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Flanken Short Ribs, also known as “Kalbi style” Korean Beef short Ribs, is my number one favorite type of rib. I love them so much that they are on my weekly dinner rotation because this simple yet delicious recipe goes from fridge to dinner table in under 15 minutes!

This recipe needs only three ingredients, making it an easy yet delicious way to enjoy these delectable meat morsels that you can literally eat off the bone!

Unlike the thick “English” style beef short ribs you might be thinking of, “flanken style” short ribs are cut across the bone vs in between the bones, leaving ½” inch thick pieces that have a few bones per piece.

Flanken short ribs usually come from the “chuck primal” section of the cow, but I’ve also beef short ribs come from the brisket, plate, and rib sections of the cow.

The beauty of Flanken Short ribs is that they are quick and easy to grill and yield a finger licking good eating experience as you gnaw on perfectly marinated crispy and juicy steak in your mouth with each bite.

Why You’ll Love This Easy and Delicious 3 Ingredient Flanken Short Rib Recipe

Flanken short ribs are delicious on their own- rich, gelatinous pieces of meat that are the perfect vehicle for Asian flavors. In this recipe, I pair my Sunshine State of Mind Citrus rub which has notes of kaffir lime, granulated honey, coriander and Himalayan salt that gives Asian BBQ vibes to this delectable meat. This rub caramelizes on the meat when it hits the heat, creating a slightly sweet and citrus flavor bomb in your mouth! This is coupled with a finish of Bachan’s BBQ Sauce for the perfect flavor combo of sweet, salty and beefy! It is truly an amazing combination that is also super easy to pull off because it only requires three ingredients! That way you can spend more time enjoying this amazing flanken short rib recipe instead of making a marinade!

Ingredients for this Flanken Short Rib Recipe

• 1 lb Flanken Style (Kalbi) Short ribs – I buy mine at Costco. They make them from the Chuck area of the cow but flanken style short ribs are often made from the short plate and flank part of the cow.
• 2-3 tbsp Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ Rub
• 2 tbsp Bachan’s Japanese BBQ Sauce

Optional Ingredients:

• Scallions, thinly sliced (for garnish)
• White sesame seeds (for garnish)

Directions: How to cook Flanken Short Ribs

First off, spread all the flanken short ribs out on a big platter or sheet pan. 

Next, generously sprinkle both sides of the flanken short ribs with Sunshine State of Mind craft BBQ rb.

Being the resident “GrillGirl”, of course I will tell you to grill these Flanken Short ribs. But quite frankly, they are also delicious grilled in a cast iron skillet!

Depending on my mood, I sometimes grill flanken short ribs and sometimes I cook them in a cast iron skillet. I find that I can actually cook flanken short ribs more quickly on my grill because I can do them all at one time versus in batches in my cast iron skillet.

Directions: How to Grill Flanken Short Ribs:

Preheat your grill to 400 degrees F.

Once the grill is hot, place the flanken short ribs onto the grates and let grill on each side for 3 minutes OR until they begin to caramelize and form char marks.

Once they have formed char marks, flip them over and grill the other side, being careful not to overcook. These are such thin pieces of meat you can cook them quickly – if using a meat thermometer the meat will be a perfect medium once you hit 135 internal degrees.

Directions: How to Cook Flanken Short Ribs in a Cast Iron Skillet or Pan:

If you don’t have a grill, flanken short ribs are also amazing cooked in cast iron. They can also be cooked in the oven, however I believe in a pan is best to achieve the caramelization you want on the meat.

Get your cast iron pan nice and hot, add a touch of butter or your preferred cooking fat and cook the flanken short ribs on one side until you have achieved some browning and caramelization. Flip over and continue cooking on the other side until both sides have achieved caramelization. As a general rule, I don’t like to overcook my proteins so I like to get the pan nice and hot so I get a nice char and caramelization on the outside quickly on both sides and then pull the meat off. As a reminder, if you test the meat with a meat thermometer medium is 135 degrees farenheit and this meat is very thin and it will be to temp very quickly!

After you have pulled the meat off, finish with a generous drizzle of Bachan’s Japanese BBQ Sauce!

Then, as the grand finale (this part is optional but adds nice color) garnish the flanken ribs with finely chopped scallions and sesame seeds.

Prepare to fall in love with this Flanken short ribs recipe because it is the delicious culmination of tender, juicy meat paired with Asian flavors from Sunshine state of Mind and Japanese BBQ sauce that is simply addictive and irresistible!!

@grillgirlrobyn

Substitutions for Flanken Short Ribs

There really is no substitution for Flanken short ribs, they are unique and in my opinion, the best type of beef rib!

English style short ribs are cut between the bone versus through the bone with flanken short ribs, and therefore have more meat on them that requires much longer cooking time via a braising or smoking than the thinly sliced, quick to cook Flanken short ribs. If you want to try smoking (English Style) short ribs, give my smoked beef short ribs recipe a try!

If you want to try English stype short ribs, my bourbon and coke braised short ribs are is another great recipe for smoked short ribs!

Another great alternative to Flanken short ribs are beef back ribs. Give my Asian style BBQ Beef Back ribs recipe a try!

If you are craving asian flavors and can’t find Flanken style short ribs, here is a great alternative- thinly sliced ribeye or sirloin. Thinly sliced ribeye or sirloin coated in Sunshine State of Mind and finished with Bachan’s will give you the flavor and feel of flanken style short ribs, minus the bones.

Flanken Short Ribs FAQ:

What are Flanken Style Short Ribs?

Flanken style short ribs are “Korean style” short ribs that are cut across the bone in ½” pieces, often cut from the short plate OR chuck area of the cow.

What is the difference between Flanken style short ribs and (English Style) short ribs?

Flanken short ribs are cut across the bone whereas English style short ribs are cut in between the bones. English style short ribs, being cut in between the bone, have more meat on them and need to be cooked low and slow or braised, versus flanken style which are thin and can be cooked quickly on the grill or in a pan or even oven.

Where can I buy flanken short ribs?

You can find flanken style short ribs at Asian markets, your local butcher, online or often at Costco.

Read to make this easy Kalbi Korean BBQ flanken short rib recipe?

Don't forget to tag me on IG or FB and leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts on this recipe! I always love hearing your feedback on my recipes! – Robyn

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