A bold, savory twist on a classic. This Short Rib Marbella slow-braises tender beef ribs in a deeply flavorful blend of olives, prunes, capers, garlic, and red wine—melding sweet, salty, and tangy notes in every fork-tender bite. Inspired by the iconic Chicken Marbella, this version adds richness and depth, turning a retro favorite into a luxurious, comforting showstopper.
I’m not going to lie, I was a bit skeptical about this recipe at first. Olives, prunes and capers seems like an odd mix. I have never eaten the chicken version of this dish so didn’t really have a frame of reference. We were very pleasantly surprised by the flavor profile of this recipe. One of my kids favorite dinners is this balsamic braised short rib recipe, and my son said he thinks short rib marbella is every better.
The prunes cook down in this recipe and add a nice earthy sweetness, and the salty, brine flavor from the olives and capers pairs well with that. This will definitely be a repeat recipe in our house.
Short Rib Marbella
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs boneless beef shortribs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup beef or chicken broth more as needed while cooking
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup pitted prunes chopped finely
- 1/4 cup pitted green olives
- 2 tbsp capers
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme minced
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325. In a large dutch oven with a lid, heat oil over medium high. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown them well on all sides. Add the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally over medium heat.
- Deglaze the pan with the red wine and bring to a boil. Simmer while adding the stock, brown sugar, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers, thyme, bay leaves and a bit more salt to taste. Cover and place in the oven.
- Bake for 2-3 hours until short ribs are fully tender. Add more broth as needed while cooking if the sauce gets too thick. When fully tender, remove the short ribs from the pot and remove the bay leaves. Using a wide spoon or a fat separator, remove the excess fat. Reduce the sauce as needed until it coats the short ribs, seasoning further if needed. Serve over mashed potatoes.