Ohhh yes—slow cooker baby back ribs are fall-off-the-bone good with almost no effort 😌🔥 Here’s a tried-and-true recipe that comes out tender every time.
Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients
- 2–3 lbs baby back ribs
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (plus more for finishing)
Dry Rub
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Optional: 1/4 tsp cayenne (for heat)
Instructions
- Prep the Ribs
- Remove the silver skin from the back of the ribs (important for tenderness).
- Pat ribs dry.
- Season
- Mix all dry rub ingredients.
- Rub generously over both sides of the ribs.
- Slow Cook
- Cut ribs into sections to fit your slow cooker.
- Place ribs meaty side facing the outside of the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook:
- LOW: 7–8 hours
- HIGH: 4–5 hours
- Ribs should be very tender and pulling away from the bone.
- Sauce & Finish
- Carefully remove ribs (they’ll be soft).
- Brush generously with BBQ sauce.
- Caramelize (Highly Recommended!)
- Broiler: Place ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil 3–5 minutes until sticky and caramelized
- Grill: Grill 2–3 minutes per side for smoky char
Tips for the BEST Ribs
- 🧈 For extra richness, add 2 tbsp butter to the slow cooker
- 🍎 Add 1/4 cup apple juice or apple cider vinegar to the bottom for moisture
- 🔥 Want dry ribs? Skip BBQ sauce and finish with extra rub instead
Great Sides
- Cream cheese corn casserole
- Mashed potatoes
- Coleslaw
- Baked beans
If you want, I can also give you:
- Honey garlic ribs
- Asian-style sticky ribs
- Dry-rub only ribs
- Instant Pot version
Just say the word 😄🍖
