This slow-cooked ribs recipe bears all the same fall-off-the-bone succulence as ribs that you slowly tend on a grill or a smoker—without having to stand outside in the rain or snow or sleet or ice or heat. We’ve got our favorite barbecued baby back ribs, oven-baked ribs, sweet honey teriyaki ribs, and even pressure cooker ribs recipes. But when we know we’ll be busy all day and still need to get dinner on the table pronto, this slow cooker baby back ribs recipe is our go-to.

The easy and tasty and not-so-secret secret to getting these lightly charred barbecued ribs to taste like they came off the grill comes at the very end of the recipe when you take the ribs out of the slow cooker and slide them under the broiler and brush them with barbecue sauce now and again until sticky and caramelized. Easy. Crowd-pleasing. And a cinch to clean up.

david caricature

Why Our Testers Loved This

Our testers love how easy these slow cooker ribs are to prepare. Even when using store-bought sauce, or scaling the recipe down, or preparing them ahead of time, they consistently got tender, melt-in-your-mouth, falling-off-the-bone ribs that are worth raving about.

What You’ll Need to Make This

  • Spice rub–We found that this combination of brown sugar, paprika, cayenne, salt, and black pepper provides perfect seasoning to these slow-cooked baby back ribs. However, if you’ve got a favorite premade seasoning mix on hand, feel free to substitute it here.
  • Baby back ribs–We did not test this recipe with other rib cuts, so we recommend using baby back ribs here. Be certain to remove the membrane from your ribs (see FAQs on how to do this).
  • BBQ sauce–We’ve got a great selection of barbecue sauce recipes on the site, but our testers found they had just as much success with store-bought, so, if it saves you some time, use your favorite store brand.

How to Make This Recipe

  1. Make the spice rub. Mix the paprika, sugar, cayenne, salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
  2. Coat the ribs. Rub the spice mixture all over the ribs and place them in the slow cooker so that the bony edges of the ribs are touching the bottom of the slow cooker and the meaty sides are facing outward.
  3. Cook the ribs. Set the slow cooker to low and let the ribs cook until very tender. This will take 6 to 8 hours, depending on falling apart you like your meat.
  4. Transfer the ribs to a baking rack. Carefully transfer your cooked ribs to a baking rack set on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, meaty side down. Let the liquid in the slow cooker cool slightly.
  5. Reduce the braising liquid. Remove any fat from the top of the braising liquid, then strain the liquid into a saucepan. Boil until reduced to 2 cups.
  6. Broil and glaze the ribs. Brush the ribs with glaze and place them under the broiler until they begin to brown. Flip the ribs, glaze again, and continue to broil, glazing every few minutes until dark golden and sticky.
  7. Rest and serve. Cover the ribs with foil and let them rest for 10 minutes before slicing them into individual ribs. Serve with any remaining braising liquid.

Common Questions

How do you remove the membrane from baby back ribs?

The easiest way to strip the ribs is to stick the entire slab in the freezer until it’s cold but not frozen. Holding a paper towel in your hand, grip the membrane at one end of the slab of ribs and tug. It usually pulls right off; if it puts up a tussle, simply try the other end of the rack.

What should I serve with these ribs?

Serve these easy slow cooker ribs with cider baked beans, soft buttery pull-apart rolls, and creamy coleslaw.

Can this recipe be scaled down?

Absolutely. It’s incredibly simple to scale down this slow cooker ribs recipe for just the two of you. And you don’t have to be incredibly precise about the amounts.

Depending on your appetites, you’ll want to use just a single rack or two of ribs. And then use as much spice rub as desired, and use 1 cup barbecue sauce per rack of ribs you’re making. Follow the instructions above.

When reducing the barbecue sauce and pan drippings, use a small saucepan and reduce until it measures about 3/4 cup if you used 1 cup barbecue sauce and 1 1/2 cups if you used 2 cups barbecue sauce. Otherwise, everything remains the same.

Helpful Tips

  • Leftover ribs can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed bag or container. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. To reheat, place them in a warm oven or microwave and cook until just heated through.
  • If you want to get ahead so that all you have to do is plop the ribs in the slow cooker before leaving for work in the morning, coat the ribs with the rub the night before. Wrap in plastic and stash in the fridge overnight.

More Fabulous Rib Recipes

Write a Review

If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David

A rack of slow cooker ribs on a cutting board with four single ribs cut off.

Slow Cooker Ribs

4.69 / 16 votes
These slow cooker ribs will feed a crowd and leave your oven free with these lip-smacking beauties.
David Leite
CourseMains
CuisineAmerican
Servings6 to 8 servings
Calories914 kcal
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time6 hours 20 minutes
Total Time6 hours 45 minutes

Equipment

  • 6-quart or larger slow cooker

Ingredients 

  • 3 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 6 pounds pork baby back ribs (each rack should be no bigger than 1 1/2 to 2 pounds), membranes removed
  • 3 cups barbecue sauce, store-bought or homemade
  • Vegetable oil spray

Instructions 

  • Mix the paprika, sugar, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
  • Rub the mixture evenly over the ribs. Arrange the racks upright in the slow cooker, meaty sides facing outward. (To ensure that the ribs cook evenly, prop the racks along the perimeter of the slow cooker, the bony edges of the ribs down, meatier side facing the side of the slow cooker.)
  • Pour the barbecue sauce over the ribs, cover, and cook on low until tender, 6 to 8 hours. (If you like your ribs tender but not fall-apart tender, you'll want to start checking your ribs for doneness after 6 hours. If you let them go all the way to 8 hours they will be literally fall-off-the-bone tender.)
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top, coating both with vegetable oil spray. Using tongs, carefully transfer the cooked ribs, meaty side down, to the prepared wire rack and tent with foil. Let the braising liquid in the slow cooker rest for 5 minutes to allow the fat to float to the surface. (To make the ribs ahead of time, place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, let them cool, and then cover and refrigerate. Pour the braising liquid into a measuring cup and then cover and refrigerate. Remove the ribs from the fridge about 30 minutes before continuing with the recipe.)
  • Skim the fat from the surface of the braising liquid and discard it. Strain the defatted braising liquid into a medium saucepan and simmer until reduced to about 2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Meanwhile, position the oven rack 10 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler. Remove the foil from the ribs, brush them with some of the reduced braising liquid, and broil until they begin to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip the ribs over, brush again, and continue to broil until the ribs are well browned and sticky, 9 to 12 minutes longer, brushing every few minutes.
  • Transfer the ribs to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Slice the ribs between the bones and serve with the remaining reduced braising liquid on the side—and lotsa napkins.

Notes

  1. Get ahead–Rub the spice mixture over the ribs the night before you plan to cook them. Stash them in the fridge and then plop them into the slow cooker the next day.
  2. Storage–Leftover slow cooker ribs can be stored in the fridge in a sealed bag or container for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
  3. Reheating–If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave on low power, or in a warm oven until just heated through.
Slow Cooker Revolution Cookbook

Adapted From

Slow Cooker Revolution

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 portionCalories: 914 kcalCarbohydrates: 65 gProtein: 56 gFat: 48 gSaturated Fat: 17 gMonounsaturated Fat: 20 gTrans Fat: 0.4 gCholesterol: 197 mgSodium: 2888 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 52 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2011 America’s Test Kitchen. Photo © 2011 Keller + Keller. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

These easy Crock Pot ribs are absolutely the simplest ribs I’ve ever made and the final taste was phenomenal. They were extremely juicy, tender, and fall-off-the-bone and the sauce was outstanding, though I’m sure that the taste would depend on the type of barbecue sauce you use.

I actually only had sweet smoked paprika at home, so that’s what I used and loved the smoky taste. My slow cooker has a 5-quart capacity and I can’t imagine being able to use a smaller one for the quantity of baby back ribs.

I must say that 3 cups barbecue sauce may have been too much. I used only 2 cups and I think next time I’ll only bother with 1 1/2 cups. I used the spray oil though I really don’t think it’s needed.

What a nice way to have ribs during the off-season. I rubbed the baby back ribs the night before so I could just toss them in the slow cooker before work the next morning. The rack of ribs sat up in the slow cooker without any difficulty and with plenty of room to cook.

When I arrived home from work, the entire house was filled with the most wonderful aroma of barbeque sauce. My slow cooker was set to cook on low for 8 hours. When the timer beeped, I opened the slow cooker to find fall-off-the-bone-tender ribs. I carefully lifted them out of the slow cooker and placed them on a baking sheet.

The sauce reduced in 15 minutes and the ribs went under the broiler for a few minutes to get a nice char. My family loved the depth of flavor and the amazingly tender meat. They enjoyed eating the ribs without fighting to get the meat off the bones, although I may check them after 6 hours next time to see how they’re coming along. (While most of us like our ribs sliding off the bone, some of us like them a little less cooked.) This is a great winter recipe.

For years I have made a rub that has way too many ingredients, let the ribs sit in the refrigerator overnight with the rub on them, and cooked the ribs in the oven. Never again.

This slow cooker ribs recipe is just as good and so easy—even to make just for 2 of us! I purchased a single rack of baby back ribs and made 1/2 the rib rub recipe using smoked paprika to add a hint of smoky flavor. It required all the rub to coat the rack. I measured out 1 cup sauce and covered the ribs with it prior to putting them in the cooker.

I was not home again until 6 hours had passed, so when I checked on the ribs they were perfect. I reduced my sauce for 18 minutes, stirring constantly, and it was thicker than most bbq sauces I have used but in a good way. I brushed the ribs with the thickened sauce and broiled as the recipe instructs. I did 3 minutes on the first side and then the full 12 minutes on the second.

If I had not watched it with my own eyes I would have sworn they were grilled by the appearance and the taste. I never thought I would even consider making ribs just for 2 people but this was too easy. I was pleasantly surprised to find the single rack was plenty for both of us even with very little to serve as sides. One of the best slow cooker recipes I have made to date.

This slow cooker baby back ribs recipe is a lip-smacking finger-licking-good recipe for ribs and is so easy to make. I used Bobby Flay’s BBQ sauce recipe.

I cut the slab of baby back ribs into 4-inch sections and put the dry rub on and then schmeared on the sauce and placed them around the perimeter of the cooker; I had to place two 4-inch pieces of rib on the bottom of the cooker as well. I poured the rest of the sauce over the ribs and cooked them on low for 8 hours, then proceeded to broil as per the instructions.

The ribs were falling off the bone and incredibly moist. My slow cooker has a 16-cup capacity and is oval shaped. This is such an amazingly easy, foolproof technique that one could make ribs part of an everyday meal as well. This slow cooker ribs recipe will be a staple in my family’s menu.

Up until yesterday, my old pork ribs were the best I’ve ever had. Well, things changed. They’re now a tie with this slow cooker ribs recipe. What a discovery to slowly cook baby back ribs in a slow cooker!

Mine is a 7-quart slow cooker, so the stack of ribs fit a bit snugly but well. The description of “authentic crispy, lightly charred exterior…sticky and caramelized” is very fitting. The rub is very simple and all that’s needed for flavorful meaty ribs. In the past I’ve always rubbed pork ribs the night before to allow the flavor to permeate, and wondered how simply rubbing the ribs then placing into the slow cooker would compare. Intriguingly, it was enough! You learn something new every day.

The slow cooker ribs were quite tender cooked on low at 6 hours but fell off the bone at 8 hours. I’ll definitely cook them 8 hours in the future. Another thing I particularly fell for was broiling the ribs for 4 minutes on the first side and 9 on the second after being basted with the sauce. Mmmmm—the look and flavor of ribs grilled outside really came through.

After straining the braising liquid and reducing it for just a few minutes (it was already nicely thickened), we had just under 1 1/2 cups. It was still enough for a generous dousing. We served the ribs with the sauce, which, by the way, made a great dipping sauce for our oven fries that we also had for dinner.

These ribs had everything I look for in the perfect rib. Honestly, what could be better? l already have visions of summer barbecue plans ensconced in my mind although it’s -25°F at the moment here in Canada.

The barbecue sauce I used was the Chipotle Maple Barbecue Sauce. This sauce tastes complex partially because of the smokiness of the chipotles. The sauce is smoky and highly flavorful with just the right amount of sweetness from the maple and kick that mellows when slowly cooked with the ribs. What can I say? I really love this sauce and highly recommend making it with this recipe. Ribs without this particular sauce would still be good but with this sauce? Nothing short of a miracle.

This slow cooker ribs recipe really is everything it seems to be. I made the ribs in my old Rival 6-quart slow cooker and found that 6 pounds of baby back ribs barely fit. I used a favorite store-bought sauce that I doctored a bit to make it more like my own homemade sauce.

I found that 8 hours was a bit too long for the ribs in my slow cooker—when I went to take them out they literally fell apart. You might be able to do them for 8 hours if you’ve a newer slow cooker that allows you to control the temperature.

The only thing I’d change on this recipe would be to use a homemade rub and sauce and check them at 6 hours. Until you know the right timing for your slow cooker, I don’t recommend setting this up and letting it cook while you’re at work. These do elicit memories of ribs done on the grill.

Wow! This slow cooker ribs recipe might’ve inched past the carnitas as my favorite recipe from this site of all time! Everything about this recipe was easy and delicious. My husband and I couldn’t believe we were eating food of this caliber at home.

Broiling the ribs at the end truly made the dish, as the ribs singed a little and looked a lot more appetizing. I used a store-bought barbecue sauce from Bi-Rite in San Francisco. I halved the recipe and slow cooked it on high for 4 hours instead of low for 6 to 8 hours.

I have the All-Clad Deluxe Slow Cooker, 7-quart capacity. Today I made the recipe again as is and found that I wouldn’t be able to add any more meat to my slow cooker. I think halving this recipe is the perfect size, as all of the meat can face out and touch the rim of the insert. When made as is, I had two circles of ribs.)

Between the 2 of us, we demolished the 3 pounds of ribs in less than 10 minutes. Did I mention how easy this was?! Please keep the slow cooker recipes coming!

My hubby, son, daughter, and son-in-law loved these Crock Pot ribs. I cooked my two 3-pound racks of baby back ribs in my original, oval, 6-quart Crock-Pot Cook & Carry Slow Cooker. I placed each rack upright, wide-end down, meaty sides facing outward, as advised in the recipe. Doing this, I had to curl 1 rack a bit around the other to get them to fit.

My cooker is programmable on high for either 4 or 6 hours and low for either 8 or 10, so I set mine for 8 hours, which turned out to be a bit long. When I tried removing the racks with tongs, the bones fell out of most of the ribs. I did manage to get some out with a few bones intact. I wasn’t able to put them on a wire rack on the baking sheet, so I just put them on the aluminum foil.

The broiling did help the taste, as the ribs were much tastier after painting on the sauce and broiling. Hubby loved that they were so tender. I used bottled Stubs BAR-B-Q sauce since my family enjoys it.

I used an 8 1/2-quart slow cooker to make these slow cooker baby back ribs. I like the idea of being able to have the barbecue taste even in winter with a minimum of fuss. This recipe has provided me with just that.

The rub for the ribs came together quite easily. It was nice to just rub the baby back ribs and set them in and let the pot do all the work. I used a store-bought sauce just to save a little time. After they were done it was nice that I could make the basting sauce from the braising liquid while the broiler preheated.

This recipe makes having ribs on a weeknight possible. The only change I’d make is that cooking the ribs for 8 hours seems to be too long, as the meat was almost falling off the bone when done. I think that cooking for 4 hours should do the job well enough without overcooking them since they’ll be broiled for a few minutes before serving.

The rub is a mixture of sweet and smoky. I have a 6qt oval slow cooker and I cooked them on low for 7 hours. The ribs fell apart lifting them out of the crock. I would lessen the cooking time. Used a store-bought sauce. There was lots of cooking liquid left to use on meat while broiling. Mixed in with more of bbq sauce for the table.




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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55 Comments

  1. These were a big swing and a miss for me. I cooked them 7 1/2 hours and they were overdone. The meat was tasteless, no sign of the rub in flavor. The BBQ sauce had lost its essence and just tasted tired. Very disappointing.

    1. I’m so sorry these weren’t a win for you, Mom24. Perhaps a shorter cooking time would work better for you?

  2. 5 stars
    Fabulous recipe. I had two baby back ribs that totaled to 6 pounds. I broke up each in thirds so I could fit in the slow cooker. Used all the spice rub- had a little leftover and just threw it in the crockpot with the bbq sauce. I used Dinosaur BBQ Sensuous Slathering Sauce. ? It is the best bbq sauce. Cooked the rinds on low for 6 hours, and finished in the oven, under the broiler, as directed. The reduced sauce was amazing- totally delicious!

  3. 5 stars
    Great recipe. 6 hours in low was a little too long in slow cooker (already fall off bone). Grilled to finish instead of broiling.