I LOVE Baby Back Ribs. I think one of the main complaints I’ve heard about ribs (other than the fact that people don’t like eating them straight off the bone) is that they’re fatty and tough. I’ve had this recipe for years, but I was never able to really get them as tender as I wanted them. The braising liquid is to DIE for, so I knew there was major potential, but I just couldn’t figure out what to do. After lots of rib research (hard work, I know), I discovered two things: even though spareribs are cheaper, buy baby backs. They’re meatier, less fatty, and more tender. And secondly, I needed to be braising the ribs slower at a lower temperature than I was doing in the oven. Enter my good friend…the crockpot! Yep, slow cooker ribs. Your greatest fantasies have just been realized. These will fall off the bone and a good portion of visible fat will come off during the slow cooking and the grilling.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Ribs – Baby back ribs are the way to go here. They are meatier, less fatty, and more tender than spare ribs.
- Braising liquid
- pineapple juice – A big part of the braising liquid is pineapple juice, which adds a sweet flavor but also helps tenderize the meat. Frozen concentrate works great, but bottled will work as well.
- brown sugar
- mustard powder
- ketchup
- soy sauce
- garlic
- red wine vinegar
- lemon juice
- ground ginger
- cayenne pepper
- cloves
- Barbecue Sauce – These ribs get cooked in the slow cooker and finished off on the grill (or under the broiler in a pinch). Grab your favorite bottled barbecue sauce to keep things simple or whip up your own. Kansas City Barbecue Sauce or Quick and Easy Barbecue Sauce would both be great.
How To Make Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs
- Mix up your braising liquid: pineapple juice, brown sugar, mustard powder, ketchup, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, ground cloves, ground ginger, garlic cloves, and cayenne pepper. It seems like a lot, but every ingredient plays a part in making a delicious braising liquid!
- You’ll cup up your ribs in portions of 2-3 ribs and pop them in the slow cooker with your braising liquid. Those cook low and slow for several hours until tender.
- At that point you’ll carefully remove them from the crock pot and finish them on the grill with your favorite barbecue sauce.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftover ribs in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy in 3-4 days for best results.
- You can also finish these under the broiler if you don’t have access to a barbecue. This is also a great option if your ribs are so tender that they are really falling apart when you remove them from the crock pot!
- These ribs are delicious with classic barbecue fare. Consider serving with Classic Potato Salad, Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, Corn Salad with Queso Fresco, or Grilled Potatoes and Onions.
Frequently Asked Questions
These ribs are best made all the way through in one go. You can certainly prep your ribs a day ahead of time. The braising liquid could also be made ahead of time and kept it in the fridge until ready to use, just be aware that it will require longer cooking time as the crock pot has to heat up the liquid before it can start cooking. If you’re making your own barbecue sauce, that can be done a day or two in advance as well.
It should, but I haven’t actually tried it. In general I would expect beef ribs to need a longer cooking time and you may need to get creative when fitting them in the crock pot. If you try it out let me know how it goes!
Babyback Ribs
Ingredients
- 1-2 racks babyback ribs 1 rack feeds two adults; another rack of ribs will work with the marinade if your crockpot can fit them
- 3 cups pineapple juice
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons mustard powder
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- your favorite barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Cut the ribs into 2-3 bone portions and place them in a crockpot. Whisk together the remaining ingredients (except for the barbecue sauce). Pour the liquid over the ribs, cover, and cook for 5-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. Carefully remove the ribs from the liquid.
- When ready to serve, preheat grill over medium heat. Brush one side with your favorite barbecue sauce. Place the ribs, sauce side down, on the hot grill and brush the tops generously with sauce. Close the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes until nice char marks form. Carefully flip the ribs, close the lid, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Store leftover ribs in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy in 3-4 days for best results.
- You can also finish these under the broiler if you don’t have access to a barbecue. This is also a great option if your ribs are so tender that they are really falling apart when you remove them from the crock pot!
- These ribs are delicious with classic barbecue fare. Consider serving with Classic Potato Salad, Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, Corn Salad with Queso Fresco, or Grilled Potatoes and Onions.
Questions & Reviews
Hi, i really want to make these but our grill died—is there anything else i can do or do i have to wait until spring when mr. cheap buys a new grill 😉 ?
Do you have a heavy duty grill pan? You could do that. Or pop ’em under the broiler. It won’t be the same, but it will be better than life without ribs. 🙂
I just got pork loinback ribs. Are those babybacks? The “butcher” said he wasn’t sure if they were the same thing.
Yep, they’re the same thing! Enjoy! 🙂
My husband ate the WHOLE rack! His absolute favorite thing!
YUM! I recently made these ribs and they were delicious. By far, the best ribs I have ever had. I have already shared the recipe with the rest of my family. I will be making these again. Thanks for sharing!
Is there any way you could make this print friendly? Thank you! I can’t wait to make these, I really want to TRY to make a rib lover out of my husband. They look so good!
Hey, I wondered the same thing. I hope someone gets back to us!
I'm planning on making these for dinner but have a question. You said that we can cook them in the crock pot the day before but how do u store them after the 7 hrs in the crock pot but before grilling? Do I just take them out of the crock pot and wrap them up in foil and put in the fridge until grilling? Thanks!
Yep 🙂
Mmmm…These rock!! I made them to have while watching the NFL Pro Bowl with my brothers! They were better than the game! Thanks for sharing!
I tried this recipe on the weekend…and it was to die for!! My husband keeps asking when i am going to make them again!
Very innovative!!! I like the idea a lot!! Will have to buy another crockpot……lend mine to a friend and never got it back!!!!