I’m the best, most creative cook because of you! haha. But I made regular barbecue sauce ribs in my slow cooker this week, and I followed a tip I read on another website that really helped. After cooking them in the slow cooker, throw the ribs on a baking sheet and put them in the oven on a high temperature for just a few minutes. (She actually said to use the broiler, but I don’t have a broiler on my oven.) It helps the top layer harden up a bit. In your recipe, I’d put the honey sauce on first, and then put them in the oven. Thanks again!
If I can’t find 5-spice powder, does anyone know the 5 spices so I could make it myself?
Hi Emily. Not sure you saw Laura’s answer below. She says: “it’s Anise, Cinnamon, Star Anise, Cloves, Ginger! ” ~Amy
Emily Penzeys.com has Chinese five spice powder.
Emily – it’s Anise, Cinnamon, Star Anise, Cloves, Ginger!
These look amazing. I always need good slow cooker recipes. Thanks Danielle for the tip to crisp them up!
I wish I could find good meat. Everything I’ve bought at the grocery is pretty much in edible. Stringy fat. Tasteless. The last ribs I bought went straight in the trash. What should I look for?
I would check a store like Whole Foods. The meat is pricey, but worth it. Pay now or pay later (with bad health) is my philosophy when paying for groceries. Also, check your area for local farmers markets or farmers who sell meat. I’ve always gotten great meat from a farmer close to my home, and at a reasonable price. Hope this helps!
Mmmm…looks delicious!
Thanks Sommer – I hope you are doing well! :)
Hi,
I wish I could say I love using a slow cooker. The only success I have had is with soups and chilis….neither of which my kids eat. The meals I have made with meat become dry….with chicken or roasts. Not moist or tender. However, I will try your rib recipe since I love anything with 5 Asian spice.
Thanks for sharing,
Erin
I have the same problem with my slow cooker. My family always says (and they’re correct) that everything I make in it tastes the same. I love the idea of the slow cooker, but dislike the moans when I bring it out.
It is important to choose the right cuts of meat (with a lot of fat). I’ve been told that leaner cuts of meat can come out dry.
Also, cooking on low (as opposed to high) and for a shorter time can help. I’ve had chicken come out dry, but that’s because it had been cooked a little too long. Also, there are better slow cookers than others out there. Lisa is right about fatty cuts of meat as well. Her Pork Carnitas recipe is AMAZING and a family favorite here!!
Your crock pot probably runs hot. Mine does and I can easily take two hours off most recipes on the low setting. So, I would probably only cook this for 7 hrs at most in my crock pot.
Hi Erin, so strange to hear that, as I have had the exact opposite experience! I never cook anything in the over b/c it comes out dry. My slow cooker is a rice cooker as well but I have had a reg one in the past. Maybe try the rice cooker?
This sounds amazing! I’ll try it this week. For those folks who can’t find it in the baking aisle, try the “Ethnic” aisle, where you’d get other Asian inspired items.
You can also replace the Soy Sauce with Coconut Aminos, which is very similar to soy sauce. Personally, I try to avoid soy.
Good to know!! I avoid soy (although, fermented soy, like traditionally brewed soy sauce, in moderation is not a risk, like unfermented GMO soy used in all processed American foods and tofu) and I have been looking for an alternative. I haven’t seen Coconut Aminos, I have seen Soy Aminos (Braggs) but still soy so I didn’t bother. I will have to look for Coconut Aminos. I found a soy sauce alternative recipe online that looks like it would work as well.
I always feel safe with Crock pot, I bake apples, it’s like eating apple pie, Just plain,
Could this be cooked on high for five hours instead of on low for ten?
Yes, I think it would work (although I have not tested it that way).
I tried it, and it turned out wonderful. I used boneless beef short ribs, and let it cook for approximately 3 hours on high and three on low. The glaze was amazing!
Can I use boneless beef ribs for this
Hi Ashley. We’ve not tried but boneless should work, too. ~Amy
Yum, these sound really easy and tasty :)
You could use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce to make it more allergic friendly without compromising the glaze….
I’ve been wanting to try an Asian recipe but haven’t found one I think my husband will like…until now! Can’t wait to try it and widen our horizons a bit. The only thing is that I’ve never worked with bok choy before and have no idea how to prepare it or season it. Any pointers?
Hi Ashley. This might help: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/ingredients-guide/how-to-cook-bok-choy-00100000074859/. ~Amy
Hi Amy — I checked out the link for more info on bok choy, but I still am not sure what to do with the bok choy for this recipe. The link suggests it is good raw… do you just top the brown rice noodles with it raw, and then put the ribs on top of that? Or do you steam it?
Trying this recipe this weekend for company… I should try it on my family first, but I’m confident in Lisa’s recipes!! :-) Thanks in advance.
Hi again. It was suggested as a side in this recipe and you could prepare it any way you like. Here are some other suggestions: http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/5-ways-with-bok-choy/. I love it seared and stir fried. ~Amy
Pretty excited to try this, and I’m going to be looking for Coconut Aminos ASAP!! So glad to hear there’s a good alternative out there to soy sauce!
Can not wait to try this recipe!
We just tried this recipe tonight and it was delicious! I had recently bought 25 pounds worth of grass-fed local beef in a variety of cuts, and I was so glad to see this short rib recipe as that was one of the cuts I wasn’t sure what to do with. We had it with a side of bok choy was recommended too which was actually the first time my husband and I have ever had it. It was all very tasty.
Fantastic recipe. My 9 and 7 year old boys loved having home made Chinese. Definitely will be on our menu again very soon! Thanks for all you do. I love your site.
Are you kidding me? You’re claiming that eating fatty beef ribs is healthy? Are you going to pay for the drugs that people will need after following your “healthy”diet plan?
Hi Cindy. This site is about giving up processed food and eating real food made from real ingredients. Occasionally, that involves recipes that conflict with some views of what “healthy food” is. You can read on about the Leake’s experience and how they define “healthy eating” here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/, https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/07/14/day-47-health-benefits/, and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/02/23/shocking-blood-test-results/. ~Amy
Cindy, eating organic, grass fed beef ribs is perfectly fine if you don’t have them every day.
I love the idea of this blog and pretty much everything about, but have to mention that burnt meat is seriously unhealthy. Personally I would throw the ones in the photo in the bin.
Besides that thanks for all the great tips and inspiration!
Yum. Sounds delish! I think a pork or beef roast cooked low and slow with this recipe would be great too. Shred it up and serve over rice.
The recipe sounds easy enough…but you said there isn’t a need to add water. Wouldn’t the meat burn in the crockpot??
Hi Angie. That has been a common question. The dish creates its own juices. No need to worry. ~Amy
I made this for dinner last night and it was SOOOO good! I used pork ribs, since that is what my store had, and they were excellent. Moist juicy and good flavor! Even my picky eater went back for seconds! I also glazed them and baked them of a few minutes as another commentor recommend. Very good! I will definitely make these again!!
Made these tonight with boneless short ribs. I made Tahoe wheat biscuits to go along side it. I turned out great. Thanks for both recipes.
I was wondering what brand soy sauce you use? I read the ingredients of the one I have and almost didn’t use it.
Hi Lj. Try Eden Organic. ~Amy
Did you have to adjust the cooking time for boneless? I’m making this tomorrow night and our butcher only sells boneless short rib meat.
Do you have additional slow cooker recipes you can post? I did not see many on your recipe index. Thanks
Hi Beth. In addition to the our index, this post is a source for recipes: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/02/18/slow-cooker-freezer-recipes/. ~Amy
Hey! I have this in the crock pot right now. Although I used “All Spice” instead of 5 spice because my hubby couldn’t locate it at the store…we will see if it still turns out as good as the original….
I found it in the Asian section of my store.
This is a great recipe! I used cilantro instead of bokchoy and it took it over the top!! Keep the slow cooker recipes coming!
Ps- I finally found the five spice powder in the 4th store I tried. It was called Chinese 5 spice powder.
Do you need to brown the short ribs first? Thanks – looking forward to trying this recipe
Hi Cindy. You do not need to brown the ribs first. ~Amy
It‘s in the crockpot right now. I use the crockpot all the time, this is the first time not using any liquid to start! The ribs pictured, above, look very browned, almost black, should i expect mine to look the same?
Hi Cindy. How did it turn out? ~Amy
I noticed a lot of posts saying they couldn’t find or had a difficult time finding the 5 Spice Powder. I couldn’t find it either (although I only checked at the store I was at) so I made my own! For those who can’t find it, look it up online how to make your own; super easy and quick. Plus if you cook often, like me, you probably already have all the necessary spices at home!
I’m new to using slow cookers. Can I put the ribs frozen into the slow cooker or do I need to thaw the meat first? If I can put it in frozen, does that change the cooking time? Thanks for the help!
Hi Katherine. I would use thawed ribs for this recipe. ~Amy
I made this last night… They only had bone out grass feed short ribs and it was amazing! Because there were no bones the meat just shredded. Thank you so much for the recipe my 6 and 4 year old basically licked their plates clean!
Can I substitute coconut aminos for the soy? I am sensitive to soy sauce very much so.
Hi Brittany. Other readers have suggested this, though it is not something we have done. ~Amy
I made this dish today and in the last hour of cooking I threw in bokchoy, mushrooms, ginger, snow peas and carrots on top of the cooking ribs (to steam cook) and it was a fantastic one pot meal! Served over rice and topped with bean sprouts and scallions. A new family favorite~ Thank you!
love you site! I have made sooo many things from here that the entire family will eat (we took the 10 day challenge and are now continuing on with an 80/20 split). Putting these on right now with some grain fed short ribs that I purchased right from an organic/sustainable farm. I think I messed up though, I cut the ribs first. are they going to fall apart when I try to remove them? any suggestions on how to keep the meat on the bone when using a crock??
Hi Sue. Apologies. We are often unable to answer questions in real time. How did they turn out? ~Amy
Once again you rock, Lisa, and make my life so much easier!!! Your recipes never fail and always make me look good : ). Made these last night and we loved them — my husband almost couldn’t stop reaching for more! I can’t eat beef (it’s an iron overload disorder) so i used good pork ribs from Whole Foods, and of course, used non-gmo soy sauce and raw honey. Clean and delish!
I made this the other day. Followed the recipe exactlly. My family really liked it. I don’t even think I would do anything differently were I to make it again. If only short ribs were cheaper, this one would go into regular rotation.
Quick question- why not coat the ribs in the spices and other things before putting them in the crock pot? Thank you.
Hello Gigi. You could totally do that. :) ~Amy
Made these ribs for my family and they loved it. Thank you for the recipe.
This sounds so good, but I don’t eat beef. Do you think this would work with a pork loin?
Hi Erin. We’ve not tried this with pork. If you do, you might want to choose a cut with more fat (maybe a shoulder with bone in) or it may come out dry. ~Amy
I served with broccoli that I steamed over the rice noodles as they boiled, and garnished with a bit of sesame oil, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes. So amazing and comforting, especially in the colder months. The meat had a great char on the outside yet stayed tender inside; it fell right off the bone. I am attempting a stock in the slow cooker with the bones and leftover braising liquid- I’m sure it will be delicious as well!
Outstanding (and ridiculously easy) recipe. We found this googling a crock-pot recipe for some beef spare ribs that didn’t involve BBQ sauce. This was just the ticket. Can’t wait to check out the rest of your site.
Hi. Do you have recommendations for doubling the recipe? I actually don’t know what 3-1/2 pounds of short ribs looks like, but know that i’d like to make enough for 6-8 people, so hoping i can fit more in crockpot. Do you think it’s ok to proportionally increase the recipe for additional servings? or is it not recommended? Thanks.
Hello. I think the recipe will work fine when doubled. The issue might be your crock pot size. ~Amy
Fantastic! We at Little Green Pouch are taking the 10 day real food pledge, and I made this for breakfast on day one. It was a hit, and my husband asked me to add it to our regular rotation :-)
This did not turn out good for me. Short ribs had no taste, and I didn’t know 5-spice powder is the same spice used in Vietnamese pho dish, it wasn’t good to eat pho beef over rice. Most likely will not try this recipe again.
Hi,
My family loves ribs, I am always looking for a new recipe. However my daughter is highly allergic to honey. Will this taste really different without the honey or is there a substitute I could use? Thank you!
Hi Colleen. We often substitute honey with maple syrup though we’ve not tried it in this recipe. ~Amy
I was going to make this and I thought I have short ribs at home, only to find out it was ribeye and I already defrosted it. Can I use that ? Or do u have any rib eye recipe?
Thanks
Hi there. Sorry that I am so late getting to this. What did you do? ~Amy
I made this tonight and it is delicious! The whole family enjoyed it!
So good. I made this last night, and everyone loved it. The leftovers were fought over by my oldest and husband tonight!
When you use soy sauce, do you use sodium free?
Hi there. No, we don’t. ~Amy
Our store was sold out of short ribs so I bought beef slices with no bones. Do you think this will turn out similar or should I not cook it for so long?
Hi Susan. How did it turn out?
These ribs were fabulous. Thank you for the recipe. However, should the sauce have been thick or thin?
Hi Michele. It should be like a thin syrup. ~Amy
I made this on Monday, oh my, I was glad I was at work while it was cooking because it smelled so good. It was very tasty and the meat just fell off the bones. We had Jasmine rice and sautéed bok choy with it.
I have now made 2 of your recipes and I will be trying more. Thank you.
Made this tonight. Delicious! Thank you for posting this recipe!
Check out my blog at http://healthyandhappywellness.blogspot.com :)
How do you prepare the bok choy?
Hi Elizabeth. I think think Lisa sauteed this. Here is a look at some options: http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/5-ways-with-bok-choy/. ~Amy
I can’t find the five spice blend… Can you tell me what spices are in it? Thanks!
Here ya go:
ground cinnamon
ground cloves
fennel seed
ground star anise
Szechuan peppercorns
I invited my parents over and we had this along with the Asian coleslaw and they were both delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
What is the brand of the spice? I am having trouble finding that or the things that go in it!
Hi Cara. McCormick makes one.
Lisa said she used chicken instead of ribs…….did she use a whole chicken, or what? Thanks!
I used chicken legs, but a whole chicken would be great!
How long should it cook if you use chicken?
For a whole chicken I’d cook it for about 4 to 5 hours on high. For chicken legs I would cook it for 3 to 4 hours on high.
Another winner! Thank you! I needed this done in about 6 hours, so I started it on high for an hour then switched to low for the remaining time and they were perfect. I took a bite before adding the soy sauce and honey mixture and thought they were equally as tasty without it. This will definitely become a regular in my menu rotation. I love the idea of trying this with chicken, cannot wait!
Thanks again!
Holly
Portland, OR
So the noodles and bok choy are plain? It would be nice if the recipe included directions for these items as well.
Hi Krishell. Here is a favorite of mine: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/stir-fried-udon-noodles-with-bok-choy/. :)
Someone earlier in the comments mentioned throwing the bok choy in the crockpot on top of the ribs, so I did that an hour before it was done cooking. Turned out fine. I thought the dish was a tad salty (and one kid wasn’t a huge fan of the bok choy, but ate most of it) overall my family liked it. My husband has been on board with clean eating for a while now and Lisa’s recipes are making him a big fan. Thanks!
I am new to this and will be doing the ‘ten day clean eating pledge’. I will be using this site a lot for recipes as well as a few others. This is the first meal on my very first ever meal planing journey. Did you list the side dishes? I see in some comments people were asking questions about the book choy and Asian noodles. Do I just have to go to recipes to find side dishes. Thanks so much and I am glad I am here and looking forward to journey.
Hi Bonnie. For most of the recipes, just one dish is featured. You can mix and match, however, throughout the recipe index: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/real-food-resources/recipe-index/. Have you accessed the meal plans: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/our-free-meal-plans/? ~Amy
My short ribs are in the crock pot right now. I’m going to have them with soba noodles and whatever organic green looks good at the market today. For those above with absolutely no imagination, http://www.pinterest.com literally has thousands of recipes for everything. I’m even providing the website link for all you lazy peeps.
Cooking this for a Chinese New Year party. 2 questions. Is this cooked as one layer in the crockpot or can I put a few layers on top of each other. I have 20 ribs to do. Can I freeze these?
Hi there. Sure, you can freeze them.
We made the Asian short ribs for dinner tonight with steamed broccoli. This is dinner party worthy, AND, my 4 and 6 yo devoured it!
Wow Wow Wow! We had these Asian Ribs last night and my husband won’t stop talking about them. They were wonderful! We bought the grass fed beef ribs from Whole Foods. They cost a fortune but it was worth it! I used the recipe for Udon Noodles with Bok Choy that Amy Taylor (comment moderator) put the link on 10/7/14 in the comments. It went perfectly with the Asian ribs. I also quartered 2 onions instead of one to make sure the ribs were elevated off the bottom of the crock pot. This recipe is a keeper. Can’t wait to have my kids over to try this. Thanks!
Are there nutritional values listed for any of these recipes?
Hi Ali. We really don’t focus on numbers. This post helps explain why we do not provide those details: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/.
Will this work if I double the recipe?
If your crock pot is big enough! :)
I am allergic to onions – any other alternative? Or will they cook fine on top of garlic?
Hi. It will do fine with the garlic but will sit on the bottom of the pot. This might help, too: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-best-substitute-for-onions-in-recipes-good-questions-211146.
This dish is definitely a winner! I’m not a very experienced cook, but this is the most impressive thing to come out of my kitchen – and it was so easy! I followed instructions exactly, except cut the ingredients in half since I was just feeding two people. The glaze at the end is the icing on the – ribs! I served with white rice, sauteed bok choy (with ginger, garlic, soy sauce), and a cold asian cucumber salad (just googled one). My boyfriend was very impressed, and this will definitely be on rotation for dinner parties! Keep the slow cooker recipes coming… I also really like the pulled pork from this website.
Is there another name for the 5 spice powder? I’m having trouble finding it.
Hi there. This will help if you can’t find the blend: http://www.thekitchn.com/inside-the-spice-cabinet-chinese-five-spice-powder-74672.
These are incredible. I’ve made them a few times – they’re my husbands favorite so I usually cook them as a special meal or date night for us! The flavor is so good especially with the sauce drizzled on top!
My husband’s absolute favorite meal! If you can’t find the 5-spice mix, it’s really good without. I’ve made it both ways. Just do extra paprika.
Can you use boneless ribs? Does he cooking time or any liquid need to be added? They are in the crockpot now :-)
So sorry. We can rarely reply to recipe questions in real time. How did they turn out?
Can I make gravy or sauce from the leftover juices?
We have not tried to do so but I am sure you can.