Easy Crock Pot BBQ Ribs aren’t just easy – they are delicious!
This post contains affiliate links
If you love EASY and DELICIOUS meals that you can make for your family in your slow cooker, please join me over on Instgram where I share ALL slow cooker recipes! Hope to see you there! Find me on Instagram at @slowcookerrecipelove
There is one word to describe today’s recipe:
EASY!
O.K., so may be there are two words – EASY and DELICIOUS!
I have mentioned before that I was late to the game as far as crock pot cooking goes. I own two of them and for years they sat on a shelf in the back of my closet, unused and lonely. A year or so ago I decided to pull that baby out and start using it. How I wish I had done it when I had young kids at home.
Cooking in a crock pot can simplify your meal planning and meal preparation so much. Especially today’s recipe.
It doesn’t get much easier than this recipe. You start with a rack of baby back ribs. They are also called St. Louis style spareribs.
First, I rubbed them with a mixture of Paprika, Brown Sugar
Just use your fingers to rub it into the meaty side of the ribs.
Place your ribs into the crock pot with the meaty side against the inside wall.
Then cover the ribs with 2 -3 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce. I use Sweet Baby Rays or whatever happens to be in my refrigerator.
Then just put the lid on, turn the crock pot on low. Set it for 4-5 hours and let it cook. Cook until the meat is falling off the bone! Remove them from the crock pot and let them sit for about 15 minutes (cover in foil.) Use a sharp knife to cut the ribs apart, just cut between the bones into the meaty section.
I like to pile them up on a plate and then use some of the leftover sauce to glaze them with a bit.
Like I said – EASY and DELICIOUS! You can see how easy it is, guess you will just have to trust me on the delicious part until you try it yourself. You should definitely try it yourself.
So get out that crockpot and let it do the work for you. Throw your ribs and sauce in the crock pot in the early afternoon and you’ll have dinner ready when you are. If the ribs are done before you are ready to eat I just wrapped them up in foil and put them in my oven at 150 degrees to keep them warm.
So get out that crock pot! You can find my favorite crock pot here.
For some other easy and delicious crock pot meals try these:
Crock Pot Indian Butter Chicken
Crock Pot Maple Sugar and Pork Tenderloin
*If you love EASY and DELICIOUS meals that you can make for your family in your slow cooker, please join me over on Instgram where I share ALL slow cooker recipes! Hope to see you there! Find me on Instagram at @slowcookerrecipelove
- 2 Tbsp paprika
- 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1/2 Tbsp ground black pepper
- 5-6 lb.s baby back ribs
- 2-3 C favorite barbeque sauce
- Combine paprika, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub the mixture over the meaty side of the ribs
- Place ribs in slow cooker standing them upright with the meaty side against the wall of the cooker.
- Pour the barbecue sauce over the ribs
- Cook on low for 4-5 hours until tender
- Remove ribs and allow to sit for 15 minutes (cover with foil)
- Cut ribs apart
- Cover with bbq sauce left in cooker if desired
adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Stay Updated!
Need more recipes and creative ideas? Sign up and get a FREE copy of my ebook! Do you think your friends would love this too? Please share my blog with them. Thanks!
Latest posts by Leigh Anne (see all)
- Cinnamon Twists - September 22, 2017
- Black Bean Dip - September 20, 2017
- Easy Chicken Lettuce Wraps - September 18, 2017
My husband just saw me looking at this post and wants this BBQ ribs TONIGHT! I’m off to the store for some baby back ribs. Thanks for sharing this recipe and all the others! 🙂
This same scenario happened to me this rainy Memorial Day weekend. Looks good!
What are you going to make with it?
UPDATE: These were SOOOO good! I’ll be making them again and again. Like you said, so easy and delicious! Thanks again!
These look delicious! We love ribs – this would be a good recipe for a busy Saturday.
I made them for a busy Sunday this week! Thanks much!!
As we were eating the ribs, I told my husband that they would be perfect to make on a Sunday (since our Sundays are very busy).
Have to make these this week!
Yum! Definitely have to try this! Thanks for sharing! Stop by my Friday’s Five Features tomorrow and link up this post (and others)! http://diy-vintage-chic.blogspot.com
I’m going to make these on Saturday, what would you suggest serving as side dishes? I’m always bad at that
The men at my house enjoy some kind of potato with their ribs at our house. I have a lot of yummy potato recipes on the blog I nice green salad would be great and maybe some bread or rolls. A veggie like asparagus or green beans would finish it off. Be sure and check out side dishes in my recipe index
Thanks so much!!!
This is first time making this recipe, though I have made ribs via stove top.. However stove top ribs require a little bit more maintenance, though not much. I did do this a little differently I used pork ribs instead, and they are currently in the crockpot right now and smell AMAZING. I will let you know how they taste 😉
Hope they tasted as good as they smelled!
I tried these last night and they were definitely easy! I used Sweet Baby Ray’s original BBQ sauce and made green beans and mashed potatoes for the sides. My one suggestion would be to cook these on low for 8 hours instead of on high for 4 hours to allow the fat to melt all the way off. The ribs were good but could have been better if the fat had melted all the way off.
Thanks for the suggestion on cooking on low – will try that next time.
I’m trying this next week. I love ribs but have never made them! My crockpot sits on the shelf like yours used to, I need to utilize it more!!!
Get that crock pot off the shelf!! Hope you learn to love it as much as I do.
Hi! Do you think the ribs will cook all the way through on low for 4-5 hours or did you mean to write “high”?
Thanks!
I want to prepare this recipe for Super Bowl Sunday. The poster, Jess asked if Leigh Anne meant to write “high” instead of “low” for the 4 to 5 hours in the crockpot. I’m curious about that, too, due to Leigh’s response to Shelby’s mention she would cook on Low for 8 hours to melt off all the fat, and Leigh responded with a thanks for the suggestion and she might try it on low next time (in not distinguishing the part about the extra hours) so, to me, it caused a bit of confusion on whether the original recipe is supposed to have the ribs cooked on low versus high. Possibly, Shelby thinks the extra hours are warranted to melt off all the fat, but if Leigh Anne’s recipe has the ribs being tender after 4 to 5 hours, then I’m wondering if 8 hours would have the meat totally falling off and not needing any cutting once they’re done. Okay, LOW or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. Thank you.
I cooked them on low for about 4.5 hours and they were perfect. It could vary depending on your crock pot. I have found that older crockpots don’t cook as hot. The type of ribs you use could effect it too.
Thank you for your quick response that indeed it’s the Low setting you use. I couldn’t find decent looking baby back ribs today so instead bought some great looking country style boneless pork ribs. The clerk at the grocery store (in my mentioning I was going to cook them in the crockpot) suggested I first braise them, which I think I’ll do. One of the commenters to this thread had mentioned your recipe worked well with the kind of ribs I’m going to use, so I think I’ll be okay. What I love about your recipe is the rub. Got a bottle of paprika, already have the brown sugar (I’ll be using dark), the kosher salt (I actually use Hawaiian sea salt since that’s where I’m from), and coarse ground pepper. I always have Sweet Baby Ray’s Original on hand so that’s the sauce I’ll use. My crockpot works well when I make chalupa, pot roast, etc. so I’m sure the Low setting will do fine, and I’ll do a “2-fork” pull test around 4 hours. Thanks, again!
are you able to do them on high for a quicker time… ? or only low for 4-5 hours?
Have only done them on low – I’m afraid if you did it higher and quicker they wouldn’t get as tender.
I will start off by saying that I believe that ribs belong on a grill. I’m a griller -girl at heart. I love being outside in the summer with my grill and a pitcher of sangria. My husband has even convinced me, on occasion, to throw a slab on the grill in the winter…in Chicago. But, this season, we have had the coldest winter we’ve seen in 20 years. So, needless to say, when he asked for ribs, he received, “the look.” But I did a little research and came across this recipe. I liked what I read; so I tried it tonite. Upon taking the ribs out of the crockpot, they were, as promised, fall off the bone. However, they were a litttle too wet for my taste, So, I threw them under the brolier for a couple of minutes. This dried them up a bit and added a nice crust. My husband loved them and asked me to add them into the dinner rotation. Thanks for the recipe!!
So glad you enjoyed them!
I have my ribs in the crockpot now… Perfect for game day! I can’t wait to taste them later, thank you for the recipe!
Hope you loved your ribs as much as we do!!
I generally don’t leave feedback on mass recipe sites but after making these ribs I felt compelled to! I simply googled “crockpot ribs” and came across this recipe. It seemed simple enough, so I figured I’d give a shot. Absolutely AWESOME! I use my crockpot ALL the time, so I’m always looking for new recipes. We are camping right now, so the oven in our RV is pretty tiny and I try to use as little propane as possible, another reason to use the crockpot. I followed the directions (very simple!!! you don’t have to dilly dally around with them on the grill, flipping them and what not…or the oven, simply throw them in the crockpot and AMEN!) and since I have a new crockpot, it cooks pretty hot and fast on low. The ribs were done in about 3 hours. My husband and I absolutely loved them!!! I’d argue they might just be the 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD!! Hand in hand with mashed potatoes, green beans, and whiskey and cokes I served with them 😉 Thank you for the HEAVEN-SENT RIBS! =)
WOW!! Thank you so much for the amazing review of the ribs. I am so glad you love them! I love you calling them the 8th Wonder of the World!!!! I may just have to post that on Facebook!
i’m not a real whiz in the kitchen (new dad, am still learning) so quick and easy is priority for me. like the others i’m always looking for new crockpot recipes and am going to try this one this week. the best part is my wife isn’t real keen on ribs so they’ll mostly be for me. hahahaha.
Does this recipe work with pork spare ribs?
Absolutely!
Has anybody done these on low for 8 hours? I was hoping to set this before work, I know it’s pretty much impossible to overcook anything the in crock, I was just curious how they turned out being up against the side like that.
Thank you
Making these today…wondering…I have 3 racks of ribs. ( 3 boys plus big husband) I know that I can’t fit 3 in there whole. Should I just cut them in 1/2 then?
What size crock pot did you use
Nice and easy. Thank you.
These look amazing and delicious! Pinned!
Thanks Amy – they are one of our favorites and so easy!
This recipe was perfect. I used about 2 lbs of center cut pork ribs and half of the ingredients and even an idiot like me got it right. Absolutely fantastic. Left it overnight for 8 hours (just because I prepared them really late).
So glad you liked them. It doesn’t get much easier than this does it!
What are the measurements for the items in the dry rub?
All the measurements are included in the recipe at the bottom of the post, just scroll down.
I never cooked ribs. This is my first time cooking ribs cuz today is my mom’s 73rd Birthday and she loves herself some ribs. So thank u so much for this easy recipe. I’m going to make baked potatoes and corn on the cob as side dishes. I was even thinking of some corn bread too. I will let u know what she thinks of them later today. Thanks again for the easy crock pot recipe.
The ribs came out Delicious! The meat just fell off the bone and the fat fell off too. I cooked them just like u said 4.5 hours on low. My mom gave two thumbs up. Thanks again!!!
I am so glad they were a success! Thanks so much for letting me know.
I usually cook my ribs in the oven, but it’s out bummer, so I look up on how to cook ribs in a crock pot. Found your site will let you know how they turned out later. Johnita
I’m not sure where I went wrong, but my ribs were not even close to being done (or tender) after cooking on low for 5 hours. I haven’t had a problem with my crockpot getting things cooked in the stated amount of time before, so I’m wondering if this should really be on a high setting instead. Too bad, I was really looking forward to some great ribs. Maybe next time.
Is your crockpot an older one?
Not all crockpots are created equal and you may need to adjust your cooking times if yours seems to cook lower.
I made these for the first time on Labor Day and they were a huge hit with everyone!! I’m making them tonight for dinner. Soo yummy!!!
Diana, I am so glad everyone loved them! Thanks for letting me know.
They came out great several times. Thanks for the easy directions.
Glad you’ve enjoyed them Christopher.
AWESOME! Made these this morning for friends coming into town from DC [I’m in Atlanta]. I just stole a taste and WOW! They are going to love them!
Curtis, Love that you love them!
This will be the second time making these ribs, they were such a hit last time. Had never put ribs in a crockpot before. I had boiled them in water and in root beer (someone told me about that) and then basted them with my favorite bbq sauce or a homemade sauce and baked or bbqed them. I have just straight baked them before too on really low temperatures. This is a really great recipe! Especially, for our really cold and long winters up here in Alberta, Canada. Thanks so much for the fabulous recipe.
Jennis, I am so glad you are enjoying the recipe. It’s the only way I will cook ribs now, so easy! Love using my crock pot.
After looking at numerous crockpot recipes for ribs, I tried yours. You were so right with the meat being so tender and falling off the bone. Definitely will be my new crockpot rib dinner recipe.
How would temp and time vary if you used boneless country style pork ribs? I figured I would just follow the recipe and check a bit sooner since they’re boneless. Any advice? (:
Heather, Not sure as I haven’t tried it before.
Hi Leigh so glad I found your site.i got ribs over the weekend and was thinking about how I was going to cook them and WOW this look so quick and easy,so doing it for Jan 2015 w/greens and sweet potoes and corn bread and black eye pease is this going to be good r what.
Happy New Year and I hope you enjoy your ribs. Doesn’t get much easier than this does it!
My friend my dinner was a hit,thank u.thank u and Happy New Year r b at u and yours
I need to feed 12. How many pounds of ribs will I need? This recipe sounds great. I want to use it for my Bunco group.
I generally figure 1/2 – 1 lb. per person depending on how big of eaters they are. You could also decide how many ribs per person and figure it that way.
Hi! First of all I wanted to thank you for sharing this, and all the other recipes with us. Your blog is wonderful!
Regarding the ribs, I have the following question: I’m going to be cooking for 2, so I’ll only be making about 1 lb of ribs. Any suggestion regarding cooking time/amount of sauce?
Thank you so much!!
Natasha, I have never done that small amount so I would just watch them – probably won’t take as long to cook. You just want the meat tender, and almost falling of the bone
I would like to say I love the recipe, I’m make them now. The BBQ Ribs sounded so good, I had to try it. It is so easy. Thank you. Betty
I have a go-to recipe for crock pot BBQ ribs and it’s worked well enough. It tastes pretty good (not as good as, say, Famous Dave’s) but the only drawbacks are: the many steps to cook it and the many ingredients. Ugh — not my favorite when I’m in a hurry. So I searched for an easier recipe on Pinterest and came across yours. I was a bit hesitant because it seemed way too easy/good to be true! But I gave it a try because I wanted something fast but would still yield tasty results.
And oh. My. God! This is the most amazing ribs I’ve ever had. My boyfriend concurs. 😉 I can’t believe how easy it was! The slab was basically falling apart when I tried removing it from the crockpot. The only things I did differently from the recipe: cooked it on low for 6 hours, used new BBQ sauce for drizzling instead of the leftovers in the crockpot, and I put the ribs in the broiler for 5 minutes to caramelize the sauce. SO DELICIOUS!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It’s my new go-to!! 🙂
we will be having them tomorrow looks very delisouse
I am a first time crockpot user so im slowly looking for new recipes to make and this one caught my eye because both me and my fiance like ribs,but we never seem to get them right..after reading all the great reviews i must try it…my only problem is my crockpot isnt as wide as the one in the pictures so mine cover the bottom as well..would that be ok?!
It will be fine – enjoy!
thank you so much for recipe. I will do it tomorrow.. will let you know how did it go…
thank you for this delicious recipe. it is my first recipe which i Pin for my web/Pinterest
I substituted 2 tbs organic maple syrup for sugar. They came out very sweet and savory.
I love dry rub ribs. Do you think this would work in the crock pot without the barbeque sauce? I could heat it up on the side for those who want it. Thanks!
Carolyn, I am not sure about that, I have never tried it before.
I am a hard core rib-lover who usually only likes them in the smoker, but Chicago winters dictate that I make them inside at least once a year, as well. I ran across this recipe a few years ago & am making them today for the fifth time since then. Sometimes I’ve put them under the broiler before serving- sometimes not. They are always good. Thanks for sharing!
Jim, Love hearing this! Love the idea of putting them under the broiler before serving too.
So yummy. Do you remove the membrane from the ribs? I feel like making it tonight! !
Carol, I don’t
This recipe looks great! Can I do 2 racks of ribs at the same time? Do I need to adjust the cooking time?
Thanks!
Judy, I have only ever done one. If you do two I am sure you will need to adjust the time somewhat.