Slow Cooker BBQ Baby Back Pork Ribs
These slow cooker BBQ baby back pork ribs are easy peasy and absolutely and utterly delicious. Rub in some spices, pop them in the slow cooker (which does the hard part for you). Then finish them off with a little BBQ sauce and pop them on the grill or under the broiler. We're talking fall-off-the-bone finger-licking-good.
Ingredients
- 3 racks pork baby back ribs see note
- 4 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 ½ tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chile powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika regular paprika works too
- 1 large yellow onion
- ½ cup water
- ½ to 1 cup BBQ sauce see note
Instructions
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Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs if needed (see note) and pat dry with paper towels.
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In a small bowl, combine the salt, oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, chile powder, and smoked paprika. Spread the spice mixture evenly over the meaty side of the ribs and rub gently to coat.
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Add the sliced onion and ½ cup water to slow cooker (see note) and arrange the ribs on top. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
For Grill:
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When the ribs have finished cooking, preheat grill to high (500 degrees F). Carefully lift the ribs from the slow cooker using a large, flat spatula and tongs (they will be very, very tender as in they may fall apart if you're not careful) and place them in a single layer on the grill. Brush liberally with BBQ sauce and close the lid. Let them grill for about 3-5 minutes until the sauce bubbles and caramelizes (watch closely so they don't burn).
For Broiler:
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When the ribs have finished cooking, preheat the oven broiler to high and position an oven rack about 4-6 inches from the heating element. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil (for easy cleanup). Carefully lift the ribs from the slow cooker using a large, flat spatula and tongs (they will be very, very tender as in they may fall apart if you're not careful) and place them in a single layer on the baking sheet. Brush liberally with BBQ sauce and broil until the sauce bubbles and caramelizes, 2-3 minutes (watch closely so they don't burn).
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Serve ribs with extra BBQ sauce on the side.
Recipe Notes
1. If the ribs have a membrane (silver skin) on the bottom, it will need to be removed. You can use a paper towel to help grip the membrane as you pull it off. I normally buy my ribs at Costco - they come in a 3-rack-pack and the membranes are already removed.
2. For the BBQ sauce, we normally go with a homemade sauce or Sweet Baby Rays original is probably our favorite store brand.
3. I use a 7-quart oval slow-cooker for this recipe and it fits all 3 racks of ribs nicely without any need to trim them (I stand them up and kind of bend them to fit inside the cooker). If you are using a different size/shape cooker you may need to trim the ribs to get them to fit and you may need to cut down the recipe for smaller cookers as they may only fit 1 or 2 racks at a time.
4. This recipe should adapt pretty easily for the Instant Pot. I would increase the water to 1 cup of water (instead of ½ cup) and cook only 1 or maybe 2 racks at a time. Start with 27 to 30 minutes at high pressure and do a natural release. Increase time if needed until you get super tender fall of the bone ribs. I'd love to hear how it goes if you try it.