Crockpot ribs completely flip the script when it comes to making ribs. There’s nothing fickle or labor-intensive about this method! With just a handful of ingredients and your trusty slow cooker, you can create the juiciest, most tender ribs. Learn the secrets for making the best slow cooker ribs with restaurant quality perfection.
If you want to explore beef ribs, try our Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs for another crockpot recipe with a wow factor.
Why Our Recipe
- The easiest way to make ribs that will be juicy and tender every time.
- Slow cooked in the crockpot with a dry rub to keep the meat flavorful.
- Caramelized under the broiler with your favorite barbecue sauce for the perfect sticky finish.
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 ribs that will have you licking your fingers? We’ve got the secret to make you look like a pro!
Ingredient Notes
- Ribs: Baby back ribs, spare ribs, and St. Louis-style ribs will all work here.
- Barbecue Sauce: Choose your favorite brand or homemade recipe. A thicker sauce works best for that sticky, caramelized finish.
- Smoked Paprika: Adds a smoky depth of flavor without needing a smoker. Regular paprika works too, but the smoky version is ideal.
- Onion Powder and Garlic Powder: Powders or granulated are interchangeable here.
- Ground Mustard: This is the powdered kind that you find in the spice section.
Pork Ribs
This recipe works with all three of your main options for pork ribs. Each one has its benefits!
Baby Back Ribs: These ribs come from the upper part of the ribcage, near the spine, and are smaller, leaner, and more tender than other cuts. They cook faster and are perfect for those who prefer a meatier, less fatty rib.
Spare Ribs: Taken from the lower ribcage, spare ribs are larger and meatier with more fat, which adds extra flavor. They take a bit longer to cook but reward you with rich, succulent meat.
St. Louis Style Ribs: These are spare ribs that have been trimmed to a uniform rectangular shape by removing the cartilage and rib tips. They cook more evenly and look great on a plate.
Removing the Membrane
You might have noticed a thin, shiny layer on the back of the ribs. That’s the membrane, also called the silverskin. It’s a thin, tough connective tissue that covers the bone side of the ribs.
Leave It On or Remove It? Leaving the membrane on is an option if you’re short on time or don’t mind a chewier texture. It helps keep the entire rack together, making it easier to remove from the crockpot with all the ribs still intact. However, removing it results in a more tender bite.
To Remove It: Slide a butter knife or your fingers under the membrane at one corner of the ribs to loosen it. Use a paper towel to grip the loosened membrane and gently pull it off in one piece. If it tears, just start again from another spot until it’s fully removed.
Pro Tip for Easy Clean-up
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.
The Broiling Secret
Crockpot ribs are a breeze to make, but let’s be honest—they don’t look great straight out of the slow cooker. All that slow steaming can leave the ribs looking pale and unappetizing. Enter the broiler, your secret weapon for achieving that glossy, caramelized finish we all crave.
What is the broiler? The broiler is a high-heat element in your oven, usually located at the top. Occasionally it can also be a separate drawer at the bottom of the oven. It works like an upside-down grill, blasting your ribs with direct heat to caramelize the barbecue sauce and add a sticky, delicious crust.
How to Use It: Position your oven rack about 4-6 inches below the heating element for optimal caramelization. It often only has a high or low setting, though occasionally it has a temperature. Preheat the broiler to high heat. For temperature settings, use 500 degrees or the closest equivalent option.
Watch Closely: The broiler works quickly and no two broilers will have the same timing. Watch your ribs like a hawk. They’ll start off slow, but once the sauce begins bubbling, things will move fast.
What to Look For: Look for the sauce to turn dark and develop small browned spots, which is the caramelization you’re aiming for. If it gets too dark or blackens in large patches, the sauce will burn, so pull the ribs out as soon as they reach a rich, golden-brown color with lightly charred edges.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and store for up to 3 days.
To freeze leftovers, wrap the ribs tightly in foil and place them in a freezer-safe container or resealable plastic bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Reheat in the oven for best results. Preheat your oven to 275°F. Place the ribs in a baking dish and cover with foil to prevent drying out. Heat for about 20 minutes, or until warmed through. For added moisture, drizzle a little extra barbecue sauce over the ribs before reheating.
Reheating in the microwave can result in rubbery meat. Arrange the ribs on a microwave-safe plate and cover them with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out. Heat on medium power in 30-second increments, flipping the ribs in between, until heated through.
WOW! The best ribs I've had yet but didn't use the Sweet Baby Ray's you like so much. The ingredients show Ray's containes Corn Syrup, Don't ever eat stuff with corn syrup as a sweetner,
they are from GMO's used in corn. I used all natural "Weber real molasses BBQ" Contains No Corn Syrup. Thanks for the great meal…:)
Yes, use "Weber with no GMO's" for a more healthy meal…
How much BBQ sauce did you pour over the ribs into the slow cooker?
Oh, about 2 cups. Just enough to smother them.
Thanks for the recipe! Looking forward to trying it soon. Gotta go with jokermtb (Oct. 21 post) on two points: 1) BRINE! 2) Find a sauce without high-fructose corn syrup. That's one of the most toxic substances you can put in your body. I won't allow one molecule of it in my house. There are several non-HFCS sauces out there, as well as many recipes to make your own sauce using a healthier sweetener, such as brown sugar, honey or even pure maple syrup.
Stubb’s Original is my favorite sauce and is HFCS free.
What internal temperature should they be? The cooking time says 6-8 hours. How do you know when they are done?
Technically ribs are considered done when they reach 145 degrees. That would probably be a pretty tough rib though and I wouldn't eat it. You'd easily reach that temperature within a few hours. So with ribs you don't need to be worried so much about the internal temperature as you do the texture. They will most likely have reached a fall-off-the-bone state after 8 hours.
What about boneless bbq ribs done in the crock pot?? same way??
Country style boneless ribs would cook the same way.
Just about any pork will do, I used pork chops last time, they were great!
My ribs came out on the MONEY
i was wondering if they can be done in the crock pot ahead of time, (say the day before the crowd arrives,) and then, the day of the BBQ, just put them on to cook say, 1/2 hour wrapped in foil?? They shouldn't dry out if kept in the foil, do you think? They look scrumptious, say how do you remove the membrane (underneath part)?
Having done this, I would say they aren't as good the day after, but they are okay. I don't do anything with the membrane. It breaks down quite well on its own in the slow cooker.
No, do not add any liquid. The ribs and bbq sauce provide more than enough liquid.
1st thank you for the quick reply will try today can't wait thanks Randy
First time am going to try crock pot way but, do you add any liquid to crock thanks
Sweet baby ray's is THE BEST!!!! 🙂
Brine! Makes the best ribs by far. One Rack placed in a foil lined cookie tray – cover cookie tray with foil (don't wrap ribs in foil) – place 4-5 ice cubes in cookie tray before covering @ 275 deg. F. for 3 hrs in a regular oven (yes, I've tried the crock pot method too, but the oven works just fine and is quicker) – place 4-5 ice cubes in cookie tray before covering. I regularly brine my ribs overnight – 2 tsp. of kosher salt/rack o' ribs, in enough water to fully submerge ribs (can use plastic bags also to contain the brine/ribs). When ready to cook ribs, rinse off ribs with cold water, pat dry w/ paper towel, and apply favorite dry rub, both sides – do not cook with sauce at this point! Follow above cooking instruction, and when done, apply favorite BBQ sauce to ribs, and throw in oven, uncovered for 5-10 to caramelize the sauce. I've done ribs a million ways, and using brine really transforms the ribs into a truly transcendental ribby experience – this method is quick and produces sublime result……PS, try to find a BBQ sauce that does not have high-fructose corn syrup – you deserve better than that crap.
Thank you for sharing a non-crockpot alternative for anyone who might be looking for that. While I have used quite a variety of methods, this slow cooker method is by far the easiest and least intimidating method, particularly for those who have never made ribs before. The result is still far superior to chain restaurant ribs, grocery deli, and….eek…frozen. This post is the secret to slow cooker ribs, not the secret to ribs in general. Thanks for sharing though!
I found Weber BBQ sauce No high fructose ! Sweet & thick original BBQ sauce! The problem is it’s not easy to find ! I finally found it at IGA grocery store bought what they had ! They used to sell it where they sold the Weber grills !!