The BEST baby back ribs in the slow cooker. Period.
Oh My Word! Not only are these the Best Baby Back Ribs in the Slow Cooker, they are absolutely the best ribs I’ve ever made, period. And some of the best baby back ribs I’ve ever tasted. Which is saying a lot since I’ve eaten at some of the best rib joints in downtown Memphis.
My pictures are messy and maybe not very “pretty”…
…because these ribs fall off the bone as soon as you try to lift them out of the slow cooker. And I mean fall-of-the-bone the way you want ribs to fall off the bone. They fall apart because the meat is super moist and tender. I’ve made ribs in the slow cooker in the past that fell off the bone because the whole hot mess became more like shredded pork with bones swimming in liquid. This recipe from Oh, Sweet Basil (how cute is that name?) starts with a perfect dry rub and finishes with a tangy Asian-inspired barbecue sauce. The flavor combination here is exactly what you’re looking for in delicious sticky ribs. Each bite is juicy-tender with the right balance of spicy flavor that doesn’t overpower the ribs.
Some of the sauce goes in the slow cooker with the ribs and then more is brushed on the ribs after you take them out of the slow cooker. Crisp them up under the broiler for a couple of minutes more.
Then serve the ribs with additional sauce that has been reduced on the stove. There you have it, the prefect recipe for the best ribs. THE best.
My husband’s “Wow!” reaction and my son’s wordless devouring of rib after rib was proof enough for me that I’ve finally found fool-proof success for finger-licking, fantastic ribs. And I still can’t believe I made them in the Crock Pot. And if you really like cooking in your slow cooker, I want to refer you to All Free Slow Cooker Recipes. Lot’s of inspiration for everything slow cooked!
Best Baby Back Ribs in the Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 racks of pork baby back ribs
Dry Rub:
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
Sticky Sauce:
- 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons sweet chili sauce, found in the international section of the grocery store
- ⅔ cup reduced sodium soy sauce, or regular if you don't have the low-salt
- ⅔ cup balsamic vinegar
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup honey
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon hot water
Instructions
- Lay the two racks of pork ribs out on a cutting board and make sure that the membrane from underneath the ribs has been removed. If it hasn't, see notes below for how to do this.
- Make the dry rub:
- Mix together ½ cup light brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 Tablespoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 Tablespoons Kosher salt. Using your hands, massage the rub into both sides of the ribs, concentrating a bit more on the top, meaty portion of the rack. Let rest while you start the sauce.
- Make the sauce:
- In a bowl, stir together 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, 2 teaspoons ground pepper, and 1 teaspoon onion powder. Add 6 cloves minced garlic and mix again. Add 2 Tablespoons sweet chili sauce, ⅔ cup soy sauce, ⅔ cup balsamic vinegar, ⅔ cup brown sugar and ½ cup honey. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Get ribs in the slow cooker:
- Curl the ribs into the slow cooker. To ensure that the ribs cook evenly, lay the racks horizontally in the slow cooker with the "top" or upside of the ribs facing the wall of the slow cooker. The part of the rack where the meat is "thicker" should be on the bottom so it can cook a little faster. Once your rack is in the slow cooker, the bones of the slab will be vertical and the slabs are kind of curled around each other in the cooker.
- Pour about 1 ½ cups of the sauce over the ribs and place the remaining half into a small bowl and put in the refrigerator for now.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook at low for 8 hours. (I have cooked them on high for 2 ½ hours and then switched to low for 4 hours with perfect success as well.)
- Remove the ribs from the slow cooker and place them on a tin foil lined broil pan or baking sheet, meaty side up.
- Remove the sauce from the refrigerator and brush a little more of the sauce on top of the ribs until nice and shiny. Leave ribs alone for a minute while you finish the sauce.
- Sticky Sauce:
- Heat the saucepan to medium heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Once it starts boiling, whisk the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of hot water together in a small dish. Stir together and then while whisking in the saucepan, slowly drizzle in the cornstarch mixture. Whisk until it comes back to a boil and then turn to medium low and allow to simmer until it begins to reduce and thicken, about 5-8 minutes. Set aside.
- Finish the ribs:
- Place the meat under the broiler in the middle of the oven for a few minutes or until it looks sticky and broiled. Be sure to watch it carefully. Allow to rest, tented with foil for 3-5 minutes and serve with the sticky sauce on the side.
Notes
- At one end of the rack, slide a butter knife under the membrane and over a bone.
- Lift and loosen the membrane until it tears.
- Grab the edge of the membrane with a paper towel and pull it off.
Recipe adapted from Oh Sweet Basil.
Legitly a home run. Not traditional bbq but I threw this in the crock pot, did my errands and hosted a full on indoor cookout vibe on a rainy day. I added mustard to the ribs before the dry rub.
Hi Allison, I’m so glad you liked the ribs and agree, certainly not your traditional bbq but so nice to have the ribs done with little effort while getting other tasks done. Love the idea of adding the mustard to the ribs. I’ll be trying that myself! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Do you use any of the juices from the slow cooker in the sauce, or just throw all that flavor away?
Hi, I haven’t but you certainly can.
Do you place the ribs in the crockpot frozen or thawed? I’m assuming thawed, but wanted to be sure. Thanks!
Hi Rachel,
Yes, place them in thawed. I hope you like them!
What do you mean with sticky sauce?? And what kind of dry rub do you use?
Quirine, look at the recipe. I list ingredients to create the dry rub. The sticky sauce is just the bbq sauce that becomes nice and sticky on the ribs as it finishes in the oven.
🤭 sorry my phone didn’t show the correct layout! Now I see it, thanks so much for your prompt answer. Going to make them this week, but here in Holland I can’t get some ingredients shown in recipes therefore I was to prompt to ask. Thanks again!
No problem at all! This recipe is pretty adaptable so if there are ingredients you can’t get, you can omit some or add your own variation. Thanks for checking out the recipe! Let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂
Hi! Assume the recipe can be halved for a single rack? How long in the slow cooker for one rack? Or would it be the same 8 hours?
Hi Todd, Yes you can cut the recipe in half with a single rack. I’ve never done that but I would still say about 5-6 hours on low. But I’m only guessing, sorry I don’t know exactly.
I have 2 racks (2 lbs each) can I put them all in the crock pot one rack on top the other?
Hi Terri, I’ve not done this but if they’ll fit they should be fine. The ones on top may not be as juicy as the ones on the bottom that get most of the moisture though.
Can you please tell me approx how many pounds for two slabs of ribs?
This would help immensely for ratio to rub and sauce.
Thanks!
Mo
Hi Mo, approximately 3 1/2 pounds for EACH slab.
These really are The Best Baby Back Ribs! The recipe is detailed & easy to follow, & totally fool proof! They fell off the bone & broiling them at the end, made them look like I just pulled them off the grill! This is a recipe I’ll make again!
Thanks Gina! I’m glad the detailed recipe helped you. This is a favorite around our house.
I’m in the middle of making these for at least the 5th time. This is a No-Fail recipe of deliciousness!!! I ran out of balsamic vinegar a few times & swapped out red wine and/or apple cider. All came out wonderful! Thanks for the recipe! ????
I’m possibly one of the most incompetent cooks going around! Gave this a try last night, and have never been happier with the results!
Bevan, You may have just made my entire summer with this comment. I’m so happy this recipe worked out for you and if you’re wanting to have success with even more recipes… Many friends who don’t cook much have also had success with my Mushroom Risotto recipe. The Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe on my site is one of the easiest around and I pretty much guarantee them to be the best you’ve ever had. Have a great day Bevan and thanks again for trying the rib recipe!
Fabulous recipe! Cooking them for the second time tonight. However, last time they fell off the bone so thoroughly I couldn’t move the rack to the oven to broil them. This time I seared them on the grill with the dry rub, then moved them to the crock pot to cook. Wish me luck!
Oh wow Hillary! That idea sounds amazing. I happen to have a batch in my freezer waiting for me right now. I think I’ll do your “pre-grill” method. Let me know how they turn out and thanks for taking the time to comment.
Hi Sally- I’ve got some country style spare ribs to work with- do you think your recipe will apply to these well?
I’m making these tonight. Do I need to baste them or flip them when their in the crockpot? They smell amazing. Can’t wait to eat them tonight!
Hi Colleen! Nope, just let them cook in the crock pot until finished and then follow the instructions for under the broiler. 🙂
I made this for the first time. They were awesome. My children and husband loved them. My dsughtervsaidvtheybwere the best ribs I have ever made. I will be making this again.
Linda, that is great! Thanks for letting me know and I’m glad the whole family liked them. 🙂
Can you use spare ribs in place of the baby back?
Hi Dawn, I would think so. I haven’t but am confident they’ll taste fabulous. Let me know how they turn out and thanks for stopping by!
Do you glaze them with the sauce then put them to broil or broil first then use the sauce ?
Hi Kaela, I glaze them first and then the broiler will caramelize the glaze just a little. Hope this helps. Thanks for your question.
I’m wondering if the sticky sauce is spicy. I cook for some older folks who cannot handle spicy hot. Thanks – these look amazing.
Hi Barbara Ann, The sauce is not spicy at all. If you want, you could lower the pepper to 1 teaspoon just for safe measure. I’m honored that you might make these for our more experience generation. 🙂
YUM! can’t wait to try these, I’ve been looking for a good chance to break out the crock pot! These look perfect!
Thanks Eltas, Let me know how they turn our for you! I think I need to make them again soon, also.
These sound delicious! I’ll try them soon.
At last a recipe for ribs that doesn’t contain Barbeque sauce. It looks and sounds delicious and is on the go for tea tonight.
Umm your pictures ARE messy because ribs are supposed to be! This looks awesome!!! I love making ribs in a slow cooker as well but yours look absolutely outstanding!!! PINNED
Mila, thanks so much, lol! These are super good, for sure. I hope you try them soon. Let me know how they turn out for you. 🙂
I’m vegetarian (technically pescetarian, mostly veg) but wow.
I used to eat pork and have made quite a few great pork ribs.
Incredible, and don’t worry about your pics, they are great. 🙂