These Asian Flanken Ribs are bold, juicy, and come together with just a handful of ingredients. Whether you're pan-frying on a rainy day, firing up the grill, or using your air fryer - this recipe delivers big flavor with minimal effort. A family favorite and a crowd-pleaser, these short ribs are perfect for weeknights or BBQ season.

Jump to:

• About the Ingredients
• How to make Asian Flanken Ribs?
• Grill version
• Air Fryer version
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Notes
• Recommended Products
• Did you like this recipe?
• Tips & FAQs
• Pin for later!
• More Delicious and Easy Asian Beef Recipes

I’ve included stovetop, grill, and air fryer instructions—so no matter your setup, you can enjoy these ribs your way.

About the Ingredients

Here are some tips about the ingredients to make sure you make some delicious Asian Flanken Ribs!

Flanken Ribs

Flanken style ribs (aka cross cut ribs) are pieces of meat thinly sliced across the rib section of beef bones. If you need visuals - here is a quick video of me explaining it! (Also follow me for cooking videos and cooking LIVE!)

@ohsnapletseat

I get this question quite often so I thought I’d share! Flanken ribs are the same part as short ribs just cut differently. Short ribs are cut between the bones and flanekn ribs aka cross cut ribs are cut across the bones. #LIVEhighlights #TikTokLIVE #LIVE #flankenribs #shortribs #asianshortribs

♬ original sound - Tina - Oh Snap! Let’s Eat!

Each piece consists of 3-4 small pieces of bone, between sections of flavorful meat. They are marbled with fat and connective tissues, and are super tender after being marinated for a short time.

Thick Soy Sauce / Soy Paste

I do not use regular soy sauce for this recipe. I use Thick Soy Sauce, aka Soy Paste. (There’s actually many different types of soy sauce!)

Thick soy sauce is thicker than your normal soy sauce. It has a richer, sweeter flavor, which is perfect for this dish. It's a very common ingredient in Taiwanese cooking.

If you can’t find any thick soy sauce, it's okay!

No thick soy sauce? Try one of these instead:

• Oyster sauce (savory with a hint of sweet)
• ¼ cup soy sauce + 2 tablespoons honey (add a little more if needed)
• Hoisin sauce (similar sweetness and thickness)

By the way you can find these sauces, in your local Asian grocery store or even on amazon here:

Kimlan Soy Paste / Thick Soy Sauce (my go to brand)

Lee Kum Kee Oyster Sauce

How to make Asian Flanken Ribs?

First, gather your ingredients

• 1 lb flanken short ribs aka cross cut short ribs
• ¼ cup Thick Soy Sauce (if you do not have this, you can sub it with ¼ cup of soy sauce and 2 more tablespoon of honey)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, add flanken short ribs and pour honey, thick soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch and minced garlic. Mix well and let it marinade for at least half an hour (the longer the better!).

Heat up a large cooking pan, and add cooking oil. Let it heat up for 1-2 minutes so that we know the cooking pan is hot.

Add the slices of short ribs and marinade on the cooking pan. Let it cook for about a minute, untouched. Then, using tongs or chopsticks, flip them over to cook the other side for another minute or until cooked thoroughly but still tender and not tough.

Remove ribs from the pan, and then drizzle any remaining sauce and garlic from the pan all over the ribs and serve!

Grill version

You can also grill these delicious ribs, as the important part really was the sauce we put together and the marinating!

All you have to do is set up your gas or charcoal grill over high heat, and once it's ready, place the ribs on the grate. Then grill for about 4-6 minutes on each side, and then remove and serve!

Air Fryer version

You can also make these flanken ribs in the air fryer! After you marinate it, air fry at 400 degrees F for 3 min and then flip sides and air fry another 3 min.

Tips & FAQs

Can I use other protein instead of beef?
Yes! One reader used salmon and said it worked beautifully—just be mindful of cook time.

What should I serve with this?
Rice, noodles, grilled veggies (like zucchini or asparagus), or even a light cucumber salad go great with these ribs.

Mine came out chewy—what happened?
Make sure to marinate for at least 30 mins (longer is better), and don’t overcook. Thicker ribs may need more time, but super marbled ones can stay chewy if under-marinated.

Pin for later!

More Delicious and Easy Asian Beef Recipes

• How about a easy and yummy stir fry? Try my Mongolian Beef Stir Fry! This flavorful dish is popular in Chinese restaurants, and also actually very easy to make at home!
• Only have ground beef? Not an issue - try this stir fry ground beef! It features ground beef stir fried with onions, mushrooms, garlic and sprinkled with green onions in a soy sauce mixture.
• Or if you like Korean cuisine, check out this Beef Bulgogi recipe! The marinade is super flavorful!
• Do you like it slow and cozy? Then make this Slow Cooker Chinese Braised Beef Stew! So easy and so delicious. You can serve with rice or noodles!

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