Do you remember filling out questionnaires in elementary school that asked about your favorite color, hobby, and food? You might still have a few brightly colored pieces of paper tucked away somewhere with your crooked, misspelled handwriting scrawled across it.
Well, my answer to the food question growing up was usually ribs--smoked barbecue ribs to be specific. Honest to goodness, it's one of my all-time favorite foods.
Yet, at some point in my teenage years, I became self-conscious of my love for ribs. I thought, shouldn't my favorite food be something more sophisticated? Like a perfectly cooked steak, freshly steamed shellfish, or pan-seared foie gras?
Thankfully I overcame that foodie identity crisis by the time I entered college. Around that time, I reconnected with my love for all things barbecue when I tried a Z-Man sandwich from Oklahoma Joe's (a local Kansas City restaurant that's now called Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que, but I refuse to use the new name).
It was phenomenal. Tender brisket slices piled atop a soft kaiser bun with melted provolone cheese, an onion ring, and plenty of sweet, smoky & spicy barbecue sauce. Not to mention their uber addicting seasoned-to-the-max fries. This place is so good people regularly wait in line 30 minutes or more in order to eat there. Anthony Bourdain also named it one of the 13 Places to Eat Before You Die. If you ever visit Kansas City, please eat there!
When I moved from KC to Dallas four years ago, I was dazzled by the copious taquerias and Tex-Mex restaurants everywhere, but finding an authentic barbecue joint was a genuine struggle. I eventually resigned myself to the fact that in order to snag good smoked BBQ I'd have to drive 30-45 minutes north to Richardson, northwest to Coppell, or west to Fort-Worth.
So what's a die-hard apartment dwelling barbecue fan supposed to do when they don't own a smoker or charcoal grill and have little to no access to stellar BBQ fare in their town?
Cry into a burger? Heck, no.
You readjust your expectations and improvise in the kitchen. (No need to only eat award winning slow-smoked barbecue. I'm definitely talking to myself here.)
Now would be a good time to introduce you to these heavenly crock-pot barbecue ribs. The kind of ribs that give you sticky fingers, a grinning sauce-smeared face, and a full belly.
Like any good rack of ribs, they're fall-off-the-bone tender, juicy, and flavored with fat (this is part of the reason why I like St. Louis style spare ribs more than baby back ribs). You don't want tough and dry meat.
The only thing these slow cooker ribs lack is that signature smoke flavor you get from a smoker or charcoal grill. However, they more than make up for it with a hefty rub of spices and a thick coating of barbecue sauce added before cooking
The barbecue sauce is a key ingredient here. You don't want to use a BBQ sauce that makes you feel "meh". PUH-LEASE choose a brand (or homemade recipe) that knocks your socks off and makes you want to dip every dang thing in it.
Why? The BBQ sauce thickens and reduces down while in the crock-pot, almost forming a glaze on the ribs. That thickened sauce + tender meat + background of rub spices = all the flavor.
Perks of Making Ribs in a Slow Cooker
- No need to heat up the whole house by turning on the oven.
- No need to laboriously fire up the grill or smoker and babysit the ribs over indirect heat for long periods of time (although if you have access to this - I'm so jealous).
- Less than 10 minutes of prep and then all hands-off cooking.
- Little skill involved. (Smoking meats is an art form, so attempting it at home can be both expensive and intimidating for the average home cook.)
- You can enjoy tender, home cooked ribs on the fly in as little as 4 hours.
What to Serve with Crock-Pot Ribs
You'll have plenty of extra time while the ribs are slow cooking, so why not make an easy side dish or two to serve with the meal?
Crock-Pot BBQ Pork Ribs
Fall-off-the-bone tender pork ribs cooked in the crock-pot. This super easy recipe takes less than 10 minutes to prep and can be made in as little as 4 hours on the high setting. Use your favorite barbecue sauce for a flavorful, finger-lickin' good meal!
Slightly adapted from No. 2 Pencil's Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 to 3 lbs. of pork ribs (I used St. Louis Style because they're meatier)
- Sea salt, to taste (like THIS) - adjust according to the saltiness of your barbecue sauce
- Black pepper, to taste (I like to add a generous amount)
- 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic or garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 2 teaspoons of your favorite seasoning blend or rib rub (I used a pineapple serrano seasoning)
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups of barbecue sauce* (homemade or store-bought)
*The barbecue sauce is a key ingredient here (since the ribs won't have any smoke/grill flavor), so make sure to choose a brand or recipe that you LOVE! I often mix a smoky and sweet Kansas City-style sauce with a spicy barbecue sauce for a good balance of sweet and spicy.
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