There’s no easier way to make amazing ribs than this Slow Cooker Ribs recipe! It produces tender, flavorful ribs that only take a few minutes to prep and are sure to impress any guests!
Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Try Crock Pot Baked Ziti, Beef Noodle Soup, or Pot Roast!
Why I love these ribs:
- Hands-Off – Put the ribs in the slow cooker and let it do the work! There’s no babysitting them like you would on the smoker, and the end result is fantastic.
- Favorite Meal – We enjoy ribs year-round, whether during the winter with a side of mashed potatoes and roasted veggies, or in the summer with potato salad, baked beans and cornbread.
- The BBQ Sauce– If you want to make them extra special, use my homemade BBQ sauce recipe!
How to Make BBQ Ribs in the Slow Cooker:
Prep Ribs on both sides with salt and pepper. Rub garlic powder, onion powder and brown sugar onto both sides. Lay them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or foil. Pre-bake the ribs at 400 degrees for 15 minutes on each side to seal in the juices and render some of the fat. Alternately, throw them on the grill on HIGH for 5 minutes on each side.
Place in Slow Cooker: Layer the ribs in the bottom of your slow cooker or curl the rack around the inside, meat side facing out. Smother them in BBQ sauce, reserving some for later. Cook crockpot bbq ribs on LOW for 4-6 hours. Mine are usually done cooking around the 4 hour mark. You want them to be tender, but not falling off the bone.
Serve crockpot ribs with more bbq sauce and your favorite sides.
Pro Tips:
- Type of Ribs to Buy: Baby back ribs, spare ribs, or country-style ribs will work for this slow cooker recipe. I prefer baby back pork ribs (and I buy them in a 3-pack from Costco).
- Remove membrane, if needed: Depending on where you purchase them, the ribs may still have a white, shiny membrane connective tissue on the back (bone side) that needs to be removed.
Serve With:
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Balsamic Roasted Carrots
- Mashed Potatoes
- Buttermilk Cornbread
- Wedge Salad
- Baked Potato Salad
- Corn Salad
- Baked Beans
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
- Burrata Salad
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Recipe
Slow Cooker Ribs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 rack pork ribs* (about 2 lbs)
- 32 ounces BBQ sauce *
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Season the ribs generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Rub garlic powder, onion powder and brown sugar onto both sides of the ribs.
- Pre-Bake: Line a large baking sheet with tinfoil or parchment paper. Bake the ribs on prepared pan for 15 minutes. Flip the ribs to the other side and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Slow Cook: (I like to use a slow cooker liner, for easy clean-up). Place the rack of ribs around the inside of the slow cooker, meat side facing out. Alternately, cut the ribs into a few sections and place them in the slow cooker. Smother them in some barbecue sauce, reserving some sauce for serving later. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours, until tender but not falling off the bone.
- Serve warm with extra barbecue sauce slathered on top.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe October 2017. Updated November 2019, September 2022 and January 2024.
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Absolutely love this!!!! It’s a no fail technique for great ribs !!!!
I cannot wait to try this! I’m really enjoying going through the different recipes you’ve shared. You have SO many great ideas. I’m a sucker for classic comfort food and usually stay in a safe-zone of classic italian and mexican dishes. But you’re inspiring me to try new things in the kitchen. Recipes that I usually find intimidating (such as east indian/asian dishes) are now very practical in regards to my time, budget, skill level, AND satisfying the hungry teen at home. Please keep doing what you’re doing and know that you are appreciated. Ignore the select few who leave the bitter, unhelpful, unnecessary comments. Some people cannot function unless they have something to complain about. It’s clear your recipes are a big hit in so many homes. Thank you for all you do!
Thanks so much for your kind comment and feedback, Kristin. I really appreciate it!
Ribs taste great and easy to cook
I make this recipe all the time. I also double it cause I use 2 racks of ribs. It’s the best recipe I’ve used and sooooo delicious!!
Really good! Thanks for the recipe!
I was wondering if 2 racks of ribs could be made in the slow cooker at the same time. If yes, would it take longer….this is probably a silly question. Thanks for all the great recipes and I love the cook book!!
Hi there, thank you so much for your kind words about the recipes and cookbook! Your question is not silly at all, it’s actually a common one.
Yes, you can certainly cook two racks of ribs in the slow cooker at the same time, as long as they fit properly. I recommend standing them up on their sides and wrapping them around the inside of the pot if you’re struggling with space.
As for cooking time, it should remain approximately the same as long as your slow cooker distributes heat evenly. It’s more about the thickness of the meat than the quantity. As long as the ribs aren’t stacked on top of each other and they all have exposure to the heat, they should cook uniformly.
Remember, the key to slow cooking is low and slow, so don’t rush the process. You’ll know they’re done when the meat is tender and easily pulls away from the bone.
I hope this helps! Enjoy your ribs, and feel free to share how they turn out!
We have made this twice now, and my family LOVES it. We cook it for 6 hours on low, and they come out perfect. So easy and delicious.
Great easy recipe for tender ribs!!
You need to change the title to slow cooked ribs. I’m looking to use my sloecooker so the title threw me off completely. Wasted my time reading all the ingredients and instructions only for an oven to be used lol.
The ribs are initially baked for 15 minutes in the oven to seal in the juices and render some of the fat. They are then finished in a slow cooker.
This is by far my favorite method to make ribs. I have used this procedure at least 3 times and every time it comes out perfect. The ribs come out super tender, and myself, I do prefer it to fall right off the bone, so I’ll let it go closer to 4.5-5 hours, or even longer if necessary. And either way it’s perfect for my household, my grandpa has a hard time with tougher/chewier meat but these ribs are no problem for him.
Some suggestions for the home cook: Mess with the seasonings! Like if you like a spicier kick, add some cayenne, chili powder, or just more black pepper. Use whatever you like, and don’t be afraid to experiment with it!
Another thing you could try is after pulling them out of the slow cooker, brush a little extra bbq sauce on them and put them under the broiler for a few minutes to let the sauce thicken up or maybe char a little.
All in all a great method for ribs, way better than pressure cooking or straight grilling in my opinion. 5/5, will eat many times.
I agree with you!! This is the method I will use to cook my ribs!!
These were easy to prepare and very tender. I added a drop of liquid smoke for flavor and deducted a star for Sweet Baby Ray endorsement….full of high fructose syrup. Masterpiece and Kinders have awesome flavors available without HFS and of course making your own works too but I have never been able to replicate the flavors of 2 brands listed above. I love how your recipes are always easy to follow and include plenty of ideas for adaptations and serving suggestions. And your cookbook is one of my favorites!
I wouldn’t call it a sweet baby ray’s endorsement, her first suggestion was her homemade bbq sauce, and she listed a couple store bought varieties as her personal favorites, including the Masterpiece brand you mentioned. I haven’t tried Masterpiece or Kinder, but my favorite is Stubbs, which also skips the HFCS. But yes ribs made this way are absolutely perfect.
These were great! Hubby loves ribs and these are the perfect way to fix them if you aren’t a griller.
Easy to prepare and absolutely delicious.
Excellent recipe! Easy ribs that don’t take a huge amount of effort to make. My boys love it with mac & cheese.
Most recipes have you do the rub a day beforehand can I still due that for extra flavor?
Of course! Enjoy!
These fall off the bone baby back ribs are amazing! Absolutely delicious and unbelievably easy! Both of our favorite rib joints closed so we have been on the hunt for perfect ribs for a long time. My husband said, “This is it!” Thank you
Lauren!!
I make mine just in the slow cooker. I don’t start them in the oven. I call it one of my dump recipes…just season and dump them in the crockpot with bbq sauce (except I put pineapple preserves on top of the ribs first). Low for 8 hours, fall off the bone tender!
Do you remove the membrane from the back? Will beef ribs work?
Your recipes are spot-on they are all wonderful!
Yes and yes!
Typo on my last question…I would like to make a large batch of these for a crowd in my electric roaster (not toaster). How long would you recommend cooking them in a roaster and at what temp?
Thank you!
Shannon
I made these and they were excellent! I want to make them again but I’d like to make them in my electric toaster. How long would you recommend cooking them in a roaster and at what temp?
Thank you – love your recipes!
Shannon
I, too, have always wondered how I can better utilize my toaster ;p
Can the ribs be prepared the day before rub and oven and then put in crock pot the next day to cook?
If I don’t have parchment paper can I still do in over or can I just put straight into slow cooker?
Yes, just grease the pan first so they don’t stick.
I have never been a rib fan; I have always thought they are too messy and difficult to eat with any sense of dinner table manners. To add to that, I have had false teeth for several years now which deepened my aversion to eating ribs. Well, a friend of mine has a February birthday and loves ribs and since I (modestly admit that I) am a pretty experienced home cook and Winn-Dixie always has BOGOs on ribs, I thought I would give it a try. I specifically sought out a slow cooker recipe to ensure that I wouldn’t have to whip up a batch of mac and cheese while my friend nibbled his b-day special ribs. I found your recipe, improvised a bit on sauce and seasoning, and the result was astonishing. I slow cooked for ten hours on low and the meat practically melted in our mouths. Another rib sale this weekend means that tonight I will be making these for the 3rd time in as many months. Thanks so much for helping me get over my ribophobia!
FABULOUS and so friggin’ EASY. If you follow the method instructions carefully, you CANNOT fail. Thank you!!!
This is my go to rib recipe! So easly to make and absolutely top quality! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
My first time making ribs. Followed the recipe exactly using Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce and they were great. Equal to restaurant ribs.
Will be using this recipe again and again. Thank you!
I am now trying this way of cooking ribs. I just cooked mine in the pressure cooker for 15 min to remove the fat. I then seasoned them the way it’s written and they are now cooking in the slow cooker. After reading all the comments here about how good the ribs are cooked this way, both my husband and I are waiting to try them while drooling.
Thanks for the recipe.
From Canada.
Delicious! I broiled in the oven at the end was perfect. My 6 and 9 year old loved it too! And they are pretty picky. Will definitely make again!
I made these yesterday and they came out great! I put them under the broiler for a few minutes before serving just to crisp them up but you could serve these straight outta the crockpot and they would be just as tasty. Thanks for the recipe!
Love this recipe! My son asks for ribs every week! My brother said the taste is restaurant quality! Sooo easy to make! Thank you!
Made this recipe yesterday exactly as instructed and used President’s Choice Bacon Maple BBQ sauce — oh Mama it was divine! Think seasoning the ribs and popping in the oven prior to saucing and putting in the crockpot made all the difference. My husband is an experienced BBQ smoker and he really enjoyed the ribs from the crockpot too especially on a cold Canadian night as he didn’t have to be outside adjusting the smoker all day! Will make these throughout the winter and have no problem serving them to company.
Several times I have made this recipe and the results have been fantastic. It’s one of the favorites in our household!
This will be my go-to ribs recipe! I followed the instructions and recipe as written and the ribs turned out delicious. Haven’t had much experience with ribs, so this was a milestone for me. The comments have great suggestions so will try some of the ideas next time around. Definitely will give the slow cooker bags a try!
Just a quick question. Some rib recipes call for a “bag” to ease in cleaning, could I use aluminum foil instead.
Easy and tasty as hell but experiment with the rub to suit your taste! 😀👍
Great tasty recipe and easy to do.
Easy and good. If slow cooker cleaned itself it would be the trifecta.
Try the liners for the crock pot they are like a plastic bag you put in before cooking. I used them everytime and no scrubbing.
This recipe comes perfection every time. Found this “go to” recipe on my first search. (Chose this one because I looked at ratings and comments before I made it) I do remove the under membrane & slow cook high for 3 hrs & meat falls off the bone, absolutley tender & gets devoured!! I do 45 minutes of work & then I can get ready for the party, or not exhausted when dinners ready… because did work 3 hrs before!
The bbq sauce is sticking and hardening to the sides. Is this typical? I put it on low.
These are great, very easy and incredibly tender. To carmelize the sauce a bit we basted the ribs again at the end and broiled on high in the oven for a few minutes. They were awesome.
Do you reposition them during the 6 hours in the slow cooker if they are stacked?
At what degree should I prebake the ribs? Thank you!
I found it in the recipe! 400 degrees F. Thank you!
Recipe states 400
Instructions state 400 for 15 minutes each side
Just Great, juicy and spicy. Used chipotle Sauce dir Special flavour😊
Question, what does the pre baking do for the ribs?
Thanks
It helps to render some of the fat on the ribs before slow cooking them.
I didn’t even bake them beforehand and they were still great
Great tender ribs and relatively easy.
Hi, should I still do the pre bake with country style ribs?
Yes, I would!
Over cooked mush. Why even waste your time and money?
Lol someone didn’t know what they were doing.
Just simply the best. That’s from a retired house husband.
DAYYUUMMM!!
I aaalso add a dry rub. These are very delish
The best rib recipe ever!
Looking to make these for a crowd around the holidays. Would it be possible to make ahead by cooking in oven then freezing. Defrost later then finish in crock pot with bbq sauce around Christmas?
I haven’t tried that, but I imagine it would be fine.
I did some country style ribs in the slow cooker,grilled them on small pit on each side for a few minutes to get that little crispiness. Mmmm Mmmm man were they delicious.😋
I don’t wish to complain so please don’t take it as such but…i did country style ribs followed your instructions to the T annnndd ended up with very dry meat. I did the quicker method so in high 3-3.5 hours. I pulled mine out at just under 3 because when i checked temp they were already over cooked at 190°. Any suggestions on where i went wrong if you had to guess. The preheat at 400 15 minutes on each side produced allot of juice in my pan which may be the issue but not certain. But other then dry they taste great with the Mac n cheese.
400 degrees!!
Ok, so the recipe says to bake for 15 minutes. Off hand, I’d just toss them in the oven at 375 degrees, does that sound about right? There is no baking temperature given…
I’ll make these soon, they sound great!
See Step 1 in the recipe instructions. They get baked at 400 degrees before going in the slow cooker. Enjoy!
I did these ribs 2 weeks ago and they were so good the kids asked for them again the next week. This is unheard of in my family, especially from my picky 17 year son 🙂 who announced they were the best thing I’d ever cooked.
What a huge compliment from you son! Way to go! Thank you sharing with me.
What name brand and type of bbq sauce do you use to give them that orange color?
Last time they came out to dark.
I use Sweet baby rays.
absolutely the best ribs ever!
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Oops, forgot to hit the rating.
Made this recipe for the first time. It is a keeper! The ribs were tender and delicious. I will definitely be making this again!
I have made these ribs 5 to 6 times and they are really great. One thing I found is that I end up using twice as much onion garlic powder mixture as the recipe calls for to cover 3 lbs of ribs. Am I applto much? I don’t mind using that much because they are so good.
Ron
These ribs looks mouthwatering, and I will try making them tomorrow. Amazingly yummy!
These ribs are delicious. So easy to make. Husband who doesn’t care for ribs loved them. Fall right off the bone.
I tried your Instant Pot recipe and it was delicious. However I am currently only with a slowcooker and thought I would tryout your slowcooker ribs recipe. I noticed that you don’t use liquid smoke, or apple vinegar in this recipe. Is there a reason why? Thank you!
Since the pressure cook steams the ribs I wanted to add those to the water to infuse the flavors in the ribs while they cook in the Instant Pot. With the slow cooker recipe I cook the bbq sauce right in with the ribs the whole time, which is what makes them really flavorful. If you wanted a smokey flavor you could use a smokey bbq sauce, or a tangier bbq sauce if you like them tangier. That’s my thought behind it anyways 🙂 You’re welcome to add either of those in with the bbq sauce in the slow cooker method if you’d like to add those flavors.
I’ve never heard about removing that membrane from the ribs and I’ve been cooking them for quite a while! It really made a nice difference. On top of that, the ribs themselves were wonderful. I couldn’t get over how crisp and fall-off-the-bone good they were. I was surprised that being cooked in the slow cooker, they were crisp. Usually, things cooked in a slow cooker are good and tender, but not crisp. I’m assuming that the first 30 minutes in the hot oven is what made the difference. I’ll probably never use another recipe for ribs again! These were too good!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for the positive comment!
Hi Lauren
Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe.
I made it for Christmas dinner and it was great.
Christmas greetings from Durban, South Africa!
Best Regards
Riccardo
My first time cooking ribs indoors an I loved them. So did everyone else. Thank You.
I tried these. So easy and falling off the bones very good
I have made ribs on the grill and smoker, and I think the crock pot method beats both! This recipe is the best.
I will never make ribs using another recipe, again! They turned out AMAZING and were so easy! Thanks for the recipe
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! Thanks for your comment.
You don’t have to take the membrane off do you?
No, you don’t have too. And some stores even have it already removed.