Crock Pot 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 crock pot 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 crock pot, and serve them on game day, at BBQs, or any get-together that needs a delicious dish.
What’s in Crockpot BBQ Ribs?
These Crock Pot BBQ ribs are a real winner. Moist, tender, fall-off-the-bone meat cooked in BBQ sauce. We love Oven Baked Ribs, but this recipe is just so much easier.
- Pork Ribs: You can use St. Louis-style spare ribs or baby back ribs. Either type works fine (and tastes great!).
- Barbecue Sauce: Use your favorite BBQ sauce for his recipe. Any kind works, store-bought or homemade. Try this “homemade” barbecue sauce that we love.
- Dry Rub: We use a mix of paprika, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to make the dry rub seasoning for these ribs.
- Cider Vinegar: This is optional, but I recommend adding it in if you’re using a sweeter BBQ sauce. It adds a tanginess and just helps balance out the flavor.
Pro Tip: Try my pork dry rub recipe!
Baby Back Ribs vs Spare Ribs
This crock pot recipe works with both baby back ribs and spare ribs, so the choice is up to you.
Baby back ribs are smaller than spare ribs. They are shorter, and will generally weigh less and feed fewer people, but they are super tender and lean.
Spare ribs are going to be meatier, with more fat, making them super flavorful when cooked. A rack of spareribs will usually feed 3-4 people. Because of the size difference, expect the spare ribs to take a bit longer to cook than baby back ribs.
Again, you can use either type of pork ribs for this slow cooker ribs recipe. Both will turn out amazing; it’s really up to your preferences.
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 most of the day.
Yes! You can totally use boneless ribs. Just check for tenderness before serving, they might need a bit more time in the crockpot. Sometimes boneless ribs are just easier, and that’s totally fine!
To prep your ribs, remove the silver membrane from the back of the ribs. Place a knife under the membrane, lift, and pull. I’ve linked to an instructional video in the recipe card. You can also buy ribs that have already had this removed. You’ll also want to make sure the racks will fit in your slow cooker. I like to keep them as big as possible, but you’ll still have to cut them into a few pieces. See the recipe card for details on how to place them in the slow cooker. You can eyeball it to make sure you cut to the right size.
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.
Yes. Before cooking, brush BBQ sauce onto both sides of the ribs.
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.
No, do not add frozen ribs directly into the slow cooker. They won’t cook fast enough in relation to the thawing, and it could cause issues with food safety. If you are going to use frozen ribs, fully defrost them in the fridge before cooking.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover crock pot 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 crock pot 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!
Crock Pot 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 barbecue 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 barbecue 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
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! I’m 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!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Kate!
Can I use BOTH boneless and bone-in ribs in this recipe…at the same time?
They will cook at different rates, so I would add the boneless later in the cook!
I have never been happy with my ribs when I make them in the crockpot. Thought I’d try one more time with this recipe. So yummy! Have made them several times and likely won’t make them any other way from now on!!!
I’m so glad this recipe was a hit, Leanne!
How is it that it claims total time 4hr10min with a 4hr cook time but then the recipe says on low for 5-6 hours after the 10min prep and then there’s a 20min step after the ribs cook?
Sorry for the confusion! 4 hours is a typo; it should be 5. The 20 minute step afterwards is optional!
For the BBQ sauce (Bluehog) you recommended in the recipe do you use the Apple cider vinegar with it. Just want to be sure I make them correctly
The apple cider vinegar is up to your personal preference if you like your ribs a bit tangier or if the BBQ sauce you use is on the sweet side. I recommend giving the BBQ sauce a taste and adding the vinegar if you feel like it needs it!
Is it recommended to boil the ribs before putting them in the crockpot? Recipe looks great! I will be trying this for a house warming party at my nieces house this weekend!
No need to boil beforehand!
I have never made ribs before. I made these tonight and they were really good! I followed the directions exactly as written & used St Louis style Pork ribs. They were very tender and well
cooked. My husband & son loved them. I will for sure be making these again and again. I’m
so happy to find a recipe for ribs that didn’t intimidate me & came out so great.
I’m so glad these were a hit, Terri!