Crockpot Ribs

By Becky Hardin

Updated May 12, 2026

Jump to RecipeWatch Video

Crockpot Ribs are one of my favorite ways to make ribs. No need to fire up the grill, I can make these for game day even in the middle of winter. I’ve made this slow cooker ribs recipe super simple, and I’ve perfected the art of cooking fall-off-the-bone ribs, making them perfect to serve at a BBQ or when we’re having friends over and I need a simple yet delicious dish.

Easy Crockpot Ribs Recipe

For these crockpot ribs, I use a simple dry rub and then drench the ribs in my favorite BBQ sauce. I place them standing upright in the crockpot and let it work its magic for 5-6 hours. The house smells incredible while the ribs cook, and I just love that I can go about my day with this hands-off process.

The result is incredibly tender, fall-off-the-bone meat that is absolutely delicious with a slightly sweet and tangy flavor. Now that I’ve perfected this method and fine-tuned the seasoning, this is the only way I make ribs. Don’t stress about the amount of time it takes, as you can prep it all in the morning and come dinnertime sit down to the perfect meal.

Tips for Beginners

• Baby back ribs vs St. Louis-style ribs. It’s important to understand there’s a difference in weight with ribs. Baby back ribs weigh about 1½ lbs. per rack, and St. Louis-style spareribs weigh about 3 lbs. per rack. To confuse the matter even more, commercially packaged “baby back” ribs are sometimes mislabeled as St. Louis-style spareribs. Here is a terrific article explaining the difference. Whichever ribs you choose, don’t worry, you can’t go wrong.
• Cut the ribs to fit the slow cooker. Eyeball them as you work them into the cooker so they fit nice and snug, upright. You can push them down so the lid closes. They’ll be at a slight angle, but that’s okay.
• Change the BBQ sauce. I’ve used just about every kind of BBQ sauce in different variations of this recipe, from St. Louis to Carolina gold to Alabama white. When using a sweeter BBQ sauce, I recommend adding apple cider vinegar to help balance the flavor.
• Modify the flavor profile. I always turn to my pork dry rub recipe. I still cook the ribs in the slow cooker, no matter the seasoning or sauce.
• Remove the silver membrane. 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, so it’s best to remove it so the meat is well seasoned.
• Cook on low. To keep these ribs from drying out, I cook them low and slow. I do not recommend attempting this recipe on high heat.

Recipe Card

Crockpot Ribs Recipe

4.59 from 600 votes

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 5 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Total: 5 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Author: Becky Hardin

Print Rate Pin

Crockpot Ribs are an easy, stress-free way to make the most delicious ribs. Tender and flavorful, they are perfect for any occasion.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Save this recipe!

Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you, plus new recipes weekly!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Name *

Email *

Go

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 6 lbs. St. Louis-style pork spareribs or baby back ribs
• ▢ 3 tbsp smoked paprika or regular paprika
• ▢ 3 tbsp brown sugar
• ▢ 1 tbsp kosher salt
• ▢ 1 tbsp ground black pepper
• ▢ ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ 24 oz. BBQ sauce store-bought or homemade (1 jar) – I like Blues Hog original
• ▢ ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (if the barbecue sauce is on the sweet side)

Video

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.) 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. 
  6 lbs. 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 tbsp smoked paprika, 3 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• Brush both sides of the ribs with barbecue sauce and set them in the slow cooker, standing upright with the meaty side against the inside wall.
  24 oz. 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. This recipe calls for the ribs to be cooked to a higher temperature to make sure they’re super tender. We want them closer to 195°F.
• 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.

Equipment

• Crockpot 4-6 quart

Serving: 1lb.Calories: 1489kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 72gFat: 107gSaturated Fat: 34gPolyunsaturated Fat: 18gMonounsaturated Fat: 39gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 363mgSodium: 2706mgPotassium: 1473mgFiber: 3gSugar: 44gVitamin A: 2033IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 125mgIron: 6mg

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

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

How to Make Crockpot Ribs Step by Step

Prep the crockpot and ribs: Set the slow cooker to low and spray with nonstick cooking spray, making sure to spray the inside of the lid so clean up is a breeze. Remove the silver membrane from the back of 6 lbs. of St. Louis-style pork ribs. If yours don’t have a membrane, you can skip to the next step. If you’re not sure how, here is a great article with step-by-step instructions.

Make the spice rub: In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp smoked paprika, 3 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp ground black pepper, and ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes. Rub this dry rub mix evenly over the ribs.

Brush with sauce: Brush both sides of the ribs with 24 oz. barbecue sauce and place the ribs in the slow cooker standing upright. The meaty side should be against the inside wall, with the bones placed north-south.

Cover the ribs: Pour the remaining barbecue sauce over the ribs in the crockpot. If your barbecue sauce is on the sweet side, pour ¼ cup apple cider vinegar over the ribs.

Cook the ribs: Cover the crockpot, and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until the meat is fork-tender or reaches an internal temperature of 195°F.

Serve the ribs: Serve the ribs with additional store-bought barbecue sauce, or strain the juices from the pan through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium saucepan. Bring 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.

How to Store

Store leftover crockpot ribs tightly wrapped in aluminum foil in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When ready to reheat, I wrap the ribs in foil and place on a pan in a 250°F oven until the ribs reach an internal temperature of 130-140°F. 

Freeze crockpot ribs tightly wrapped in aluminum foil in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Always let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Serving Suggestions

These crockpot ribs are great for a weeknight dinner, as you can prep everything in the morning and it’ll be ready come dinnertime. I often pull the crockpot together on a Saturday morning for a delicious weekend meal if we are hosting a game day event. I love serving a fresh and tangy homemade coleslaw and a simple baked potato to offset the sweet and sticky ribs.

More Pork Recipes We Can’t Get Enough Of

• Super crispy, pork cutlets are made with just 5 ingredients in this 30 minute Easy Pork Schnitzel recipe.
• Instant Pot Pulled Pork is tender and juicy, perfect for sandwiches or sliders.
• Beyond simple to prepare, these Baked Breaded Pork Chops are super flavorful.

more crockpot recipes

Crockpot Queso

Crockpot Goulash

Crockpot Taco Meat

Crockpot Steak Bites