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Asian Flanken Ribs Recipe

Asian Flanken Ribs Recipe

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.

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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!

Grilled Flanken Ribs

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.

Yield: 4 servings

Asian Flanken Beef Ribs Recipe

Asian Flanken Beef Ribs Recipe

Juicy, flavorful short ribs marinated in thick soy sauce, garlic, and honey, then pan-seared (or grilled/air-fried!) to perfection. Quick to prep and packed with bold, savory flavor.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb flanken short ribs (aka cross-cut short ribs)
  • ¼ cup thick soy sauce (aka soy paste; see Notes for substitutions)
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil (for pan-frying)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine short ribs, thick soy sauce, honey, garlic, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Mix well and marinate for at least 30 minutes (longer for more flavor).
  2. Choose your cooking method:
  • Pan-Fry (Stovetop):
    Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ribs (with marinade) in a single layer and cook for about 1–2 minutes per side, until caramelized and cooked through. Once cooked, transfer ribs to a serving plate and drizzle any remaining sauce over the top. Serve hot with rice or veggies.
  • Grill:
    Preheat grill over high heat. Grill ribs for 4–6 minutes per side, until nicely charred and cooked through.
  • Air Fryer:
    Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Place marinated ribs in the basket in a single layer. Air fry for 3 minutes, flip, and cook another 3 minutes.

Notes

Thick Soy Sauce Substitutions: If you don’t have thick soy sauce (aka soy paste), try one of these alternatives:

  • ¼ cup regular soy sauce + 2 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
  • Hoisin sauce (same amount) – slightly sweeter and thicker
  • Oyster sauce (same amount) – savory with a hint of sweetness

Sauce Tip for Grill or Air Fryer:

Since the marinade isn't cooked in the pan for these methods, you can reserve a couple tablespoons of the marinade before mixing it with the raw meat. Bring it to a boil in a small saucepan or microwave until bubbling, and then drizzle over the cooked ribs for extra flavor.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 439Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 956mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 9gProtein: 30g

The nutrition information for this recipe is an approximate total per serving. Please double check the nutrition information for your exact ingredients and brands for more precise nutrition information.

Did you like this recipe?

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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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Jullia Albert

Thursday 16th of January 2025

Hi, I want to make this but don’t have any honey on hand, is it possible I could sub with molasses? Or would that be too bitter? Thinking of adding molasses as sub with brown sugar to sweeten. Do you think that would work?

TinaTsai

Thursday 16th of January 2025

Hi there! You can use brown sugar (I know for sure because I've done this). Not sure about molasses tho, but I don't see why not - just be aware that molasses has a richer, deeper flavor and is less sweet than honey, so you might need to adjust the amount depending on your desired sweetness level; you may need to use slightly more molasses to achieve the same sweetness as honey.

Kelly

Wednesday 4th of December 2024

Good morning

I made this recipe it was great. Good flavor. I couldn't find Soy Paste but did find "Sweet Soya Sauce" Which I added Honey. This worked well. I also made the recipe but used Salmon. I used a skinless piece of salmon that was an inch thick and removed the pin bones with fish tweezers. I then cut the meat Flanken style and prepared the meal the same way. It was equally delicious.

TinaTsai

Wednesday 4th of December 2024

Yay! Love your creativity, and thank you for leaving a comment! I'm glad it was yummy!

Mark

Saturday 27th of July 2024

Excellent -I marinated them for about 2 hours and then made them on the grill. I served them with brown rice and steamed veggies. I used the soy sauce with extra honey for the marinade.

TinaTsai

Sunday 28th of July 2024

Glad you liked it! :D

Outi

Wednesday 5th of July 2023

What do you serve this with?

TinaTsai

Thursday 6th of July 2023

if i'm grilling, then grilled veggies like asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms. if stovetop sometimes I serve with rice and other stir fry veggies.

Vickie

Tuesday 21st of March 2023

What amount of oyster sauce on lieu of the thick soy sauce? Do I need to add anything else to add to the mix?

Maria Shen

Friday 8th of March 2024

@Vickie, hey you can use hoisen sauce also. It’s like sweet oyster but I’d split with oyster if you don’t want too sweet. I’d say measure approx same as with thick soy. I add a smidge of ginger to mine and black pepper as well

TinaTsai

Tuesday 21st of March 2023

I would use the same amount as thick soy sauce. Hope you like it!

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