Description
This Crockpot Ribs recipe offers tender, flavorful pork ribs cooked low and slow with a smoky dry rub and a tangy BBQ sauce, perfect for an easy and delicious meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Ribs and Dry Rub
- 6 pounds St. Louis-style pork spareribs or baby back ribs
- 3 tablespoons smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Sauce and Extras
- 24 ounces BBQ sauce store-bought or homemade (1 jar) – Blue’s Hog original recommended
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (if the barbecue sauce is on the sweet side)
Instructions
- Prepare the Slow Cooker: Set the slow cooker to low and spray it thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray, including the underside of the lid to aid with cleanup.
- Remove Membrane: Remove the silver membrane from the back of the ribs for better seasoning absorption and tenderness. If your ribs already have this removed, skip this step.
- Make Dry Rub: In a small bowl, whisk together the smoked paprika, brown sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to create the dry rub.
- Apply Dry Rub: Rub the dry mixture evenly over both sides of the ribs, ensuring thorough coverage for maximum flavor.
- Brush with BBQ Sauce and Arrange: Brush both sides of the ribs with barbecue sauce. Set the ribs upright in the slow cooker, with the meaty side facing the cooker wall to stand them properly.
- Add Remaining Sauce and Vinegar: Pour the remaining barbecue sauce over the ribs. If your BBQ sauce is sweet, add the apple cider vinegar to balance the flavors.
- Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook the ribs on low for 6 hours until the meat is fork-tender and pulls apart easily.
- Optional Sauce Reduction: Remove the ribs and strain the cooking juices through a fine mesh strainer into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until reduced to 2 cups for a thickened sauce.
- Serve: Slice the ribs between the bones and serve with the reduced BBQ sauce or additional store-bought sauce as desired.
Notes
- If your ribs come with the silver membrane intact, be sure to remove it to avoid tough texture.
- St. Louis-style ribs provide more meat than baby back ribs but either works well.
- Adjust red pepper flakes quantity to control spiciness according to your preference.
- Use apple cider vinegar to cut sweetness if your BBQ sauce is overly sweet.
- Cooking on low allows the collagen to break down slowly, resulting in tender meat.
- For a crisper finish, you can broil the cooked ribs for a few minutes after crockpot cooking but it’s optional.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
