Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs with Sweet Southern BBQ Sauce
My recipe for slow cooker baby back ribs is marinated in a dry rub overnight then cooked low-and-slow in the slow cooker until fall-off-the-bone tender. Finished under the broiler with a sweet barbecue sauce, they are an easy hands-off Southern dinner.
Equipment
Ingredients
RUB
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon onion salt
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
RIBS
- 2-3 lbs baby back pork ribs
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
BBQ SAUCE
- 1 cup tomato based BBQ sauce (Rufus Teague Sweet Honey)
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together all of the rub ingredients.
- Rinse slabs of ribs and pat dry with paper towels. Remove the thin membrane from the back of the ribs by slicing it and then pulling it off. Reserve ½ tablespoon of the rub. Sprinkle remaining rub on both sides of the ribs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 8-12 hours.
- Combine pineapple juice, vinegar and garlic and reserved rub in a 6 quart slow cooker. Cut the slab of ribs in half and stack in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce to low and cook for 5 hours or until tender.
- SAUCE: Stir together all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Boil for 1 minute. Remove and cover to keep warm.
- Preheat broiler with oven rack 10 inches below the heat. Remove the ribs from the slow cooker and place in a single layer on a foil lined rimmed pan. Brush both sides of ribs with the BBQ sauce and broil for 2-3 minutes on each side until caramelized. Serve with remaining sauce.
- Can easily be doubled
Barbara's Notes + Tips
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs before adding the dry rub.
- You can easily double the recipe, if you do so, rotate the ribs half way through.
- Ribs will be done when they reach 200º with a meat thermometer.
- You can heat the bbq sauce in the microwave until it boils.
Nutrition
Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 1586mg | Potassium: 500mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 1425IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 3mg
