Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
Homemade ribs are one of the few things that have truly intimidated me in the kitchen. I have saved countless recipes for barbecue ribs, but all of the hands-on time, plus precise grilling temperatures and placements, left me feeling less than motivated to tackle them at home. I mentioned to you on Friday that I’ve been trying to make more use of my slow cooker, and last week while I was making my grocery list, I asked my husband if there was anything in particular he’d like for dinner. He suggested some type of meat in the slow cooker, so I started poking around for ideas. I threw out some new ideas, and when I mentioned barbecue ribs, he immediately got excited. Ribs it was!
I ended up mashing together a number of different recipes before I came up with my game plan. A lot of the recipes I found called for simply throwing the ribs into the slow cooker with a bottle of barbecue sauce; however, many of those reviews stated that the meat lacked flavor. So, I decided a rub was in order. Done.
The next hurdle was figuring out how to eliminate a fatty, soupy sauce if the ribs cooked down, releasing juices and fat into the barbecue sauce. Some recipes recommended par-cooking the ribs in the oven to help with this, but that seemed to defeat the purpose of having an easy, throw-it-together-in-10-minutes type of meal. I opted for cooking the ribs sans sauce for the first seven hours; between the rub and layers of onion, the meat was wonderfully flavored. Then, the accumulated liquids were drained out, the ribs returned to the slow cooker with the barbecue sauce, and cooked for an additional hour. I was positively thrilled with how this method worked out.
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The resulting ribs were literally falling off the bones, and were bursting with sweet, smoky and slightly spicy flavors. We enjoyed the ribs exactly how they came out, but if you prefer a stickier, more caramelized coating of barbecue sauce on your ribs, you could place them on a foil-lined baking sheet once they are done in the slow cooker and broil them for a few minutes.
Now that we’ve had these ribs, I don’t feel like I need to master the on-the-grill version anymore. These could not be simpler or have a better texture and flavor! If you’ve been intimidated by making ribs at home, this recipe is your answer. Served with my favorite mashed potatoes and cole slaw, we were definitely going back for seconds! (I’d also love this with mac and cheese!)
I have a feeling this is going to be a weekly request at this house ;-)
Three years ago: Salted Caramel Popcorn, Pretzel & Peanut Bars
Five years ago: Potato Rosemary Bread
Six years ago: Wendy’s Copycat Chili
Seven years ago: Soft Pretzels: Part II
Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) cayenne pepper
- 6 pounds (2.72 kg) baby back ribs, back membrane removed, cut into sections to fit the slow cooker
- 2 large yellow onions, sliced
- 1 cup (250 ml) water
- 40 ounce (1133.98 ml) bottle barbecue sauce (your favorite)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, brown sugar, salt, black pepper and cayenne. Rub the spice blend evenly over both sides of the ribs.
- Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place a layer of sliced onions on the bottom. Alternate layers of ribs and onions. Pour the water over the top of the ribs. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours; the meat should be extremely tender and falling off the bone.
- Using tongs, remove the ribs to a large plate. Pour off all accumulated liquid and the onions. Return the ribs to the empty slow cooker and pour the barbecue sauce over top, turning the ribs so they are evenly coated. Cover and cook on low for an additional 1 hour. Cut and serve!
Notes
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Holy moly these ribs were so good I can’t deal! We used beef short ribs because that’s what we found and they melted in our mouths! LOVE this!
When I make these they start smelling delicious about 3 hours into cooking time. So much so that even the dogs hang in the kitchen drooling near the crock! They are worth the wait; I call them our “Indoor Easy Ribs”.
Hi
I was planning on trying these in the next few days. (they look phenomenal btw!) I wanted to know, should I braise them first and then put the rub on? Or should I just follow your recipe to the letter? This is the first time I’m doing ribs in the crockpot so I’ve been researching a whole bunch of recipes, I am planning on using yours but saw this whole braising thing on the chew and got curious.
Thanks
Hi Sana, I have made this multiple times and never braised the ribs first; just put the rub onto the raw ribs and then everything into the slow cooker!
The rib recipe I use (takes five hours) has a second stage where you mix apple juice and grape juice and cook for an hour, wrapped in foil on a very low temperature. I’m thinking that one could mix those with the water to total one cup. Also, I live in the south and use “Bone Sucking Sauce”. It is wonderful.
Michelle I just have to tell you that I made these for New Years since I was tired of the traditional pork & sauerkraut. I have never tasted ribs as tender & flavorful as these! I could not believe how well the onions infused the ribs & how the rub stayed on so well. My son & I could not believe these came out of a crockpot! Served it with huluski and think I have our New Years tradional meal converted to this! Please come up with more crockpot dishes! This is the best I ever made! Also could you please come up with some more boozy milkshakes? I’ve subscribed to your husbands blog but have never received emails from him but I am receiving his facebook updates. I know you are very near your due date & wish you and your hubby all the best with your new family! Take care of yourself!
I made these tonight and didn’t have high expectations. I’ve made countless recipes in the past and they all came out dry and tasteless. This recipe was unbelievably delicious!!! My son loved them and gave them a “10”. Thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s a keeper!
As someone who doesn’t really love to touch uncooked meat, I have definitely been intimidated to try ribs. My boyfriend loves meat and does not think any meal is complete without meat, and ribs are one of his favorites. I made these the other day and they were fantastic! We loved the smoky flavor from the rub and how tender the slow cooker made them. I did sear them at the end in the broiler and I think that added the perfect crispiness! Thanks for the great recipe!
These were absolutely amazing! I only made one change which was to use country ribs because that’s what I had. We’re making them again today. Fabulous! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I made these tonight and they were a HUGE hit!
Thanks for a tasty and easy recipe!!
Just wanted to say that I made these yesterday and they were terrific! Literally could not believe how tender they were, and so flavorful! My husband is not a big rib fan but he said these convinced him otherwise.
These are in the slow cooker now! Can’t wait for supper! I found a corn syrup-free BBQ sauce from Weber (the grill people). I have tried the original and hickory so far. They are both good but the hickory is better! I think they gave a spicy flavor also. I found it at Super Wal Mart.
So good – made them tonight for dinner & it was a huge hit. Very easy to make and full of flavor – thx for such a good recipe.
These ribs look absolutely perfect! And so nice and easy too! Pinned!
Ribs have always intimidated me, too! This recipe sounds like the one I need to try — they look so delicious!
I’ve never even considered making ribs at home, but this recipe looks completely do able! Thanks for posting!
These look oh sooooooooo good!
Stumbled on this site and now will bookmark it!!
Oh wow, I have been seriously wanting to get out my slow cooker and make ribs, and this recipe looks perfect. Not too many ingredients, and simple prep time – thanks!
These ribs look perfect!! I can tell how tender they are and I bet the meat just falls off the bone!
YUM! I love ribbies and have never made them in the crock pot before. I can’t wait to try this recipe! It’s perfect for when the cooler weather forces you to stop using the grill.
Would never have thought ribs could turn out well in a crock pot, but these look delicious!
These look great but doesn’t the rub get washed off when you pour the water in? Thanks for all of your great recipes!
Hi Michelle, Nope, it didn’t get washed off.
These look amazing and are going in the crock pot this week. One question though, did you find that 1 cup of water was enough liquid? I guess I’ve always been told that the meat needs to be covered completely to cook correctly. Any opinions on that?
Hi Michele, 1 cup was plenty. As the ribs cook, they release their own liquid, as do the onions. By the time they were done, they were sitting in quite a bit of liquid that had them almost covered. They definitely were not dry.
Well, I was skeptical, but they turned out great with just the 1 cup of liquid. although I did alter the recipe slightly. Instead of just using 1 cup of water, I used about an 1/8 cup shy of a full cup of water and filled the rest with apple cider vinegar and the juice of 1 lemon. I then had about a tablespoon or so of the rub left over and mixed it into the liquid. I poured this on top of the ribs and onions, then cooked away in the crock pot and they were amazing. I also added about a 1/4 teaspoon of Chipotle cayenne pepper which adds a nice suttle smoky flavor to the ribs. Adding the vinegar and rub mix acts as a “mop” that you would normally use on the smoker in the last several hours of smoking. You’re just adding it from the beginning and when it’s finished, it was amazing.
Hi Michelle~ Every rib recipe I read says to remove the membrane. I’ve made ribs on the grill several times before – never in the crockpot – and have never removed a membrane. What do you, & others, mean by that? Perhaps the butcher where I purchase my meats has already removed the membrane from the baby backs??? I am so clueless on this . . . Thanks for your explanation and help. I must try this crockpot version. They look delicious.
Hi Michelle, Some places do remove it, especially if you go to a butcher shop. On the back side (bone side) of the ribs, you’ll see a thin white film. You can get your fingers under it and just pull it right off in one piece, almost like casing on a sausage. If it’s not there, then it’s already been removed!
yuummm! THese looks lick-you-fingers-delicious :)
I noticed you sprayed the crockpot with non-stick spray. I always sprayed mine too, that is until my friend told me to try a crockpot liner. I assure you once you use them you wont know how you ever cooked in the crock without them!
Hi Beth, I’ve used them as well in the past, but I’m just not comfortable with my food cooking inside plastic!
Does anyone know if the crockpot liners are safe to use? I have used them in the past on occasion and loved them but I also had concerns of chemicals leaching out. Someone told me they are safe because crockpots cook at lower temperatures but some of the newer ones cook faster and at a higher heat than the older models. If anyone has any valid information on this I would love to hear it. I thought the liners were wonderful but just can’t get beyond my concerns without concrete evidence that they are safe.
Crock pot liners are made from nylon, not plastic. But regardless, I’ve stayed away from them for 2 reasons: I’ve never cooked anything in my crock pots that didn’t come off in the dish washer and (2) I don’t like the idea of a ‘throw away’ liner. I even feel guilty using zip-loc bags. Thank you for this recipe! I’ve looked at cooking ribs a few times and they just seemed like such a hassle. This is perfect for working people! Except I’m going to try cooking it for 8hrs and see how that goes. I get annoyed at all these 6-7hr recipes – who works for only 6hrs a day?
By the way, if you are looking for healthier BBQ sauce, why not make your own next summer? It’s not any more difficult than making marinara sauce and tastes so much flavourful and less ‘sugary’. You could probably make it in a slow cooker!
I always make my BBq ribs under the broiler. I line a pan wih alumium foil place a rack on the pan, put pan on next to bottom rack in oven.. Season to your liking. Broil on low for 2 hours. Broil one side(1/2 hour) turn over, broil again (1/2 hour). Then put your sauce on without turning, broil again 1/2hour, turn and baste with sauce for 1/2 hour. Always comes out great.
If you truly broiled anything for two plus hours, it would be burnt to a crisp. I think you mean that you bake them. Broiling is at a very high temperature and not meant to be done for hours at a time.
These look amazing! I usually do ribs low and slow in the oven or on the grill. Thanks for a recipe that allows me to make ribs while I’m at work!
These look delicious! I’ve never had the courage to attempt (bbq) ribs before, but this recipe seems so easy. I think my boyfriend will be overjoyed if I make these. He’s a true meat lover ^^
Do you have a favorite BBQ sauce? I’ve never found one I’m crazy about. Thanks!
Hi Marla, I don’t make a lot of stuff with barbecue sauce, so I don’t have a favorite, really. I used Sweet Baby Ray’s original for this, as that seems to be what most people gravitate to, so I figured it must be good!
Thanks for getting back with me. I have also heard good things about Sweet Baby Rays so I will give that a try. Would love to find a tasty one that’s not loaded with high fructose corn syrup but I’m anxious to try these so I will save that for another time. I can’t wait to try these.
Dinosaur BBQ sauce is great if you can find it. It’s becoming more available in supermarkets and specialty markets. It is from the Dinosaur BBQ restaurant in Syracuse, NY (and other locations) and it doesn’t have corn syrup. If you can find it it’s worth picking up a jar and giving it a try.
Kraft bbq sauce doesn’t have hfcs and they really stepped up their game! I just made this recipe with their smokehouse flavor and it was so effin good
Hi Marla,
I’m not huge on BBQ sauce either but Trader Joes recently showcased theirs (I’m not sure if it’s new or I’ve simply not seen it before) and I really like it!
Thanks Melissa. I will try this one out also!
Nothing better than slow cooker ribs and I love how you flavored these!