Go Back

Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs

These slow cooker ribs are the best — they turn out perfect every time! They cook in a crockpot until tender, then are covered with barbeque sauce and finished in the oven for fall-apart ribs. Perfect for during the week as the slow cooker does most of the work!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine French
Servings 6 people
Calories 3970.8 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Slow Cooker
  • 1 Baking Sheet
  • 1 Tongs For safe handling and transferring of ribs
  • 1 Chef's knife For trimming ribs, slicing onion, and mincing garlic
  • 1 Cutting Board

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 3 pounds baby back ribs trimmed
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ onion sliced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 18 ounce bottle barbeque sauce

Instructions
 

  • Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Season ribs with salt and pepper. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Pour 1/2 cup water into the slow cooker, then add ribs. Scatter onion and garlic over top. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • When the ribs are almost finished, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  • Transfer ribs from the slow cooker to a baking sheet; discard onion and garlic. Coat ribs with barbeque sauce. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Bake ribs in the preheated oven until sauce caramelizes and sticks to meat, 10 to 15 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Enjoy! Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Ribs: For about six servings, you’ll need three pounds of trimmed baby back ribs. 
  • Seasonings: The ribs are simply seasoned with salt and pepper. 
  • Water: You’ll need about ½ cup of water. 
  • Onion and garlic: Sliced onion and minced garlic lend bold flavor. 
  • Barbecue sauce: Use store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce. 
  • Add all the ingredients (besides the sauce) to the slow cooker. 
  • Cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours. 
  • Coat the ribs with sauce and bake until the sauce caramelizes. 
  • Corn Fritters 
  • Grandma's Collard Greens 
  • Southern Dill Potato Salad

Notes

For optimal tenderness, always remove the silverskin membrane from the back of the ribs before seasoning. While the slow cooker ensures moisture, consider adding a splash of apple cider vinegar or a dry rub beneath your salt and pepper for deeper flavor penetration. When finishing in the oven, brush with BBQ sauce in layers, allowing each layer to caramelize slightly for a rich, sticky glaze. Monitor closely to prevent burning. A good quality, slightly tangy BBQ sauce will elevate the dish significantly.