The juiciest pulled Mexican short ribs to serve with tacos, nachos, rice, or on their own. They just fall off the bone, and the texture is unreal!
Mexican-style short ribs are one of my all-time favorites; you can just put them in the oven and forget about them. They're rich and full of flavor, with the most amazing tender texture that just melts in the mouth.
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Ingredient notes
You will need beef short ribs on the bone, which can be whole short ribs or cut into chunks. But make sure you keep the bone, as this adds so much flavor. We cook the beef ribs bone in and then pull the meat off at the last minute. As you'll see from my photos, I use whole beef short ribs, which makes no difference other than the pot size you need to cook them in.
There are two parts to the seasoning of this Mexican short ribs recipe: a dry spice rub and a fresh ingredient sauce that then cooks down over several hours. Ideally, we want to add the dry rub ahead of time and let it sit uncovered in the fridge so it can permeate, and this also allows for a good sear on the ribs as we cook them.
I like to use smoked salt for extra depth of flavor, but you can use regular salt if you prefer. I unanimously use Maldon flaky sea salt in my cooking. I even travel with it! (not sponsored, just a fan).
There's a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post with quantities and step-by-step directions for how to make pulled Mexican short ribs.
How to make pulled short ribs
You need to cook spicy Mexican short ribs low and slow to get that 'fall off the bone' tenderness. Don't be tempted to rush this recipe; it is worth the wait!
- Make your spice mix and rub it all over your ribs. Then leave them out on the counter for an hour to come up to room temperature.
- Sear the short ribs in hot oil on all sides to get a good dark brown color. Then take them out of the pan and place them in an oven-proof dish.
- Fry grated onion, garlic, and diced chili in the pan until translucent, then add the beer, stock, and honey. Bring to a simmer, then pour it over the short ribs and cover with foil.
- Cook the Mexican shortribs in a preheated oven at 150C/300F for 3 hours until tender. Pull it off the bone, remove the foil, and cook for a further 45 minutes.
Top tip
For a better sear, add the spice rub the night before and leave the short ribs uncovered in the fridge.
Make sure you leave the bones in the pan for the final 45 minutes to get extra flavor and collagen.
Squeeze over fresh lime juice before serving and add fresh coriander/cilantro.
How to serve Mexican short ribs
I love to make a feasting table for everyone to dig into with these spicy pulled short ribs and a bunch of sides to go with them. I always put out some soft tacos, and then these dishes work perfectly alongside it:
Wine/drinks Pairing
I'd either serve a fruity, bold red wine with this Mexican pulled short ribs recipe, like a Malbec or a Tempranillo. Or a margarita jug!
What if I have leftovers?
The best thing about short rib recipes is that they often taste even better the next day! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat gently in the oven or stovetop.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, you can freeze these spicy pulled short ribs. Use the leftovers within one month.
Equipment
I like to sear meat in stainless steel, but make sure your pan is big enough to fit the whole ribs in if they aren't cut up into pieces.
Then, transfer to an oven-proof dish deep enough to accommodate the spicy Mexican short ribs and the cooking liquid.
🙏🏻 If you try this recipe...
If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear how it went! Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well. Your feedback helps other readers and is greatly appreciated.
📖 Recipe
Pulled Mexican Short Ribs (Taco Filling/Nachos)
Equipment
- 1 ovenproof dish
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg (3.5 lb) short ribs on the bone
- 2 tablespoon cooking oil
Dry rub
- 2 tablespoon Oregano
- 2 tablespoon Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon Coriander
- 1 tablespoon Garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Smoked salt or flaky sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Cracked black pepper
Wet mix
- 250 ml (1 cup) Beer e.g. Corona
- 450 ml (2 cups) Beef stock
- 1 Onion
- 3 Garlic
- 2 Chili
- 2 tablespoon Honey
- 2 tablespoon Lime juice
Instructions
- Pat the short ribs dry with kitchen paper to remove any moisture from the surface. Mix the dry spice mix together and rub it all over your ribs. Leave them out on the counter for an hour to come up to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 150℃/300℉
- Heat oil in a large pan and when it's hot, sear the short ribs on all sides to get a good dark brown color. Watch that the pan isn't so hot that it burns the spices.
- Remove the ribs to an oven-proof dish while you make the wet sauce.
- Grate onion and garlic, and finely dice chili. Add this to the hot pan and stir to let it cook together into a mush. When translucent, add the beer, beef stock and honey.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and pour it over the short ribs. Cover the dish loosely with foil, and put it in the oven for 3 hours.
- Take the dish out and pull the meat off the bones. Leave everything in the dish and cook uncovered for another 45 minutes to let the sauce cook down further and the meat tenderize even more.
- Season with fresh lime juice and fresh coriander/cilantro before serving.
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