♥ What We Love About This Recipe:
Easy: I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to make smoked baby back ribs in a smoker (which are great!) but the crockpot is a lot easier. You’ll always get tender juicy meat that practically falls off the bone.
Sauce: You could use any store bought sauce here but it’s so easy to make your own, and it’ll taste so much better! Try one of our homemade sauces, like our Carolina BBQ sauce or bourbon BBQ sauce.
Versatile: Ribs for one or ribs for six? You can easily scale this recipe!
Year Round Favorite: I live in central Illinois and the winters can get brutal. Smoking outside in the cold is difficult because it’s hard to guess how long the food will take in windy, cold temperatures. Sticking to the crockpot takes that guesswork out and I get to stay warm at the same time.
Ingredient Notes:
Baby Back Ribs – These BBQ ribs are lean with tender, juicy meat! They’re smaller than spare ribs or country style and I think they are best for slow cooking. Remove the silver skin/membrane from the back of the ribs if it isn’t already removed.
BBQ Dry Rub – We scaled down my dry rub to make the perfect amount of these ribs.
Barbcue Sauce – You can use any BBQ sauce you’d like with this slow cooker ribs recipe, but I’d highly recommend checking out my tangy Carolina BBQ sauce if you like things tangy, or our Bourbon BBQ sauce if you like things a bit sweeter. Go the extra mile and brush some of our Alabama white sauce on these after cooking, if you like!
Apple Cider – You’ll need some moisture in the crock pot so the ribs get nice and tender and won’t dry out. Apple cider does all that and it adds a touch of sweetness to the ribs! Use the leftover apple cider in our apple cider donut bread or an apple cider mimosa!
Variations:
Ribs: We’re using baby back ribs here, but spare ribs should also work well. Adjust cook time as needed until the ribs are nice and tender.
Sauce: My husband prefers his ribs with just a dry rub, so we leave the sauce off of some for him. The rub is flavorful enough on it’s own!
Apple Cider: This recipe was made using apple cider, but apple cider vinegar works surprisingly well too. Cut it down to 1/4 cup. This will help tenderize the meat. Dr. Pepper is another popular option.
What Readers are Saying!
I am not a rib cooker and I will tell you these turned out wonderful. Planning to use this recipe again!! And share like crazy…” – Mary
How to Make Crockpot Ribs:
Dry Rub: Combine the seasoning in a small bowl and whisk together to combine.
Season: Sprinkle the rub over your baby back ribs and rub it all in on both sides.
Helpful Tip!
If you like the smoky flavor that you usually get with smoked BBQ ribs, use smoked paprika in the dry rub seasoning!
Slow Cook: Add the apple cider (or apple juice!) to your slow cooker, pop the ribs in, cover, and cook!
Chances are your crock pot won’t be large enough to lay all the ribs flat. That’s okay! Just stack them flat on top of each other.
Every slow cooker heats differently, but mine takes 4 hours on high and 8 hours on low. If your crockpot cooks hotter, you can reduce the time as needed.
Helpful Tip!
While “falling off the bone” sounds good, I’d recommend not slow cooking ribs to that point. You do want them tender, but they won’t be as easy to handle, broil, and sauce if they are falling apart. But if that’s how you like your ribs, go for it!
Broil: These slow cooker pork ribs get pulled out and popped on a baking sheet. Slather them in your preferred BBQ sauce and then pop them under the broiler for a couple of minutes.
Once the barbecue sauce starts to caramelize, your slow cooker ribs are ready! Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn. You can also serve these with the BBQ sauce on the side. Broiling them is still a good idea though!
These are seriously best slow cooker ribs!!
What to Serve With Crock Pot Ribs:
Oh goodness, there are so many tasty possibilities!
We always have my Coleslaw Recipe with these slow cooker BBQ ribs!
Jiffy Corn Casserole is a definite hit.
Cowboy Beans, Cauliflower Potato Salad, and Crockpot Hashbrown Casserole are all amazing as well.
Some Cajun fried corn is so easy to make with an air fryer!
You can’t go wrong with my Baked Mac and Cheese!
Don’t forget dessert! My Peanut Butter Sheet Cake always sounds good!
Low Carb Ribs:
Trying to cut back on excess carbs and sugar?
Try this slow cooker keto ribs recipe which has a sugar free BBQ dry rub and sauce. It uses the same method as this recipe and turns out perfect every time.
