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Crockpot Baby Back Ribs are easy to make and perfect for game day or a family dinner! Tender, fall-off-the-bone Baby Back Ribs are made with simple ingredients like BBQ rub, brown sugar, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, and BBQ sauce!

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Easy Crockpot Ribs

Crockpot Baby Back Ribs are easy to make and turn out so tender and delicious! These pork ribs are perfect for when you don’t want to have to use a smoker or grill! Crockpot Ribs are great for a weeknight dinner or as game-day food!

Cooking Baby Back Ribs in the crockpot on low for 6-8 hours helps the meat turn out very tender with minimal effort! Unlike smoked ribs, this recipe is very hands-off once the meat is in the crockpot!

If you have a smoker you’ll have to check out my Smoked Baby Back Ribs! My family loves these BBQ ribs and they are always a huge hit!

Looking for easy sides to make with crockpot ribs? You’ll love Cheesy Funeral Potatoes, Broccoli Salad, Creamy Italian Pasta Salad, Loaded Potato Salad, or my Easy Baked Mac and Cheese.

Ingredients

Baby Back Ribs
Yellow mustard
BBQ Rub seasoning
Brown sugar
Liquid smoke
Worcestershire sauce
Apple cider vinegar
Honey
BBQ sauce

Prep the Ribs and Remove the Membrane

Making ribs in your crockpot is pretty easy and most of the work comes from prepping the ribs!

Start by removing the membrane or silver skin from the ribs. On the back of the ribs you’ll see a shiny white layer of connective tissue. This membrane needs to be removed.

Removing the membrane helps the ribs have a tender and overall better texture once they are cooked. I do not recommend leaving the membrane on. It usually does not cook down and will remain tough and chewy.

I’ve found a couple of tricks that help remove the membrane!

Membrane or silver skin on baby back ribs

First, use a spoon or butter knife to slide under the membrane and begin pulling up on the silver skin. I’ve found that you can use your fingers to pull the membrane off the ribs or use a paper towel to help really grip the membrane.

Sometimes the membrane comes off in one neat piece and sometimes it tears apart. Do your best to completely remove the membrane.

Once the membrane is gone, pat dry the ribs with a paper towel.

Next, cover the ribs in yellow mustard. Use your hands or a sauce brush to spread the mustard all over your ribs.

The mustard doesn’t add a strong mustard flavor but acts as a binder to help your seasoning stick to the ribs.

Baby Back Ribs with Mustard on them for binder

Baby Back Ribs with Mustard, BBQ Rub, and Brown Sugar

Next, mix together BBQ rub seasoning and brown sugar. You can use any BBQ Rub you like!

My favorite is Strawberry’s Grand Champion BBQ rub that I buy on Amazon! It’s a local favorite around here!

Sprinkle the seasoning and brown sugar all over the ribs.

Make sure both sides of the ribs are well coated in yellow mustard and the bbq seasoning/brown sugar.

Cook and Sauce Crockpot Ribs

Once your ribs are well coated in seasoning, slice each rack of ribs in half.

This will help the ribs fit in your crockpot.

Place the ribs into your crockpot meat side touching the side of the crockpot. Arranging the ribs like this allows the meat to cook more evenly and keep the racks of ribs from being stacked right on top of each other.

Baby Back Ribs cut and in crockpot ready to cook

Pour liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, and apple cider vinegar into the center of the crockpot.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the meat is tender and easily pulled away from the bone. Cook the ribs for 7-8 hours if you want the meat to completely fall off the bone.

If you want to be able to slice and pick up the ribs easily cook them for about 6 hours on low.

Once the ribs are tender, place them on a sheet pan and drizzle them with some honey and spread bbq sauce all over them.

Broil in the oven at 500 degrees F for just a couple of minutes. Do not take your eyes off of them so they don’t burn!

Serve Crockpot Baby Back Ribs

Once your pork ribs are sticky and covered in sauce, it’s time to eat! Use a large knife to carefully slice the ribs between each bone.

I served these tender baby back ribs with baked macaroni and cheese and a simple salad!

Crockpot Baby Back Ribs with salad and macaroni and cheese

If you have leftover ribs store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Heat the ribs in the microwave or back in the oven wrapped in foil just until warm, so they don’t dry out.

You will love this slow cooker rib recipe because it’s flavorful, the meat falls right off the bone, and the crockpot does most of the work for you!

Tips and Substitutions

Baby Back Ribs are my favorite kind of rib to make because they are a little bit smaller and more tender than spare ribs.
My family loves smoked ribs, so I like adding liquid smoke to this recipe because it adds just a little bit of a smoky flavor like traditional BBQ ribs. You can find liquid smoke at Walmart or most grocery stores. If you don’t want a smoky flavor you can leave it out of the recipe.
Be sure to remove the membrane or silver skin from the back of the ribs! Most ribs will come with the membrane still attached and it needs to be removed. Removing it allows your ribs to turn out nice and tender!
Any BBQ Rub will work for this recipe. My favorite is Strawberry’s Grand Champion that I buy on Amazon!
My favorite BBQ sauce for recipes like this is Sweet Baby Ray’s, but you can use your favorite BBQ sauce.
If you want your ribs to be completely fall-off-the-bone cook the ribs on low for 7-8 hours.
If you want to be able to slice and pick up the ribs I suggest checking on them at the 6 hour mark. Check for tenderness.

Crockpot Pork Ribs with BBQ sauce on them with salad and macaroni and cheese

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this rib recipe on my smoker?

Yes, check out my Smoked Baby Back Ribs! My crockpot recipe is very similar to my smoked rib recipe.

Can I cook the ribs on high for less time?

I do not recommend cooking the ribs on high. Cooking them low and slow is what helps them be so tender and fall-of-the-bone. Low and slow is the way to go for ribs.

Do I have to remove the membrane/silver skin on the ribs?

Yes, removing the membrane or silver skin from the baby back ribs is a necessary step! Removing the membrane will help make sure your ribs are tender and not chewy. The membrane does not cook down well and will also keep the seasoning and sauce from adding flavor to the meat. See my photos above for help on finding the membrane.

Can I use spare ribs instead of baby back ribs?

I prefer to use baby back ribs because they are smaller, leaner, and more tender. They also fit perfectly in the crockpot when cut.

However, spare ribs can be substituted in this recipe. Spare ribs may need a little bit longer time to cook because they are usually meatier and have more fat on them. Be sure they are tender before serving.

Can I make this recipe without the liquid smoke?

You can definitely make Crockpot Baby Back Ribs without using liquid smoke! I use liquid smoke because my family loves smoked pork ribs! It helps give the meat the familiar smokey flavor and helps them taste more like traditional BBQ ribs. The liquid smoke is an optional ingredient, so you can omit it if you don’t want to use it.

Sides to Serve with Pork Ribs

If you make these Crockpot Baby Back Ribs I hope you love them! If you make the recipe, please leave me a recipe rating or save this recipe to your Pinterest account!