This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide recipes to you. Read my disclosure policy.
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.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
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.
I cooked these for 4 hours on HI in crock pot and were awful ☹️thought and chewy. so disappointing!
I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you!
Didn’t you say 6to7 hours on low mines were p
Mines were perfect my husband loved them fell right off the bone Thank you
I have a recipe for oven baked ribs, the rub is very similar but also calls for lemon pepper, less salt and black pepper. I am kind of combining that recipe with yours and just popped them into the slow cooker with our favorite store-bought BBQ sauce…smells terrific already can’t wait to taste them tonight!
If the ribs are laying flat, won’t they be sitting in grease?
No, they will be cooking in the sauce. Give it a try and let me know how you like it. They are SO delicious!
Alyssa this recipe sounds good but a little confused do i add the sauce while the ribs are cooking and when putting in the oven?? Also do i use the sauce from the crockpot to put on ribs when going in the oven??
Thank you kindly
Rebecca J
Hello! You add the sauce to the crockpot before cooking the ribs. Once the ribs are done cooking in the slow cooker, you take them out and use the leftover sauce from the crokcpot and baste the ribs with that and then cook them in the oven.
This worked very well. Nearly fall-off-the-bone but not quite, just right. Very flavorful and moist. Put under high broiler for a few minutes with BBQ sauce to finish.
Could I prepare these the night before, refrigerate and cook the next day?
That should work fine!
If circling the pot sides with ribs any suggestions on pouring the BBQ sauce since they aren’t laying in the bottom. The rub is covering them well. I’m thinking wait a bit and after tops caramelize against the side walls some I can lay them flat and add the bottle sauce.
Shoot, I really want to try this…today…but my ribs are frozen? Wait until tmrw or just throw them in with the membrane?!!!
Wait until they have thawed!
This was really good one problem I had though was I split the ribs in half and stacked them. The ones on the bottom were much more tender the ones on top were more dried out.
I always like to wrap the dry rubbed ribs along the inside of the crock, with the meat side touching as much of the wall as possible. Low for 4.5-5 hours then baste with bbq sauce and broil for a couple min.
Delicious! I used store-bought sauce and doubled the rub ingredients because I had 4 1/3 pounds of ribs. Made about 2 cups of equally-flavorful drippings, which were scrumptious over mashed potatoes as well as baked potatoes.
Very easy and tasty. Used my 40 year old round crockpot, so the bottom layer and side layer got falling off the bone tender, but the piece on top was cooked but not falling apart. Next time will move them around during cooking to even it out. Liked the rub & I did double the amount to coat the ribs completely. Will def make these again.
Great taste
Super simple and absolutely delicious!!!
Easy and delicious. Perfect for superbowl Sunday. My family gobbledthem up. Thanks
Great recipe. Thx
I made these ribs for dinner tonight and they were fantastic. I pretty much followed the recipe as written and they were melt in your mouth tender. I did double the rub but used a lot less salt. My husband was raving about them so much I’m sure we’ll have them again soon. Thanks for the great recipe!
These look amazing. You say put the bbq sauce in the crockpot when you cook, then say pour bbq sauce on when done to broil? Can you explain that better please. I’m going to make these ribs in a few days. Thank you!!
Yes, sorry for the confusion! Cook the ribs in the slow cooker for 6 to 7 hours. Then place the ribs on a baking sheet and bake them for 10 minutes. Broiling them is a variation you can use if you like a crispy outer layer.
Loved your crockpot ribs, Alyssa! And they do “fall off the bone!” Thanks!!!
I’ve finally found the perfect rib recipe. Just made these and holy smokes, fall off the bone is an understatement!! These were SO TENDER. Thank you for this recipe!