Crockpot Ribs are an easy way to make the most delicious pork ribs for any occasion. This slow cooker ribs recipe is so simple! You can cook these crockpot BBQ ribs stress-free, and they’ll come out super tender and flavorful. Find out how to cook fall-off-the-bone ribs in a crockpot, and serve them on game day, at BBQs, or at any get-together that needs a delicious dish.
Slow Cooker Ribs
- Versatile. This crockpot recipe works with both baby back ribs and spare ribs, bone-in or boneless, so the choice is up to you.
- Easy. This method is a super easy way to slow cook ribs. Prep time is short, and the rest of the cooking time is totally hands-off. You can set it and forget it for most of the day.
- Flavorful. We use a mix of paprika, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to make the dry rub seasoning for these ribs. Combine that with BBQ sauce and you’ve got some tasty ribs!
How to Make Crockpot Ribs
Here is a quick summary of how to make crockpot ribs. You can find details, tips, and ingredients in the recipe card below.
- Set your crockpot to low and spray with nonstick spray.
- Remove the silver membrane from the ribs.
- Whisk together the spices to make the spice rub, then rub evenly over the ribs.
- Brush the ribs with BBQ sauce and place them coiled sideways in the crockpot, then pour the remaining BBQ sauce over the ribs.
- Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.
- Serve with more BBQ sauce or cook down the remaining juices from the slow cooker in a saucepan to serve with the meat.
Variations on Slow Cooker Pork Ribs
You can use just about any kind of BBQ sauce in this recipe, from St. Louis to Carolina gold to Alabama white. If you’re using a sweeter BBQ sauce, I recommend adding in some apple cider vinegar to help balance out the flavor. And if you’re looking for a slightly different flavor, try my pork dry rub recipe!
The silver skin/membrane on the back of the ribs will make them super tough and rubbery when cooked. It also acts as a shield and will prevent seasonings from fully penetrating the meat (and we want them to be well-seasoned!). So you absolutely want to remove it.
To keep these ribs from drying out, we cook them low and slow! I do not recommend attempting this recipe on high heat.
Yes, it is possible to overcook ribs, which would turn the meat into mush. Cooking them on the low setting is ideal to prevent this from happening. Just check on them regularly towards the end for doneness.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover crockpot ribs tightly wrapped in aluminum foil in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat wrapped in foil in a pan in a 250°F oven until the ribs reach an internal temperature of 130-140°F.
How to Freeze
Freeze crockpot ribs tightly wrapped in aluminum foil in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
No matter when you serve these, make sure you add in some Cheesy Texas Toast, BBQ Baked Beans, Creamy Homemade Coleslaw, Instant Pot Potato Salad, or a Perfect Baked Potato. You can’t go wrong with some Cornbread either!
5-Star Review
“I stumbled across your recipes today & figured why not give it a try? These were not only amazing & melt in your mouth, but my new go-to fav!!” -Kayti Funken
Crockpot Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 pounds St. Louis-style pork spareribs or baby back ribs (see note)
- 3 tablespoons smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 24 ounces BBQ sauce store-bought or homemade (1 jar) – Blue's Hog original recommended
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (if the barbecue sauce is on the sweet side)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Set the slow cooker to low and spray with nonstick cooking spray. (I always spray the underside of the lid to help with cleanup.)
- Remove the silver membrane from the back of the ribs. Here's a video with instructions. (You might have bought ribs with the membrane removed, and if so, skip this step.)6 pounds St. Louis-style pork spareribs
- In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, brown sugar, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Rub the dry-rub mix evenly over the ribs.3 tablespoons smoked paprika, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Brush both sides of the rib with barbecue sauce and set the ribs in the slow cooker standing upright with the meaty side against the inside wall, of the slow cooker.24 ounces BBQ sauce
- Pour the remaining barbecue sauce over the ribs. If using a sweet sauce, pour the cider vinegar over the ribs.¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours or until the meat is fork-tender.
- Serve with additional store-bought barbecue sauce or strain the juices, from the pan, through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes or until the mixture has reduced to 2 cups.
- To serve, slice the meat between the bones and serve with barbecue sauce.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- There is a difference in weight with ribs. Baby Back ribs weigh about 1½ pound per rack and St. Louis-style spareribs weigh about 3 pounds per rack. (To confuse the matter even more, commercially packaged “baby back” ribs are sometimes mislabeled St. Louis-style spareribs.) To help you understand the difference, here is a terrific article explaining the difference.
- Whichever ribs you choose, you can’t go wrong. Both are equally as delicious.
- You will need to cut the ribs a bit to make them fit in the slow cooker. It’s easy to just eyeball it as you work them into the cooker.
- Make sure you remove the silver membrane before cooking!
- When done cooking, simply slice between the bones and serve with extra BBQ sauce!
- Pork ribs should reach an internal temperature of at least 145°F before consuming. However, we will be cooking them to a higher temperature to make sure they’re super tender. We want them closer to 195°F.
Nutrition Information
Thanks for delicious ribs
So glad you enjoyed them!
Really enjoyed this recipe! Cut in half for a smaller rack.
We’re so glad to hear you loved it, Stephanie!
Thanks i impressed my bf after making this dish.
Waiting for related recipes
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Can you do just 3lbs. ?
Yes, just halve the recipe!
Should the ribs marinade overnight prior to placing in crock Pot?
No need!
I put an entire, peeled, Vidalia onion in the center of the circle of the ribs! Wow!
That sounds delicious, Sally! Thanks so much for sharing!
I stumbled across your recipes today & figured why not give it a try? These were not only amazing & melt in your mouth, but my new go-to fav!! Btw…. I read your bio & saw you’re from St. Louis?? Two words… GO CARDS!!! Whoop!! Whoop!! I had to shout-out to you, beings I spent most of my childhood in STL & now I don’t live far from there!! So yeah… thanks for your recipe!! (And Go Cards!!!)
Yay! We’re so happy to hear you loved it! Go Cards!!
These ribs were delicious – fell off the bones when taking out of the Crockpot!
So happy to hear they were a hit, Barbara!
I’m always looking for different ways to cook ribs, besides the way I do mine, which is very similar to here. I am a big fan of cooking ribs in the crockpot; they come out tender, and when done, I will transfer them to a pan, add my bbq sauce on top, and broil for about 5 minutes. But I like using the St. Louis pork rib pack; you can buy them by the pound at Safeway, I cut the ribs to fit in the crockpot; I just use McCormicks sweet and smoky rub on the ribs, and add garlic salt, pepper and liquid smoke to the crock pot; I also add a little water and coca cola; cook on high about 4 hours; then take the ribs out, put on a cookie sheet, put sweet rays sweet and spicy bbq sauce on top, and broil for about 4 minutes. Ribs come out amazing!
Can I use BOTH boneless and bone-in ribs in this recipe…at the same time?
They will cook at different rates, so we would add the boneless later in the cook!