• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RecipeTin Eats

Fast Prep, Big Flavours

Small book

My cookbook "Dinner" now available!

  • My RecipeTin
  • My cookbook!
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Category
    • Mains
      • Chicken
        • Chicken mince
      • Beef Recipes
        • Ground Beef (Mince)
      • Pork
      • Lamb
      • Turkey
      • Shrimp / Prawns
      • Salmon
      • Fish
      • Salad Meals
    • Quick and Easy
    • Soups
    • One Pot
    • Stews
    • Slow Cooker
    • Sides
      • All
      • Vegetables
      • Show Off Salads
      • Rice (all)
      • Fried rice recipes
      • Rice (plain)
      • Potato
    • Pasta
      • All
      • Pasta bakes
      • Pasta salads
    • Sweet
      • Cakes
      • Cheesecakes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Puddings & Cosy Desserts
      • Bite Size
      • Pies
      • Slices & Bars
      • Frosting & Icing
      • Ice cream
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
        • All
        • Stir fries
        • Noodles
        • Soups
        • Chinese
        • Japanese
        • Korean
        • Thai
        • Vietnamese
      • French
      • Greek
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South American
    • Dietary
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Calorie
      • Vegetarian
    • Other Categories
      • BBQ
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • Cocktails
      • Party Foods
      • Rice Recipes
      • Roasts
      • Sandwiches & Sliders
  • Collections
  • About
    • Me
    • RecipeTin Meals
    • Free Recipe Books
    • Contact
    • Food Bloggers Central
    • Nitty Gritty
      • Policy: Use of Recipes & Images
      • Privacy & Disclosure
Home Mexican Recipes

Fiery Fall Apart Mexican Beef Ribs with Green Mexican Rice

By:Nagi
Published:23 Feb '15Updated:9 Aug '20
110 Comments
Recipe v

This was meant to be a recipe by a famous Australian chef / restauranteur – Peter Kuruvita, owner of Flying Fish and Noosa Beach House. I couldn’t find half the ingredients. So it ended up nothing like the original recipe. But it’s SO yummy and you can get everything you need at the grocery store! Note: there’s two recipes in here! One for the ribs, and another for the Green Mexican Rice.

Fiery Fall Apart Mexican Beef Ribs - made with a Chipotles in Adobo sauce, it takes time to cook but is very fast to prepare. Great depth of flavour.

I was corresponding with my friend Maureen from the Orgasmic Chef (pop over to follow her search for food that’s better than….well….you know….!). It was on a completely unrelated matter, but I happened to mention a recipe I wanted to make that day.

“I was reading your review of Noosa Beach House,” I wrote. “It inspired me to try out a recipe by Peter Kuruvita. I have some short ribs in the freezer, so I’m going to make these Mexican Braised Beef Short Ribs!”

“That looks fantastic. But where will you find cumquats and piloncillo?”, she asked.

“Oh, I won’t be be using those in this,” I said breezily. “You know me. I’ll make do. Put my own spin on it.”

I also didn’t have pinole or ancho chiles. So actually, this is nothing like the recipe I intended to make, but it turned out really delicious.

Fiery Fall Apart Mexican Beef Ribs - made with a Chipotles in Adobo sauce, it takes time to cook but is very fast to prepare. Great depth of flavour.

Being a dish I just made up on the fly, I thought I had better get friends to taste test it the next day. They approved, BUT I actually got constructive feedback!! (Rarely happens, my friends usually just say everything I make is yummy – liars!!). They loved the flavour and texture of the beef but thought it needed more kick.

So the next batch I made, I upped the fiery heat in it. Very happy with the outcome. 🙂

The base flavouring in this is Chipotle in Adobo Sauce (dried chilies in a spicy red sauce). It is to Mexican food what oyster sauce is to Asian food – just a dollop of it adds a wack of flavour that has depth (as opposed to, for example, soy sauce which is a fairly flat flavour).

I served this with Green Mexican Rice and I’ve provided the recipe for this below as well.  Bright green rice with pops of yellow accompanied with fall apart beef ribs smothered in a thick, crimson sauce. Sights like that make me smile. 🙂

– Nagi


More rib recipes

  • Oven Baked Barbecue Pork Ribs

  • Oven Baked Pork Ribs with Chipotle BBQ Sauce

  • Sticky Chinese Pork Spare Ribs

  • Braised Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine Sauce

Fiery Fall Apart Mexican Beef Ribs - made with a Chipotles in Adobo sauce, it takes time to cook but is very fast to prepare. Great depth of flavour.

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Fiery Mexican Beef Short Ribs - made with a Chipotles in Adobo sauce, it takes time to cook but is very fast to prepare. Great depth of flavour.

Fiery Fall Apart Mexican Beef Ribs

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 2 hrs 30 mins
Total: 2 hrs 45 mins
Baked, Braised
Mexican-esque
5 from 37 votes
Servings8
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 103
Fall apart beef short short ribs, smothered in a rich fiery sauce with an incredible depth of flavour. Though it takes time to cook, the prep is pretty fast. I accompanied this with Mexican Green Rice with Corn - recipe is below. The flavour of that rice is so incredible, you can eat it plain!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Chipotles in Adobo - chipotles and sauce (about half a 220g/7oz can) (Note 1)
  • 28 oz / 800g can crushed tomato (or tomato passata / tomato puree)
  • 2.4 kg beef short ribs , bone in (around 8 pieces, 10oz/300g each) (Note 2)
  • 1 tbsp salt , separated
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 large onion , diced
  • 1 tbsp cumin powder
  • 3 dried bay leaves (or 5 fresh)
  • 4 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 oranges (or 1 cup orange juice)

Garnishes

  • Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180C with the shelf in the middle.
  • Puree the Chipotles in Adobo with the canned tomato ("Chipotle Puree"). (Note 3)
  • Pat the beef dry with a paper towel, then season with 1/2 tbsp salt and pepper.
  • Heat oil in a heavy based large fry pan over high heat. Add the beef in batches and sear on all sides until nicely browned, but not cooked through (about 4 minutes in total). Remove into a roasting dish (preferably one with a lid)
  • If the pan is looking dry, add a splash of oil. Add the garlic and sauté for 15 seconds, then add the onion and cook for 3 minutes until the onion is starting to brown.
  • Add the Chipotle Puree and all the remaining ingredients into the pan (including the remaining 1/2 tbsp salt). Bring to simmer and scrape the bottom of the pan to mix all the brown bits into the liquid. Cook for 1 minute.
  • Pour the liquid into the roasting dish over the ribs.
  • Cover with lid (or with foil - use a double layer) and bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
  • Remove lid/foil, then return to oven for a further 45 minutes to 1 hour until the beef is "fall apart" and the sauce has thickened and darkened.
  • Let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves, then serve with lime wedges on the side.
  • I served this with Mexican Green Rice with Corn (recipe below). This would also be great for tacos, burritos, on mashed potato.

Recipe Notes:

1. Chipotles in Adobo Sauce is dried chipotles in a dark red flavoured sauce. It comes in a can and can be purchased at Harris Farm Markets (Australia) for around $3. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to a month.
The amount used creates a medium level spicy sauce. It won't blow your head off! Feel free to reduce if you are concerned.
2. Beef short ribs are very different to pork ribs. They come in a cube-like shape and each piece has plenty of meat on it. It is really good value. Here in Australia, it is much cheaper than pork ribs, about half the price.
Sometimes beef ribs will come attached, so you just need to cut them yourself into separate pieces. If you cook it as a rack, they will take slightly longer and also because they are so tender, they might not hold their shape when you try to cut them.
I like to make large quantities of this because it will fill a baking dish. Leftovers keep really well - though I do find the spiciness loses it's kick over time, so bear that in mind with leftovers.
3. Both the chili and sauce is used in this recipe. I puree it so the chipotle blends in, but you could just finely chop it.
4. Nutrition for Ribs - Nope, the ribs are not the healthiest dish in the world because beef ribs are a fatty cut of meat. To reduce the calories in this, just trim off as much of the excess fat as you can.
Mexican Beef Short Ribs Chipotle Adobo Sauce Nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 487gCalories: 721cal (36%)Carbohydrates: 16.6g (6%)Protein: 89.8g (180%)Fat: 31.7g (49%)Saturated Fat: 10.9g (68%)Cholesterol: 275mg (92%)Sodium: 1348mg (59%)Potassium: 1531mg (44%)Fiber: 5g (21%)Sugar: 5.2g (6%)Vitamin A: 1100IU (22%)Vitamin C: 49.5mg (60%)Calcium: 130mg (13%)Iron: 9.2mg (51%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Green Mexican Rice (Coriander/Cilantro Rice - Arroz Verde)

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 35 mins
Rice
Mexican
5 from 37 votes
Servings6 - 8
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 103
This is a really great authentic recipe for Mexican Green Rice which I have adapted slightly. It calls for fresh spinach but can also be made using frozen spinach. I served this with the Fiery Fall Apart Mexican Beef Ribs. Adapted from a recipe by Fine Cooking.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (packed) coriander/cilantro (mainly leaves, some stalk)
  • 1 cup tightly packed fresh spinach leaves OR 1/3 cup thawed frozen spinach , squeezed of excess water
  • 1 1/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 1/2 cups long grain rice , uncooked (Note 1)
  • 2 cups frozen corn (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Black pepper

Instructions

  • Place coriander/cilantro, spinach and broth in a food processor and whizz until pureed.
  • Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
  • Add rice and stir until the grains become translucent and are coated in oil. Add corn, contents of the food processor and remaining ingredients. Stir until combined.
  • Cover the pot. When it starts to simmer, turn the heat down to low and cook for 20 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed.
  • Remove from the stove and let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes:

1. Brown, basmati and jasmine rice are the best substitutes, followed by medium grain rice. Short grain is too sticky for the dish but will be ok. It is not suited to risotto rice.
2. Make it vegan/vegetarian simply by substituting the broth with vegetable broth.
3. Nutrition for the Mexican Green Rice assuming 8 servings. The corn accounts for 30 calories.
Green Mexican Rice with Corn

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 137gCalories: 225cal (11%)Carbohydrates: 37.5g (13%)Protein: 11g (22%)Fat: 3.5g (5%)Saturated Fat: 0.9g (6%)Cholesterol: 19mg (6%)Sodium: 325mg (14%)Potassium: 223mg (6%)Fiber: 1.6g (7%)Sugar: 2.8g (3%)Vitamin A: 450IU (9%)Vitamin C: 5mg (6%)Calcium: 60mg (6%)Iron: 2.9mg (16%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

 

SaveSave

SaveSave

Previous Post
Mexican Breakfast Tacos (Chorizo and Egg)
Next Post
Spicy Parmesan Party Popcorn

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Related Posts

Overhead photo of Cheesy Mexican beef and bean casserole

Cheesy Mexican beef and bean bake

Freshly made One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice

One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice

Mushroom quesadillas from RecipeTin Eats "Dinner" cookbook by Nagi Maehashi

Mushroom Quesadillas

More Mexican Recipes

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cooked this? Rate this recipe!




110 Comments

  1. Skye Kelly says

    April 5, 2022 at 7:54 pm

    5 stars
    Really enjoyed these flavours together. I’m not a fan of ribs but had some in the freezer with an expiry date lol. I’m definitely going to experiment with a slow cooked beef, lamb and chicken with the chipotles and the rice side. Delicious! Thanks x

    Reply
  2. Raz says

    August 20, 2021 at 5:08 pm

    Hi Nagi,
    I am dying to try this recipe but can’t seem to find Chipotle in Adobo sauce. Chipotle spice is something i could get my hands on. How could i substitute the one in the sauce with the dry spice? Looking forward to your reply!
    Love from Munich,
    Raz

    Reply
  3. Mirena says

    July 12, 2021 at 10:30 am

    5 stars
    I made it already three times and everybody loves it!
    I love the pairing with the green rice.
    You are awesome!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      July 12, 2021 at 9:08 pm

      Perfect Mirena, thanks so much for letting me know! N x

      Reply
  4. Louisa says

    July 9, 2021 at 2:50 pm

    5 stars
    What a feast! Both the ribs and rice concepts were new to me but oh man, are they going to be regulars from now on! That sauce, whoa!! Fantastic. Nice work Nagi.

    Reply
  5. Krissanne Zaldua says

    May 10, 2021 at 11:40 pm

    5 stars
    These are to-die-for-delicious! we used the sauce for 2 meals after to flavour our vegetables ‘cuz that fall-apart beef disappeared so quickly 🙂
    I was not careful to measure, I just used your ingredients. Even my youngest liked the spice. Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Annie says

    March 9, 2021 at 4:01 pm

    Hi Nagi, I noticed milk is an ingredient in your Mexican Green Rice. It seems a bit odd for the recipe. Is this an error? I’d like to know before I try it. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 10, 2021 at 11:12 am

      Hi Annie, yes that’s right – I hope you try it and love it! N x

      Reply
      • Annie says

        March 10, 2021 at 12:32 pm

        Yes, indeed. I intend to make your ribs and green rice tomorrow night. Looks delish!

        Reply
  7. KAY ELIZABETH MANUEL says

    January 27, 2021 at 10:16 am

    Hi Nagi! Love you and Dozer… Just want to know if I can make the beef ribs in the slow cooker? I’m in Mexico right now and it’s soooo toasty to bake anything.. Thank you

    Reply
  8. Margaret Cain says

    January 21, 2021 at 10:51 am

    5 stars
    Wow! Simply delicious. I made the short ribs in the IP (45 minutes on high pressure fans 15 minutes natural release) and they fell off the bone. The rice was so flavorful and a great way to pack in lots of greens.

    Reply
  9. Meyvin Puspita says

    December 17, 2020 at 8:33 pm

    Hi Nagi,

    Loving all your recipes! I just want to know, can I make the green rice from the day before? Trying to spread the load so it’s not too much to do on the same day (for Christmas). Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 18, 2020 at 11:58 am

      Yes 100% Meyvin, reheat covered in the microwave 🙂 N x

      Reply
  10. Cazzy says

    May 24, 2020 at 5:47 pm

    I am making this tonight, but I am taking your lead on cauliflower rice and substituting. Also have reduced the milk to compensate as I am using woolies cauliflower rice! Fingers crossed!!!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 25, 2020 at 10:33 am

      Enjoy Cazzy! N x

      Reply
  11. Tim Maddox says

    October 21, 2019 at 5:59 pm

    Nagi – you are my absolute ‘go to’ recipe guru and cook. I enter that ‘I feel like ……. tonight’ thought process and google up your recipe for same. Has never let me down – thank you.

    Reply
  12. Brenda Backal says

    May 2, 2019 at 12:55 am

    5 stars
    I love the fact that you can fix the recipe depending on how many people you are serving, awesome. thanks Nagi

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 2, 2019 at 8:48 am

      YESS!!! Such a good function, I’m so glad you loved this recipe Brenda – N x

      Reply
  13. Carolyn says

    January 19, 2019 at 2:17 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Nagi,

    Thank you for this recipe – have made this twice and both times everyone has loved it!!

    Just wondering – how do you get the rice to be as fluffy as yours? Mine is usually a little mushy. I’ve tried both on the stovetope and in my rice cooker – same results both times.

    Also, do you wash the rice before cooking?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 19, 2019 at 8:00 pm

      Hi Carolyn, I’m so glad you love the ribs! I don’d wash my rice before cooking – can I ask which type of rice you’re using? Sounds like there may be slightly too much liquid or its slightly overcooked if it’s mushy ❤️

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 22, 2019 at 2:33 pm

        Thanks for getting back to me Nagi!

        I’ve been using Jasmine rice.

        Reply
  14. Angie says

    January 3, 2019 at 11:29 am

    Could you cook this in a slow cooker.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 8, 2019 at 9:52 pm

      Hi Angie, at step 7 you could put in the slow cooker and cook until tender – I’d say maybe 4-5 hours on high (just check they are tender), you can then reduce the sauce on the stove rather then the oven.

      Reply
  15. Devra says

    December 22, 2018 at 3:56 am

    Hey, Nagi. I have a few questions… Where does the milk come into play in the rice recipe? Also, can I make the rice recipe with already cooked rice? Meaning, can I make the sauce and stir it in with come corn? Thank you.

    Reply
  16. Rachel says

    December 1, 2018 at 7:12 am

    Can I ask what the orange is for? I see it in the ingredients, but not in the directions. Maybe I am misunderstanding something?

    Reply
    • Nagi Maehashi says

      December 4, 2018 at 2:56 pm

      Hi Rachel, you add it along with the remaining ingredients – point 6 🙂

      Reply
      • Shani says

        October 9, 2021 at 1:43 pm

        I was wondering the same. Is it just the juice of 2 oranges or the whole orange?

        Reply
  17. KMunoz says

    November 2, 2018 at 12:07 pm

    I’m thinking of making this over the weekend! I was wondering if you have any substitutes for the coriander in the green rice? I am one of those people who despises coriander. I was thinking maybe I could just leave it out or sub in some green onions and maybe cut down on the other onions in it (realising this will change the flavour a bit!). Any ideas? Thanks so much, I always love your recipes!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 2, 2018 at 6:52 pm

      I would use parsley for the colour!! N x

      Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Meet Dozer

Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! Meet Dozer
As Featured On

What's for Dinner?

Close up of beef enchiladas in a baking dish, fresh out of the oven

Beef Enchiladas

Butter Chicken served over basmati rice in a bowl, ready to be served

Butter Chicken

Overhead photo of 2 black bowls with Chinese Chicken Salad with Asian Dressing, ready to be eaten

Chinese Chicken Salad

Salisbury Steak recipe in skillet.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

Fast prep. Big flavours!

Never miss a recipe

Back to Top
  • Related
  • RecipeTin Japan
  • Food Bloggers Center
  • Help
  • Contact Us
  • Image Use
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits Maintained by Zao Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled © RecipeTin Eats 2023 · All Rights Reserved Back to Top