Flanken Short Ribs Slow Cooker

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Slow Cooker Korean Beef Short Ribs (Kalbi) are literally falling-off-the-bone tender from a long, slow cooking process braising in a flavorful marinade that doubles as a fantastic slightly sweet and savory sauce that can be drizzled over the cooked short ribs and white rice.

If you are looking for some other delicious Korean recipes, you should check out my Bulgogi (Korean Beef Tacos), Hotteok (Korean Sweet Pancakes), and Pajeon (Korean Pancakes with Scallions)!

a white plate with korean shortribs stacked on it and garnished with scallion and seasame seeds

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We are big fans of ribs at our house and these slow cooker Korean beef short ribs (known as Kalbi in Korea) are some of the easiest, most delicious ones ever!

Slow Cooker Korean Beef Short Ribs

This is one of my favorite slow cooker recipes because unlike some where you need to saute vegetables or brown meat beforehand, with these slow cooker Korean beef short ribs you literally just throw everything in to the crock pot, turn it on and walk away.

Then when it's time to eat you have succulent, juicy meat that is melt-in-your-mouth delicious and packed with incredible Asian flavors.

Crockpot with beef short ribs and sliced onions in it, with a soy sauce based marinade being poured over the top.

What is the difference between short ribs and regular ribs?

Beef short ribs come from the plate cut, while spare ribs (also known as beef back ribs) come from the cow's rib section. Short ribs are typically braised or cooked in a slow cooker, while the longer spare ribs can be barbequed, roasted, braised or grilled.

How to make the sauce

I like to thicken the sauce just a bit with an easy slurry made with a little cornstarch and cold water, then serve that alongside the ribs and some white rice. And I would definitely recommend not skipping the garnishes of sliced green onions and sesame seeds, which add wonderful freshness, flavor, and texture to the final dish.

One braised beef short rib on a bed of white rice.

Having a fat separator will come in handy with the sauce because short ribs tend to have quite a lot of fat that cooks off during the long, slow braising process. But you could also just skim fat off the top with a spoon.

This recipe would also work with almost any meat, really, including chicken, other cuts of beef (brisket & flank steak, especially), or a pork roast. And it would go perfectly with stir-fried baby bok choy!

a white plate with korean shortribs on it

And if you love ribs, you might also want to check out these brown sugar & honey smoked baby back ribs.

More Slow Cooker Recipes For Busy Nights

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup
Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast Sandwiches
Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
Crock Pot Pork Green Chili
Slow Cooker Asian Pulled Pork Sliders
Slow Cooker Cuban Mojo Pork

Check out these other amazing recipes from some of my favorite food blogging friends, representing other countries!

Canada - Spicy Maple Bacon Chicken Drumsticks
China - Asian Peanut Sesame Noodles
Ireland - Homemade Irish Cream
Ireland - Irish Lamb Stew

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korean beef shortribs topped with sesame seeds and green onion on a white plate with a bowl of rice to the side

▢ 4-6 pounds beef short ribs
▢ 1 cup soy sauce
▢ 1 cup beef broth
▢ 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
▢ ½ cup dark brown sugar
▢ ½ Tablespoon black pepper
▢ 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
▢ 5 cloves garlic minced
▢ 1 Tablespoon ginger minced
▢ 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
▢ 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional or 2 tablespoons Gochujang

To finish

▢ 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
▢ ¼ cup cold water
▢ 2-3 green onions sliced on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces for garnish
▢ 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Arrange the short ribs in the bottom of a slow cooker, then sprinkle with the thinly sliced onion.
Mix together the soy sauce, beef broth, rice vinegar, brown sugar, black pepper, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, then pour over the short ribs.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high heat for 3-4 hours.
When almost ready to serve, whisk the cornstarch into the cold water and pour into the slow cooker, stirring to combine with the sauce and juices from the meat. Cover and cook another 20 minutes, until the liquid has thickened slightly.
Remove the ribs from the slow cooker and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green onions. Use a fat separator to remove the fat from the cooking liquid, then serve alongside white rice and the short ribs to be drizzled over the meat and rice.