I truly believe we've perfected Slow Cooker Country Pork Ribs! These turn out so tender, stay juicy, and just fall off the bone when finished! They're made in the slow cooker and finished in the oven so they still have that perfect char at the end.
A lot of people complain that country ribs tend to dry out...and they can even with slow cooking. But here's the secret: BRINE/MARINATE them! Yes, it's an extra step but why make a meal if you know it's not going to be great! Brining ensures that the country pork ribs turn out flavorful all the way through and they won't be dry! You will forever be brining your country ribs after trying these! It makes a HUGE difference!
How to make JUICY slow cooker pork ribs:
- They start with a super simple brine. I know, it takes more time but it makes ALL the difference between a moist and juicy country rib and a dry one. All you need to do is add salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika to some water and let the ribs soak over night. (See below the the exact measurements.)
- After they've sat in the brine over night, you can add them to the slow cooker along with some chopped onions, your favorite bbq sauce, soy sauce, and some liquid smoke. If you can't find the liquid smoke, that's ok...the ribs will still be great but it just ads a bit of smokey flavor! I get a lot of questions about the slow cooker in these photos since it's a 9x13 casserole style. HERE IS THE LINK for the one I use! (affiliate). It's great for making things like Buffalo Chicken dip, BBQ pulled chicken, and this popular queso dip!
- The ribs get cooked on low for 7-8 hours. You can take a fork and just pull at them a bit and if they start to fall apart, they're done! They won't look super appetizing at this point. So there's one more step to making these the best country pork ribs ever!
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick spray. Use a spatula and carefully move the country ribs to the baking dish. They should be SUPER tender at this point so just try to keep them together. Pour your favorite barbecue sauce over the ribs and broil for about 5-10 minutes until the sauce starts to bubble. (Keep a close eye on them!)
When the ribs are done, they will literally fall off the bone and be so tender and moist!!
Slow Cooker Country Pork Ribs
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds bone-in country style pork ribs (calculate about 2 ribs per person)
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon each of salt, garlic powder, onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ cup diced yellow or white onion
- 2 cups bbq sauce - divided (Try with our guava bbq sauce!)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke (optional but adds great flavor!)
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- The first step to making sure your country pork ribs turn out tender and juicy is brining them. Add the pork, water, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika to a large ziploc bag and refrigerate over night.
- When you're ready to cook the pork, discard the brine and add the meat to the slow cooker along with the onions, 1 cup of the barbecue sauce, soy sauce, liquid smoke and ½ cup water.
- Cook on low for 8 hours.
- After slow cooking, Set the oven to broil and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean-up).
- Carefully transfer the ribs to the baking sheet and brush on about 1 cup of barbecue sauce. (I like to use a spatula to move the ribs instead of tongs since the pork ribs will be falling apart at this point)
- Broil the ribs for about 5 minutes on each side. Keep a close eye on them. They'll be done when the sauce starts to bubble and you start to see a bit of darkening on the edges of the meat.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment!
Noelle says
This is the perfect summer meal, thank you for this idea! Huge hit with my family
Biana says
These slow cooker ribs look fall off the bone amazing! A perfect dinner for everyone.
Alison says
Great combination of spices and so easy to make in the slow cooker!
Ashley says
Oh my!! These are a winnerrrrr!!! Definitely making again for 4th of July!!
Jamie says
Wow I just made this for my family and we all loved it. The flavors were delicious and the ribs were so tender. As an added bonus, the whole house smelled wonderful!
Tom says
Can this recipe work without the bone in?
Coco and Ash says
The bone makes them a little juicier but it will still work well 🙂
Megan says
This is a beautiful rustic dish. I am making these right now. I took the time with a smooth glass bowl & small flat rubber spatula to incorporate the crockpot pot glaze. It came out to a smooth velvet consistency. I sprayed my older crockpot lightly with cooking spray before placing the ribs in the crock. It didn't say to rinse the brine off and pat dry or not, so I chose not to to add some texture from the brine spices on the ribs to the velvet texture of the glaze. I had half a white onion, which I coarsely chopped and probably twice as much as posted ... But we like onion! I can't wait for the final results coming out of the oven. Thank you for a 5 star recipe.
Becky says
Country ribs are usually boneless. It isn't just a name to throw in the title. That's why people are asking about not having the bone. Country ribs are a specific type of ribs that have the name but actually aren't really ribs at all. That could be causing problems with your recipe too.
Coco and Ash says
Hi Becky,
You can definitely find bone-in country style ribs at most grocery stores. The bone is not a “rib” but part of the pork shoulder bone.
Hope that helps!
Monica says
Followed the recipe to the letter (used a store bought BBQ sauce). Flavor was great but they were so dry. Any idea what can cause this? It was my first time cooking country ribs and I really want to make it again but have them juicy.
Coco and Ash says
Hmm I haven’t had these turn out dry before so I’m not sure what happened. Did you brine them and make sure they were bone-in? Maybe it’s an issue with the temp of the slow cooker? I’m not sure but I’m sorry they didn’t turn out for you!