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Slow cooker BBQ Ribs are tender, fall-of-the-bone ribs coated in a sweet BBQ sauce. This easy Crock Pot recipe makes a great weeknight dinner or a potluck recipe for parties.

A plate of Slow Cooker Ribs with a basting brush, some ribs whole and others cut individually, set on a white rectangular plate with a cloth napkin partially visible in the background.


 

Making ribs in a slow cooker is so simple you’re going to wonder why you didn’t try it years ago…at least that’s how I felt the first time I tried it!

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • St. Louis-Style Ribs – We prefer St. Louis-style pork ribs rather than baby back pork ribs for the crockpot because they have a little more fat which slowly breaks down as it slow cooks giving you perfectly tender ribs.
  • Memphis BBQ sauce – We love this barbecue sauce because it’s not too sweet and not too tangy with a blend of brown sugar and apple cider vinegar for flavor and just a pinch of cayenne for some heat. If you have a favorite sauce you can use that!
  • Memphis Dry Rub – This dry rub adds extra flavor to the ribs as they cook. For the best results don’t skip it!
A serving of Slow Cooker Ribs sits on a white plate next to a small bowl of barbecue sauce and a basting brush.

Step-By-Step Instructions for Slow Cooker Ribs

The key to good ribs is cooking them low and slow so the slow cooker is the perfect answer. Follow these simple steps and you’ll get perfectly cooked ribs every time.

  1. Make dry rub – Combine all of the ingredients for the dry rub in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
  2. Prepare ribs – Start by removing the silverskin from the ribs. The silverskin is a thin membrane on the bak side of the ribs. I show you how to remove it here. Once removed rub the ribs with the dry rub. Technically you can skip this part but I like the extra flavor it adds to the ribs, and if you have someone who isn’t a huge fan of BBQ sauce you can leave a few of the ribs only lightly sauced and they will still be tasty.
  3. Add sauce. Place the rack of ribs in your slow cooker (you can cut them into smaller sections if needed) and pour 2 cups of your BBQ sauce over them, making sure to coat your ribs with it.
  4. Slow cook. Place the lid on the Crock Pot and set it to cook on low for 8 hours. Enjoy the rest of your day while your house fills with the amazing scent of BBQ!
  5. Brush and Serve. Remove the cooked ribs from the slow cooker and brush with the remaining BBQ sauce. Serve hot with some baked beans and southern cornbread or hushpuppies.

Love the hands-off cooking but don’t have the time for a slow cooker? Try our recipe for Instant Pot Ribs!

Tips for making Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs:

  • If you want to get that caramelized BBQ sauce on your ribs you can remove the cooked ribs from the slow cooker and place them on a baking sheet. Add a little more BBQ sauce and place them in the oven under the broiler for 3-5 minutes. Then they are ready to go!
  • If you don’t have 8 hours to wait you can also make these with your slow cooker set to HIGH for 4 hours.
  • I used St. Louis-Style pork ribs for these but you can also substitute Baby back ribs and Country Style ribs as well as beef ribs if you prefer.
  • Save yourself some clean up time and use a slow cooker liner! Just choose the right size for our slow cooker and let the liner do all of the work.
A white plate with saucy, Slow Cooker Ribs, some separated and others in a rack, next to a sauce brush with barbecue sauce.

What to Serve with Slow Cooker Ribs

St. Louis-style ribs are the perfect addition to a summer BBQ, and they pair wonderfully with classic sides like homemade coleslaw, baked beans, hushpuppies, or cornbread. Add pickles or pickled onions for a tangy contrast, or enjoy them with tangy mustard potato salad, sour cream potato salad, or this easy cowboy caviar.

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Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes

Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

Created By: Kat Jeter & Melinda Machado
Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs are tender, fall-of-the-bone ribs, coated in a sweet BBQ sauce. It’s an easy Crock Pot recipe that makes a great weeknight dinner or a potluck recipe for parties.
A plate of Slow Cooker Ribs with a basting brush, some ribs whole and others cut individually, set on a white rectangular plate with a cloth napkin partially visible in the background.
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine all of the ingredients for the dry rub in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
  • Remove the silver skin from the ribs and rub the rack of ribs with the dry rub.
  • Place the ribs in the slow cooker and pour 2 cups of BBQ sauce over them making sure to coat the ribs in it.
  • Place the lid on the pot and ser to cook on low for 8 hours.
  • Remove the cooked ribs from the slow cooker and baste with the remaining BBQ sauce before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 917kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 54g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Monounsaturated Fat: 19g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 182mg, Sodium: 2086mg, Potassium: 1318mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 52g, Vitamin A: 838IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 92mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition Disclaimer: We are not certified nutritionists. Nutrition facts are an estimate and are provided as a courtesy. They are generated by an online API which recognizes ingredient names and amounts and makes calculations based on the serving size. Results may vary.
Course: Main
Cuisine: American
Handwritten signature for Kat & Melinda