The Gunny Sack

Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs Recipe

This Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs recipe is so easy to make and only requires three ingredients. The result is fork tender, delicious BBQ ribs!

This Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs recipe is so easy to make and only requires three ingredients. The result is fork tender, delicious BBQ ribs!

This recipe is inspired by my friend Becky who made this kind of BBQ ribs for me and my kids.

When our kids were little and our husbands would be away for work, we used to get together for dinner in the evening. It was fun to cook for each other and the kids enjoyed playing together.

Before she made these slow cooker barbecue ribs for me, I never realized there was such a thing as country style boneless ribs and now I prefer them because they are easier to eat.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to products for making this recipe. If you use those links, I may earn a commission. Learn more here.

How To Make Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs

cajun seasoning for slow cooker barbecue ribs

Step One

Sprinkle all sides of about 2 1/2 pounds of boneless, country style pork ribs with cajun seasoning.

barbecue sauce for slow cooker barbecue ribs

Step Two

Spread one cup of barbecue sauce over the bottom of your slow cooker. Add the seasoned ribs.

sauce covered slow cooker barbecue ribs

Step Three

Top with another cup of barbecue sauce.

fully cooked slow cooker barbecue ribs

Step Four

Cover and cook for 5-6 on high or 6-8 on low, depending on your slow cooker, until fork tender.

Crock Pot Barbecue Ribs Recipe

Step Five

Remove the barbecue ribs from the slow cooker and top with additional barbecue sauce, if desired.

Fork Tender Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs Recipe

The slow cooker barbecue ribs were fork-tender and full of flavor!

Try serving these barbecue ribs with oven roasted potatoes and corn on the cob.

Slow Cooker Paper Towel Tip

Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs FAQs

1. What size slow cooker should I use? I used my 3.5-quart oval CrockPot for this post but they work just as well in my 6-quart CrockPot.

2. Can I use beef ribs instead? Yes! I typically buy the country style pork ribs but have accidentally purchased the country style beef ribs and they’ve turned out great as well.

3. Can I use bone-in country style ribs? Yes, they will work just as well.

4. What brand of barbecue sauce did you use? I used Sweet Baby Ray’s Original Barbecue Sauce but any brand or even your homemade barbecue sauce can be used instead.

5. Can I make more than 2.5 pounds of slow cooker barbecue ribs at once? Yes! Just add more ribs and more barbecue sauce. Unless you really stuff your crockpot, the cooking time should be about the same.

6. Can I add the barbecue sauce AFTER cooking the ribs instead of BEFORE? Yes. Season the ribs and put them in the slow cooker with 1/4 cup of water. Cook the ribs, drain the water, and then add the barbecue sauce.

7. How can I make gluten-free slow cooker barbecue ribs? Make sure the cajun seasoning is gluten-free or make your own seasoning mix. Also, use a gluten free barbecue sauce.

8. Do you have any tips for lessening the extra liquid from condensation? Try removing the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking. Or drape a couple of paper towels over the crock pot before adding the lid like in the image above.

Hawaiian BBQ Walking Taco | thegunnysack.com

Made too many slow cooker barbecue ribs?

Shed the leftover barbecue ribs and use them in one of the following recipes.

Hawaiian BBQ Pork Walking Tacos from The Gunny Sack: A Hawaiian BBQ Pork Walking Taco is easy to make and full of flavor. This walking taco recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd at a backyard bash or party.

Barbecue Pork Fried Rice from Mantitlement: This just isn’t your average pork fried rice recipe, it’s BBQ Pork Fried Rice! If you have leftover pork from last night’s dinner, this is going to be perfect!

Cheesy Barbecue Dip from The Gunny Sack: Everyone loves dip recipes and this Cheesy Barbecue Dip will be a big hit! It’s easy to make and the addition of barbecue pork or chicken makes it more hearty.

Pulled Pork Salad from Anthony In The Kitchen: Turn leftover pulled pork into an easy salad featuring shredded lettuce, cabbage, french fried onions, a tangy barbecue dressing and more!

Hawaiian Barbecue French Bread Pizza from The Gunny Sack: Hawaiian Barbecue French Bread Pizza recipe is easy to make in the oven or on the grill. Serve it as an appetizer or enjoy as a family dinner.

4.38 from 8 votes
Barbecue Beef Ribs Recipe
Print
Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs Recipe
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
6 hrs
Total Time
6 hrs 10 mins
 
This Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs recipe is so easy to make and only requires three ingredients. The result is fork tender, delicious BBQ ribs!
Course: Dinner, Main
Cuisine: American
Keyword: crockpot, slow cooker barbecue ribs
Servings: 6
Calories: 563 kcal
Author: The Gunny Sack
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Sprinkle all sides of the boneless, country style pork ribs with cajun seasoning.
  2. Spread one cup of barbecue sauce over the bottom of your slow cooker.
  3. Add the seasoned ribs.
  4. Top with another cup of barbecue sauce.
  5. Cover and cook for 5-6 on high or 6-8 on low, depending on your slow cooker, until fork tender.
  6. Remove from slow cooker and top with remaining 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce, if desired.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Remember that slow cookers vary so your cooking time may vary as well.

Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 563 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 139mg 46%
Sodium 1343mg 56%
Potassium 890mg 25%
Total Carbohydrates 48g 16%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 39g
Protein 37g 74%
Vitamin A 11.2%
Vitamin C 0.9%
Calcium 8.1%
Iron 13.8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 Updated from original recipe posted September 2014

This Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs recipe is so easy to make with only 3 ingredients. These fork tender, delicious BBQ ribs are perfect for dinner or game day!

Comments


  1. These ribs are easy to make and just down home delicious. I made them with boneless country ribs. can’t wait to try them with bone in ribs,
    Thank you.

    Reply

  2. Getting ready to put these in now for dinner tonight, but wondering is the time changes for doubling the recipe?

    Reply


  3. Sweet baby rays sauce was perfect! The ribs were tender and everyone loved them. Not worried about the corn syrup as we don’t use BBQ sauce that often.

    Reply

  4. could I cook these without the bbq sauce first then drain off any fat/liquid then add bbq sauce during last 30 min. to an hour to lessen them being to liquidy?

    Reply

    • That’s exactly what I do.

      I pop the ribs into the crock pot on low for about 7 hours, with only a dry rub on them. Once the ribs are tender I take them out and put them in the oven with the bbq sauce on them for about a half hour.

      I really like getting the bbq sauce slightly caramelized. 🤤

      Reply

  5. As said in another comment, your body processes HFC the same as regular sugar. Everything in moderation. You don’t have to max out on sugar every day. But spurge every now and then on something yummy like this recipe. I’ve been cooking country ribs in BBQ sauce in my ancient 40+ year-old crock pot for decades. I’m anxious to try this recipe with the added Cajun spice rub. Sounds delish!

    Reply

    • Hi Diane,
      I don’t measure it but simply sprinkled it on so that it is lightly coated like you can see in the video. Add more if you like it spicy or less if you prefer it to be milder.
      Enjoy!
      ~Tonia

      Reply

  9. We been making these this way for about 10+ years. We’ve had time to tweek it some by adding raw onion rings to the bottom of the pot and then raw rings to top off the pot. It just adds a whole layer of flavor to a recipe that’s quite good to start with.

    Reply

  13. I appreciate the tip for thickening the sauce. There are some bbq sauces without sugar or HFCS, which we all should be interested in getting out of our diet. Or make your own!

    Reply


  14. I tried these and the flavor is great, but I have a problem. Maybe I’m doing something wrong? No matter what I do every time I try a Crockpot recipe my sauces are always flavored colored water. Any suggestions on how I can keep my sauces thickened?

    Reply

    • I used to have a similar problem, but what I did to fix it was to cook for about 30 minutes UNCOVERED on high at the end of the recipe. That will allow most of the excess liquid to evaporate as steam, and then your sauce will be at the perfect thickness.

      Reply

      • Put paper towel under your lid to catch condensation. this will eliminate extra liquid in the pot.
        Works for me, always use it.

        Reply

    • I have heard if you put two to three layers of paper towels over the crockpot then put the lid on it helps to keep the moisture out of the sauce.

      Reply

      • Reply to Shelle Royle: Putting paper towels over the crockpot and food, with the lid on top … is a very bad idea!! The paper towels will get soft and end up in the food. The reason some recipes end up with excess liquid, is that the juices from the meat have added to the liquid or BBQ sauce, during the long, slow cooking process, making the sauce thinner. In addition the heat will thin out any bottled BBQ sauce. If you use very fatty meat there will be more liquid. You can thicken it with corn starch or flour like you would any gravy. Better yet is to cut off excess fat from your meat and buy leaner cuts. Example. Pork ribs will produce more juice than Beef ribs just because pork is a fattier meat than beef.

        Reply

  15. I cant wait to gobble these suckers down… I am making them as I type this for the Browns Steelers game,, Going to be yummy!!!

    Reply

  16. Gary-Don’t worry about the HFCS. You’ll drive yourself nuts trying to avoid all the stuff in foods. By next week they’ll probably say HFCS is good for you. Moderation my friend.

    Reply


  18. Have you looked at the ingredients on Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce? It is nothing but a bottled of flavored High Fructose Corn-syrup ;-(

    Reply

    • OH Gary, I know, I know. High Fructose Corn-Syrup is so very bad for us and I, like many, do read the ingredients and avoid this like the plague. However .. there is no better BBQ sauce than Sweet Baby Ray’s and since I don’t eat BBQ very often, I do succumb to this treat on occasion. Like chocolate,… eat in moderation and without guilt.

      Reply

      • Trader Joe’s has an Organic Brown Sugar BBQ sauce for $2.99.

        I use it in place of Sweet Baby Ray’s all the time. Bit more than Ray’s per ounce, but not by much.

        No HFCS in it!

        Of course, this only works if you live near a Trader Joe’s, but even if you can only swing by once in a blue moon, stock up on this! It’s not going to go bad in your pantry anytime soon.

        Reply

    • For goodness sakes,,how about all you “whiners” go live on a island with health addicts!!! You only live once! Go find a “healthy” recipe website and quit crying!

      Reply

    • Wa,wa,Wa,,,Life is too short to worry about a little HFCS in one recipe!!!!!! Find another recipe site that is healthy is you’re so worried!!!

      Reply

    • Hardly a good reason to give the recipe one star. For the record Sweet Baby Ray’s is notoriously one of the better sauces out there. Anyone who actually believes high fructose corn syrup is that much worse for you than sugar is fooling themselves. Our bodies process them the same way. If health is such a concern when treating yourself to BBQ maybe you should skip it entirely.

      Reply


  19. We tried these last night and they were so yummy! The cajun seasoning added a subtle zip that you just don’t get with BBQ sauce alone. Thanks for sharing! I pinned that crockpot pecan pumpkin bread pudding that for when it gets cold again.

    Reply


  20. Made these today when I ended up with an extra package of country-style beef ribs. I used the Sweet Baby Ray’s Cola-Q sauce and had them with mashed potatoes. DELICIOUS and so easy 🙂 Fair warning, the Cola-Q sauce isn’t for everyone, but I’ll try them with other sauces and see how they do now that I know they come out great. Thanks!

    Reply

  21. I made these ribs last night, and they were fantastic! So very tender. You have a wonderful site! Now I’m scouring it for more delicious recipes. Thank you!

    Reply

  22. I chop a large Vidalia onion and place it on the bottom of the crock pot. then add bbq sauce and ribs. cook on high for 5 hours or low for 6 1/2 hours. simply delicious

    Reply

  23. Sweet Baby Rays, KC Matasterpiece and most other popular Bar-B-Que sauces are made with High Fructose Corn Syrup which is just poisin in a bottle. Either make your own or buy brands without HFCS.

    Reply

  26. Absolutely the best ribs I have ever had. I loved the BBQ sauce! it was just right and the meat was so tender! So glad to have this easy to make recipe for group gatherings!

    Reply

  28. My husband requested ribs just this week. I have a great oven recipe, but I don’t want to leave the oven on all day when I am not home to cook them slowly to be tender. I have been looking for a crock pot recipe. This sounds perfect. The pictures made me hungry. I can’t wait to try it! We love Sweet Baby Rays too!

    Reply

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