Crockpot Baby Back Ribs Recipe
Baby back ribs don’t need to be complicated or time consuming. These crock pot ribs are fall off the bone tender, and easy enough for a weeknight. No grill required!
“I LOVE this recipe! The ribs came out tender and tasty and my wife loved them. That’s the true test! We’ll be making this recipe again. And again.”
—Richard
Fall off the bone Crockpot Ribs
For me, baby back ribs are the epitome of a FUN MEAL. The only thing about ribs that I don’t love is having the oven on for several hours, especially if it’s already a warm day.
The oven heats up my small house and makes it into an unbearable sauna! By the time the ribs are ready, I’m so hot that I’m not even hungry anymore. So what am I to do?
Turns out that the slow cooker collecting dust in my basement is good for a lot more than crock pot beef stroganoff.
These crock pot ribs are the easiest, most fuss-free way to make baby back ribs, all year long. And best of all, they’re simple enough to make on a weeknight!
Why you’ll love Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs with Dry Rub
- If you love ribs where the meat simply falls off the bone, this is the recipe for you! Kids tend to gobble up this soft, succulent meat, too.
- This recipe is ideal for parties as it frees up oven space, and your guests will love the mouthwatering result.
- No need for an outdoor grill if you don’t have one. The final step has an option of a grill OR the broiler of your oven to char the ribs slightly.
Crock Pot Ribs Recipe ingredients
- baby back ribs – the star of the show. Baby back ribs are tender and flavorful, making them a popular choice for slow cooking.
- dry rub – a dry rub ensures that the ribs are seasoned throughly, and adds layers of flavor to the meat during the cooking process. Use my homemade dry rub for ribs or a store-bought version.
- barbecue sauce – the key ingredient for adding sweet and tangy flavor to this crock pot ribs recipe.
- garlic – throwing a handful of garlic cloves into the bottom of the slow cooker will add a savory depth of flavor.
- onion – a whole onion, cut into four big chunks is also put in the bottom of the crock pot to contribute a mild sweetness and aromatic flavor.
- apple juice – this serves as the flavorful liquid that will help tenderize the meat and prevent it from drying out as it cooks.
How to remove silverskin from Crock Pot Ribs
While I’d love to take the ribs out of their butcher paper and put them directly in the crock pot, crock pot ribs need a little bit more love. But don’t worry, crock pot baby back ribs are not hard at all.
First, if the butcher hasn’t done it already, you’ll need to remove the membrane (technically called silverskin) from the back sides of the rib racks. The Spruce has a tutorial on how to remove silverskin from ribs that shows you exactly how to do it (I do it this way, too).
If it’s your first time prepping slow cooker ribs, don’t stress out. It’s not important that you get every teeny tiny piece of the membrane. Just do the best you can, and your crock pot baby back ribs will be fine, I promise!
How to make Crockpot Baby Back Ribs
1. PREP. If necessary, remove the silver skin membranes from the backs of the rib racks (see “How to remove silverskin from Crock Pot Ribs” above). Then, if necessary, cut racks into halves or thirds to best fit into your slow cooker bowl.
2. RUB. Rub the ribs all over with the dry rub. Let the ribs stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
3. BRUSH. Brush the ribs all over with 3/4 cup barbecue sauce.
4. BOTTOM LAYER. Place the garlic cloves , onion and juice in your slow cooker bowl.
5. COOK. Place the ribs on top of the garlic and onion. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
6. CHAR. When the slow cooker time is up, remove the ribs from the slow cooker and brush them with the remaining 1/4 cup barbecue sauce. Then, use either a grill or broiler to lightly char them so they get delicious crusty bits in spots.
7. SERVE. Cut the ribs and serve immediately, with additional barbecue sauce for dipping.
How long to cook Ribs in Crock Pot
Baby back ribs benefit from a low and slow cooking time. But what exactly is low and slow? Most American slow cooker recipes seem to define it as 8 hours on the low setting. But why? This likely harkens back to the conventional 9 – 5 work day.
But look, lots of us aren’t working that conventional work day anymore, are we? Sometimes, I’m just not ready to start thinking about crock pot baby back ribs for dinner at 9 AM!
If that sounds like something you can identify with, don’t worry. There’s a second option for these crock pot ribs, and that’s 4 hours on the high setting.
And do you want to know a secret? These slow cooker ribs turn out EXACTLY THE SAME WAY with both methods.
So, feel free to start your ribs in crock pot on low in the morning, or on high around lunch time. Either way, you’ll be enjoying succulent, fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs at dinner time.
Home Chef Tips for Crockpot Ribs
- I used a large (7 quart) oval shaped slow cooker, and I was able to fit two rack of baby back ribs into it by cutting each rack in half. If your slow cooker is smaller, you may need to reduce the recipe to 1 rack, or cut the racks into smaller pieces.
- If you’d like an even deeper flavor for your crock pot ribs, feel free to apply the rib rub to the meat the night before you plan to slow cook them. However, don’t let the rub sit on the meat any longer than about 12 hours or so. Any more than that, and the crock pot baby back rib meat can start to dry out, similar to a curing effect.
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How to serve Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs
Cut up the ribs and serve them with additional barbecue sauce for dipping. Serve the ribs with elote corn salad and celery seed coleslaw for a meal.
We’ve also been known to have them for Easter dinner, with salad for Easter, potato cakes and Dr. Pepper baked beans.
How to store Crockpot Baby Back Ribs
Allow any leftover ribs to cool to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container. Ribs can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.
Crock Pot Ribs Recipe FAQs
To prevent ribs from drying out in the slow cooker, be sure there is plenty of liquid in the bottom of the slow cooker bowl. I’ve used apple juice in this crockpot ribs recipe, but you can also use broth, apple cider or beer.
Tough crock pot ribs can be due to a variety of factors, including overcooking, using the wrong cut of meat, or not using enough liquid. Follow the recipe below carefully.
Both methods have their advantages. Cooking ribs in the oven yields a more caramelized crust, while slow cooking in a crockpot results in super tender, fall-off-the-bone meat. The choice depends on your preference for texture and the time you have for preparation.
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Crockpot Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 racks baby back ribs
- ½ cup dry rub for ribs
- 1 cup barbecue sauce divided, plus additional for serving
- 5 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 white or yellow onion peeled and quartered
- 1 cup apple juice
Instructions
- If butcher hasn't already done it, remove silver skin membrane from backs of rib racks. Then, if necessary, cut racks into halves or thirds to best fit into slow cooker bowl.
- Rub ribs all over with dry rub. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes.
- Brush ribs all over with 3/4 cup barbecue sauce.
- Place garlic, onion and juice in slow cooker bowl.
- Place ribs on top of garlic and onion. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
- Just before slow cooker time is up, preheat either grill or broiler, if desired, to lightly char ribs and give them some crusty bits. Remove ribs from slow cooker and brush with remaining 1/4 cup barbecue sauce.
If GRILLING:
- Preheat grill for direct grilling over medium heat. Transfer ribs to grill and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly charred in spots, turning once. If BROILING: Preheat broiler to HIGH. Place ribs under broiler and broil 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly charred, watching carefully.
- Cut ribs and serve immediately, with additional barbecue sauce for dipping.
Notes
- I used a large (7 quart) oval shaped slow cooker, and I was able to fit two rack of baby back ribs into it by cutting each rack in half. If your slow cooker is smaller, you may need to reduce the recipe to 1 rack, or cut the racks into smaller pieces.
- If you’d like an even deeper flavor for your crock pot ribs, feel free to apply the rib rub to the meat the night before you plan to slow cook them. However, don’t let the rub sit on the meat any longer than about 12 hours or so. Any more than that, and the crock pot baby back rib meat can start to dry out, similar to a curing effect.
I LOVE this recipe! The ribs came out tender and tasty and my wife loved them. That’s the true test! We’ll be making this recipe again. And again.
That’s the true test, indeed. I’m so glad these were a hit, Richard!
This is titled a dry rub recipe but you are adding BBQ Sauce. So It is not a dry rub recipe. I am diabetic and on a very low sodium diet. Which means no salt, no sugar, and no BBQ sauce. I due not have teeth and that is the only reason I want to do this in the slow cooker. No one on line addresses this issue.
Dry rub refers to the spices you rub on. BBQ sauce is optional but you can leave it off for a true dry rub experience. As far as the salt and sugar goes, they’re needed to balance the flavor so that’s why you can’t find any recipes without them. You’re welcome to adjust it for your diet.
You may put our local favorite restaurant out of business with these. That’s what we usually order for takeout these days. These sound both easy and good. Thank you for providing the info on how to remove silver skin. I really appreciate the fact that you always provide the information we need to make the cooking easy.
I’m so jealous that you have a takeout place with great ribs! And I’m so glad my posts are helpful. Sometimes they get really long, but I want them to be useful, always 🙂