Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

These Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs are an easy and delicious family favorite! Fall off-the-bone, juicy, minimal-effort ribs that will impress your guests or provide a low-effort dinner option on a weekday. You absolutely cannot go wrong with this dish.

A plate of BBQ ribs with a side of vine tomatoes

A Quick Look At The Recipe

  • Recipe Name: Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
  • Ready In: 255 minutes
  • Serves: 4
  • Main Ingredients: baby back ribs or pork loin ribs, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried oregano, of chili powder, bottle BBQ sauce (18 oz)
  • Why You'll Love It: These Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs are an easy and delicious family favorite! Fall off-the-bone, juicy, minimal-effort ribs that will impress your guests or provide a low-effort dinner option on a weekday. You absolutely cannot go wrong with this dish.

There are so many variations of BBQ ribs out there. What makes our recipe uniquely appealing is that it’s super simple, requires minimal prep time, and comes out to be the most delicious dinner. No smoker or wrapping process is needed to get fall-off-the-bone, juicy ribs. No one can ever guess it takes 15-20 minutes to prep these! My toddler announced that he “LIKES” these, and he is my biggest food critic (aka picky eater!). We have been making these simple ribs for a few years now, and are excited to share it with you!

How To Prepare BBQ Ribs:

The process of making slow cooker BBQ ribs is truly easy:

  • Cut the ribs into individual pieces along each bone (this is not necessary but will cut the cooking time in half; if you would like your ribs to cook all day while you are away, leave the ribs in one slab and let it cook for 7 hours). Place the ribs into a Slow Cooker.
  • Combine the spices and rub all over the ribs.
  • Combine BBQ sauce (our go-to is Sweet Baby Ray’s but feel free to use whichever one is your favorite) and Worcestershire sauce, then pour all over the ribs. Mix and cover with the lid.
  • Cook on low setting for 4 hours.
  • Remove ribs, brush with more BBQ sauce and broil or grill for 5 minutes.
A glass bowl of cooked and broiled BBQ ribs

What to Serve with Ribs:

These saucy BBQ ribs are perfect with just about any side dish. Some of our favorites include:

  • Mac & Cheese
  • Mushroom and zucchini orzo
  • Baked potatoes
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Potato salad
  • Side salad

Enjoy!

FAQ:
Can I use frozen ribs?

You can always keep some frozen ribs on hand but you will need to thaw them out before cooking, otherwise, dry rub won’t adhere to the meat and you will end up with a lot of liquid

What is the best type of ribs to use?

We love baby back ribs but any kind of ribs will work for this recipe.

Do I have to broil/grill the ribs after cooking them in a Slow Cooker?

We strongly suggest not to skip this step. The broiling (or grilling) step gives ribs that incredible, caramelized flavor that is simply irresistible.

A plate of BBQ ribs
Lyuda @ Grace-Filled Kitchen

Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

5 from 4 votes
These Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs are an easy and delicious family favorite! Fall off-the-bone, juicy, minimal-effort ribs that will impress your guests or provide a low-effort dinner option on a weekday. You absolutely cannot go wrong with this dish.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lb baby back ribs or pork loin ribs (baby back ones are our favorite)
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • ½ tsp of chili powder (or more if you would like more heat)
  • 1 bottle BBQ sauce (18 oz) , divided
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Equipment

  • Slow cooker

Method
 

  1. Cut the ribs into individual pieces along each bone (this is not necessary but will cut the cooking time in half and add more flavor to each piece. If you would like your ribs to cook all day while you are away, leave the ribs in one slab and icrease the cook time to 7 hours). Place the ribs into a Slow Cooker.
  2. Combine the spices and rub all over the ribs.
  3. Combine 2/3 of the BBQ sauce and Worcestershire sauce, then pour all over the ribs. Mix and cover with the lid.
  4. Cook on low setting for 4 hours (if you don't cut the rib slab into chunks and just put the whole one or two in, then increase the cook time on low to 7 hours)
  5. Remove ribs, brush with the remaining BBQ sauce and broil or grill for 5 minutes.

Notes

*To Finish Ribs on the Grill: Preheat the grill and place ribs directly on the preheated grill, cover, and grill 5 min.
*To Finish Ribs in the Oven: Place ribs on the baking sheet (layer it with foil for easy clean-up if you would like) and then directly into the preheated oven to broil for 4-5 min on high.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

8 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love ribs and order them often. I have never had better ribs than these. They are truly fall off the bone. Excellent thanks for the recipe.

  2. 5 stars
    I am so glad I found this recipe! As a busy Dad of three, this recipe was a delicious blessing for our family. So simple and tastes amazing. Great for a quick, delicious, and nutritious meal. I used to be neutral to ribs but these make my kids and I begging for more. Thanks Lyuda!

  3. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious and will definitely be a repeat in our house! They truly fall off the bone and taste incredible. So thankful I found this recipe and my husband is a big fan.

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