Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs are easy to prep, and then the crockpot does all of the work for you. They’re covered with a spicy rub and plenty of BBQ sauce. It’s the perfect weeknight meal since it’s hands-off, and it can cook your dinner while you’re busy doing other things.
If you’re a fan of making ribs, you might also want to take a look at this post: How to Cook the Best Ribs in the Oven. And also try my recipes for Kansas City Style Ribs and Garlic-Oregano Pork Ribs.
These slow cooker baby back ribs are easy to make, even if you’re not very experienced in the kitchen. Slow cooking will break down the connective tissue in the ribs, resulting in ribs that are very tender.
Ingredients Needed for Ribs:
- Ribs: You need pork baby back ribs, also known as pork loin back ribs. Baby back ribs cook more quickly than spare ribs. Choose quality ribs with minimal fat.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.
- Brown Sugar: This is the sweet part of the rub for your ribs.
- Barbecue Sauce: Since this is going to be a pretty big flavor component, choose a BBQ sauce that you like. We like to use the original Sweet Baby Ray’s brand.
- Apple Butter: Here’s the secret ingredient. It adds a rich, caramelized sweetness with a subtle apple flavor to the sauce.
How to make Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
FIRST, remove the silver skin from the ribs. You could ask your butcher to do it for you, but it’s easy enough to do yourself. There is a membrane that runs down the rib rack that you need to remove and get rid of. Don’t worry, it’s totally easy. Just slip a knife under the membrane, wiggle it loose from the rack and pull it to remove it.
Sometimes it’s easy to grab it with a paper towel if it seems a little too slippery to pull. You don’t want to leave them membrane on or it will cook into the meat and turn into a tough, leathery part of the rib.
- Combine the rub ingredients, and rub both sides of the slab of ribs with the rub. Cut the ribs into two rib portions, and place them in a large plastic baggie to let marinate in the rub overnight.
- The next day… add the ribs to your slow cooker (no other ingredients needed) and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours. The meat should be tender (knife pierces in the meat easily), but not falling off the bone.
- Remove the ribs to a board. Pour off any liquid that has accumulated in the slow cooker, and then wipe it clean with paper towels. Then add the ribs back to the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, combine the barbecue sauce and apple butter. Pour about 1/2 cup of the sauce onto the ribs. Cover, and cook on high for 30 minutes. Serve with the remaining sauce.
Tips for making the best ribs:
- Every pound of ribs serves 2 (generally).
- Super tender, melt-in-your-mouth, juicy ribs are the best. That’s what you’re going for. You want to cook them to the point where the meat is almost falling off the bone, but not quite yet. You don’t want pulled pork, do you?
- If you want to finish off cooking in the oven to get a crisp exterior, you can place the slow cooker ribs under the broiler after you add the sauce.
- Chewy ribs would indicate that they have not been cooked long enough (or that you didn’t remove the silverskin).
- Dry ribs would indicate that the ribs were cooked too quickly at a heat that is too high.
Recipe Tips
- Use a crock pot that is 6-quart size or larger. You need to be able to put the lid on snugly. This is my favorite slow cooker.
- You do not need to add any liquid to the slow cooker. Liquid doesn’t matter. The heat is gentle enough on low that the ribs will not burn. The meat naturally releases liquid as it cooks, so it will get some delicious cooking time in its own flavorful juices!
- My advice is to only use the low setting. Using a high setting means that your ribs will cook faster, but they won’t be nearly as tender as cooking them low and slow.
What to serve with baby back ribs:
Since ribs are good, down-home, comfort food, serve them with comfort food favorites. Consider serving them with potato salad, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, corn on the cob or cole slaw.
How to store ribs:
Keep any leftover ribs in an airtight container (or wrap in plastic wrap and foil) in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven (wrapped in foil and doused with more sauce).
Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients
RIBS:
- One 3 to 4 pound slab pork baby back ribs
RUB:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
SAUCE:
- ½ cup barbecue sauce (your favorite)
- ¼ cup apple butter
Instructions
- Prepare the ribs by removing the thin membrane (silver skin) covering the bone. This prevents the ribs from curling as they cook and helps the pork to get tender.
- In a small bowl, combine the rub ingredients. Rub all sides of the ribs with rub mixture.
- Place the ribs in a large plastic zip bag and refrigerate overnight.
- In a small bowl, combine the barbecue sauce and apple butter; set aside.
- Cut the ribs into 2-rib portions to fit inside the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours (or until ribs are 170℉ and test tender with a knife easily piercing into the meat).
- Remove the ribs from the slow cooker to a board, and drain off any liquid from the slow cooker. Wipe the slow cooker dry. Place the ribs back into the slow cooker. Pour about ½ cup of the sauce over the ribs. Cover and cook on high about 30 minutes or until glazed. Serve with remaining sauce (warmed), as desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
