How to Make The Best Crockpot Ribs
These slow cooker ribs are incredibly easy to prepare and deliver melt-in-your-mouth tenderness every single time. A simple homemade dry rub packed with smoked paprika, garlic, and mustard powder coats the racks before they slow cook in barbecue sauce for 8 to 10 hours. The secret to perfection is a quick blast under the grill at the end, which caramelises the sauce and gives the ribs a gorgeous sticky finish. This is a brilliant weekend recipe that does most of the work for you while you get on with your day.
Watch: How to Make The Best Crockpot Ribs
Original recipe video — click to play
Original method: Slow cooker recipe — Low 8-10 hours
Ingredients
Main
- 2 racks baby back ribs or pork spare ribs, membrane removed from the back
Approximately 1.2-1.5kg (2.6-3.3lb) per rack
- 475 ml barbecue sauce
Use 355ml (1.5 cups) at the start and reserve 120ml (0.5 cup) for finishing
Dry Rub
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground mustard
Also labelled as mustard powder in UK shops
Finishing
- 120 ml reserved barbecue sauce
Brush over the ribs before grilling at the end
Reserved from the total 475ml barbecue sauce
Method
- 1
Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. Slide your fingers around the edge to loosen it, then grip firmly and pull it off in one piece. This helps the dry rub penetrate the meat and gives a better texture.
~5 minsTip: Use a piece of kitchen paper to grip the membrane — it can be slippery.
- 2
In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and ground mustard. Stir well to combine.
~2 mins - 3
Rub the dry rub mixture generously all over both sides of the rib racks, pressing it into the meat to ensure an even coating.
~3 mins - 4
Place the ribs into the slow cooker. You may need to cut the racks in half or curl them to fit. Drizzle 355ml (1.5 cups) of barbecue sauce over the ribs, reserving 120ml (0.5 cup) for later.
~3 minsTip: Stand the ribs on their side curved along the wall of the slow cooker if space is tight.
- 5
Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours, or on High for 5 to 6 hours. The ribs are done when the meat is very tender and pulls away from the bone easily. The more racks in the pot, the longer the cooking time needed.
~8 hrsTip: Low and slow is recommended for the most tender result.
- 6
Preheat your grill (broiler) to high. Gently remove the rib racks from the slow cooker using two large forks or tongs, and lay them out on a foil-lined baking tray. Brush the reserved 120ml (0.5 cup) of barbecue sauce evenly over the top of the ribs.
~3 minsTip: Be gentle — the ribs will be very tender and may fall apart.
- 7
Place the baking tray under the grill for 3 to 5 minutes until the barbecue sauce starts to bubble and caramelise. Watch closely to prevent burning. Alternatively, wrap in foil and place on a hot barbecue for the same effect.
~5 minsTip: This finishing step is what gives the ribs their restaurant-quality sticky glaze.
- 8
Remove from the grill, slice between the bones, and serve immediately.
~2 mins
Nutrition
Detailed nutritional information is coming soon. For now, we recommend using a tool like MyFitnessPal to calculate values for your specific brands and quantities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. St Louis-style spare ribs work beautifully in the slow cooker. They are meatier than baby back ribs so you may need to increase the cooking time by an hour or so on Low. You might also need to cut them into sections to fit your slow cooker.
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