Perfectly Tender Slow Cooker Ribs

These are the best slow cooker ribs! Easy prep, frugal, and tastes just as good as grilled. They get tender all day long and then a quick broil in the oven and BOOM! Dinner! Pairs nicely with the best stovetop mac and cheese and Instant Pot steamed veggies.

If you could tell already by the Instant Pot honey garlic chicken, 30-minute maple glazed pork chops, and the overnight einkorn pizza dough, I’ve been on an “I need dinner and I need it fast” kick lately.

Let me guess – you too?

I’ve been looking for ways to take some of my favorite recipes and make them:

• Easier
• Faster
• MORE delicious

These slow cooker ribs are exactly just that!

Slow Cooker Ribs

When I was a kid, we used to have dinner at my grandparents’ house every so often. During the winter, my grandma would have several links of polish sausage and sauerkraut going in the slow cooker.

In the summer, my grandpa would be firing up the grill, getting ready to put on a couple of slabs of ribs. His ribs were fall-off-the-bone delicious, and he always said his secret ingredient was Kraft barbecue sauce.

I need to digress for a moment…

As much as I loved my grandpa, we’d have to agree to disagree on the barbecue sauce. The number one ingredient is high fructose corn syrup, which was one of the first harmful ingredients we kicked out of our house when we first started our real food journey.

We make our own barbecue sauce now using this tried-and-true recipe and sometimes making substitutions based on what we have (or don’t have), like…

• Tomato paste, for half the ketchup”
• Honey, instead of brown sugar (and the amount is halved too).
• All spicy mustard.
• Any mix/match of whatever vinegar I have, or if I just want to use up what’s left of a few different bottles taking up room in my pantry.
• It’s a CRAZY flexible recipe, and it’s super easy to make. Just dump it in a pan, whisk it together, bring it to a simmer, and turn it down a smidgen until you’re ready to use it.

While my grandpa always said the secret to his ribs was the barbecue sauce, my dad (a chef) later told me that the secret to perfectly tender ribs was to BAKE them first in the oven for a few hours, AND THEN finish them on the grill.

I HAD to add this secret to my slow cooker bbq ribs! It resulted in ribs that were bursting with flavor.

Here’s What You Need

• onion
• chicken stock, beer or apple juice, or orange juice (use whatever you have on hand)
• paprika
• pepper
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• salt
• ribs
• barbeque sauce (here’s my homemade BBQ sauce)

Psst! If you’re going to add salt, I highly recommend Ava Jane’s Kitchen. You may think all salt is created equal, but unfortunately, 90% of salt produced around the world contains microplastics (gross, right?). Ava Jane’s Kitchen is an exception. Their salt is 100% microplastic free, and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a bag for just 1¢!! (Get your penny bag of salt on this page.)

Recipe for Slow Cooker Ribs

Step 1. First, place the sliced onion in a single layer at the bottom of the slow cooker. I have and recommend this 6-quart slow cooker.

Step 2. Mix the spices in a small bowl. As written, these spices are enough for one slab of ribs. If you’re making two slabs, double the spices.

Step 3. Generously cover both sides of the ribs with the spice rub.

Step 4. Place ribs in the slow cooker with the meat-side up (and bone-side down). It’s okay if the slabs overlap a little bit.

Step 5. Then, cook on high for 4 hours for perfectly tender ribs. If you want them to have a bit more of a bite and less fall-off-the-bone, set the timer for 3 1/2 hours.

Step 6. Preheat the broiler to high.

Step 7. Meanwhile, use a pair of tongs to carefully remove the ribs from the slow cooker and place them on a cookie sheet or a 9×13 glass baking dish with a lid.

Note: I recommend approaching the ribs from the very end and sliding as much of the tongs underneath the ribs as possible so that nearly the entire slab is resting on the tongs. (This helps to keep the ribs together, instead of falling apart.

Step 8. When the broiler is ready, generously coat the ribs with barbeque sauce and place under the broiler for 5 minutes. You CAN keep them in there for another minute or two, but I’ve found that 5 minutes gives us the caramelly outside yet leaves the inside meat still very tender.

Slow Cooker Ribs FAQs

Recipe Tips for Barbecue Ribs in a Crock Pot

Just a few quick helpful tips before you dive in:

• I’ve never cooked these ribs on low. If you want to be the guinea pig, I’d suggest setting the clock for 8 hours and going from there. Please let us know how this turns out if you try it!
• I have this 6-quart slow cooker and I can fit two racks of ribs in it without the meat touching the lid. It’s fine if the meat touches each other, but you don’t want the ribs crammed in your slow cooker so much that there’s no airflow. And you need the lid to sit on top correctly too. Use your best judgment as to how many slabs you can cook at one time.

• I’m using a very basic rub on these ribs and it won’t fall off into the juices, so feel free to get fancy if you have any of those fun rubs in your spice cabinet!
• I’m a HUGE fan of pork from Butcher Box – honestly, it tastes NOTHING like pork from the grocery store and it’s worth every penny. Here’s my honest review on Butcher Box. If quality meat is important to you, it’s worth looking into to see if it’s a good fit for you and your family.

Share with someone who may like this...