These Crockpot Baby Back Ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender, absolutely delicious, and made to melt in your mouth. They’re seasoned with a simple dry spice rub and slathered in BBQ sauce then slow cooked to juicy perfection.
If you have only ever grilled your pork ribs, do yourself a favor and give these low-maintenance Slow Cooked Baby Back Ribs recipe a try. Slow-cooking ribs give you the most tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone meat without having to go through the trouble of firing up the grill.
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Crockpot Baby Back Ribs
This recipe honestly could not be easier. All you need is to purchase your rack of ribs, throw together a simple dry rub, slather with BBQ sauce, and toss into the crock pot.
This pork ribs recipe calls for finishing in the oven so that the sauce has a chance to caramelize and the edges get nice and crispy. The most difficult part is the wait! If you love the flavors of BBQ, be sure to try our BBQ Chicken Salad, BBQ Chicken Taquitos, and Spare Ribs Recipe.
Ingredients to Make Baby Back Ribs in the Slow Cooker
- Baby Back Ribs - look for ribs that aren’t discolored and preferably haven’t been frozen.
- Garlic Powder and Onion Powder add a nice sweet garlic and onion flavor to your dry rub. Other spices that taste great are smoked paprika, celery salt and even a little cayenne pepper.
- Salt and Pepper
- Barbecue Sauce - use your favorite brand of barbecue sauce.
How to Make Crockpot Baby Back Ribs
- Prepare ribs. Remove the membrane, pat dry with a paper towel, then cut the ribs in half.
- Rub with spices. Mix the spices then sprinkle the dry rub on the baby back ribs coating all sides. Place half of the ribs in the slow cooker.
- Cook. Add about ½ cup of BBQ sauce, spreading with a spoon to cover, then add the remaining ribs and another ½ cup of BBQ sauce to cover. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Finish in the oven. When the Baby Back Ribs have almost finished cooking, preheat an oven to 425 degrees. Place the ribs onto a baking sheet and slather the rest of the BBQ sauce over the top. Bake for 8-10 more minutes or until the BBQ sauce is caramelized and the ribs are crispy on the edges.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and serve with extra BBQ sauce. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Baby back ribs are a cut of pork that comes from the upper portion of the rib cage. They are a little less fatty than spare ribs or short ribs and also usually less expensive.
Cooking baby back ribs in a crockpot will take about 6-7 hours on low or about 3-4 hours on high heat. The cooking time will depend on how many you cook at a time and how big they are.
If you have followed the instructions and cooked your ribs for the recommended times and you notice they are tough, keep cooking for about 30-60 minutes and check again. Tough ribs usually indicate that they haven’t had enough time to break down yet.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: store leftover ribs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: freeze ribs and some of the sauce in freezer bags for up to 2 months.
- To reheat on the stove: pull your Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs out of the fridge about 30 minutes - 1 hour before you plan to serve and spoon any hardened fat off of the top. Place in a pot or skillet and simmer on low until warmed through.
- To reheat in the oven: transfer ribs to a dutch oven, cover, and warm in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes - 1 hour, or until warmed through.
Crockpot Baby Back Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Baby Back Ribs
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 2-3 cups BBQ Sauce divided
Instructions
- To prepare the ribs, first remove the membrane. Pat dry with a paper towel, then cut the ribs in half.
- In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the dry rub on the baby back ribs coating all sides, then place half of the ribs in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Add about ½ cup of BBQ sauce, spreading with a spoon to cover, then add the remaining ribs and another ½ cup of BBQ sauce to cover.
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- When the Baby Back Ribs have almost finished cooking, preheat an oven to 425 degrees.
- Place the ribs onto a baking sheet and slather the rest of the BBQ sauce over the top. Bake for 8-10 more minutes or until the BBQ sauce is caramelized and the ribs are crispy on the edges.
- Remove from the oven and serve with extra BBQ sauce. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Of Our Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes
- Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs
- Crockpot Buffalo Chicken
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast
- Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
- Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
- Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie
- Homemade Beef Stew
- Crockpot Cilantro Lime Chicken
- More Pork Recipes
- More Easy Weeknight Meals
These Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs are fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and super simple to make. They’re seasoned with a simple dry spice rub and slathered in BBQ sauce then slow cooked to perfection.
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