Incredible Asian Flavored Short Ribs
Braised short ribs with Asian flavors are rich, aromatic, and utterly comforting. These boneless short ribs slowly cook in a savory soy sauce base, infused with ginger, fennel, and scallions.
Cinnamon sticks and star anise add warmth and a hint of sweetness, while Sichuan peppercorns bring a gentle, tingling spice. Every bite melts in your mouth and carries layers of flavor.
Cooking the ribs low and slow unlocks the meat’s full tenderness. The soy sauce adds savory depth, ginger and scallions brighten the braise, and fennel contributes a subtle, sweet aroma.
Cinnamon and star anise give the dish a fragrant, exotic note, while Sichuan peppercorns create a unique, warming finish. The resulting sauce is rich, aromatic, and perfect for spooning over steamed rice or noodles.
This recipe is simple, impressive, and perfect for weeknight dinners or special occasions. Braised short ribs with Asian flavors bring restaurant-quality taste straight to your kitchen, with bold, comforting flavors that everyone will love.
Braised Short Ribs with Asian Flavors
Equipment
- 1 Dutch ovens
Ingredients
- 10 boneless short ribs cut in half
- 1 cup soy sauce
- ½ cup sugar or ½ cup honey
- 1 bulb fennel chooped small
- 12 scallions trimmed
- 2 cinnamon sticks 3 - inch pieces
- 2 star anise
- 10 slices ginger nickle sized
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns or black peppercorns
- salt & pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 4 cups water or beef stock
Instructions
Sear the ribs
- Pat ribs dry, season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Brown ribs on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Cook aromatics
- Add fennel, scallions, ginger, peppercorns, cinnamon, and star anise. Sauté 3–4 minutes.
Deglaze
- Pour in soy sauce and sugar or honey. Stir, scraping the browned bits.
Braise
- Return ribs. Add water or stock to cover. Bring to boil, then simmer low for 2½–3 hours until tender.
Serve
- Adjust seasoning—spoon ribs and sauce over rice or noodles. Enjoy!
Wines That Pair Well With This Recipe
| Wine | Notes | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Pinot Noir | Light to medium-bodied red with bright red fruit notes | Its acidity and subtle earthiness balance the sweet-salty umami of the soy sauce and ginger. |
| Zinfandel | Bold, fruit-forward red with spice hints | Complements the richness of the beef and the warm spices like star anise and cinnamon. |
| Syrah / Shiraz | Medium to full-bodied red with peppery notes | Echoes the subtle heat from Sichuan peppercorns and stands up to the savory braise. |
| Grenache / Garnacha | Medium-bodied with juicy red fruit and soft tannins | Pairs with the sweet and aromatic flavors without overpowering the dish. |
| Riesling (off-dry) | Light, slightly sweet white with citrus and stone fruit notes | Balances the saltiness of soy sauce and brightens the bold spices in the braise. |
| Gewürztraminer | Aromatic white with spice and lychee notes | Matches the warm spices and ginger while refreshing the palate between bites. |
Alternative Styles
| Style | Aromatic Ingredients | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Classic French | Carrots, onions, celery, garlic, thyme, bay leaves | Builds a rich, savory flavor. Perfect for red wine braises or slow-cooked stews. |
| Asian-Inspired | Ginger, scallions, fennel, star anise, cinnamon sticks, Sichuan peppercorns | Adds warm, fragrant, and slightly spicy notes. Ideal for soy-based braises. |
| Mexican / Latin | Garlic, onions, oregano, cumin, chipotle or dried chilies, bay leaves | Gives smoky, earthy, and spicy flavor. Perfect for braised short ribs in tacos or stews. |
| Italian / Mediterranean | Garlic, onions, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, tomatoes | Creates a robust, aromatic braise. Works well with red wine or tomato-based sauces. |
| Smoky / BBQ | Onions, garlic, smoked paprika, chili powder, thyme, black pepper | Enhances smoky, rich flavors. Great for oven or slow-cooker braises before finishing on the grill. |
Short Rib Cuts
There is a lot of confusion when talking about short ribs. I have looked at dozens of sites, and one describes the different cuts one way and another describes them differently. I found a site called Amazing Ribs that describes them clearly. Not only short ribs, this site describes every kind of rib you have ever eaten. Here’s my attempt with their help.
Short ribs come bone-in or boneless and can be cut in different styles. If you are familiar with pork spare ribs, beef short ribs are a larger and a little meatier version of the same cut of meat. They are cut from the lower rib area, known as the short plate. (see my beef chart page) These ribs are located “in front of another inexpensive, chewy but flavorful cut, the flank steak, and just behind another favorite cut for barbecue, the brisket.”
| Cut | Description | Best Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Flanken Cut | Thin strips of short rib cut across the bone, usually about ½-inch thick. Contains multiple small bones and a good amount of connective tissue. | Ideal for Korean BBQ, grilling, or quick stir-fry braises. Cooks quickly due to thin slices. |
| English Cut | Cut parallel to the bone into thick, rectangular sections, usually 3–4 inches long. Each piece has one long bone and surrounding meat. | Perfect for braising or slow cooking. Retains structure well and becomes tender with long, low heat. |
| Boneless Short Ribs | Short ribs with the bones removed, leaving only meat. Rich in marbling and connective tissue. | Great for braising, stews, or Asian-style dishes. Cooks evenly and is easier to slice and serve. |
Star Anise
According to Amazon’s product description, “Star anise is a star-shaped seed pod with a licorice taste similar to regular anise, only stronger. It is about one inch high with eight segments and a dark brown rust color. Star anise is a key ingredient in many Chinese, Vietnamese and Indian kitchens and can replace regular anise in western recipes.”
I substituted a fennel bulb, an anise flavored plant that you may be interested to know is one of the main herbs used in the preparation of absinthe, a very powerful alcoholic drink popular in France in the late 19th century. I am a big fan of fennel and use it raw in salads where its licorice flavor adds to greens and when braised mellows out and gives chicken and meats a wonderful extra layer of flavor.
Sichuan Peppercorns
Interestingly enough, Sichuan peppercorns are not related to what we know as black peppercorns but are according to Wikipedia, “the outer pod of the tiny fruit of a number of species in the genus Zanthoxylum, widely grown and consumed in Asia as a spice.”
Sichuan pepper has a lemony flavor and causes a tingly numbness in the mouth. Both Star Anise and Sichuan Pepper are ingredients in the popular Chinese Five-Spice Powder available in most supermarkets. This combination of spices contains all five flavors important in Asian cooking including sweet, sour, bitter, pungent and salty. I suppose I could have just substituted this spice for both ingredients. I ended up using fennel and black peppercorns and the results were fine.
9 Responses
That Amazing Ribs website is stellar!! Thanks for putting it out there for us, and for this recipe.
No problem Kell. Glad you enjoyed both.
Best short ribs ever. Cooked half the recipe in the slow cooker, and served them with Chinese fried rice and a salad made from nappa cabbage. Definitely a keeper! Thank you very much.
Hi Trudy, you are very welcome and thanks for letting me know how much you enjoyed it. – RG
Hi, RG. I’ve never made short ribs before. Your recipe calls for the types of seasoning I want. I have a couple of questions. What are the original amounts of star anise and sichuan peppercorns? I have both.How many would you say this feeds? I’m going to be making these batches in one french oven and a large crock-pot. I’m really more experienced with my french oven than the crock-pot, but also need larger quantities. Thanks!
Hi Stefanie, thanks for the comments. I would say about 2 or 3 star anise and 1 teaspoon of Sichuan Peppercorns. How many does it feed really depends on so many factors including:
who you are feeding and what else you are serving with this meal. I’m not trying to be vague, but if there are kids or seniors, they are going to eat a lot less than most adults. Men often eat more than women but I know guys on diets (not many) who don’t eat much at all. Are you serving this with rice? Are you starting with a nice big salad? Is bread involved? What kind of short ribs did you purchase? How big are they? Now if each person eats two short ribs, this would be good for 5 people but figure out who you are serving before you go purchase the ribs. Hope this helps. – RG
Hi, RG. I appreciate your response. After choosing the spare ribs, I’ve figured 2 pieces per person and have plenty of other food to cover big appetites. I love star anise. Such a wonderful surprise for people’s tastebuds!
PS I’ve also decided to keep the fennel in the recipe. It loses it’s anise sharpness and adds such a lovely layer of flavor to braised dishes.
I have a similar recipe for Asian short ribs. It calls for hoisin sauce, ginger & garlic and a bottle of strong ale to simmer the ribs in after browning with the ginger & garlic. The hoisin sauce goes in for the last 30 min of simmering with lid off. So good and like you said, better the second day. Keep up the great recipes!
Is the soy sauce the only liquid? I’d like to try these today with 1/2-ing the recipe, but 1/2 c soy sauce looks like a tiny amount of liquid for braising. Thanks! Lisa
Hi Lisa, when I read your question I thought maybe I misread the original recipe and went back and looked it up and found it only used 1/2 cup of soy sauce. I think I went to 1 cup because I added some additional ribs. I may have also thought 1/2 cup wasn’t enough so to answer your question, yes 1/2 cup should be fine if you are cutting the recipe in half. If you think the soy sauce will make the results too salty, you could always add a little beef or brown stock too. Let me know how they turn out. – RG
Well, there is a reason why true absinth is forbidden in most of european countries: it destroys the brain cells. Don’t drink that, and you’ll not become feeeble-minded.