These fall-off-the-bone Slow Cooker Ribs are the ultimate comfort food! These pork ribs are slow-cooked to perfection and slathered in a sweet and tangy homemade BBQ sauce.
Why you’ll love these
- Easy. This is a true set it and forget it recipe!
- Tender. These ribs are slow-cooked to perfection and have the best fall-off-the-bone texture.
- Flavorful. Our unique blend of spices really pack a punch.
- Perfect for Any Occasion. Great for easy weeknight dinners, BBQ cook-outs, or game day get-togethers.
- Versatile. Play around with different spices and barbecue sauces for totally different flavor profiles!
Ingredients
- Dry Rub: Dark Brown Sugar, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Rosemary, Ginger, Paprika, Pepper, Salt, and Cayenne – this combination of spices creates a dry rub that is sweet, smoky, and a little bit spicy. Feel free to play around with your own combination of spices or to keep things even easier and use your favorite store bought bbq blend!
- Beer – use whatever beer you have laying around, just make sure you enjoy the taste of it. If you’d like to keep this free from alcohol, use your favorite non-alcoholic beer. Water or broth may also be used.
- Ribs – this was tested using St. Louis pork ribs, but baby back ribs may also be used. Either way the membranes should be removed and the ribs should be patted dry.
- Mustard – yellow mustard is pretty classic to help the spice rub it here to the ribs. You can’t really taste the mustard, but also makes a great alternative that is pretty neutral in flavor.
- BBQ Sauce – use my homemade barbecue sauce which includes spices that complement the spice rub in this recipe, or use your favorite store-bought variety!
Pro tip
Ribs aren’t typically made in the slow cooker, but most people don’t have smokers at home. If you’re looking for a smoky flavor, feel free to use liquid smoke.
How to make
- Season. Coat the ribs with yellow mustard, then apply a dry rub on both sides.
- Cook. Place the seasoned ribs into a crockpot with liquid of choice, then cook on LOW or HIGH the ribs reach an internal temperature of 190-205 degrees F.
- Bake. Place ribs onto a baking sheet, coat with BBQ sauce, and bake 425 degrees F until the sauce caramelizes.
- Serve. Enjoy with additional BBQ sauce if desired.
How long does it take to cook ribs in the slow cooker?
Ribs can be made in the slow cooker using the low or high setting, regardless ribs are done when they reach an internal temperature of 190-205 degrees F.
- Low: 6-8 hours
- High: 3-4 hours
Tips
- Remove the membrane. Sometimes the membrane (piece of tissue that is thin, white-ish, shiny) will already be removed, but if it isn’t, use a paper towel to grab it, then pull it off. If you can, ask the butcher at your local grocery store to do it for you.
- Best ribs to buy. St. Louis pork ribs or baby back ribs are both great, it really depends on personal preference. Baby back ribs are leaner and potentially more tender. St. Louis ribs are thicker and meatier.
- Use liquid. It helps keep the ribs moist and tender.
What to serve with ribs
How to store
Leftovers will last in a sealed airtight container for 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
To enjoy again, thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen, wrap in tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees F 15 to 30 minutes or until warm.
– Jennifer
Slow Cooker Ribs
These fall-off-the-bone Slow Cooker Ribs are the ultimate comfort food! These pork ribs are slow-cooked to perfection and slathered in a sweet and tangy homemade BBQ sauce.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Yield: 4 people
Equipment for this recipe
(equipment shown are affiliate links)
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper omit if you don’t like spice
Slow Cooker Ribs
- 1 (12 oz) can beer use a NA version, if desired
- 3 ½ pounds St Louis pork ribs or baby back, membranes removed and patted dry (this should be 2 racks, so they will fit in the crockpot)*
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- Homemade BBQ sauce for serving
Instructions
Dry Rub
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, ginger, paprika, pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
Slow Cooker Ribs
- Pour beer into a 6 quart crockpot then set aside.
- Coat the ribs in mustard, then season the ribs generously with the dry rub on both sides (some dry rub may be leftover).
- Place the ribs into the crockpot (it's OK if you need to stack them), then cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
- When the ribs are almost done (they’re cooked at 190-205 degrees F), preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place the ribs in a single layer onto a baking sheet, then coat with BBQ sauce.
- Bake ribs in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce starts to caramelize and stick to the meat.
- Serve with additional barbecue sauce if desired and enjoy!
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STORING
Room Temp:N/A
Refrigerator:4 Days
Freezer:3 Months
Reheat:Thaw, if frozen, then wrap and bake until warm
*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions
Notes
*If the rib racks are too long for the slow cooker, simply cut them into smaller sections.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Ribs
Amount Per Serving (0.5 rack)
Calories 622 Calories from Fat 342
% Daily Value*
Fat 38g58%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Trans Fat 0.4g
Polyunsaturated Fat 7g
Monounsaturated Fat 14g
Cholesterol 127mg42%
Sodium 874mg38%
Potassium 647mg18%
Carbohydrates 38g13%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 27g30%
Protein 27g54%
Vitamin A 2176IU44%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 91mg9%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
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