The Cooking Secret to the Most Tender Ribs of Your Life
When I want to eat smoked ribs, I just go out to eat them, as I don’t want to deal with a smoker or use up hours of my time managing the smoking process. But when I have a craving for a rack of tender ribs in a sweet barbecue sauce, I turn to this recipe for slow cooker ribs that has replaced every other recipe I’ve tried before (it’s even replaced my former go-to technique of wrapping them up in foil and cooking them in the oven, which was a messy affair, as the pork fat always leaked out of the foil).
As it turns out, the slow cooker is the best appliance for slow cooking pork ribs until they’re perfectly tender. I just rub them all over with an easy spice rub, toss them in the slow cooker, slather them with my favorite bottled barbecue sauce, and finish the ribs under the broiler or on the grill. It’s just 15 minutes of hands-on time total, but you’re left with incredible ribs that will be delicious with summer side dishes (or any of these classic side dishes that are usually served with ribs).
Why You’ll Love It
No fuss, no muss. Cooking spice rub-coated ribs in a slow cooker first means they cook gently and evenly. Finishing them with barbecue sauce on the grill or broiler is quick with minimal cleanup.
Juicy, tender ribs every single time. The ribs don’t dry out because there’s water in the slow cooker that provides steam. The slow cooker also cooks the ribs until they’re tender without the need to heat up your kitchen by turning on the oven.
Key Ingredients in Slow Cooker Ribs
Baby back ribs: These slabs of pork ribs are cut from around the loin and are smaller than spareribs (or St. Louis-style ribs), which are cut from the belly. You’ll need 2 slabs, which generally have about 10 to 13 ribs per slab.
Brown sugar: This balances out the salt and spices in the spice rub, and also helps with browning during broiling or grilling.
Salt and seasonings: You’ll need kosher salt, regular or smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper to complete the spice rub.
Barbecue sauce: Any tomato-based barbecue sauce can be used. You can make your own sauce or just grab your favorite bottle at the grocery store (here are our favorite original, sweet, and spicy sauces).
How to Make Slow Cooker Ribs
Prep the ribs. Remove the silver skin (a thin membrane of connective tissue) that lines the bone side of baby rack ribs, as it’ll cook up tough and chewy (it’s totally worth doing). Cut the ribs into 4-bone sections so they will fit better in the slow cooker and make them easier to move around and serve.
Coat the ribs in spice rub. Make an easy spice rub with salt, brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, and garlic powder. Rub the meaty side of the ribs with the spice rub.
Slow cook the ribs. Stand the rib sections up in a slow cooker, arranging them parallel to each other. Add some water to the bottom of the slow cooker and cook until tender. This will take 3 to 5 hours depending on the slow cooker setting and how meaty the ribs are.
Broil or grill the ribs with sauce. To finish the ribs, generously brush them with barbecue sauce, then broil or grill until the sauce gets sticky and starts to char and brown in spots. Cut into individual ribs if you’d like and serve with more sauce.
Helpful Swaps
For spicy ribs, use 2 teaspoons of hot paprika in place of the smoked or regular paprika.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
The rib spice rub can be made up to a few weeks ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Better yet, make a larger batch of the rib spice rub — it’s enough for two rounds of ribs.
The ribs can be coated in the spice rub and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking.
What to Serve with Slow Cooker Ribs
Slow Cooker Ribs Recipe
Serve these tender ribs with your favorite barbecue sauce.
Prep time 15 minutes
Cook time 3 hours to 5 hours 57 minutes
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
2 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon smoked or regular paprika, or a combination
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 racks baby back pork ribs (3 1/2 to 5 1/2 pounds total)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup store-bought or homemade tomato-based barbecue sauce, plus more for serving
Instructions
Place 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, and 3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Pat 2 racks baby back ribs dry with paper towels. Flip the racks over so that the bones are facing up. Pry a finger or table knife between the silvery membrane and the ribs to start pulling up the membrane — sometimes it's easier to do between two of the rib bones. Once you have a piece of membrane pulled up, you should be able to easily pull the whole membrane off.
Cut the racks into 3 to 4 bone sections: Hold the rack upright and guide the knife through the meat between the bones.
Arrange the racks meaty-side up. Evenly sprinkle the ribs with the spice rub and press it into the meaty parts. Transfer to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker, standing them upright and arranging them parallel to each other as best as you can. Add 1/2 cup water.
Cover and cook until the ribs are knife-tender but not falling off the bone yet, 3 to 4 hours on HIGH, or 4 1/2 to 6 hours on LOW. Heat the broiler or outdoor grill when the ribs are almost ready.
Option 1: Broiling. Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat the oven to broil. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Transfer the ribs meaty-side up to the baking sheet in a single layer. Brush generously with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce. Broil until the sauce is bubbling and beginning to char in spots, 2 to 4 minutes.
Option 2: Grilling. Heat an outdoor grill for direct, medium heat (about 350ºF). Transfer the ribs meaty-side up to a baking sheet in a single layer. Brush with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce. Place the ribs on the grill meaty-side up. Cover and grill until the sauce is bubbling, 5 to 10 minutes. Flip the ribs, cover, and grill until the meaty side begins to char in spots, about 5 minutes more.
Cut into individual ribs if desired and serve with more barbecue sauce on the side.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead:
The rib spice rub can be made up to a few weeks ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
The ribs can be coated in the spice rub and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Further Reading
Why People Are Ditching Their Seltzer After a Disturbing Study
We Asked 3 Chefs to Name the Best Ice Cream, and They All Said the Same Thing
The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can’t Stop Talking About
