Easy Crock Pot Ribs aren’t just easy – they are delicious! Make a quick and delicious dinner with this Easy Crock Pot Rib recipe. The whole family is going to love them! And you are going to love how easy they are to make.
It doesn’t get much easier, or more delicious, than this crock pot rib recipe. You start with a rack of baby back ribs. They are also called St. Louis style spareribs.
First, you rub them with a mixture of paprika, brown sugar
Then place your ribs into the crock pot with the meaty side against the inside wall.
Cover the ribs with 2 -3 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce.
Then put the lid on and turn the crock pot on low. Let the crock pot ribs cook for 4-5. Once the meat is falling off the bone, you know they are done! Then remove them from the crock pot, cover them with foil, and let them sit for about 15 minutes. 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 glaze them with some of the leftover barbecue sauce.
And just like that, you have easy and delicious crock pot ribs.
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.
Check out more easy crock pot meals:
- Crock Pot Balsamic Beef
- Indian Butter Chicken Crock Pot Recipe
- Crock Pot Maple Sugar and Pork Tenderloin
My favorite kitchen items I used to make these EASY CROCKPOT RIBS:
SLOW COOKER – My favorite one is the classic, the Rival CrockPot. In fact, I love it so much I own three of them. Two 6 qt and one 4 qt.
CROCK POT LINER BAGS – These liner bags are a life saver and make clean up so much easier and faster! Stock up on them!
HOLIDAY SLOW COOKER COOKBOOK – For more delicious slow cooker recipes check out my new cookbook – 100 recipes!
Crock Pot Ribs Recipe
Easy Crock Pot Ribs
Ingredients
Rub
- 2 Tbsp paprika
- 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1/2 Tbsp ground black pepper
Ribs
- 5-6 lb.s baby back ribs
- 2-3 C favorite barbeque sauce
Instructions
- 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
Nutrition
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Val A. H.
September 16, 2013 at 10:09 amMy 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! 🙂
Kristin
May 26, 2014 at 9:10 amThis same scenario happened to me this rainy Memorial Day weekend. Looks good!
Carol
March 7, 2017 at 12:37 pmWhat are you going to make with it?
Val A. H.
September 16, 2013 at 5:35 pmUPDATE: These were SOOOO good! I’ll be making them again and again. Like you said, so easy and delicious! Thanks again!
Becki's Whole Life
September 17, 2013 at 3:53 amThese look delicious! We love ribs – this would be a good recipe for a busy Saturday.
Leigh Anne
September 17, 2013 at 7:17 amI made them for a busy Sunday this week! Thanks much!!
Val A. H.
September 17, 2013 at 8:17 amAs 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).
Cathy Pollak ~ Noble Pig
September 17, 2013 at 9:24 amHave to make these this week!
Becca
September 19, 2013 at 8:53 amYum! 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
Lisa
September 29, 2013 at 7:43 amI’m going to make these on Saturday, what would you suggest serving as side dishes? I’m always bad at that
Leigh Anne
September 29, 2013 at 7:47 amThe 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
Lisa
October 4, 2013 at 7:33 amThanks so much!!!
D.Madewell
October 14, 2013 at 1:03 pmThis 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 😉
Leigh Anne
October 15, 2013 at 7:55 amHope they tasted as good as they smelled!
Shelby
December 30, 2013 at 11:12 amI 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.
Leigh Anne
December 30, 2013 at 4:28 pmThanks for the suggestion on cooking on low – will try that next time.
capturing joy with kristen duke
January 4, 2014 at 9:26 pmI’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!!!
Leigh Anne
January 4, 2014 at 9:47 pmGet that crock pot off the shelf!! Hope you learn to love it as much as I do.
Jess
January 19, 2014 at 9:47 amHi! 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!
Donna
January 26, 2014 at 7:06 pmI 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.
Leigh Anne
January 27, 2014 at 7:29 amI 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.
Llowyn
January 28, 2014 at 11:47 pmThank 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!
Crystal
June 1, 2014 at 6:02 pmare you able to do them on high for a quicker time… ? or only low for 4-5 hours?
Leigh Anne
June 1, 2014 at 8:33 pmHave only done them on low – I’m afraid if you did it higher and quicker they wouldn’t get as tender.
s lynette bryant
January 27, 2014 at 4:59 pmI 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!!
Leigh Anne
January 27, 2014 at 6:01 pmSo glad you enjoyed them!
Kimberley
February 2, 2014 at 9:40 amI have my ribs in the crockpot now… Perfect for game day! I can’t wait to taste them later, thank you for the recipe!
Leigh Anne
February 3, 2014 at 7:59 amHope you loved your ribs as much as we do!!
Candice Kaczmarek
February 20, 2014 at 7:14 pmI 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! =)
Leigh Anne
February 20, 2014 at 7:19 pmWOW!! 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!
Matthew
March 2, 2014 at 2:05 pmi’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.
Jessica
March 5, 2014 at 6:37 pmDoes this recipe work with pork spare ribs?
Leigh Anne
March 9, 2014 at 9:21 amAbsolutely!
Krystal
March 19, 2014 at 6:18 amHas 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
Lora
March 20, 2014 at 4:55 amMaking 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?
shae
March 29, 2014 at 8:56 amWhat size crock pot did you use
Liz
May 9, 2014 at 3:37 pmNice and easy. Thank you.
[email protected]
June 4, 2014 at 8:02 amThese look amazing and delicious! Pinned!
Leigh Anne
June 4, 2014 at 10:26 amThanks Amy – they are one of our favorites and so easy!
KitchenChallenged
June 25, 2014 at 11:15 amThis 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).
Leigh Anne
June 25, 2014 at 11:30 amSo glad you liked them. It doesn’t get much easier than this does it!
Anita
August 16, 2014 at 6:42 pmWhat are the measurements for the items in the dry rub?
Leigh Anne
August 16, 2014 at 6:47 pmAll the measurements are included in the recipe at the bottom of the post, just scroll down.
mary
August 21, 2014 at 8:40 amI 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.
mary
August 21, 2014 at 12:55 pmThe 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!!!
Leigh Anne
August 21, 2014 at 2:19 pmI am so glad they were a success! Thanks so much for letting me know.
Johnita
September 1, 2014 at 9:41 amI 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
Julie
September 1, 2014 at 3:36 pmI’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.
Leigh Anne
October 6, 2014 at 2:52 pmIs 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.
Diana
September 8, 2014 at 9:03 amI 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!!!
Leigh Anne
September 8, 2014 at 3:20 pmDiana, I am so glad everyone loved them! Thanks for letting me know.
Christopher
September 19, 2014 at 5:17 pmThey came out great several times. Thanks for the easy directions.
Leigh Anne
September 20, 2014 at 8:25 amGlad you’ve enjoyed them Christopher.
Curtis Drafton
October 10, 2014 at 9:19 amAWESOME! 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!
Leigh Anne
October 13, 2014 at 9:08 amCurtis, Love that you love them!
Jennis Ernst
November 23, 2014 at 6:56 amThis 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.
Leigh Anne
November 23, 2014 at 7:38 amJennis, 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.
janet
December 4, 2014 at 3:06 pmAfter 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.
Heather
December 4, 2014 at 8:17 pmHow 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? (:
Leigh Anne
December 15, 2014 at 7:50 pmHeather, Not sure as I haven’t tried it before.
Allberta
December 31, 2014 at 7:05 pmHi 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.
Leigh Anne
January 1, 2015 at 9:35 amHappy New Year and I hope you enjoy your ribs. Doesn’t get much easier than this does it!
Alberta
January 1, 2015 at 4:45 pmMy friend my dinner was a hit,thank u.thank u and Happy New Year r b at u and yours
Toby Bonham
April 5, 2015 at 7:30 amI 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.
Leigh Anne
April 5, 2015 at 5:57 pmI 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.
Natasha
April 21, 2015 at 2:32 pmHi! 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!!
Leigh Anne
April 27, 2015 at 9:29 amNatasha, 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
Betty
May 20, 2015 at 10:33 amI 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
Beau
July 4, 2015 at 4:32 pmI 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!! 🙂
marylou ignasiak
August 27, 2015 at 6:46 pmwe will be having them tomorrow looks very delisouse
Bebo
September 18, 2015 at 11:50 amI 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?!
Leigh Anne
September 21, 2015 at 7:49 amIt will be fine – enjoy!
Ziz'ka
October 7, 2015 at 8:17 amthank you so much for recipe. I will do it tomorrow.. will let you know how did it go…
fiorino najjar
October 10, 2015 at 6:13 amthank you for this delicious recipe. it is my first recipe which i Pin for my web/Pinterest
Jan Loomis
April 9, 2016 at 6:45 amI substituted 2 tbs organic maple syrup for sugar. They came out very sweet and savory.
Carolyn
May 11, 2016 at 1:16 pmI 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!
Leigh Anne
May 11, 2016 at 1:22 pmCarolyn, I am not sure about that, I have never tried it before.
Jim
February 9, 2017 at 8:46 amI 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!
Leigh Anne
February 13, 2017 at 9:26 amJim, Love hearing this! Love the idea of putting them under the broiler before serving too.
Carol
March 7, 2017 at 12:13 pmSo yummy. Do you remove the membrane from the ribs? I feel like making it tonight! !
Leigh Anne
March 7, 2017 at 12:18 pmCarol, I don’t
Judy
July 5, 2017 at 6:05 pmThis recipe looks great! Can I do 2 racks of ribs at the same time? Do I need to adjust the cooking time?
Thanks!
Leigh Anne
July 9, 2017 at 5:11 pmJudy, I have only ever done one. If you do two I am sure you will need to adjust the time somewhat.
Maggie
March 15, 2018 at 1:34 amHi!
I don’t have a crock pot. How would I prepare these in the oven? Thanks for your response. I used to make them in a slow cooker when we lived in the USA and it’s my favorite rib recipe but now we live abroad and I can’t find a good slow cooker so thought I would make these in the oven if you tell me the time, etc.
Maggie