Slow Cooker Dry Rub Ribs are fall off the bone, tender ribs. Massaged with a homemade dry rub, slow cooked then smothered in barbecue sauce and grilled they are melt in your mouth ribs with a ton of flavor. Dry-rubbed slow cooker ribs let you get your meaty side on paired with seasoning and spices on when the craving calls.
Recipes like the Chicken Ribs, Italian Short Ribs, Beef Back Ribs and the Lamb Ribs offer ribs from a wide variety of proteins.
The Greek Ribs, Sweet and Sour Ribs, Mexican Ribs and Sticky Pork Ribs offer even more flavor combinations!
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🤍 Recipe Highlights
I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about this easy slow cooker rib recipe in the points below:
- Simple ingredients: you can get everything you need to make the slow cooker ribs from your local grocery store. They are year round available ingredients that are easy to get your hands on.
- Homemade rub: the best thing about making your own dry rub is that you know exactly what seasoning and spices have been used. There is no weird or funny ingredients that you wouldn't think or want to put in there. Plus you can curb the flavor exactly to your liking!
- Set and forget: the main reason why we love slow cooking right 😄👍. Throw everything in, put the lid on and walk away. Then delight in the smell of dinner cooking all day when you barely have to lift a finger to get it on the table. We do pop these ribs into the oven for a quick grill at the end of the cook time, but this task only needs minimal effort so you won't break a sweat over it! Slow cooking ribs is like an easy recipe dream come true.
- Weekend cooking: weekends are times to look forward too! They give us more time for cooking than the 9-5 week days and there is such a joy in taking a bit of time to prepare something extra special for your loved ones. These crockpot ribs are the perfect food to cook on the weekend!
- Taste and texture: we pack a lot into the dry rub. Lots of flavors that compliment each other. We then also use a combination of honey and bbq sauce to baste the ribs with before grilling them. This makes for fantastic tasting moist and juicy pork ribs!
🥗 Ingredients
The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the dry rub slow cooker rib recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.
As you can see the slow cooker ribs recipe calls for:
- Salt and pepper: we use salt and a little bit of black pepper for seasoning in the dry rib rub.
- Cayenne pepper: this is a hot spice! For this reason, we use a little less of it than the other spices as to not make the ribs 'too hot!'.
- Paprika: you can use either ground paprika or smoked paprika. It has its place in the homemade dry rub and doesn't overwhelm with its own flavor.
- Mustard powder: this is an excellent addition to the dry rub! It doesn't over power the flavors and the ribs don't taste 'like mustard'.
- Onion powder: a fantastic handy pantry staple. This can dry out if in the cupboard and not used for a while, so check your bottle (if you have one) before heading to the shops.
- Garlic powder: as above! These 2 go hand in hand exceptionally well.
- Apple cider vinegar: we want to add some liquids to the slow cooker insert to keep the ribs moist and juicy as they cook.
- Worcestershire sauce: a fantastic full bodied sauce that has a little 'oomph' to it. We pour this into the slow cooker insert before adding the ribs.
- Pork ribs: readily available and more often than not sold as a '2 racks' pack from the supermarket. We do minimal prep work and get fall off the bone meat. Also known as baby back ribs. These are different however to 'spare ribs' or 'st louis style ribs'.
🍖 Sauce for Ribs
We also use 2 ingredients to make the sauce that we baste the ribs with once they have cooked. These are shown in the photo below.
Barbecue sauce: you can use your favorite barbecue sauce. Be it a tangy barbecue sauce, smokey, spicy, with sriracha or plain.
Honey: we use a little bit of honey combined with the barbecue sauce as the combination is simply heavenly!
Tasty Tip: I like to provide you with a number of substitutions and variations giving you an array of options when making my recipes. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section (further below) before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe which are coming next 😉👌.
👩🍳 How to Make Slow Cooker Dry Rub Ribs
Here are the step by step instructions to make the dry-rubbed slow cooker ribs recipe. We start by gathering the ingredients to make the dry rub.
🍳 Instructions
- Gather the rub ingredients (Photo 1)
- Whisk to combine (Photo 2)
- Remove the membrane from each rack (Photo 3)
- Slice to fit the slow cooker (Photo 4)
To do this add the mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to a glass and use a mini whisk to stir till consistetnly combined then set aside.
Next working one rack at a time place the ribs onto a cutting board bone side up. Start at the corner and grab the edge of the membrane (silver skin), pull this up and across to remove and then discard it.
Next, use a sharp knife to cut the rack in half around the middle. Once done flip the ribs meat side up.
🍖 Season Ribs With Dry Rub
Sprinkle over some of the dry rub and then use your fingers to massage this into the surface of the meat. You can see what this will look like in the photos below.
- Cover with dry rub (Photo 5)
- Then pour the worcestershire sauce into the slow cooker (Photo 6)
- Add the apple cider vinegar (Photo 7)
- Place the dry-rubbed ribs into the slow cooker (Photo 8)
🍴 Fall Apart Ribs
When ready pour the Worcestershire sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker, followed by the apple cider vinegar. Next stack the rub covered ribs on top of each other as you see in the photo above.
Once done, pop the lid on the slow cooker. You can cook the ribs for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low, both options work well.
During this time you can make the sauce. To do this we simply add both the barbecue sauce and honey to a jug and whisk them together.
- Gather the sauce ingredients (Photo 9)
You can see what these steps will look like in the photos above and below.
- Whisk to combine (Photo 10)
Once the cook time is up, you can remove the lid from the slow cooker and use a pair of tongs to transfer the ribs to a baking tray. I like to use a silicon mat on top as it is non stick and a breeze to clean up.
Then simply take a basting brush and cover the ribs (top side) with the combined sauce. Each portion of ribs needs a good coverage.
Once done, place the baking tray into the oven and let the ribs grill for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Baste with the bbq sauce (Photo 11)
Once the ribs have had a quick grill, you can use an oven mitt to remove the tray and place it onto a heatproof surface.
Give them a couple of minutes to cool then use the tongs to transfer them to a serving plate and call out to the whole family that its 'dinner time'!
🍽 Serving Suggestions
When it comes to serving your fall off the bone ribs you have plenty of options!
For a bread side try the Turkish Garlic Bread, Garlic Ciabatta, Garlic Pizza Bread or the Tortilla Garlic Bread.
For a potato side try the Potato And Cauliflower Bake, Potato And Broccoli Bake, Potato And Onion Bake or the Potato And Sweet Potato Bake.
Or for more 'roast potatoes', try the Skin on Roast Potatoes, Duck Fat Roast Potatoes, Creamy Garlic Potatoes or the Garlic Butter Potatoes.
For mashed potatoes try the Horseradish Mashed Potatoes or Scalloped Potatoes And Ham 😉👌.
If you are keen on a salad side try the Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad, Healthy Panzanella Salad or the Fresh Herb Salad.
For sauce ideas, have a look at all of the homemade sauces on the blog. There is a wide variety to choose from and many are low sugar yogurt based sauces.
At the end of the day though, we all know it is about the fall off the bone tender meat and juicy pork. Extra bbq sauce - optional!
As long as you have that on the plate, you will be right 😂👌. And if things get a little messy that is ok too! 😉👌.
👍 How to Guide
How to Store
Allow the ribs to fully cool. Then transfer them into a sealed, airtight container. They can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days and need to be reheated befoe being consumed.
How to Freeze
You can freeze the raw pork ribs if you have purchased them but you are not looking to cook them straight away. Then simply remove from the freezer when the time comes that you are ready to cook them, let them thaw and follow the recipe steps as is.
Whilst you can freeze leftover pork ribs, I don't recommend it. This changes the texture of the meat and you loose the finger licking good nature of them. If you choose to, I do however, understand. You can then remove frozen leftovers, let thaw and reheat using the method below.
How to Reheat
Place leftover ribs onto a plate and cover with cling wrap. Reheat in the microwave on high heat for 1 minute increments until warmed through.
😉 Substitutions and Variations
Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:
- Brown sugar: if you want to add some brown sugar to the dry rub ingredients you can. 1 tablespoon will be plenty. The reason I don't is because of the already high sugar content in the barbecue sauce plus the sweetness from the honey.
- Dry rub: you can use this dry rub for other types of ribs be they chicken, beef or lamb should you wish too.
- Heat/spice: for increased heat use 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper, not the 1 as specified in the recipe card.
- Less heat: or to decrease heat, you can omit the cayenne pepper from the spice rub.
- Sweetness: you can omit the honey from the sauce combination and simply use 'barbecue sauce' for the ribs if you wish too.
- Other ribs: you can use this seasoning and sauce combination for making beef ribs or lamb ribs also 😉👌.
💡 Tasty Tips
Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:
- Membrane: if you struggle to pull the membrane off, the easy way to do it is to fold a piece of paper towel and use that to grab the edge of the silver skin.
- Slow cooker insert: it is not essential to grease or spray the slow cooker insert with cooking oil before adding the liquids and the ribs. However, I like to do the sides so that any meat that sticks pulls away easily.
- Layering: most slow cookers won't be big enough to fit the 2 racks laid out lengthways. For this reason we cut each each around the middle and stack them so that the 2 full racks will fit.
- Technique: you will need a pair of tongs to lift the cooked racks out of the slow cooker and onto a baking tray. (They are hot!).
- Sauce and rub: don't worry if when you are brushing the barbecue sauce over the ribs a little of the rub comes off or moves slightly. This does happen. You can use a light brushing motion, but either way most of the rub will stay on there as it has 'stuck' during the cooking process.
- More slow cooker recipes: if you love slow cooker recipes then you might also like the Slow Cooker Curried Sausages, Chilli Con Carne, French Onion Pork Chops, Roast Pork With Crackling, Savoury Mince, Chicken Drumsticks And Potatoes, Chicken Spaghetti, Pasta Bake or the Slow Cooker French Onion Beef 😉👌.
🤓 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can put ribs into the slow cooker without liquid. Juices from the ribs will flow out during the cooking period and ensure that the ribs stay moist and juicy.
A combination of apple cider vinegar and worcestershire sauce is the best liquid combination to cook ribs in. Adding these to the slow cooker ensures that the cooking environment is moist and will ensure that the ribs stay nice and juicy .
No, it is not necessary to flip ribs that are cooking in the slow cooker. We want to leave the lid on so that we know the cook time is accurate and not remove it as lets the heat out quickly.
Basting ribs with barbecue sauce before baking them is a way to increase the flavor of the ribs. The pork ribs will take on some of the flavor of the sauce and taste like bbq cooked ribs.
😍 More Easy Dinner Recipes
Here are some more ideas to help you get the main meal of the day...sorted! These recipe offer variety through cook times, proteins, cooking methods and flavor combinations. I have also added some ideas for easy family meals, game day or to feed a crowd if you are having a bbq:
- Other ribs: Chicken Ribs, BBQ Lamb Ribs, Beef Ribs, Slow Cooker Lamb Ribs.
- More pork: Air Fryer Pork Roast, Chorizo Fried Rice, Roast Pork Shoulder, Chorizo Pasta Bake.
- Family barbecue ideas: Salmon Potato Salad, Grilled Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Pesto Linguine, Chorizo and Prawn Linguine, Baked Ziti With Meatballs.
- More slow cooker: Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken, Slow Cooker Savoury Mince, Slow Cooker Curried Sausages, Slow Cooker Stuffed Pork Tenderloin.
- Lighter sides for a crowd: Prawn Fritters, Satay Lamb, Cheese And Bacon Bread.
It is time to get our slow cooker ribs on my friend! You can also find all of my popular recipes or dinner recipes in the one spot.
Adrianne
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📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Dry Rub Ribs
Ingredients
Dry rub
- 2 tablespoons mustard powder Note 1
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder Note 2
- 2 tablespoons onion powder Note 3
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika Note 4
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper Note 5
- ½ teaspoon salt Note 6
- ½ teaspoon black pepper also Note 6
Pork ribs
- 2 kg/ 4.4 pounds pork ribs Note 7
Liquids
- ¼ cup/60 ml Worcestershire sauce Note 8
- ¼ cup/60 ml apple cider vinegar Note 9
Barbecue sauce
- ½ cup/125 ml barbecue sauce Note 10
- ¼ cup/60 ml honey Note 11
Instructions
- Dry rub: add the mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to a glass jug and use a mini whisk to stir till consistently combined then set aside.
- Ribs: working one rack at a time place the ribs bone side up on a clean, dry cutting board. Start at one corner, grab hold of the membrane (silver skin) and pull to remove this and then discard it. Use a knife to slice the rack in half around the middle to ensure it will fit into the slow cooker insert.
- Rub into ribs: sprinkle some of the dry rub over the back side of each set of ribs. Use your fingers to massage in well. Then flip to the otherside and repeat.
- Liquids: pour the worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar into the base of the slow cooker.
- Slow cooker: place the rub covered ribs into the slow cooker (stacking the ribs is ok) and pop the lid on. Cook the ribs on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
- Preheat the oven: preheat the oven to 200°C 392° F6 with the grill setting.
- Sauce and grill: once the cooking time for the ribs is up, use a pair of tongs and remove them from the slow cooker and place the ribs onto a silicon baking mat on a wire rack. Use a basting brush to cover the ribs in the barbecue sauce and then place the ribs onto top shelf of the oven and grill for 10 to 15 minutes.
- To serve: once the ribs have finished grilling, use an oven mitt to remove the tray and place it onto a heatproof surface. Let them sit for 5 minutes then transfer them to a serving plate with a small bowl of sauce.
Notes
- Note 1 - Mustard powder: this is an excellent addition to the dry rub! It doesn't over power the flavors and the ribs don't taste 'like mustard'.
- Note 2 - Garlic powder: garlic powder and onion powder go together exceptionally well. They are handy to have in the pantry and can be used for a wide variety of recipes.
- Note 3 - Onion powder: a fantastic handy pantry staple. This can dry out if in the cupboard and not used for a while, so check your bottle (if you have one) before heading to the shops.
- Note 4 - Paprika: you can use either ground paprika or smoked paprika.
- Note 5 - Cayenne pepper: this is a hot spice! For this reason, we use a little less of it than the other spices as to not make the ribs 'too hot!'. You can double the amount to increase the heat or omit this ingredient to reduce it.
- Note 6 - Salt and pepper: we use salt and a little bit of black pepper for seasoning in the dry rub. Cooking salt (kosher salt) is the best type to use over regular table salt.
- Note 7 - Pork ribs: readily available and more often than not sold as a '2 racks' pack from the supermarket. We do minimal prep work and get fall off the bone meat.
- Note 8 - Worcestershire sauce: a fantastic full bodied sauce that has a little 'oomph' to it. We pour this into the slow cooker insert before adding the ribs.
- Note 9 - Apple cider vinegar: we want to add some liquids to the slow cooker insert to keep the ribs moist and juicy as they cook. Whilst not 'essential' I think it delivers the best results when we do have these 2 in the slow cooker to begin with.
- Note 10 - Barbecue sauce: you can use your favorite barbecue sauce. Be it a tangy barbecue sauce, smokey, spicy, with sriracha or plain.
- Note 11 - Honey: we use a little bit of honey combined with the barbecue sauce as the combination is simply heavenly
Belinda says
We have been loving your slow cooker recipes lately. Have tried the chicken with potatoes and roast pork. Will give this one a go too, thanks!
Adrianne says
Great to hear, thank-you Belinda 😄.
Sonya Morgan says
Amazing! Loved how simple these were to make and they tasted delicious.
Adrianne says
Thanks Sonya for your feedback 😄.
Karen Brown says
These are now hubbys fav!
Adrianne says
Thank-you Karen 😊.