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Air Fryer Kalbi Short Ribs + VIDEO

This air fryer kalbi (galbi) short ribs recipe is a fantastic way to enjoy the Korean delicacy without the need for a traditional grill. Tender and juicy meat is infused with a homemade, sugar-free marinade then cooked to perfection. This Korean inspired beef recipe is healthy low-carb, paleo & Whole30 compatible and the best part…it air fries in under 10 minutes! 

close up shot of cooked kalbi short ribs on a white plate garnished with sesame seeds and green onions

Ingredients for Air Fryer Kalbi Short Ribs

  • Beef Short Ribs
  • Coconut Aminos or Soy Sauce
  • Rice Vinegar
  • Water
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Salt & Pepper

kalbi cut short ribs

 

What Is Kalbi?

Kalbi aka “Los Angeles Galbi” are Korean beef short ribs. Kalbi uses bone-in short ribs that are flaken cut lengthwise across the bones. Koreans refer to it as LA Galbi because it originated in Los Angeles’s Koreatown. I have lived in LA for over 16 years now and let me tell you, there’s nothing like good kalbi from a small restaurant in Ktown! Because Kalbi uses short ribs that are thinly sliced, they are great for marinating and they cook quickly. These short ribs are usually grilled but here we are cooking the kalbi short ribs in the air fryer.

marinate

How To Make Short Ribs In The Air Fryer

  1. In a large bowl or sealable plastic bag, mix together all the marinade ingredients. Add the short ribs and toss to evenly coat. Cover & marinate in the refrigerator 2 hours to 24 hours. Turn the short ribs once during marinating time.
  2. 30 minutes before you’re ready to cook the short ribs, remove them from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature.
  3.  When ready to cook, remove the steaks from the marinade and add to the air fryer basket. Discard the remaining marinade.
  4. Add the short ribs to the air fryer basket in a single layer. You may have to cook these in batches depending on the size of your air fryer. 
  5. Cook 400 degrees for 5-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.
overhead shot of uncooked kalbi short ribs in the air fryer

before

What Are Short Ribs?

Beef short ribs are a cut of beef taken from the brisket, chuck, plate, or rib areas of beef. The cut is literally the short section of the rib bone, hence where it gets its name: short ribs. Short ribs can be bought in different sizes: some are cut thin, some thick, some with bones, some with bones removes.

overhead shot of cooked kalbi short ribs in the air fryer

after

 

Homemade Marinade

This recipe is all about the marinade. The marinade is what I refer to as the trifecta: low-carb, paleo, and whole30 compliant which means there’s no sugar. You don’t need sugar trust me. After a few rounds of recipe testing, I realized that less ingredients was better.  As you are making the sauce, give it a taste. If you think it needs more salt, add more salt. Want more ginger? Add more ginger. You see where I’m going here right? Make the sauce work for you. The beef can sit in the marinade for up to 24 hours; I usually marinate mine for about 6 hours. If you’re in a hurry, you can do a quick 30-minute marinade.

 

FAQs & Tips

  • How you serve these air fryer kalbi short ribs is up to you. I like to eat them with rice (cauliflower or regular rice) or with a simple side salad.
  • Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 
  • I used a 5.8-quart air fryer for this recipe.

Air Fryer Beef Recipes 

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close up shot of cooked kalbi short ribs on a white plate garnished with sesame seeds and green onions

Air Fryer Kalbi Short Ribs

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5 from 1 review

This air fryer kalbi (galbi) short ribs recipe is a fantastic way to enjoy the Korean delicacy without the need for a traditional grill. Tender and juicy meat is infused with a homemade, sugar-free marinade then cooked to perfection. This Korean inspired beef recipe is healthy low-carb, paleo & Whole30 compatible and the best part…it air fries in under 10 minutes!

  • Total Time: 38 minutes
  • Yield: Serve 3-4 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 pounds 3/8-inch sliced bone-in short ribs

Marinade

  • 1/2 cup coconut aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Pinch salt & pepper

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl or sealable plastic bag, mix together all the marinade ingredients. Add the short ribs and toss to evenly coat. Cover & marinate in the refrigerator 2 hours to 24 hours. Turn the short ribs once during marinating time.
  2. 30 minutes before you’re ready to cook the short ribs, remove them from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature.
  3.  When ready to cook, remove the steaks from the marinade and add to the air fryer basket. Discard the remaining marinade.
  4. Add the short ribs to the air fryer basket in a single layer. You may have to cook these in batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
  5. Cook 400 degrees for 5-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Notes

Garnish suggestions include sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

How long you cook your short ribs will depend on how well you like your meat cooked.

 

  • Author: Shannon Epstein
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes (marinade)
  • Cook Time: 8 minutes

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 362
  • Sugar: 0 g
  • Sodium: 1250.9 mg
  • Fat: 13.6 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 6.2 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Protein: 48.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 136.1 mg

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on one of the product links, I’ll might receive compensation. For more about my disclosure policy see here: https://fitslowcookerqueen.com/about/disclosure-policy/.

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Top 10 air fry korean short ribs That Easy To Do - Món Ăn Ngon

Friday 18th of November 2022

[…] Source: https://fitslowcookerqueen.com/air-fryer-kalbi-short-ribs/ […]

Kevin L

Thursday 7th of October 2021

My wife made these and they came out amazing! Thanks!