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
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I have made these dozens of times and keep forgetting to leave a review.
These are AMAZING. I have used bone-in pork ribs and also boneless pork ribs. They come out great either way. My grandson prefers them without the bbq sauce so now I serve it without the sauce and just heat up sauce on the stove and let whoever wants it to put it on themselves.
My favorite way to use them is to make my own McRib sandwich. It is 1000 times better than the one at the drive through, and I know exactly what’s in it. I usually also make the slow cooker macaroni and cheese from this site to go with them. SOOO GOOD!!!!
You really can’t go wrong with any of the recipes on this site. It is the first place my daughter and i check when we want to make something. “Did you check Brown Eyed Baker??” Is said weekly by one of us!!
Thank you for another great recipe, Michelle! Easiest and most delicious ribs I have ever made. Everyone loved these ribs. Moist, flavorful, and tend. Very little cleanup.
I only used 1 large onion, and only needed 18 ounces of Baby Rae’s sauce.
This is my favorite rib recipe! They are so tender and delicious.
Thanks for the Sunday dinner idea this week and the great recipe! Ribs are something I’ve never made and didn’t know how to. Your recipe made cooking them seem very approachable and, sure enough, it really was! (Also owe thanks to YouTube, who showed me how to remove the membrane :)) My husband and I both thought the ribs were really good! I’ll surely be making this again – thank you!
Hi! Just wonder about the onions. Did you keep them to mix in bbq sauce or do you discard them?
Whatever pours off with the liquid I discard, but some of them stick and stay :)
This sounds really great for the ribs in the slow cooker. I know what you mean about finding recipes with ribs and barbeque them with sauce. That is not my idea. I am going to try this recipe for Labor Day.. I believe this one will work. I will let you know how it turns out, In fact I like your whole menu plan for the dinner you are fixing Sunday. Thanks for the great recipe and menu.
I made these for dinner last night (along with your cheesy corn casserole) and they were both were a huge hit. I used Trader Joe’s BBQ sauce, roasted garlic sriracha, which made them spicy and so delish! Thanks for great recipes!!
Hi! Do you have nutrition info for this recipe?
Thank you so much :)
Hi Cia, Unfortunately I do not at at this time.
Thoughts on using a Boston butt? What size?
Hi Carolyn, You could totally do that! I would probably use 4-6 lb, depending on how many people you’re feeding.
Hi!
Discovered your ice-box cake recipe (a favorite in our house, but Mom left no recipe!)/ Many thanks. Will also try this rib recipe in the fall. Nice approach – looks very straight forward.
I made these for my husband tonight and we both agree they are fantastic! Smelling them cooking all day was almost torture but worth the wait. We used a spicy and sweet memphis bbq sauce that really worked well with the rub. It was the first time I’ve ever made bbq ribs and it was so easy (the membrane part was gross though).
I made these last night for the 1st time, & they were AMAZING! My husband would moan “OMG!” after each bite… literally after every.single.bite. :) We had a taste after removing the onions & liquid before adding the BBQ sauce, & I think next time I might just cook them w/o the BBQ sauce & just dip them in it as we’re eating them because they were fabulous w/o it, too.
I am so glad I found your receipe! I made these yesterday, and they were delicious! Definitely no knife needed. The meat was so tender. The rub made a huge difference. My husband loved them too, and he’s not a rib lover! A keeper for sure!
Thank you!
I love your recipes! Have you tried this
with any other type of rib, such as, country style?
Hi Nancy, Thank you! I have not tried it with any other type of ribs, but I think they should work, too.
Just a quick question…can we use the boneless ribs for this recipe? Hubby hates the ribs on a bone so I was thinking of using the boneless that my grocery store sells. Wasn’t sure if the bone adds anything to the taste or tenderness of the finished product. Thanks so much!
Hi Cindy, Any meat with the bone still in tends to be more flavorful, but this recipe would work with boneless ribs.
My favorite ribs have to be the kind that one gnaws off the bone…these look delicious but the words you used “fall off the bone” is too “knife and fork” kinda ribs. What would you suggest to keep the meat on the bones? Thank you.
Hi Lexy, Honestly, I’d probably check out some different recipes. When you slow cook meat for that long, it becomes incredibly tender.