Crockpot ribs are guaranteed to be fall off the bone tender. Learn the secrets for making the best slow cooker ribs including instructions for prepping the meat, giving it a good dry rub, and finishing them off for restaurant quality perfection.
You want your ribs to be fall-off-the-bone tender. The crockpot is a great choice. BUT, how do you go from the ugly mess of the slow cooker to beautifully caramelized fall of the bone ribs?
If you just throw ribs and bbq sauce in a slow cooker for 8 hours, you’ll get some fall-off-the-bone ribs, but they’ll be kind of funky and unappetizing. The bbq sauce won’t have caramelized at all, and the liquids in the meat will have produced a really runny bbq sauce liquid.
We find the crockpot to be the easiest method to cook ribs and it is my go-to method, especially when cooking for a crowd. Combine the ease of the crockpot with my easy secret tip and you’ll have yourself some pretty dang amazing ribs.
THE SECRET TO CROCKPOT (SLOW COOKER) RIBS
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. See the video for an easy demo. Just slide your fingers around the side to loosen it up and rip it right off.
- Give the ribs a dry rub. This step is optional. Some people like a good dry rub first for additional flavor.
- Put your ribs in the crockpot. Lather them with barbecue sauce. You can use a homemade sauce like my Raspberry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce for ribs or a store-bought bottle. Just remember to save a little bit for later.
- Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. The more racks in the pot, the longer you’ll need to cook.
- Gently remove the racks and lay them out on a foil lined baking sheet. Add more barbecue sauce on top.
- Broil under a broiler for 3-5 minutes until the barbecue sauce starts to bubble and caramelize. Alternately you could wrap them in foil and throw them on a heated grill for the same effect. I sometimes do this for crowds and picnics. This keep the ribs warm until ready to eat and makes it easy to pass out portions. Enjoy!
What kind of ribs should I use to make slow cooker ribs?
This recipe and method will work best with pork ribs including: baby back ribs, spare ribs, St. Louis style ribs, and country style pork ribs. For beef short ribs try my slow cooker short rib recipe or my recipe for classic braised beef short ribs. If you have a smoker we also highly recommend these Smoked Beef Ribs.
Can I finish my crockpot ribs on the grill instead of the oven?
Our secret to crockpot ribs is to caramelize the ribs under the broiler setting in your oven. Another option is to put them on the grill to get that extra caramelization. If you choose to use the grill, put them straight onto the grill (or onto a piece of aluminum foil) over high heat (500 degrees). Brush them with additional barbecue sauce and then close the lid. Let them grill for about 3-5 minutes, until the sauce starts to bubble and caramelize.
PRO TIP: One of the best tips for making ribs in the crockpot is to use a crockpot liner. These BPA-free plastic bags line your crockpot, making clean up a breeze! No more scrubbing out caramelized, burnt on sauce! They are awesome. You can find them in your grocery store near things like aluminum foil and plastic bags. They are a huge time saver.
These are delicious!!
Finally a way to prepare “fall of the bone” ribs. I found 10 hours and even 8 hours on low was too long and ribs fell apart. I have backed off to 6 hours on low and ribs are done and hold together and meat tenderly falls off bones. Now I am experimenting with different prepared rubs. I use Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce. Some readers have criticized the high fructose corn syrup in Ray’s sauce but read the scientific studies folks and don’t be ignorant regarding high fructose corn syrup. No better nor worse than sugar for a sweetener. This recipe is so much better and less labor intense than doing ribs on a grill.
Yes! I found 8 hours was much too long, too. Since I finish them off on the grill they were all falling apart. I’m making them tonight and decided to try 6 hours on low.
We love SWEET BABY RAY’S ! Perfect!
They have a sugar free version, which is what I use. It’s excellent without the sugar for those of us on low carb diets.
That is all I use now. Much better than G Hughes in my opinion and cheaper too.
Sweet Baby Rays is good. There is another BBQ sauce, G.HUGHES SMOKED BBQ SAUCE that is sugar free! To those who haven’t tried it, it is delicious and sorry, but in my opinion better than Sweet Baby Rays. It comes in a multitude of different flavors: Hickory, Mesquite, Honey Barbeque, and a Spicy pepper flavor that will definitely set your sinuses to tingling. For those who have diabetes or other sugar concerns, please try this brand. I currently have some ribs in the crockpot as we speak and can’t wait for the results. I will take the advice of some of these lovely posters here on this thread and back the low slow cook time off to 6 hours with a “check-in” at four hours…
Hi, can we use a pressure cooker instead?
There are loads of Instant Pot Pork RIb recipes…..Try Jacky and Amy or Nom Nom Paleo. sites…
Can I use a slow cooker instead
A crockpot is just the original name brand of the first slow cooker, so yes.
These were excellent, from the sauce to the cooking time, perfect as stands!
I don’t have ground mustard, can I use regular refrigerator mustard ?
No, you cannot substitute with yellow mustard.
Sometimes I use regular yellow mustard and spread it on the ribs before putting on the rub. It helps to hold the rub to the ribs. I have seen this on multiple You Tube “Hoiw to Grill/Smoke RIbs” Videos. Don’t completely immerse the ribs in the mustard just a few squirts and spread all over.
Love how easy this is!!
I love ribs but have never cooked or grilled them. This is by far the simplest and easiest recipe I’ve come across. Can’t wait to try them. Thanks for the recipe and tip. I’m sure I’ll love!
We loved these ribs, thanks for the tip about removal of the membrane!
The recipe says 2 racks and the video you put two half racks, I want and need to make 2 racks is that gonna be okay?
Simple and easy to follow. End results…. Yummy good!