Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs are rubbed with a homemade spice blend, then slow cooked in the crockpot until fall off the bone tender and so juicy! Brush with your favorite barbecue sauce before serving.
See the step by step recipe video down in the recipe card.
Table of Contents
Cooking ribs can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to!
These Slow Cooker Ribs turn out flavorful and juicy every time, but without all of the hard work.
My husband will happily slave over a rack of ribs on the grill or the smoker but me? I prefer the easy way out and always use my crockpot or make these Instant Pot Ribs!
Crockpot Ribs are an awesome way to segue from Spring to Summer.
You can have all of that summer barbecue flavor, without all of the work.
And when it’s too hot to even think about cooking, the slow cooker takes all of the work out and keeps the house cool!
Total win, right?
Just don’t forget an ice cold glass of Homemade Lemonade, and a bowl of homemade Coleslaw, Potato Salad or Broccoli Salad (<– all of our favorite barbecue sides!).
To be completely honest, I think these are the best ribs I’ve ever made.
I wanted them to be tender, with the meat easily pulling off the bone but not mushy and falling apart. I wanted a good crust of intense flavor and a sweet, sticky barbecue sauce coating. Also, I wanted easy!
The husband gave them “two meaty thumbs up” (<— his words, as he was stuffing his face), and even my kids liked them!
Tips for making the best Crockpot Ribs:
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs: this isn’t 100% necessary but it does keep the ribs from becoming tough. See a video tutorial here.
- Opt for baby back ribs when you can — they have a thicker layer of meat!
- Season well on all sides — take the time to really rub that spice blend in for maximum flavor!
Combine spices in a bowl 
Rub over all sides of ribs 
Curl ribs around the edge of slow cooker or cut into pieces 
Cook until tender
How long do you cook ribs in the slow cooker?
The exact cook time will depend on the size of your ribs, and the exact cooking temperature of your slow cooker.
Because all slow cookers are different, this can be difficult to pinpoint but thankfully ribs are really forgiving in the crockpot.
I usually cook mine for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high and they are falling off the bone and juicy.
If you want them not to be quite so tender because you are throwing them on the grill later, you may want to cut your cook time down by an hour or two.
Can I stack the ribs in the slow cooker?
I try not to, so opt for the biggest slow cooker you have.
When I can, I like to place my ribs around the edge of the slow cooker, standing up on their side so that they aren’t sitting in the juices.
This results in juicy, tender ribs that still have a bit of that glorious crust and caramelization on them.
Take your Slow Cooker Ribs up a notch with a homemade barbecue sauce!
Here are a few of our favorites:
- Pineapple Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce — always a favorite on The Recipe Rebel
- Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce (which would go perfectly on these ribs!)
- 6 Ingredient Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Cherry BBQ Sauce — for something sweet and smoky!
Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons seasoning salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3-4 lbs pork ribs (side or back) membrane removed
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, chili powder, seasoning salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper.
- Cut ribs into 4 sections for an easier fit or leave whole. Rub spice mixture over both sides of the ribs.
- Lightly grease a 4 quart slow cooker and line the sections of ribs up around the edges (so the meaty part is pressed against the side). Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Remove from the slow cooker, brush with barbecue sauce, and grill for 5-6 minutes or broil for 2-3 minutes, until sauce is sticky and slightly caramelized. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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JodiM says
I have really never been good at cooking ribs but this recipe is so so delicious. Flavorful and melt in your mouth. I opted for a peach BBQ sauce. I will definitely make this rib recipe again!
Jo Ann Anderson says
Shaved an hour off cooking time. Heated ribs in microwave for 3 minutes. Done in 3 hours on crockpot high. Wonderful.
Jo Ann Anderson says
Cooking. Looking forward to taking ribs out of crockpot. Smells wonderful. Tried a lot of your recipes. Easy and flavorful.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed them!
Jen Bryant says
Wow! We absolutely loved this and will definitely make this again!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad!
Dini says
These were so tender and flavorful I may never make BBQ ribs any other way again! The spice rub and the flavors were on point. Thank you so much for a great and easy recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Dini!
Lisalia says
I can’t see if my comment came through! If it’s a duplicate please delete! This was so so good. I loved the method of making it in the slow cooker and it was a bonus that my clothes don’t smell like smoke or grill… you know what I mean? The meat was perfectly tender and fall-off-the-bone. Why would I make ribs any other way. Love all your recipes Ashley! Thanks for this one too!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you so much Lisalia!
Beth says
This looks so flavorful and very tasty! My family is going to be all over this recipe, so excited to make this soon!
jimAND ROSE nashwinter says
why do you call a pressure cooker an instant pot??Sounds wierd?Like it has a wizerd in it?dont understand you young folks??My mom always used a pressure cooker??No instant pot?So dumb??
Ashley Fehr says
An Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker, so not just a pressure cooker. I’m sorry you have such a big problem with the name “Instant Pot”.
D says
Have you tried these in an Instant Pot?
Ashley Fehr says
I have an Instant Pot Ribs recipe right here 🙂 https://www.thereciperebel.com/easy-instant-pot-ribs/
Cynthia says
Is it ok to use a crockpot liner while cooking these?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, absolutely!
Ashley says
If I want to do more ribs than it calls for is it okay if the ribs aren’t touching the side of the crockpot? Like I would still kind of stand them up so they don’t sit in the juices the whole time.
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, that will work fine!
Karen says
These are better than restaurant ribs! Love the rub and also the pineapple brown sugar BBQ sauce. I’ll never buy jar sauce again. These are so yummy!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Karen! I’m thrilled to hear that!
Jason Jungling says
Haven’t made before, I put the rub on tonight, and will be inserting then in the crock pot tomorrow morning as I head off to work. I’m thinking of adding a bit of liquid smoke to get that smoke flavor.
Ashley Fehr says
That’s a great idea! I hope you like them!
Hoosiersmoker says
I resort to the crock pot once it gets too cold outside to maintain temp in my smoker. I have a large crock pot and have cooked 3 full racks of ribs at a time. The night before after removing the membrane I rub them, wrap them and refrigerate over night. 8-10 hrs or so before I serve them I just trim them to length, stand them on edge and curl them all together drop in the trimmed parts and turn it to low for 8-10 hrs. It’s great to come home from work to ribs! If you add a teaspoon of liquid smoke to your sauce it really gives it that outdoor flavor too!
Gerlinde says
I am definitely going to try these since I still have some homemade barbecue sauce.
Ashley Fehr says
That will be delicious I’m sure!
Michelle says
I’ve never put the ribs along the sides of the crockpot before, is that so they cook differently?
Ashley Fehr says
It is so they don’t sit in the juices and they get a little crispier being closer to the heat.
The Culinary Caper says
Have you ever tried grilling them afterward? My family likes that charred flavor, so when I bake my ribs I usually toss them on the grill for a few minutes.
The Culinary Camper says
Ha! Nevermind, I dug a little deeper. I’ve never tried ribs in a slow cooker. This might be something to try this winter when I don’t want to be outside in the cold.
Ashley Fehr says
No problem! Yes I do usually grill or broil just to crisp them up on the outside 🙂
Grace says
Havetyou doubled up the recipe in a larger crockpot? I need at twice the amount.
Ashley Fehr says
I haven’t but I’m sure it would work fine!
Jutina Cole says
Hello, they need to be thawed first.
Ashley Fehr says
What are you even talking about? Did anyone call for frozen ribs?
CVW says
Wow! That was a super rude way to reply to a reviewer’s comment!! Not very tactful IMO.
Ashley Fehr says
The commenter is obviously not a reviewer, and was responding rudely to someone who had a real question about the recipe. Sorry if you didn’t appreciate it.
Roxanne Thomas says
Can you cook them in crock pot on high for 4 to 6 hours?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, definitely! I think 4 hours would be lots.
Wayne says
Did you remove the membrane?
Ashley Fehr says
Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t, but I will make a note with instructions for those who want to.
Mariya says
No salt?
Ashley Fehr says
There’s tons of flavor already in the rub, it’s not really necessary! Feel free to add some in if you like.
Mariya says
I just can’t imagine how it will Taste without salt but I’m excited to try it! I’ll let u know when I do how we like them. Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Let me know what you think!
Theresa says
I dont usually cook with salt especially ig using spices and never any problem
The AntiCook says
Do you need to boil or pre-cook them in any way?
Ashley Fehr says
Nope, definitely not! They cook in the slow cooker.
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says
How amazing would these ribs be for a cookout?? I looooove that you can just stick ’em in the crockpot and forget about ’em for awhile! That dry rub sounds SO flavorful!
Ashley Fehr says
Oh my word, it’s my favorite thing these days! Thanks Sarah!