These simple slow cooker country style ribs are coated with a fantastic dry rub, then cooked for hours until they’re fall-off-the-bone tender. These country style ribs in the crock pot require very little effort to prepare and always a hit at any get-together.
I consider myself an expert when it comes to ribs! Not only have I eaten my fair share but I’ve also experimented with lots of different methods and used pork ribs and beef ribs!
Cooking country style ribs in the slow cooker is one of my favorites. Not only is it easy, but they taste so tender, juicy, and flavorful. Each bite is simply delicious
INGREDIENTS
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make the slow cooker ribs dry rub that helps make these slow cooker country style ribs turn out so delicious.
You’ll find everything you need at your local grocery store in just a few minutes. See the recipe card at the end of the post for exact quantities.
Ribs: You can use back, side, or boneless pork ribs.
- BBQ sauce: You can use any brand or flavor you enjoy.
- Rub for the ribs: It’s made with a blend of spices including smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper or red pepper flakes.
WHAT KIND OF RIBS TO COOK IN THE SLOW COOKER?
Here’s a quick look at the ribs you can use for cooking in the slow cooker.
- Country Style Pork Ribs: Contrary to their name, country style ribs aren’t ribs at all. They get their name because their flavor and texture is almost identical to ribs. These “ribs” come from the shoulder blade. Their meat-to-fat ratio is perfect for the traditional low and slow method of cooking pork ribs.
If you prefer to use other ribs, here are a few other options:
- Baby Back Ribs: These are the most commonly available variety of pork ribs. They make an affordable option while they are lean and meaty with just a little cartilage.
- Pork Spareribs or Side Ribs: These are big and fatty, with the least amount of meat of any kind of pork rib. But that’s great because all that fat makes the meat that is on them exceptionally tender, juicy, and flavorful especially when slow-cooked in your Crockpot.
- St. Louis Style Ribs: St. Louis ribs are flatter ribs and have more meat on the top side of the bone. These ribs are usually trimmed and squared off to make a rectangle. They’re super tender when cooked low and slow for a long period of time.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS
Don’t have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this crockpot country style pork ribs.
- Spicy: Add a bit of our jalapeno powder or chipotle chili powder to the rub mixture for a bit of heat.
- Skip the Rub: We think it adds lots of flavor but if you want you can skip it and use only the sauce to make your ribs.
- Add Liquid Smoke: A few drops of liquid smoke added to the BBQ sauce will give your ribs a smoky flavor without the need for charcoal or wood chips.
- Add Onion: After you prepare the slow cooker with cooking spray, add a sliced onion across the bottom to rest your ribs on while cooking.
- Save the Sauce: After the ribs are cooked, save the juices and onions left in the slow cooker, add a slurry of cornstarch and water to thicken, and you have a delicious sauce to serve with your ribs.
HOW TO COOK COUNTRY STYLE RIBS IN THE CROCKPOT
Making these crockpot country style ribs is easier than you might think and is simple enough for any level cook. Here are the highlights but you’ll find the complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Trim the membrane from the ribs if you’re using back or side ribs. You can loosen the edge a bit with a knife and then pull it off from the entire backside.
- Combine the ingredients for the dry rub and mix together.
- Add it to the ribs and rub it to coat both sides of the ribs.
- Add the ribs to your slow cooker after spraying it with cooking spray. You can also add BBQ sauce here if you are using it.
- Cook the ribs on low until the meat pulls away from the edge of the bone by about an inch.
- Transfer the ribs to a foil-lined baking.
- Brush them with BBQ sauce.
- Broil them in the oven to caramelize the top.
Hint: Avoid overcooking ribs and remove the ribs once you notice that the meat has shrunk back on each rib bone, about half an inch.
