Cooking perfect BBQ baby back ribs in the crock pot only takes about 10 minutes of prep for fall-off-the-bone juicy pork ribs. This simple recipe uses your slow cooker as a low and slow oven for tender pork ribs with mouthwatering BBQ flavor.
🐖Ingredients
Baby back ribs—Or St. Louis or spare ribs
Liquid smoke—optional
BBQ sauce
Suggested BBQ Dry Rub—brown sugar, Kosher salt, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🐖Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Cook Baby Back Ribs in the Crock Pot—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
- ⏲️How long to cook baby back ribs in a crock pot?
- ✔️Tips to cook them right every time
- 🥣What dry rub to use
- 🐖Country Style Rib Recipes
- 🍽️Serving suggestions for slow cooker ribs
- Storage of leftovers and reheating
- ❓FAQs
- 🐖What are baby back, spare ribs, and St. Louis ribs.
- 📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Featured Comment by Marcia :
"This recipe was so easy!! My husband raved about the results & we both grew up in Texas, so we know good ribs. I used a dry rub & followed your instructions. Outstanding!!"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Crock pot ribs are the perfect all-day rib recipe. Prep the baby back ribs, then position them in the slow cooker for 8 hours—nothing is easier. They are cooked low and slow in dry heat, so there is no need for cola, Dr Pepper, or apple juice.
This recipe is great for working small households but can work for everybody to get great, predictable results when you want them. With only 10 minutes of prep, BBQ ribs become an easy weeknight dinner.
See the other baby back recipes, like Grilled Baby Back Ribs and Oven Baked Baby Back Ribs.
👨🍳How to Cook Baby Back Ribs in the Crock Pot—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Peel the membrane off the back of the ribs and cut it in half.
2. Mix the dry rub if you don't have one, apply a light coat of liquid smoke (optional) and the dry rub.
3. Place the ribs upright on their side on the side of the crock pot.
4. Cook on low for 7-8 hours until "fork-tender" and a minimum of 190°, but 200° to 205° is better.
5. Remove the ribs and brush with BBQ sauce.
6. Place under a broiler or on a grill until you get the desired browning — about 5 minutes.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏲️How long to cook baby back ribs in a crock pot?
It takes about 8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high in most slow cookers. Some crock pots run a bit hot and may be shorter. Fully cooked ribs are "fork tender" and have an internal temperature of 195° to 205°. If you are cooking frozen ribs, the time will be an hour or two longer—so cook to a final temperature, not time.
You may not get above 185° in some crock pots. If that happens, place it on a tray in a 300° oven until done.
✔️Tips to cook them right every time
To peel the membrane off the back of the ribs. This goes better if I use a butter knife and start at the narrow end. Loosen that end and slowly pull it off as you work to be sure you get the whole width.
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Use a large crock pot and lean the ribs against the side of the crock pot. Arrange as you need for your crock pot.
If your crock pot is big enough, use crumpled-up aluminum foil to elevate the ribs out of the drainage. This will help the texture.
If you want to do two racks of ribs, place them vertically. It may take an hour or two longer to cook.
🥣What dry rub to use
If you have a pork rub you love, use it. Here is a version of my BBQ Dry Rub for Ribs which provides enough rub for two racks of ribs. My Memphis Dry Rub would also be an excellent choice.
8 tablespoons Brown sugar
3 tablespoons Kosher Salt
1 tablespoon Chili powder
1 teaspoon Onion powder
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
1 teaspoon Black pepper
🐖Country Style Rib Recipes
Try some country-style pork ribs, like 30 Minute Boneless Pork Ribs, Boneless Pork Ribs on the Grill, Grilled Memphis Boneless Pork Ribs, or Bone-In Country Style Pork Ribs.
🍽️Serving suggestions for slow cooker ribs
Serve with Memphis Barbecue Sauce or the BBQ sauce you love. Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce is also a popular choice.
This is an excellent game-day recipe, but side dishes make the meal. Here are some familiar side dishes.
- Baked Beans
- Crispy Baked French Fries
- Potato Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Cole Slaw
- Microwave Corn on the Cob
- Cornbread or Cornbread Biscuits
- Baked Mac and Cheese
Storage of leftovers and reheating
Leftover pork ribs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days or frozen for 4 months.
To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Add some sauce, seal tightly in a pan with foil, and reheat in a 300° oven for about 30 minutes.
❓FAQs
A good quality liquid smoke will add some nice flavor but is not required. Just rub a little on the ribs before adding the dry rubs.
There are many "bad" versions of liquid smoke on the market. And the chemical-filled versions will ruin your ribs.
I stick to Wright's brand only. If not available to you, the ingredient list on the bottle should only have smoke and water—nothing else.
No, nothing else is needed. You want a "dry heat" like a grill or smoker would deliver. Lots of fat/fluid is released, so they are in no danger of drying out. I set up my slow cooker as a low and slow "oven."
Most crock pot rib recipes call for some liquid added at the beginning of cooking—a can of Coke or Dr Pepper, apple juice, BBQ sauce, water, or whatever. Frequently there are also cut-up onions or other things. None are needed for great BBQ ribs.
Yes, but it probably will not happen—most crock pots won't get the ribs above 210°, which is where texture may deteriorate. But you should check the temperature to see if you exceed the recommended time.
🐖What are baby back, spare ribs, and St. Louis ribs.
Pork baby back ribs are cut from the upper part of the rib where the rib meets the spine and is next to and inside the loin. The inside of baby back ribs contains a membrane that lines the chest cavity and needs to be removed before cooking—it will interfere with seasoning.
Baby backs are shorter than the bigger spare ribs from a different area, but they have more waste and less meat. St. Louis ribs are trimmed spare ribs with less waste. Both spare ribs and St. Louis ribs may be used in this recipe.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Crock Pot Baby Back Ribs
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1 rack baby back ribs - 3-4 pounds
- ¼ cup dry rub - just a nice coating
- liquid smoke - optional
- 4 tablespoons BBQ
Dry Rub Recipe if needed. Will make enough for 2 slabs of ribs
- 8 tablespoons Brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons Kosher Salt
- 1 tablespoon Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Peel the membrane off the back of the ribs. Trim any chunks of fat on the ends and look for bone chips on the end of the ribs. Cut the slab of ribs in half. Removing the membrane goes better if I use a butter knife and start at the narrow end. Loosen that end and slowly pull it off as you work to be sure you get the whole width.
- If you want to use liquid smoke, rub a small amount on the ribs before the dry rub. Use a commercial rub or make your own. Apply a good coat of the rub.
- Position the ribs in the crock pot to keep as much of the ribs elevated as possible. Use a rolled-up piece of foil if you want.
- Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Do not remove the top needlessly to check the ribs as they cook. You are creating a mini oven. So, don't let the heat out. The ribs need to be "fork-tender" and reach a minimum of 190°, but 200° to 205° is better.
- Remove the ribs. At this point, you could refrigerate it for later use. Or place it on the pan and brush with BBQ sauce.
- Place under a broiler or on a grill until you get the desired browning — about 5 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Be sure to remove the inner membrane.
- 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high are generally correct, but cook to the endpoints discussed in the instructions.
- If you are cooking more than one slab, you should put them in the pot vertically. You may need to crumple up some foil to elevate the ribs. Also, they may require an hour or two longer.
- If you want some taste of smoke, rub on a few teaspoons of liquid smoke just before rubbing.
- The absolute minimum internal temperature needs to be 185°. But 200° to 205° is better.
- Most people will want to brown them some. You can use the broiler or a grill.
- Good refrigerated for 4 days or freeze for 4 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Published January 23, 2017. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Roberta Rossi Williams says
What if I only want to cook 1/2 rack? How long in the crockpot?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Roberta,
Welcome to the blog.
Cooking time for a half rack will be about the same with the same endpoints.
Dan