Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs

Slow-cooked barbecue ribs resting on a bed of mashed potatoes, accompanied by a side of green beans, served on a black serving plate.

4.80 from 107 votes

Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs

Easy Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs are melt-in-your-mouth incredible! Let your slow cooker do all the work and come home to sticky, fall apart ribs!

Prep Time10

Cook Time3

Total Time3 10

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Baked, fall apart, slow cooker barbecue ribs, Slow Cooker Ribs, Spicy, sticky

Servings: people

Author: Karina Carrel

Ingredients

Sauce

2 cups barbecue sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp garlic minced
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp cayenne pepper optional for a hint of spice
1/4 tsp salt to taste

Ribs

4 lbs baby back pork ribs 4 pounds

US - Metric

Instructions

Spray the inside of a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.

Remove the inner skin (membrane) from the ribs and place the ribs in a slow cooker. Discard skin.

Removing the membrane from the Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs is not essential, but I find the sauce is better absorbed into the meat when removed.

Combine BBQ sauce, brown sugar, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Mix well to combine. Set aside half of it.

Refrigerate the remaining sauce to use later.

Cover the ribs with half of the sauce. Season with a good amount of salt and pepper; cover with a lid and cook on a low setting for 7-9 hours or a high setting for 3-5 hours

Cook times depend on the results you are looking for:

LOW: 7 HOURS / HIGH: 3 HOURS:

Ribs that are soft but stay on the bone (as shown in the video in the post).

LOW: 9 HOURS / HIGH: 4-5 HOURS :

Tender, fall-apart ribs that melt in your mouth like butter (as shown in the images in post).

When ribs are tender and falling apart, transfer onto an oven tray (or baking sheet), lined with parchment paper.

Lift them carefully, as the meat will be very tender and falling off the bone.

Pour half of the juices from the slow cooker bowl into the remaining sauce. Baste ribs with half of the sauce and broil (grill) in preheated oven at 400°F (220°C) for about 10 minutes or until beginning to char and crisp on the edges.
Serve ribs with remaining sauce.

No Slow Cooker? If you do not have a slow cooker or prefer to use your traditional oven, you can easily adapt this method using a heavy Dutch oven. Alternatively, check out my method for oven-baked ribs where we wrap them tightly in foil to achieve that exact same tender, fall-apart bite!

Video

Notes

Storage & Reheating

If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, these ribs keep beautifully for the next day.

To Store: Allow the meat to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To Reheat: The best way to reheat ribs without drying them out is to wrap them loosely in foil with a tiny splash of water or leftover sauce. Warm them in the oven at 250°F (120°C) until heated completely through.
Make Ahead: You can absolutely mix your sauce and rub the ribs the night before! Keep them covered in the fridge overnight, then just drop them into the slow cooker in the morning before work.

Happy cooking! Xx

Do not skip the broiler! That final 5 minutes under high heat is what caramelizes the sugar in the sauce, that make it taste like they just came off a professional grill.

Nutrition