Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs are an easy recipe to master in the slow cooker, these are restaurant quality!
Who doesn’t like Ribs? This Slow cooker baby back ribs recipe turned out juicy and tender.
I made a rub for the slow cooker baby back ribs, with brown sugar, hickory smoke flavor, paprika, onion powder, and black pepper. Don’t skip the homemade rub, I think it added a smoke pit flavor to the ribs. You can make this rub the night before, and let the ribs marinate overnight with the rub on them. In the morning, set the ribs in the slow cooker, add some bbq sauce, set the slow cooker to low, and forget about it!
This was my first attempt at making baby back ribs in the slow cooker, and wow they were amazing. The ribs even browned a little! Make sure to remove the membrane off the back of the ribs, if you don’t it will be a chewy gross mess!
I think these ribs would be great for any picnic, family reunion, or potluck! These ribs will make any guest happy.
Serve the ribs with cheesy mashed potatoes. Here’s my favorite side dish to serve with the slow cooker baby back ribs, called crack potatoes, made with hash browns, cheese, sour cream, ranch dressing mix and bacon bits!
Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs
Equipment
- Slow Cooker - 5 quart or larger
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons hickory liquid smoke
- 1 rack back pork ribs
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sweet baby ray's bbq sauce
- more sweet baby ray's bbq sauce for serving
Instructions
- Remove tissue from back of the ribs, use a knife, and it should come off in one piece.
- Cut the ribs into 4 sections.
- In a small bowl prepare the rub, combine the brown sugar, onion powder, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and liquid smoke. Put the rub onto ribs with hands.
- Add ½ cup water to slow cooker, and put ribs in the slow cooker and put the bbq sauce on at same time.
- Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
- Brush with more warmed bbq sauce and serve.
Alison says
April 28, 2013 at 11:17 amThis recipe is delicious! I made it for a family get together, and everyone raved about it!
Gina says
January 29, 2017 at 11:11 amI made these today. All’s I can say is OMG! Better than Texas Road House. I followed this recipe to a T and they came out perfect. Will def def be making this again
Sarah Olson says
January 29, 2017 at 11:23 amThat is so great to hear! I’ve been meaning to make a video of this, I think more people should try them, sooo good!
Sidney says
May 28, 2013 at 10:51 amCould you do this with beef ribs as well?
Sarah Olson says
May 28, 2013 at 5:35 pmSidney, Yes, I think the beef ribs would turn out good!
Johan says
June 2, 2013 at 9:16 pmThe tissue you are talking about, the butcher call it Silver skin. Just ask him to remove it, he will then loosen it at one end with a knife and then grab with one hand whilst holding the rib with the other, and swiftly pull it off, easy as that.
Sarah Olson says
June 3, 2013 at 5:49 amJohan- I was wondering what that was called, that’s a great idea to have the butcher remove it!
Cheryl says
July 30, 2013 at 7:09 amMy butcher calls the ribs I buy “Doc Ribs”. He has doctored the ribs by removing that tough back membrane. Makes a huge difference regarding the finished product. The ribs cook up tender and fall off the bone!
I’m trying your recipe today. It sounds wonderful. Thanks!
Dave Stall says
September 6, 2013 at 4:11 pmWould the slow cooker time change when cooking boneless country style ribs?
Sarah Olson says
September 6, 2013 at 4:29 pmIf I was doing boneless country style ribs, I would cook them for only 8 hours on low.
Dave Stall says
September 6, 2013 at 4:33 pmThanks, I will let you know how they turn out!
Joe says
September 29, 2013 at 7:20 amwill this recipe change if i’m cooking 2 racks of ribs in the same slow cooker?
Sarah Olson says
September 29, 2013 at 7:39 amJust double all the other ingredients as well, I’ve done this before, and it still turned out great!
Mauro Corazza says
October 14, 2013 at 7:03 amWhat a easy recipe to follow…I have placed the baby back ribs in the slow cooker and will be having them for supper tonight with mashed potatoes and a variety of vegetables from the garden…will keep you posted…
Sarah Olson says
October 14, 2013 at 7:31 amI can’t wait to hear how the ribs turned out for you Mauro!
Lisa says
November 4, 2013 at 2:43 pmI made these yesterday for my boyfriend and I to eat while watching football and enjoying beer. Ribs and beer! They turned out great. I let the ribs marinade for well over 12 hours in the fridge and cooked for 9 hours on low. I used a whole rack of ribs so I had to cut it and make 2 layers. The meat was falling off the bone… or were the bones falling off the meat? I’m not sure. Either way it was amazing. Boyfriend definitely said it’s a “make again”. I also couldn’t get the membrane off so i just slit it between each bone and honestly I didn’t notice anything odd about the finished product. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Sarah Olson says
November 4, 2013 at 3:42 pmI’m so glad you liked these ribs, this is still one of my fave slow cooker recipes!
Lisa G. says
December 20, 2013 at 9:18 amI would love to try this. Would it be alright to cook on high for 4 hours instead of low for 8 ? I’m not well versed in Crock Pot cooking. THANKS!
Sarah Olson says
December 20, 2013 at 10:33 am4 to 6 hours on high would work! 🙂
Stewart says
January 21, 2014 at 7:05 pmDid the rub tonight so im ready for the slow cook tomorrow. Ill respond with my 2 cents after the meal.
Cheers!
Brandon says
February 14, 2014 at 10:14 amdid the baby back ribs….AWESOME!
Trying with beef short ribs tonight
Marlys (This and That) says
March 3, 2014 at 2:32 pmWe love ribs and making them in the slower cooker is wonderful. I always use a rub on mine and Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce. Coming over from Monday Mixer.
Jen says
May 26, 2014 at 9:17 pmI LOVE ribs but have never made them. What a great idea to make them in the slow cooker – they look so easy and I bet they are fall apart tender. You rub sounds absolutely perfect!
traye says
January 1, 2015 at 12:43 pmI didn’t have them in for an hour even and I already had the apartment upstairs asking for some
Tim says
March 24, 2015 at 6:01 amThis is super easy and came out as tender as always when using the crock pot.since I started mine out early in am, setting was on warm for 4 hours and then turned up to low to finish.I mixed the 1/4 cup water and the liquid smoke,used about 1teaspoon,to the bottom of the crock after the ribs were inside the crock pot. Minus the grill marks,you could not tell the difference. Excellent.
Mo says
May 5, 2019 at 4:38 pmHow many pounds of ribs? I wish when I come across recipes for slow cooker ribs, one specifies the pound(s). Some recipes do. A slab could be any size.
Thanks!
Sarah Olson says
May 5, 2019 at 7:13 pmAbout 3 lbs. Less or more will work fine. Can’t mess this recipe up.