Put a rack or two of ribs in your crock pot in the morning, let them slow cook all day, and you can have the most tender, finger-licking good ribs on the table for dinner in just minutes. They are perfect for game day.
I made a homemade BBQ Sauce for these ribs that’s both sweet and a little spicy. It can be made the night before to save time in the morning or you can use your favorite bottled BBQ sauce if you don’t want to go to the trouble of doing this step.
There is no easier way to cook ribs than in the slow cooker. They are guaranteed to be super tender.
The ribs are coated with a rub before they are put in the crock pot and the flavors of the spices really soak into the meat as it cooks.
Once the ribs have cooked on LOW for 8 hours (this is a really great recipe to cook while you are at work), they are slathered with sauce and broiled just long enough to make them look like they’ve come right off the grill.
Why I love Crock Pot Ribs:
- This is a hands off recipe. You don’t even have to peak at the ribs while they slow cook. You can even cook them overnight or while you are at work.
- There’s almost no risk of overcooking and drying out the ribs. They are guaranteed to be tender and juicy.
- No need to turn the oven on for hours or slave over a hot grill. During the summer in the south, you know what a bonus this is!
- A quick broil at the end makes these ribs seem like they came straight off the grill.
- Anyone can have success with this recipe.
Tips for making Crock Pot Ribs
What size slow cooker should I use?
- You will need a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
What type of ribs do I use?
- You can use St.Loius-style, baby back ribs, or country-style ribs.
Can I make them in advance?
- You can make these ribs a day in advance. Remove them from the refrigerator, cover with plastic wrap. Then broil them just before serving. You may want to broil them a little further from the heating element since they will need to heat all the way through and you will need to broil them a little longer.
How can I make sure they are as tender and easy to eat as possible?
- Remove the thin white membrane on the back of the ribs. Use a sharp knife to cut through it and then you should be able to grab the membrane and pull it off.
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Recipes to serve with Crock Pot Ribs
- Baked Beans with Smoked Sausage
- Buttermilk Coleslaw
- Southern Potato Salad
- Super Creamy Mac and Cheese
- Spicy Collard Greens
Watch the short video below to see how to make Crock Pot Ribs.
Crock Pot Ribs
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Rub
- 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 pounds St. Louis-style ribs
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients for sauce in a medium pot and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Combine all dry rub ingredients in a small bowl.
- Remove thin skin from the back side of the ribs. Rub dry rub into ribs.
- Place ribs in a lightly greased crock pot.
- Pour 1/2 cup sauce over ribs.
- Cover crock pot and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
- Place ribs on a baking sheet. Brush remaining sauce on ribs and broil for 3 to 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Holy smokes were these good! My hubby was very enthusiastic about these ribs and hopes I will make them again. I have never been a real rib lover but I sure am now! YUMMMMMMMMMMM!! The only things I did differently were; I doubled the sauce amount so we would have plenty to spoon over our rice. And I didn’t have any cayenne, but my hubby isn’t a fan of spicy food anyway. I also added 1 1/2 tsp of liquid smoke. And because I doubled the sauce, tomorrow I am going to cook some chicken breasts in the crock pot in the remaining sauce and have them with our leftover ribs. I am going to make more of the same rub for the chicken first. Thank you Christin for this AWESOME recipe! If wish I could give it more than 5 stars! lol.
How would you go about reheating these? Best way?
Like I’ll be making them during the day for someone who won’t get to eat them til about 5 hours after they are done.
I have been cooking ribs just like this for ages. They fall off the bone when done. I have even cooked them overnight, taken them out of the crock pot in the a.m. and refrigerated until dinner time. Then brush with sauce and broil until hot and the glaze is bubbly. Delish! Just use your favorite bottled sauce if this is too spicy. I tried this rub recipe and it is very good!
These ribs are too spicy for us! And I’m not afraid of heat. I guess the flavor goes with the website!:) The recipe itself is great, and I will use again – and either cut down or omit the cayenne. Just not ideal for young toddlers or breastfeeding people.
Fortunately for us, I have used cayenne in many recipes before and knew it was too much immediately after seeing the amount. I used 1/8 t. in the sauce part and omitted the cayanne in the rub which seemed to be just the right amount.
Fortunately for us I have used cayenne in the past and knew immediately it would be way too spicy. I ended up using 1/8 t. in the sauce part and omitted it completely in the rub, which seemed to be just right for us!
I wanted to sign up for your newsletter, but the link isn’t working. Is there some other way that I can sign up?
Which link did you use Pam? The one in the post or in the side bar?
I think I fixed it Pam.
Do you think this would work with boneless ribs?
Though I’m not a big fan of crock pot ribs, the prep and seasoning can really make or break it. I like both the sauce and the rub. It’s very similar to what I make. Might I suggest After drying off the ribs, dampen them with a bit of liquid smoke. Then apply the rub. I then vacuum seal the ribs and refrigerate for at least 24 hrs. The alternative is to tightly wrap the ribs in either a food service film or Saran Wrap; or something similar, and then refrigerate. The liquid smoke and letting it marinate with the dry rub really does make a difference.
I need to cook five racks of ribs and I only have two crockpots. can I split that fifth rack into the two crockpots that I have or will it be too full?
If it physically fits in and you can close the lid, then it should be fine. Good luck!
I need to slow cook 5 racks of ribs but I only have 2 crock- pots . Can i split.that fifth rack into the 2 crock-pots or will it be to full?
I sure hope that’s a typo. Don’t think you want to brush your bibs!!