While I’ve never met a rib I didn’t love, these lip-smacking BBQ slow cooker pork ribs are my new favourite. They’re all kinds of tender, fall-off-the-bone, delicious and they’re so easy to make!
Pork is possibly the most perfect meat to go with a BBQ sauce. For these slow cooker BBQ ribs, you’ll make one from scratch using everyday ingredients. Things like tomato sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and a handful of simple seasonings make the ribs sweet, sticky, and super tasty. The sauce also uses chipotle peppers in adobo for a spicy and slightly smoky flavour.
So, whether you need a ribs recipe for an upcoming party or maybe just for a special meal with loved ones, I’m certain these slow cooked pork ribs are going to become your new favourite too. And, if one flavour isn’t enough, try these honey garlic ribs and these sticky Asian ribs too.
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Ingredients
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
- Pork rib racks: For the best slow cooker ribs, you’re after side or back ribs. They generally come in a slab of 12-14 bones with pork meat in between. In Australia, these are known simply as pork ribs — you may know them as baby back ribs too.
- Tomato sauce (aka ketchup): It’s called different things in different places but tomato sauce / tomato ketchup adds sweetness, flavour and a bit of acidity to the BBQ sauce. So to confirm, the sweet and tangy condiment style tomato sauce is the go here (not tomato puree).
- Chipotle in adobo: These come in tins and have an amazing tangy, spicy, and slightly smoky flavour. And from someone (aka me) who doesn’t generally like anything with a smoky flavor, I’m an absolute convert to chipotles in adobo. Depending on the size of the tin you buy, you may not need a whole one. See my notes in the how-to section below for storage tips.
- Brown sugar & honey: Also for sweetness. Brown sugar will help the sauce caramelise as it slow cooks too. The honey breaks down some of the acidity from the other ingredients as well.
- Apple cider vinegar: Brings a touch of tanginess to the slow cooked pork ribs sauce. It also tenderises the ribs while they cook.
- Worcestershire sauce: It’s tangy, sweet and savoury and just adds a great little shot of umami.
- Seasonings: You’ll need a simple combination of paprika, onion powder, salt, mustard powder, and garlic powder. Feel free to add a bit of black pepper or some dried chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) if you want more spice too.
How to cook ribs in a slow cooker
Once you combine the ingredients to make the homemade BBQ sauce, your slow cooker does most, if not all, of the heavy lifting here. You’ll be done with the prep work in about 15 minutes — all there will be left to do is be patient.
I like making slow cooker pork ribs when we have people over on the weekends. As a note, if you have eaters who don’t like getting their fingers dirty, you can easily remove the bones before serving. There’s a reason why I call these fall-off-the-bone tender!
Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.
1. Make the barbecue sauce
Before you make your sauce, you need to prepare the chipotle in adobo. They have two parts: the whole chipotle peppers (though sometimes they’re chopped) and the adobo sauce. You want both, and you don’t want to waste a thing, so here is the best way to mince them from a tin.
Empty all of the contents straight into a spice grinder or mini food chopper and blend to a paste. Use what you need for your sauce, and then any leftovers can be frozen in ice cube trays. Once solid, transfer them to an airtight container and use them at will in sauces or marinades.
Next, add the chipotles and all of the other ingredients (except for the ribs) to a large bowl and mix until well combined to create your homemade BBQ sauce.
2. Prepare the ribs
Cut the rib racks in half to make them easier to handle. One by one, dip each rack of ribs into the sauce, then place straight into the bowl of a large slow cooker.
3. Slow cook
Pour any remaining sauce over the ribs, then cook on high for 3 ½ – 4 hours, until the bones pull away easily. As they slow cook, turn every hour or so and baste with the sauce each time so they’re all coated.
3. Grill
Preheat your overhead grill / broiler to high. Place the slow cooked pork ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet and cook for 5-7 minutes, basting with BBQ sauce several times as they grill.
4. Thicken the sauce
If you want to thicken the BBQ sauce a bit, transfer it to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil for a few minutes so it reduces and thickens.
Serve on the side of your slow cooker pork ribs and enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- To save time, you can prep the homemade BBQ sauce up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. In fact, the extra time will give the flavours time to really meld together and develop.
- Don’t hesitate to adjust the sauce. If you find it too sweet, add a splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. For a spicier sauce, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a dash of your favourite hot sauce. This sauce is extremely flexible.
- The extra time under the grill will give your slow cooker pork ribs a sticky, caramelised exterior. I don’t recommend skipping it!
- After cooking, let the slow cooked pork ribs rest for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute which will result in more tender and flavourful meat.
Storage
My slow cooker pork ribs recipe will give you enough to comfortably serve 4-5 people — I noted 5 servings on the recipe card as we seem to always have a bit extra when there are only 4 of us.
If you do end up with rib leftovers, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and store for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, place the ribs in a baking pan and cover with foil. Bake at 180C/350F for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.
FAQs
Yes — the ribs will release their own juices during the cooking process and create a flavourful sauce. However, adding a small amount of liquid, like our homemade BBQ sauce, helps tenderise the meat and make it even more flavoursome.
It all depends on your own personal preferences. Slow cooking is an easy hands-off method that will give you tender results every time. However, ovens can give you a much crispier exterior with a quick broil at the end of cooking. You’ll get the best of both worlds with my slow cooker pork ribs recipe but if you want to have a go at some oven baked ribs, try my honey garlic ribs.
Yes. I recommend turning the ribs every hour or so as they slow cook. Remember to baste with the sauce each time so they’re evenly coated and don’t dry out.
Serving suggestions
BBQ slow cooker pork ribs are so good served simply with coleslaw (like my apple coleslaw) or my potato and egg salad. They taste great with rice or a pasta salad too. Of course, cornbread is always a winner too.
If you want a warm side, try my mashed potatoes or my Parmesan smashed potatoes. The meat shreds so easily too — perfect for BBQ pork tacos. We’ve even used these ribs to make shredded pork burgers, loaded up with coleslaw, pickles, and cheese. So yum!
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Ingredients
- 2 full pork rib racks (12-14 bones each)
- 3 teaspoons paprika
- 3 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 cup tomato sauce (ketchup)
- ⅓ cup minced chipotle in adobo
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (notes 1)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (notes 1)
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
- Large slow cooker
- large baking sheet
Instructions
- Remove membrane – optional (see notes for more): Flip the rack of ribs over so they are bone side up, meaty side down. Slide the tip of a paring knife under the corner of the silver skin (which is a membrane covering the back of the ribs). Once you can grab it with your fingers, just peel it away.
- In a large bowl combine the sauce ingredients.
- Cut the racks in half so they’re easier to move about.
- One by one, dip each rack of ribs into the sauce, then place straight into the bowl of a large slow cooker. Pour any remaining sauce over the ribs, then cook on high for 3 1/2-4 hours until the bones pull away easily. As they slow cook, turn every hour or so and baste with the sauce each time so they’re all coated.
- Preheat the overhead grill/broiler to high.
- Meanwhile, if you want to thicken the sauce, transfer it to a saucepan and boil for a few minutes over medium-high heat to reduce.
- Carefully transfer the ribs to a baking tray lined with foil.
- Cook the ribs under the grill for 5-7 minutes, basting with the sauce 2-3 times.
- Serve the ribs with the extra sauce on the side.
- Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.
Notes
- Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
- I suggest 5 serves here as we always seem to have enough left for an extra person after feeding 4, however, 4 could probably get through it fine.
- Membrain/silver skin: On the underside of the ribs, there is a thin membrane called the silver skin. While it’s not imperative that you remove it, doing so will stop the ribs from curling as they cook and will also allow more seasoning to get to the meat.
- Nutrition details are approximate only – scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
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