How to Make Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs

Easy Slow Cooker Ribs are tangy, sticky and spicy. satisfying and virtually hands-off.

Why You'll Love This Slow Cooker Recipe

These barbecue ribs are rich and flavorful and mostly hands off, leaving you time to work or play while the meat is cooking.

Barbecue ribs call for an equally delicious side dish like Healthy Macaroni Salad.

If you rely on your slow cooker as much as I do, you need to try my friend Brooke's cozy, satisfying Crockpot Pumpkin Beef Stew.

What You'll Need for Slow Cooker Ribs

Spice rub (see recipe below or use your own favorite spice rub)
2 racks of ribs (about three pounds each) spare ribs, baby back, St. Louis--whatever you can find
Foil for wrapping up and putting in the slow cooker although not necessary
Slow cooker liner
Slow cooker, mine is a six quart, I think that’s the minimum size you want unless you want to make just one rack of ribs.
Your favorite barbecue sauce to taste, approximately two cups
Butcher paper or brown paper bags for letting the racks of ribs rest while they’re drying out before you cook them.

How to Make Slow Cooker Ribs

Mix spice rub in a small bowl
Unwrap the ribs and lay them out on newspaper or paper towels or paper bags to dry off.
Pat the ribs dry with a clean lint-free dish towel or paper towels.
Sprinkle each side with the spice mixture then massage the rub with your hands into the meat.
Using a chef's knife or kitchen shears, slice each rack of ribs vertically into three or four chunks so they'll fit in your slow cooker.
Wrap the chunks in foil or not.
Put the rib pieces in a six or eight-quarter slow cooker.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
Finish cooking on a grill if you'd like to finish them slathered with your favorite barbecue sauce or put them on a foil wrapped sheet pan and put them under your oven broiler for two minutes.
My husband and son love barbecue ribs but I never made them because they seemed difficult so they were relegated to ordering them at restaurants.
But, the thing with restaurant ribs is, they can be a bit paltry serving size wise.

Slow Cooker Ribs Dry Rub Recipe

I get this recipe from Bobby Flay. I’ve maybe seen his cooking show once, perhaps it isn't even on anymore but the man can cook.

I’ve converted another recipe of Flay's, a Habanero Garlic vinaigrette into a sauce for Spicy Shrimp Nachos, which is turning into one of my most popular recipes, in my kitchen and here on the site.

small glass bowl full of spices with a silver teaspoon resting inside — A good spice rub is key for making ribs and this one, a recipe from Bobby Flay, is delish. Be sure to use fresh spices.

Bobby Flay’s Rib Rub

1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper

two racks of raw pork ribs laying side by side on a white plastic bag — The first step to making Easy Slow Cooker Ribs is to dry those bad boys out. Lay them on a plastic bag if you don't have large brown paper bags or a a roll of newsprint handy.

Unwrap the ribs and put them on a sturdy brown paper bag or kraft paper .

Use a paper towel to blot the ribs and dry them out.

I like to let them rest for maybe a half hour and air dry before putting the rub on them.

While the ribs are resting, make the rub.

Sprinkle a quarter of the rub evenly over each side.

Don’t be afraid to massage the rub into the meat.

To make it easier to fit two racks of ribs in my slow cooker, I like to cut each rack into three pieces using my kitchen shears.

rack of ribs cut into chunks diagonally — Use kitchen shears to cut the racks into pieces that you can fit into the slow cooker.

You can then either put the pieces in a slow-cooker that you’ve lined with a slow cooker liner or you can wrap each piece in foil before putting in the slow cooker.

You can wrap each chunk in foil before putting in the slow cooker but it isn't necessary, it's up to you.

I think the flavor turns out a little better if you wrap them in foil first.

Turn the slow cooker on low and set the timer for eight hours.

Unwrap and slather with barbecue sauce.

To finish: you can put the ribs on a grill for a few minutes per side to give them a bit of char or you can broil them in the oven for two minutes.

If you don’t have barbecue sauce, just eat them as is out of the slow cooker, they are delicious just with the rub.

Serve with potato salad or baked potatoes and a green salad.

Do you need tips for making amazing salads?

Ribs also go great with grilled vegetables

They also go well with grilled asparagus.

Do I need to put any liquid in the slow cooker with ribs?

No, the ribs will release their own juices as they cook and become plenty tender on their own.

How Do I Reheat Barbecue Ribs?

Low and slow in an oven is best for reheating already cooked ribs.
Put the ribs in a 9x13 baking pan or sheet pan lined with foil. Cover with foil. Bake at 250 F. Warm ribs for at least 30 minutes then check them. Depending on how hot your oven runs, you may need to warm them up for 45 minutes to an hour.

You could also reheat ribs quickly in less than a minute or two in the microwave on a microwave safe plate.

Reheating ribs in an air fryer is another possibility. I would wrap ribs in foil and bake in an air fryer at 350F for three to five minutes.

If you make this recipe please leave a comment and/or give the recipe a rating. Thanks! 🙂

If you make the recipe, tag me @kitchenserf on Instagram or Facebook or TikTok.

Yield: 8

Easy Slow Cooker Ribs

Easy Slow Cooker Ribs are tangy, sticky, spicy. satisfying and virtually hands-off.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 8 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

Dry Rub
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 racks of ribs (about two to three pounds each) spare ribs, baby back, St. Louis--whatever you can find
Foil for wrapping up and putting in the slow cooker although not necessary
Slow cooker liner
Slow cooker, mine is a six quart, I think that’s the minimum size you want unless you want to make just one rack of ribs.
Your favorite barbecue sauce to taste, approximately two cups
Butcher paper or brown paper bags for letting the racks of ribs rest while they’re drying out before you cook them.

Instructions

Unwrap the ribs and put them on a sturdy brown paper bag or newspaper or newsprint. .
Use a paper towel to blot the ribs and dry them out.
I like to let them rest for maybe a half hour and air dry before putting the rub on them.
While the ribs are resting, make the rub.
Sprinkle a quarter of the rub evenly over each side.
Don’t be afraid to massage the rub into the meat.
To make it easier to fit two racks of ribs in my slow cooker, I like to cut each rack into three pieces using my kitchen shears.
You can then either put the pieces in a slow-cooker that you’ve lined with a slow cooker liner or you can wrap each piece in foil before putting in the slow cooker.
I think the flavor turns out a little better if you wrap them in foil first.
Turn the slow cooker on low and set the timer for eight hours.
Unwrap and slather with barbecue sauce.
To finish: you can put the ribs on a grill for a few minutes per side to give them a bit of char or you can broil them in the oven for two minutes.
If you don’t have barbecue sauce, just eat them as is out of the slow cooker, they are delicious just with the rub.

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Nutrition Information

Yield 8 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 185Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 18mgSodium 741mgCarbohydrates 29gFiber 1gSugar 23gProtein 4g