🍖 Crockpot Ribs
Fall-off-the-bone tender ribs with rich, saucy flavor — slow-cooked to perfection with minimal effort.
🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
- 2–3 lbs baby back ribs or spare ribs
- 1 ½ cups barbecue sauce (your favorite)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- Optional: 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Optional: 1 tsp chili powder or cayenne (for heat)
🥣 Instructions
1️⃣ Prep the Ribs
- Remove the thin membrane from the back of the ribs (this helps tenderness).
- Pat ribs dry with paper towels.
2️⃣ Season
- In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and optional chili powder.
- Rub seasoning mixture generously over both sides of the ribs.
3️⃣ Slow Cook
- Cut ribs into sections (to fit in crockpot).
- Place ribs standing upright or stacked in the slow cooker.
- Pour barbecue sauce (and Worcestershire if using) over ribs.
- Cook on LOW for 7–8 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours, until ribs are very tender.
4️⃣ Optional: Broil for Caramelized Finish
- Preheat oven broiler.
- Transfer ribs to a baking sheet lined with foil.
- Brush with extra barbecue sauce.
- Broil 3–5 minutes until sauce bubbles and caramelizes.
5️⃣ Serve
- Let rest 5 minutes, then slice and serve with extra sauce.
🔥 Tips & Variations
- Dry Rub Only: Skip sauce during cooking and brush on only before broiling.
- Honey BBQ: Add 1–2 tbsp honey to sauce for sweetness.
- Smoky Flavor: Add ½ tsp liquid smoke to sauce.
- Make Ahead: Ribs reheat well — store in sauce to keep moist.
If you’d like, I can also give you:
- Country-style crockpot ribs
- No-sugar version
- Sticky Asian-style ribs
- Garlic butter ribs
Do you prefer them sweet and smoky or savory with a little heat? 🍖
