Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs

Alli Heiman • Nov 06, 2019
One year in my mid-20s, I asked for a slow cooker for my birthday. That was the year I realized I fully transitioned into adulthood, because I couldn’t believe how excited I was over a kitchen appliance. Thanks Dad and Nancy!

We’ve used the slow cooker a number of times now, but definitely not as often as we should since the convenience factor of “set-it-and-forget-it” is so hard to beat.

Our past few trips to the grocery store, we had toyed around with the idea of making ribs in the slow cooker, but we never bought them as there was always something in the way – we had plans all day and wouldn’t be home to eat them; I wasn’t in the mood for ribs; we have so much other food in the fridge we need to use up first.

We finally committed to a time to make the ribs after all the anticipation. They turned out so tender and fantastic.

It always feels like a huge accomplishment when we make something that we typically would only order in a restaurant, and the result is so impressive. Plus, they really are super easy to make in the slow cooker after a few minutes of prep beforehand.

Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs

prep time: 10 M cook time: 8 hour total time: 8 H & 10 M

ingredients:

  • 3 lbs of pork ribs
  • 1-1/2 tbsp spicy paprika (or sub for regular paprika and add in 1/8 tsp cayenne)
  • 1-1/2 tbsp brown sugar
  • ½ tbsp salt
  • ½ tbsp pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 jar of your favorite gluten free BBQ sauce

instructions:

How to cook Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs

  1. Rinse then pat dry the ribs. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the spicy paprika, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
  3. Rub the mixture all over the ribs. You may need to cut them into sections to fit into the slow cooker.
  4. Keep the rack inside the slow cooker, and lay the ribs in there so they are standing up along the sides instead of laying one row on top of the other. Cover and let cook for 8 hours on low, or 4 hours on high.
  5. If you’re home while they cook, brush some of your favorite BBQ sauce all over the ribs about 6 hours in.
  6. Once they’re done cooking, brush BBQ sauce all over the ribs. Transfer them to a sheet pan lined with tin foil and broil on low for a few minutes until the sauce caramelizes but doesn’t burn.
  7. Once they cool slightly, you may want to slice them before serving.
  8. Have lots of napkins nearby and enjoy!
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