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My Slow Cooker Ribs are hands-down one of my favorite recipes on the site! They fall off the bone, are coated in sticky-sweet sauce, and are unbelievably easy to make.
A Reader’s Review
Made this recipe tonight and my family loved it!!! Even my picky 9 year old loved them. Making them in a crockpot makes them fall off the bone.
Melt-in-Your-Mouth Ribs, No Grill Required
- No Grill, No Problem: You don’t need a smoker or grill to get that fall-off-the-bone magic. The slow cooker makes them unbelievably tender with barely any effort. I can barely get them from the platter to our plates without falling apart. YUM!
- Bone-In Brings the Flavor: Cooking ribs with the bone in keeps them super juicy and adds rich, delicious flavor while they slow cook.
- Even Better the Next Day: If you have leftovers (good luck!), the flavor gets even deeper overnight.
Slow Cooker Ribs Ingredients
- Rib Type: Baby back, St. Louis, or country-style ribs all work. Baby backs are lean, St. Louis are meatier, and country-style are thick and extra tender. Just make sure they fit and cook longer for meatier cuts.
- Removing Membrane: Remove the thin membrane from the back—use a paper towel for grip. If it’s already removed, no worries!
Picky Kid Tip
Picky Eater Tip! Do your kids hate bones in meat? Try my slow cooker boneless ribs instead.
How to Make Slow Cooker Ribs
Ready to make the easiest, most mouthwatering ribs of your life? This method is simple, foolproof, and delivers big flavor with minimal effort. Let’s get cooking!
- Prep Ribs: Prepare the 2-3 pounds of pork baby back ribs by removing the membrane and patting them dry with a paper towel.
- Dry Rub: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Rub the spice mixture evenly all over the ribs.
- Cut in Half: Cut the rack of ribs in half. Add half of the rack to the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour HALF of the 2 cups of homemade or store-bought BBQ sauce on top and layer with the other rack and remaining sauce.
- Cook: Cook the ribs on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
Caramelize for Flavor
- Broil: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the ribs from the slow cooker and set them on a baking sheet. Pour the sauce from the crockpot on top of the ribs and cook for 10 minutes until the tops get crispy.
- Sauce it up! Brush with additional sauce if needed. Then serve with your favorite sides!
Storing Your Rib Leftovers
These are a great leftover meal, warm them up for lunch at the office, and everyone will be jealous!
- In the Fridge: These will keep in an air-tight container or tightly wrapped in the fridge for 5 days.
- In the Freezer: Tightly wrap leftover ribs in plastic wrap, then foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm in the microwave for 30-second intervals, or on a lower power level. You do not want to re-cook the ribs, just warm them, otherwise, they’ll become tough.
What to Serve with Slow Cooker Ribs
I could eat my weight in these ribs. Add a good side and boom—special occasion vibes. Perfect for Father’s Day, birthdays, or just showing off.
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Easy & Tender Slow Cooker Ribs
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds pork baby back ribs, 1 rack of ribs
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups homemade or store-bought BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the 2-3 pounds pork baby back ribs, by removing the membrane and patting them dry with a paper towel.
- In a small bowl, mix the 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Rub the spice mixture evenly all over the ribs.
- Cut the rack of ribs in half. Add half of the rack to the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour HALF of the 2 cups homemade or store-bought BBQ sauce on top and layer with the other rack and remaining sauce. You can also wrap the ribs around the slow cooker if the top will not fit.
- Cook the ribs on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the ribs from the slow cooker and set them on a baking sheet.
- Pour the sauce from the crockpot on top of the ribs and cook for 10 minutes until the tops get crispy. Brush with additional sauce if needed.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Those 3 dishes that I picked look so good & I really want try them..
Used this method as it was too cold for my smoker. Very pleased with the results. My wife made homemade Mac n cheese and Waldorf salad to go along with it. Everyone enjoyed the feast.
Sounds amazing!
Do you cook from frozen or thawed?
Hi Bailey, thank you for your question. You will want to cook the ribs thawed.
SOOOO good!! My sister is not a big “ribs” fan and she LOVED them! DEFINITELY a do again recipe! 🙂
these turned out so good. very tender, fall off bone. moist. membrane was not easy to remove at all. but will definitely make these again.
My crockpot has a 10 hour option. With my work schedule, this would work better for me. Would 10 hours ruin the meat?
Hi Shay! Ten hours should be just fine as long as the temperature setting is on low.
Made this recipe tonight and my family loved it!!! Even my picky 9 year old loved them. Making them in a crockpot makes them fall off the bone.
Pleasing a picky 9 year old isn’t easy! Wahoo!!! I’m so glad you found this recipe! I have a picky eater as well and they also love my crockpot parmesan garlic chicken pasta. Try that and let me know if they like it!
I have used this recipe before and sometimes I find it overcooks my ribs. The dry rub is amazing and when it works it’s delicious. I’m using 2lbs of ribs how long should I slow cook on low?
Hi!! For 2 pounds, try checking the ribs after 5 hours in the slow cooker on low!
I’ve made this a few times, and the ribs come out perfectly each time. The only tweak I make to the recipe is that I add a little bit of water & liguid smoke mixture(just enough to cover the bottom of my crock), so I’m not cooking in a “dry” crock.
OMG! THESE WERE PERFECT I FOLLOWED THE RECIPE TO THE TEE! EXCEPT I ADDED A PINCH MORE OF EVERYTHING I MAKE MY OWN BBQ SAUCE TOO. THEY COOKED 6AND A HALF HOURS ON LOW. AFTER HALFWAY THROUGH I ROTATED THEM BUT CAME OUT REALLY REALLY PERFECT THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING ❤️