Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs
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!

- Rub 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, tissue on back removed
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sweet baby ray's bbq sauce
- more sweet baby ray's bbq sauce for serving
- Remove tissue from back of the ribs, use a knife, and it should come off in one piece.
- Cut the ribs into 4 sections or so.
- Make the rub, by mixing the 6 rub ingredients together. 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.
This recipe is delicious! I made it for a family get together, and everyone raved about it!
I 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
That is so great to hear! I’ve been meaning to make a video of this, I think more people should try them, sooo good!
Could you do this with beef ribs as well?
Sidney, Yes, I think the beef ribs would turn out good!
The 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.
Johan- I was wondering what that was called, that’s a great idea to have the butcher remove it!
My 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!
Would the slow cooker time change when cooking boneless country style ribs?
If I was doing boneless country style ribs, I would cook them for only 8 hours on low.
Thanks, I will let you know how they turn out!
will this recipe change if i’m cooking 2 racks of ribs in the same slow cooker?
Just double all the other ingredients as well, I’ve done this before, and it still turned out great!
What 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…
I can’t wait to hear how the ribs turned out for you Mauro!
I 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!
I’m so glad you liked these ribs, this is still one of my fave slow cooker recipes!
I 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!
4 to 6 hours on high would work! 🙂
Did the rub tonight so im ready for the slow cook tomorrow. Ill respond with my 2 cents after the meal.
Cheers!
did the baby back ribs….AWESOME!
Trying with beef short ribs tonight
We 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.
I 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!
I didn’t have them in for an hour even and I already had the apartment upstairs asking for some
This 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.