This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Slow-Cooker Ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender, juicy and flavorful. These St. Louis-style pork spareribs are slow-cooked then slathered with your favorite BBQ sauce and grilled or broiled for the perfect char.

Racks of slow cooked St. Louis-style pork ribs brushed with sweet bbq sauce

How to Make Easy Slow Cooker Pork Ribs

Make amazing Slow-Cooker Ribs at home that rival those from your favorite BBQ joint

Coat the ribs in a spice rub then arrange vertically inside the slow-cooker with the thick ends pointing down and the meaty side against the interior wall of the slow cooker.

Slow-cook for 5 to 6 hours on high or 6 to 7 hours on low.

Carefully remove from the slow-cooker and cool for about 10 – 15 minutes. While the ribs are cooling, preheat the grill and generously grease the griddle to prevent sticking.

Place the ribs on the grill, meat side up. Slather the top with sauce and grill until charred. Carefully turn the ribs once or twice on the grill, adding more sauce to ensure plenty of flavor and gobs of shiny, sticky, finger lickin’ appeal.

Once charred to your liking, remove from the grill, slather with more sauce, tent with foil and wait a tortuous 10-15 minutes before cutting into individual ribs. Done and done!

This also works well using the broiler element in your oven. So if it’s raining, snowing or you ran out of bottled gas or forgot to start the charcoal, no worries! Broiling gives these ribs plenty of char-loving flavor and crispiness without going outside.

A platter filled with slow-cooker ribs slathered in homemade bbq sauce

What are St. Louis Style Ribs?

St. Louis spareribs are basically rib racks that are cut in half crosswise, rectangular in shape and already trimmed with the cartridge and tips removed. They’re generally flatter, meatier, heavier and larger than baby back ribs and contain more intramuscular fat marbled throughout making them very flavorful and great for cooking low and slow.

A plate with barbecued ribs with coleslaw and homemade sauce

Ingredients Overview:

Homemade or store-bought spice rub (We love Kinder’s BBQ Blend)
4 pounds St Louis Style Pork Ribs – two small racks fit best in a slow cooker
Your favorite BBQ Sauce – homemade or store-bought

You’ll also need a slow-cooker or crock pot and a grill or broiler pan.

Make-Ahead

Cook the ribs in the slow-cooker, then remove and cool on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to grill or broil.

A large platter of barbecued pork ribs with barbecue sauce and cole slaw

Great sides to serve with ribs

Slow-Cooker Ribs

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 7

Total Time: 7 20

Yield:

Course: Dinner, Main Dish

Author: Tricia

Pin Recipe Print Recipe Rate Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Juicy, tender, flavorful ribs slow-cooked then grilled or broiled for the perfect char.

Ingredients

For the spice rub:

1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

For the ribs:

4 pounds pork spareribs St. Louis-style, trimmed (two small racks are best to fit in the slow-cooker)
1 cup barbecue sauce (see link in notes for recipe)

Instructions

Combine all the spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Using paper towels, pat the ribs dry and then cover both sides with the spice rub. Be sure to massage the spices into the meaty side of the ribs.
Cut the rack(s) in half and place them in the slow-cooker vertically with the thick ends pointing down and the meaty side against the interior wall of the slow-cooker. If the ribs are too tall to fit against the wall, tilt them toward the sides of the slow-cooker. Ribs may overlap, this is okay. Cover and cook until ribs are just tender and the meat is pulling away from the bones, about 5 or 6 hours on high or 6 or 7 hours on low.
Using two sets of tongs carefully remove the ribs to a baking sheet (meaty side up) and allow them to rest about ten minutes.

To grill the ribs:

While the ribs are resting, preheat the grill on high. Using two sets of tongs transfer ribs to the grill with the meaty side facing up. While the bottom of the ribs char, cover the top meaty part with the barbecue sauce. After five minutes, carefully turn the ribs with the sauce side facing down. Brush sauce on the other side. Grill the ribs, turning one more time adding more sauce until the ribs are well charred and the sauce is caramelized, about 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from the grill, tent with foil and allow ribs to rest for 15 minutes. Cut ribs in between the bones to separate. Serve with remaining sauce.

To broil the ribs:

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack inside the baking sheet. Adjust the oven rack 3 inches from the broiler element and heat on high. Place the ribs on the rack, meaty side up. Brush the ribs with barbecue sauce and broil until the sauce is bubbling and starting to char, about 5 minutes. Remove the ribs from the oven and brush with additional sauce. Tent with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Cut ribs in between the bones to separate. Serve.

Recipe Notes

If you can find smaller racks it’s much easier to fit them in the slow-cooker. Larger racks will be too tall to rest straight up vertically in the slow-cooker. Tilt the large racks until they fit and you’re able to cover the cooker with a lid. They’ll cook fine tilted so no worries.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

More great recipes to try

Thin sliced BBQ'd beef brisket on a cutting board