Carnivore short ribs so tender they fall off the bone, braised in a Dutch oven with nothing but salt and bone broth, at 0g net carbs and 51g protein. I let the salted ribs sit for 30 minutes so the seasoning absorbs, sear them in batches in hot fat, then braise at 325°F for about 1.5 hours.
I started making these back when I went full carnivore for a few months, and they became one of those recipes I kept coming back to even after I loosened up. The whole thing is just meat, salt, and broth. That's it. And somehow after two hours in a 325 degree oven, you get fork-tender beef that falls right off the bone with a braising liquid so rich you'll want to drink it straight (I have, more than once).
The chicken bone broth throws people off. I get it. But here's what I've learned after testing both: two hours in, it's not chicken broth anymore. It melds with the beef fat and the rendered collagen into something deeper. Beef broth works too, and I go back and forth depending on what I have open in the fridge. But don't skip the broth for water. The body it adds to the finished dish is everything.
What makes this different from most braised beef recipes is the simplicity. No wine, no tomato paste, no aromatics pile. If you're eating keto and low carb, that matters. You get all the depth from the Maillard crust you build during the sear and the slow breakdown of connective tissue in the oven. That's where the flavor lives. If you love simple, deeply beefy cuts like my carnivore smoked beef ribs or a grilled dry aged tomahawk steak, this hits the same note but with that slow-cooked, falling-apart texture.
I've pushed my braise time to 3.5 hours before and they were even more tender. The meat practically dissolved. If your short ribs are on the thicker side, don't be afraid to go past the two hour mark. Check at 1.5 hours and keep going until a fork slides through with zero resistance. The salt rest matters too. Rushing it gives you a decent sear. Giving it the full 30 minutes gives you something completely different.
One thing the recipe doesn't mention that I want to add: save the braising liquid. After the ribs come out, I set the Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat and let it reduce by about a third. It turns into this glossy, beefy dripping sauce that I pour right over the top. It's also incredible the next day spooned over leftover meat. These reheat beautifully, too. Stick them back in the Dutch oven with the liquid at 300 degrees, covered, for about 30 minutes. The collagen in the broth keeps everything moist. I make double batches specifically because leftover braised beef might be better than fresh, and it works the same way I handle my keto pulled pork leftovers. If you want something quicker on a weeknight, my slow cooker pork ribs are more hands-off.
This is the goal: meat so tender you can lift it off the bone with your fingers.
Which Short Ribs to Buy
Short ribs come from low on the rib cage near the belly, and the fat woven through the meat is what keeps them juicy in a long braise. English cut ribs are thick slabs about 4 to 6 inches long with one bone each, and that is the cut to buy for this recipe. Flanken cut ribs are sliced thin across the bones, cook fast, and belong on the grill. The meatiest ribs come from high on the rib near the ribeye, so pick the package with the most meat on the bone.
Braising in a Dutch Oven
Braising just means cooking meat slowly in liquid with the lid on, so the ribs stay moist while the tough parts break down. A cast iron Dutch oven is the best pot for it because it heats evenly and holds a steady temperature for the whole two hours. Any heavy oven safe pot with a tight lid will work in a pinch.
How to Make Carnivore Braised Ribs in a Dutch Oven
The whole process comes down to three things: a proper salt rest, a hard sear, and a patient braise. I salt mine a full 30 minutes before searing. I rushed it once and the crust was just fine, not that deep golden brown you want. The full 30 minutes lets the salt draw out surface moisture, which is what gives you that dark steakhouse sear.
For the sear, you need a fat that can handle high heat. I rotate between tallow and lard. Duck fat works too if you have it. The key is working in batches of 3-4 at a time. Crowd the pot and you get steam instead of sear. Steam means no crust, and the crust is where half the flavor comes from. If you've seared cuts like grilled flank steak or air fryer steak bites, same principle applies here.
Once seared, everything goes back in the pot with broth, and into a 325 degree oven. I check at 1.5 hours but I've gone to 3.5 and they only got better. You'll know they're done when the meat has visibly pulled away from the bone and a fork slides through with no effort. If you love that patience-pays-off approach to meat, my sous vide steak is the same philosophy with a different cut.
Easy Keto Carnivore Braised Short Ribs Ingredients
Step by Step Instructions
1
Season the short ribs
Season short ribs generously with salt on all sides. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the salt to absorb into the short ribs. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2
Sear the ribs
Add your favorite cooking fat (lard, tallow, duck fat) into a large Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Working in batches add in 3-4 short ribs and sear on all sides for 1-2 minutes each side until a golden brown crust appears on all sides. Be sure to work in batches to eliminate the steaming effect that happens when they are too close together. Steaming will prevent the meat from forming a nice crust which locks the flavors and moisture inside the short rib.
3
Add liquid and braise
Add short ribs back to the Dutch oven and add garlic sauce if using. Pour in chicken bone broth and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and put in a 325 degree oven for 1.5 to 2 hours or until the rib meat has pulled away from the bone and is fork tender.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1/6 of recipe
Calories
723
Fat
56g
Protein
51g
Total carbs
0g
Net carbs
0g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these ahead of time and reheat them without losing texture?
For a make-ahead dinner, I braise the ribs a day or two ahead, let them cool in the braising liquid, and refrigerate the whole Dutch oven. When I'm ready, I reheat them covered at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes. The collagen in the broth keeps the meat from drying out or going grainy. The key is reheating low and slow, not blasting them at high heat. I've served make-ahead braised beef at dinner parties and nobody could tell they weren't fresh out of the oven.
Can I use beef broth instead of chicken broth?
I go back and forth depending on what I have open in my fridge. Beef broth gives you a deeper, rounder beefy flavor right from the start. Chicken broth is lighter initially, but after two hours of braising with the rendered beef fat, it doesn't taste like chicken anymore. Both work. I reach for chicken more often because I keep homemade bone broth on hand, but beef is great if that's what you've got.
Can I braise these longer than 2 hours for even more tender results?
I've pushed mine to 3.5 hours and they were even better. The connective tissue keeps breaking down the longer they cook, so the meat gets more tender, not less. I check at 1.5 hours, and if the fork doesn't slide through effortlessly, I keep going. The only risk is the braising liquid reducing too much, so I add a splash more broth if the pot is getting dry.
What fat is best for searing?
I rotate between tallow, lard, and duck fat. All three handle high heat without smoking out my kitchen. Tallow gives the most neutral beefy flavor and is my go-to for these. Lard works just as well. Duck fat adds a slightly richer note that I like when I'm in the mood for it. Butter burns too fast at the temperatures you need for a proper sear, so I save that for finishing.
Can I make this in a slow cooker or Instant Pot instead of the oven?
I've done both. Slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours gets you tender meat, but you miss out on the crust from the Dutch oven sear. If you go that route, I'd still sear them in a hot pan first, then transfer. For the Instant Pot, 45 minutes on high pressure with natural release works, but the texture is slightly different. I prefer the oven because the keto braised version in the Dutch oven develops this deep, layered flavor that pressure cooking shortcuts.
How should I store and freeze leftovers?
I let them cool completely in the braising liquid, then transfer to airtight containers with enough liquid to cover the meat. They keep in my fridge for 3-4 days and freeze well for up to 3 months. I always freeze them in the liquid because it protects the meat from drying out. To reheat from frozen, I thaw in the fridge overnight and warm at 300 degrees, covered, for about 30-40 minutes.
Are these braised short ribs okay on a strict carnivore diet?
Yes, this is about as carnivore as a recipe gets. The whole dish is beef, salt, and bone broth, and I mark the garlic sauce as optional so you can leave it out entirely for a strict carnivore or Lion Diet approach. I sear in tallow or lard, both animal fats, so nothing plant-based goes into the braise. No wine, no tomato paste, no aromatics. When I ate strictly carnivore for a few months, this was one of the recipes I leaned on because it delivers that deep, beefy, fall-apart texture without a single ingredient I had to think twice about.
I’m on batch six. The thing I didn’t figure out until batch three: after you pull the ribs, the braising liquid is not done. Transfer the ribs to a plate, crank the heat, let it go 8-10 minutes. It thickens up into this dark glossy drizzle you spoon over everything. The garlic sauce version goes even deeper. I’ve made this the last step every time since, pull the ribs, reduce the liquid, plate. Adds almost no time but changes the whole thing. Just the way I do it now.
Done overnight dry brines on steaks plenty of times, never thought to try it on short ribs. Made these last week and that 30-minute salt rest really did show in how dark and tight the sear came out. Curious if you’ve ever pushed it to a few hours or overnight, or if the long braise just makes the extra rest redundant anyway?
Sunday dinner at my sister’s and three people were convinced there was a dry rub situation because of that crust. Salt and chicken broth. They still don’t believe me.
Three people is the real win. That crust is just the salt rest doing its thing before the sear sets it. I never explain it anymore, just let them think there’s a rub.
Tender yes, same result no. Todd, the crust only happens in the Dutch oven. I still sear mine first even on slow cooker days, otherwise you skip the best part.
My dad braised short ribs every Sunday growing up and I’d quietly grieved losing them on keto, so when this crust came out of the Dutch oven after that salt rest, I nearly called him just to tell him.
Never braised anything in my life and wasn’t sure the 30-minute salt rest was worth it (kept wanting to just skip ahead), but that crust that came off the sear was exactly what I’ve seen on short ribs I’ve paid $40 for at steakhouses. Falling apart after two hours in the Dutch oven, zero carbs, and I feel like I just learned something.
I’ve got a big container of beef bone broth I’m trying to use up. Would swapping it make the braise too heavy or muddy the flavor, or does it not really matter for something that cooks this long?
Beef broth works. The braise just gets a little richer, beefier, which I don’t think is a bad thing with short ribs. Two hours in the oven smooths out any heaviness anyway.
My husband swears short ribs need wine and aromatics or they’re missing something. He ate two of these without a word and then said ‘you can make these whenever you want.’ The salt rest before searing is not a suggestion.
Swapped the chicken broth for beef bone broth and the braising liquid reduced into something I actually spooned over everything on the plate. The ribs were already falling apart, but that extra body just pushed it further. Small change, worth it if you want more depth from the braise.
Yeah, that’s the collagen from bone broth doing its thing. Regular beef broth reduces but doesn’t get saucy the same way. Those last few tablespoons are worth fighting over.
I’m hosting a dinner party next Saturday and I want to serve these, but three to four hours babysitting a Dutch oven while guests arrive isn’t an option. If I braise Thursday and refrigerate in the cooking liquid, how do I reheat without wrecking that fall-off-the-bone texture? I’ve done make-ahead braises where the meat got tight and grainy from reheating too fast, and I refuse to let that happen to short ribs this good. The chicken bone broth makes me think the fat will keep things moist, but I genuinely can’t decide if covered low-and-slow in the oven is the move or stovetop on low with the lid on. They’re the centerpiece. I need to get this right.
I do this all the time. Cool them in the liquid, refrigerate the whole Dutch oven, reheat covered at 300 for about 30 minutes Saturday. Staying submerged in the braising liquid is what keeps them from getting tight.
I kept stalling on this because chicken broth with beef sounded weird to me, but these are the best short ribs I’ve ever made and the braising liquid alone was worth it.
