Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs

Easy Slow Cooker Ribs covered in barbecue sauce are an easy way to bring a bit of summer into the house without keeping the oven on for three hours.

The thing I love about Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs is that they’re perfect for every season.

In the winter when you’re missing the warmth and fun of summer you can enjoy a summer meal with no effort and in the summer when it is so hot outside you can’t bear to turn the oven on you can just plug in your slow cooker and have a delicious meal without heating up the whole house!

Can you use a slow cooker for ribs?

YES. The slow cooker is perfect for cooking the ribs low and slow, breaking down the connective tissue in the meat. A quick glazing with barbecue sauce followed by a broil for 1-2 minutes is all you need before serving the ribs.

Slow Cooker Ribs Dry Rub:

• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon granulated onion
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white pepper

Mix all the ingredients together, rub all over the meat on both sides once the membrane has been removed.

How to make Slow Cooker Ribs with Coca Cola: Add one can of coca cola to the slow cooker along with the dry rub and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Cooking ribs in the slow cooker isn’t a novel idea, I’ve been doing it since I got my first slow cooker in college. Even then the site I found the method on had thousands of reviews on it. So my spin on it is the rub and the sauce.

Best Rubs for Slow Cooker Ribs:

• I use a homemade rub, it helps control how much sodium is in your dry rub. If you are looking for something delicious you can buy, I can’t recommend Charlie Rendezvous highly enough.
• Make sure if your rubs have the silverskin/membrane along the bone side of the rack you remove it before adding the rub or cooking.
• I cook them in the slow cooker without the bbq sauce. I add the sauce just before broiling. Broiling is 100% not necessary but I like the taste of bbq sauce when it has some of the sugars in it caramelized. If you choose to skip the oven stage you can add the bbq sauce in the last hour. If you add it before then the ribs will lose the coverage as they cook.

How do you remove the membrane from ribs?

Starting from one end, slide a paring or boning knife just under the membrane but over the bone. Run the knife back back and forth a bit to loosen the membrane, then lift and tear it away from the rack in one whole piece. If it tears, start again with the paring knife.

How long do you cook pork ribs in the pressure cooker?

Bring the pressure cooker up to high pressure for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes before removing. Put the ribs on to a baking sheet, brush with barbecue sauce and place 5-6 inches under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.

Tools used in the making of theseSlow Cooker Barbecue Ribs:
Charlie Rendezvous Dry Rub: In case you don’t want homemade.
Tony Roma’s BBQ Sauce: In case you don’t want homemade.
Slow Cooker: Love this slow cooker and how programmable it is, it has been a workhorse for me… until…
My New Slow Cooker: This recipe was made in this slow cooker. For larger roasts I also brown the meat in the insert and not lose a bunch of the flavor by transferring the meat and leaving the browned bits behind. If you’re thinking of a new slow cooker, consider it if your budget is open.

Dry Rub:

• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon granulated onion
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white pepper

Ribs:

• 2 whole racks of baby back ribs

BBQ Sauce:

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

To make the dry rub:

1. Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk together.

To make the BBQ Sauce:

1. Add all the bbq sauce ingredients into a saucepan and whisk until combined.
2. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 45 minutes.

To make the ribs:

1. Rub the dry rub all over the front and back of the ribs.
2. Cook on low for 7-8 hours (I do 7) or high for 4 hours.
3. While the ribs are cooking make your bbq sauce.
4. Remove from the slow cooker and broil in your oven for 2-3 minutes on the rack closest to the top of the oven.