Learn how to make the BEST easy slow cooker bbq ribs. These incredibly flavorful and tasty baby back ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender.
While you’re at it, try these other tasty beef recipes like my Braised Beef Short Ribs, Best Easy Prime Rib Recipes, or Grilled Tri Tip Steak with Tiger Sauce!
This is what Summer tastes like. Bbq ribs. When theyโre good, really really good, I will take ribs any day of the year, no questions asked. But when it comes down to it I just think they taste better in the Summertime, probably because thatโs when my mother always served ribs.
If she was serving ribs it was likely Memorial Day, or my third oldest sisterโs birthday, and overly warm and sunny outside. There was a good chance dessert would be homemade berry ice cream. It was always summer when we had ribs.
And always grilled. Sheโd send Pops or one of my three brothers out back to the extra large grill on the cement patio with a pan of ribs and a bowl of what we called โsecret sauceโ which was really just a combination of ketchup and brown sugar that makes all things barbecued one hundred and fifteen percent more delicious.
Funny story: the first time I ever tried to cook ribs, I put them on the grill, forgot about them, and bunt them to a crisp. Honestly there was nothing there but bone and char. And I almost cried thinking about the eighteen dollars Iโd spent on a rack ribs and wondered how Iโd ever tell my husband that instead of ribs we were having stovetop quesadillas for dinner. He didnโt mind of course because heโs him, but oh how I mourned the death of those baby back ribs that night.
Lesson learned. I now put a timer on my phone โ or three timers really, you know, just in case โ when grilling anything, especially ribs.
We are a few weeks shy of Summer weather around here, but Memorial Day will be here before we know it so Iโm sharing with you a foolproof recipe for super tender and flavorful ribs that you cannot go wrong with. (Bonus: there is extremely little risk in burning these ribs to a crisp. Your ribs will not go uneaten.) These are slow cooker ribs. Thatโs right, ribs made in the crockpot my friends.
The key is to cook them low and slow for about 8 hours, then pop them into the oven for a quick broil โ just 5-8 minutes or so โ and youโll have the ultimate, best ever slow cooker bbq ribs. Donโt tell my mother Iโm teaching you how to cook ribs any other way than on the grill, but these fall-off-the-bone beauties will become your go-to for every backyard bbq and Summer hangout.
What people are saying about these BEST Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
“These are seriously the BEST ribs I have ever had โ better than any restaurant! My husband and I both loved them, and I will definitely be making them again! Thanks for the recipe!” – Sierra
Serve these ribs with my favorite homemade bbq sauce!
BEST Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 rack baby back pork ribs
- 2 teaspoons chili powder - (or chipotle chili powder if you have it)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ยฝ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยผ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups of your favorite bbq sauce - (see note for my favorite tip!)
Instructions
- Grease your large slow cooker (6-8 quart) with nonstick spray. Stir together chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Rub mixture all over the top side of the ribs.
- Brush about 2/3 of the bbq sauce over the ribs (reserve remaining bbq sauce), top and bottom. Place the ribs in the slow cooker so that they are standing up on one side and curl to fit into around the inner edge of the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Preheat your oven to high broil. Use tongs to transfer ribs to a greased baking sheet so that the ribs are laying flat. Transfer to the oven and cook for 5-8 minutes. (Set a timer for 5 minutes and check them to make sure they arenโt burning). Allow to cool just long enough so that the ribs can be handled and serve immediately.
I had never made ribs before, and my wife was the โrib masterโ about a year ago I decided to try and used this recipe. My wife was nervous that I would mess them up. When I was done she was mad, because my ribs came out better than her. This is now served every month. Such a great and simple recipe.
haha!!! Way to go, Brian! So glad you had such a great turnout with this recipe.
Do you put the ribs in frozen?
I recommend thawing first.
Great recipe! I prepared it according to your instructions and the taste is great! Everyone in the family likes it, it makes me happy. Thank you!
So happy to hear that!! Thanks, Lisa!
When you stand the ribs up in the crock pot do you place the bone side to the sides or the meat side?
Meat side out. ๐
Which side you place the ribs against the wall of the slow cooker ?