Flanken Ribs

Try this recipe if you've never had flanken ribs! They are grilled to perfection in under 10 minutes, while an Asian-inspired marinade provides a wonderful balance of mouth-watering sweet and salty flavor! Similar to kalbi beef, galbi, or Korean BBQ beef.

What Are Flanken Ribs

Flanken-style ribs are pieces of meat thinly sliced across the rib section of beef bones. Each piece consists of 3-4 pieces of bone between meat sections. They are marbled with fat and connective tissues and are super tender and flavorful after being marinated for a short time.

Flanken ribs are also known as cross-cut ribs or thin-cut short ribs.

Where to Buy Flanken Style Short Ribs

Most grocery stores sell flanken ribs in the meat department; otherwise, your local butcher at a dedicated meat shop should have them available.

Thickness

Flanken ribs can vary in thickness from ¼ inch to ½ inch thick. I prefer and use the ¼-inch thick cut in this recipe.

What's the Different Between Short Ribs and Flanken

Beef short ribs are larger, thicker cuts of meat with more marbling and connective tissue, requiring slow cooking methods to achieve tenderness. Flanken ribs are thin, cross-cut slices of beef with small sections of bone, best suited for fast cooking methods like grilling or pan-frying.

If you're looking for other BBQ recipes, try my Instant Pot pulled pork on homemade gluten-free buns.

Flanken Ribs Recipe Ingredients

To make this recipe, you'll need: 

• Beef Flanken Style Ribs- Flanken ribs are also known as cross-cut ribs or thin-cut short ribs. They are thin, cross-cut slices of beef with small sections of bone, best suited for fast cooking methods like grilling or pan-frying.
• Bragg's Liquid Aminos (Soy Sauce or Gluten-free Tamari)- Braggs Liquid Aminos provides a deep, salty, earthy umami flavor. 
• Olive Oil- The added fat aids in moisture and keeps the ribs from sticking to the grill. 
• White Vinegar- When used in marinades, vinegar tenderizes the meat. It also adds an acidity to balance flavors. 
• Gluten-Free Worcestershire Sauce- Adds a rich and complex flavor that enhances the overall flavor depth. 
• Organic Brown Sugar- Brown sugar adds a pleasant sweetness to the ribs while balancing other flavors. The natural sugars caramelize on the grill, creating a flavorful crust on the meat.
• Minced Garlic- Garlic has a distinctive aroma and flavor, often described as sharp, aromatic, and savory.
• Ground Black Pepper- The sharp, peppery notes can awaken the taste buds, adding a pleasant kick.
• Red Pepper Flakes- Also known as crushed red pepper, add a fiery and zesty heat.
• Sliced Green Onion and Sesame Seeds- Optional, used as a garnish. 

How To Cook Flanken Ribs

Now that you have the ingredients gathered, this is the method you'll follow:

1. Prepare the flanken ribs marinade. 
2. Scrape the bone fragments from each flanken rib using a butter knife. These bone fragments collect on the meat during slicing, and biting into them could cause damage to your teeth. 
3. Place the beef flanken ribs in a sealable plastic bag, pour in the marinade, and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. 
4. Preheat the grill to medium-high, and cook for about 4 minutes per side.
5. Garnish your Kalbi ribs with sliced green onion and toasted sesame seeds for added allure. 

If you love grilling, try this recipe for grilled zucchini and London Broil marinade! 

Top Recipe Tips

Take the time to scrape the bone fragments. It is an added step, but you'll be happy not to bite down on any bone fragments when eating the ribs. Some packages of ribs have a lot of bone fragments, and others hardly have any. It all depends on the butcher and their care for slicing them. 

A longer marinade means more flavor. I suggest at least a 3-4 hour marinade, but you can do a longer one or even overnight for more flavor. 

Grill hot and fast, and brown (or caramelize) as much as you like. I cook my flanken ribs to a more well-done temperature than other cuts of meat. Because of its higher fat content and the marinade, you can grill the ribs longer without becoming tough. So brown them, or caramelize them as much as you like. I recommend about 4 minutes per side on a preheated medium-high grill.   

What to Serve With Flanken Short Ribs

While my family's favorite side to serve with flanken short ribs is white rice and kimchi, here are a few other ideas to inspire you:

Appetizers
Black Bean Mango Salsa with corn chips or cassava chips
Bacon Wrapped Dates

Seafood
Prawn and Avocado Salad
Hawaiian Poke
Halibut Ceviche

Salads
Gluten-Free Macaroni Salad
Gluten-free Pasta Salad
Asian Chicken Salad (I'd serve this without the chicken since you want the ribs to be the star!)

Other Sides
Gluten-Free Cornbread
Gluten-Free Biscuits

This recipe was originally published in April 2020. Blog post and recipe card updated to include better instructions and notes in May 2023.

Did you make this recipe? If you did, please give it a star rating and leave a review or comment below! And remember to take a pic and share it on social! Tag @allergyfreeak or #allergyfreealaska on Instagram!