Slow Cooker Ribs

Slow Cooker Ribs are so tender they fall right off the bone! So easy to make in your slow cooker, perfect for holidays, parties and BBQs! What could be easier than a dinner like these ribs that cook themselves?

All you need to do is grab your favorite barbecue sauce and a few seasonings and you’ll be on your way to the most tender, fall off the bone ribs you’ve ever tasted!

Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs

When you need a show stopping dinner recipe that everyone raves about, these Slow Cooker Ribs are the answer. Whether you’re making these BBQ ribs for a party, barbecue, holiday or just for a dinner night at home, you can’t beat this fall off the bone, perfectly seasoned ribs recipe.

All you need to do is season a few racks of ribs with our favorite mix of seasonings and then get them into your slow cooker. If they don’t fit, no worries, just cut them in half and get ’em in there.

Pour your favorite barbecue sauce all over the tops of the ribs, cover them and walk away. How easy is that? I’m telling you guys, these are the most juicy, tender, fall off the bones barbecue ribs you’re ever going to taste!

How Do You Make Ribs In The Slow Cooker?

1. First remove the silver skin from the back of each rack of ribs. Silver skin is a thin layer of membrane on the back of the ribs that should be removed before cooking. Slide a knife or a fork underneath the skin and pull it off. It should pull off in one sheet, but if not just slide the knife or fork back in and pull off the rest until it’s removed.
2. Season the ribs on both sides with a dry rub; we love the one used in our recipe card. If the ribs are too long to fit in your slow cooker, just cut them in half first.
3. Spray a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and then place the first layer of ribs inside. Pour some BBQ sauce on the first layer of ribs and then stack the rest of the ribs on top, followed by the rest of the barbecue sauce.
4. Set your slow cooker on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. The ribs are done when they are fork tender, but the racks of ribs should still stay intact when you remove them from the slow cooker.

After these slow cooker ribs are done, remove them from your crock pot and place them onto a board. Slice the ribs into sections, or you can slice the ribs individually as well.

You can also keep the ribs in your slow cooker on the “warm” setting for a few hours until you’re ready to serve!

Once the ribs are sliced, place them on a platter for serving and spoon the sauce from the crock pot over the tops of the ribs.

What Type Of Ribs Should I Use For BBQ Ribs?

Baby back ribs are our go to ribs for this recipe. They have a good amount of meat and they are known to be a more tender rib than a spare rib. Baby backs are also leaner than other ribs so you’re not going to have a lot of fat, just a lot of lean and tender meat.

You can use other types of ribs like spare ribs or short ribs for this same recipe, but you’ll need to adjust for a longer cooking time.

What Side Dishes Go Well With Ribs?

So many side dish recipes to list here, but if you’re still looking for more ideas head over to our Side Dishes Menu!

• Classic Potato Salad
• Moms’s BEST Baked Beans
• Cole Slaw
• Tuna Pasta Salad
• Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob

How To Make Fall Off The Bone Ribs!

There’s a fine line between melt in your mouth, fall-off the bone ribs and ribs that just literally… fall off the bone. I mean, you want to be able to pick up your ribs and eat them. We’re not talking fork and knife ribs here, we want tender, perfectly cooked slow cooker ribs that stay on the bone.

Tips for making sure your BBQ ribs are perfectly cooked:

1. Do make sure to get the right type of ribs. As we suggested, baby back ribs are perfect for this rib recipe.
2. Check the ribs with with a fork when it gets close to the end of the cooking time, as all slow cookers will cook at different rates.
3. Get in there and baste the ribs with the barbecue sauce if you can, and even flip the racks from top to bottom. This step isn’t necessary, the ribs will still be perfect, but it does ensure even cooking.

Slow Cooker Ribs Tips!

Just to make sure that you have the most tender, fall off the bone (but nope, not all the way!) ribs recipe here, we’re going to highlight some of the steps that you don’t want to skip!

• Don’t skimp on the dry rub: You’re going to think that there’s too much dry rub for 2 racks of ribs but just get it on there. I’ll even scoop off anything left on the board and sprinkle it right on the ribs in the slow cooker.
• Best to cook on high or low? Low and slow usually produces the most tender meat, so if you have time I’ll usually go with that option. But we have also cooked these ribs on high and I can promise you, they’re still going to be super tender and delicious.
• Should I finish these ribs on the grill? Since there’s already sauce on these slow cooker ribs, the grill isn’t the best option. If you want a char-broiled, crispy finish you can place the finished racks of ribs under the broiler on high for about 5-7 minutes.

Looking For More Slow Coker Recipes?

• Chipotle Creamy Salsa Chicken
• Slow Cooker Italian Beef
• Crock Pot Applesauce Pork Roast
• Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken

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