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:
- Coleslaw
- 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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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.