Slow Cooker Ribs (2024)

Slathered in a tasty sweet BBQ sauce with a bit of a kick, these delicious Slow Cooker Ribs are finger-licking good! Cooked right in the crockpot until the meat just falls right off of the bone, this 10-ingredient recipe is unbelievably easy and perfect for a game day!

Easy Slow Cooker Ribs Recipe

There is nothing quite like properly cooked BBQ Baby Back Ribs! Covered in flavorful sweet tangy BBQ sauce and then cooked until the meat is so tender that it just comes right off the bone. It’s absolutely delicious and one of the best things ever created. But did you know that you can also just toss some ribs into a crockpot and get the same results as an oven or grill!?! Well, you can and I’m going to show you how.

First off, this slow cooker ribs recipe is super simple! Because baby back ribs, barbecue sauce, and a slow cooker make tasty, succulent, tender ribs with almost no effort. You literally just dump it all in the pot and cook. The only thing that you do need to do is prep the ribs correctly by removing any silverskin and use a super flavorful sauce. But don’t worry, removing the silverskin takes just seconds and my sauces are always packed with flavor. So you’re covered.

And to keep things nice and easy the base of the sauce is just store-bought BBQ sauce that’s doctored up with a few of my favorite ingredients. But you don’t even need to precook the sauce. As I said, simple recipe!

• BBQ Sauce – Any kind of store-bought sauce will work perfectly. But you can also make your own homemade BBQ sauce if you like.
• Brown Sugar – Used to sweeten the sauce a bit more, it naturally has molasses in it which adds another layer of flavor.
• Garlic Powder – Does a great job of fully coating all the ribs and adds some garlicky good flavor.
• Onion Powder – In this recipe, using onion powder will coat the ribs better and add more flavor than raw onion.
• Worcestershire Sauce – Adds a bit of salt and umami to the sauce.
• Chili Powder – Used to add a bit of spice to the sauce and balance the sweetness.
• Dry Mustard – It adds just a touch of mustard bite, but also helps to bind the sauce together as it cooks.
• Seasonings – Salt and black pepper are needed to season the ribs.
• Ribs – This crockpot recipe was designed for baby back ribs, so that’s what you need to use. Other types of ribs such as spare ribs do not cook in the same way so they will not turn out as well using this method.

How To Make Slow Cooker Ribs

This baby back ribs recipe is amazing! And the best part about slow cooking is that once everything is in, the crockpot does the rest! You get to walk away and return to tasty ribs just waiting to be eaten!

Remove The Membrane

To begin, you need to remove the membrane, also called silverskin, from the bottom side of the ribs. This step is really important and if you skip it your slow cooker ribs will not be as tender. But it’s super easy to do! Just flip the rack of ribs over so that you are looking at the bottom side. This is the side with only bone and no meat. Now, go to one end of the rack, then slide a knife under the silverskin to loosen it up a bit, and then pull the membrane right off. If you do it correctly the silverskin will normally peel off in just one swipe. Then repeat the process with the other racks.

Season The Ribs

Once you’ve removed all the membrane from the baby back ribs, you can start seasoning them to be cooked. All you need to do is sprinkle them generously on both sides with salt and black pepper. But make sure you cover every inch of them for the best-tasting ribs. Then place the ribs in your crockpot.

Make The BBQ Sauce

Now that your ribs are ready to go, let’s make the BBQ sauce! First, put the BBQ sauce in a medium bowl and then add the brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, and mustard powder. Then whisk everything together until it’s well combined. Now, pour the sauce over the ribs in the crockpot making sure to cover them entirely in the sauce. And if your ribs are stacked, you need to pour the sauce in between them too. You want every inch of the ribs to be coated with BBQ sauce.

Slow Cook The Ribs

Finally, it’s time to cook! Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook the ribs on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 8 hours. Whether you cook them on HIGH or on LOW will depend on how long you plan to be away from your crockpot.

Finish And Serve

After the ribs are done cooking, pour and brush some of the BBQ sauce in the bottom of the pot over the ribs before removing them from the slow cooker. Then transfer the ribs to a platter and cut them into portions. Now, serve the slow cooker ribs with the remaining BBQ sauce and a few sides like my Easy Potato Salad and Coleslaw, and corn on the cob.

What If The Ribs Don’t Fit Into The Slow Cooker?

This happens sometimes. But all you have to do is cut the racks into smaller portions and then stack them in the pot. You can also try rolling up the racks. But just remember that regardless of how you fit them into your slow cooker, all the ribs need to be covered in BBQ sauce before they start cooking.

Can You Slow Cook Ribs Too Long?

Yes, just like oven baked ribs, if you leave them in the crockpot for too long they can become dry and tough. This will likely not happen, but it is possible. So just use the timer on your crockpot if it has one or set your own.

Storage

Leftover slow cooker ribs will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months when stored in an airtight container or freezer bag. To reheat, just put them in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power or in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for about 10 minutes. However, if the BBQ ribs are frozen, it’s best to let them thaw out in the fridge overnight prior to reheating.

Other Delicious Recipes To Try

• Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas
• Easy Pot Roast
• Crockpot Cilantro Lime Chicken
• Slow Cooker Chocolate Candy
• Slow Cooker Bread