Slow Cooker Filipino Short Ribs Adobo from the stove

Craving Filipino food? This Slow Cooker Filipino Short Ribs Adobo has all the classic flavors of adobo infused throughout slow cooked beef short ribs. It's a hearty and flavorful family meal!

Growing up in a Filipino household meant we ate a LOT of adobo. Usually we'd have pork or chicken adobo.

As We cook for the own family, We love introducing the flavors of the childhood in new and different ways. While We make Pressure-cooker Chicken Adobo regularly, We've also come to love the way adobo flavors are intensified in richer meats like beef.

These Slow Cooker Filipino Short Ribs Adobo are a tasty way to enjoy the flavors of traditional Filipino adobo. It's a rich, hearty, satisfying dish that is true comfort food at the end of a busy day.

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What is Filipino adobo?

Adobo is the unofficial national dish of the Philippines. The word "adobo" comes from the Spanish "abodar," which means marinade, sauce, or seasoning.

Every region makes their own version of adobo. And, you'll find that adobo recipes vary even from family to family within the same region.

The basics of adobo include basic pantry ingredients. Usually, this includes:

cane vinegar or white vinegar
garlic
soy sauce
bay leaves
peppercorn

The Pressure-cooker Chicken Adobo is more along the lines of classic Filipino adobo.

Different kinds of adobo

photo of the Pressure-cooker Chicken Adobo

Abodong Puti is the classic Filipino adobo, but without the addition of soy sauce. This is reportedly how Filipinos made adobo before the Chinese imported soy sauce.

In Southern Luzon, they make Adobo sa Buko: adobo with lots of coconut milk.

The residents of Cavite make Adobo sa Dilaw, which includes turmeric.

Adobo sa Gata is made in the Bicol region. People here would add coconut milk and chili.

Also popular in Southern Luzon and the Visayas, the people there make Adobong Ilongo with achuete, or annatto oil.

And for a completely different twist, you can make Adobong Hipon. This is a seafood stew that combines adobo sauce with coconut milk.

There are more versions but they all have one thing in common: all are tasty in their own way!

Key ingredients to make short ribs adobo

Beef short ribs – Thick, bone-in beef short ribs work best for this recipe. If you can't find the thick short ribs, you can use thick bone-in chuck steaks or trim a chuck roast into smaller cuts.

Kosher salt and ground black pepper – Use kosher salt and ground black pepper to season the short ribs before searing.

Olive oil – You'll need olive oil to use when searing the short ribs.

Chicken broth – Use homemade or store-bought chicken broth. You can also use beef broth for an even deeper, richer, meatier flavor.

Cane vinegar – Cane vinegar is popular in the Philippines and commonly used in Filipino cooking. The Datu Puti brand cane vinegar is the most popular and easily available online. If you can't find cane vinegar, you can use rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. It will alter the final taste a bit, but it should still be tasty!

Soy sauce – Use your favorite soy sauce or use coconut aminos for a gluten-free option.

Garlic – Don't skimp on the garlic in this recipe! The recipe calls for 5 cloves, but depending on the size of your garlic cloves, you can use between 4 and 6.

Whole black peppercorn – black peppercorn is a traditional ingredient in authentic Filipino adobo recipes, and it adds a deep peppery bite to the short ribs. We like to cook with them, but

Bay Leaves – you'll need three (3) bay leaves, which add a lovely herbaceous aroma to the dish. Remember to remove the bay leaves before serving.

✅ Step-by-step slow cooking instructions

Exact measurements of ingredients and instructions are in the printable recipe card toward the bottom of this post. Here are some helpful tips to guide you as you make this recipe.

Pat the short ribs dry with a towel.

Season the short ribs on all sides with the salt and pepper. Use more than what the recipe calls for if needed to adequately cover all of the ribs.

Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the seasoned short ribs and sear, browning all sides.

Make sure there is an inch or two of space between the ribs; you don't want to overcrowd the pan. Depending on the size of your ribs, you may need to work in batches.

To a slow cooker, add the the seared ribs.

Then pour in the chicken broth, cane vinegar, and soy sauce.

Add the garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves over the ribs.

Close the lid and slow cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or on LOW for 6 to 8 h ours.

Short ribs are done and fully cooked when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reaches between 200°F and 205°F.

👩🏻‍🍳 Short ribs recipe FAQs

Are beef short ribs and flanken ribs the same?

Yes – the difference is how they are cut. Flanken-style ribs are cut across the bone. Those are the thin strips of beef with a few bones that are often used for Asian-style flanken ribs. The beef short ribs for this recipe are from the same area, but are cut 3-inches thick across the bone, and then again between each bone.

At what temperature are beef short ribs done cooking?

When a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reaches between 200°F and 205°F.

What's the best way to store leftovers?

Store leftover short ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

🍚 Serving ideas

Like most Filipino foods, these adobo short ribs are tasty served over white rice or Pressure-cooker Garlic Rice.

Complete the meal with other Filipino dishes, such as:

They are also wonderful with Pressure-cooker Mashed Potatoes, Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese or Pressure-cooker Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese.

🍷 Best wine pairings for Filipino adobo

F ilipino adobo is a rich sauce with biting flavors of vinegar and pepper. This short ribs adobo dish pairs deliciously with a big red wine that is medium- to full-bodied, high in tannins, and has a bit of spice to it.

Try pairing this Filipino adobo dish with red wines like Tempranillo and Syrah.

⏲ Kitchen tools and equipment

For this recipe, you simply need a few basic kitchen tools:

Skillet – Use a large skillet to sear the beef short ribs. We use the cast iron Finex skillet, since the beef gets a truly nice sear on cast iron.

Slow cooker – You'll need a 6 quart to 8 quart slow cooker for this recipe. We use the 6-quart Crockpot slow cooker and it's simply the right size.

Tongs – Use a sturdy set of tongs to help you flip the short ribs while they sear.

🇵🇭 More Filipino recipes

For more, you can buy the Filipino cookbook: Modern Filipino Cooking, the 55-page e-Book with authentic Filipino recipes that We've adapted for today's modern kitchen!

Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you truly loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!

Slow Cooker Filipino Short Ribs Adobo

By Marlynn Schotland Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 4 hrs Total Time: 4 hrs 5 mins Servings: 6 people All the flavors of Filipino Adobo slow cooked with beef short ribs. A hearty meal!

Equipment

Slow Cooker

Ingredients

3 pounds beef short ribs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken broth or beef broth
½ cup cane vinegar
½ cup soy sauce
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorn
3 bay leaves

Instructions

Season the short ribs on all sides with the salt and pepper.
Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the short ribs and sear, browning on all sides.
Add seared short ribs to a slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth, cane vinegar, and soy sauce. Then add the garlic cloves, black peppercorns, and bay leaves.
Cover and slow cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, until the meat is tender.

Notes

Storage: Store leftover short ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Vinegar: If you can't find cane vinegar (it's readily available online), you can use rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. It will alter the final taste a bit, but it should still be tasty!

Nutrition

Calories: 365 kcal, Carbohydrates: 4 g, Protein: 35 g, Fat: 22 g, Saturated Fat: 8 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11 g, Cholesterol: 99 mg, Sodium: 1634 mg, Potassium: 707 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 1 g, Vitamin A: 13 IU, Vitamin C: 1 mg, Calcium: 32 mg, Iron: 4 mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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