BBQ Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs is the best way to make country-style ribs at a low temperature to get the best boneless pork ribs.
This traditional ribs recipe made using the slow cooking process is the best way to make mouth tender boneless ribs that the whole family can enjoy. Plus, the prep work for slow cooker recipes takes minimal effort, but you will still get maximum flavor and the best rack of ribs with only a few simple steps. Pick your favorite side dishes to serve with this pork rib recipe, and you will be good to go!
Recipe Ingredient Notes
To make our slow cooker BBQ country style ribs, you will need the following ingredients:
- Protein: pick out boneless country-style pork ribs with a good amount of connective tissue to ensure flavorful ribs
- Cooking liquid: to add a depth of flavor, use liquid smoke to get that delicious smoky flavor
- Seasoning: use simple ingredients such as kosher salt and ground black pepper
- Sugar: using brown sugar does a great job of adding moisture and complementing the savory flavors of these boneless country style pork ribs
- Onion: dice a yellow onion to top the baby back ribs
- Sauce: grab a bottle of your favorite brand of BBQ sauce
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
How to Make Country Style Ribs In The Crock Pot
- Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place ribs on the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Pour a little liquid smoke over the ribs so it can soak into the meat. Don’t over do it.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Then sprinkle brown sugar and diced onion over the meat.
- Top with your favorite sweet or tangy barbecue sauce.
- Cover slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.
Recipe Notes
- Let the liquid smoke soak into the ribs before seasoning.
- Thicker bbq sauces will give you extra sticky or more tacky ribs.
- Cover and cook the ribs the slow method for the best results, but you can cook the ribs at a high temperature if necessary.
Storage & Reheating Instruction:
Fridge: Place the leftover country ribs into an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat: To reheat the tender meat, place it in the microwave for 1 minute, and then 30 second increments until you have reached your desired temperature.
Freezer Meal Modification
Add all ingredients to a gallon-sized freezer bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal bag closed. Place freezer bag into freezer and it will last 60-90 days. When ready to use, spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and dump ingredients from bag into slow cooker. Place the lid on top and cook on LOW heat for 8-9 hours or until ribs are completely cooked through. Follow the rest of the instructions as written.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce to pair with this country style ribs recipe. Plus, use any extra BBQ sauce for a great option to dip the ribs into.
These delicious ribs should melt in your mouth and are fork tender and falling apart, and the internal temperature of the slow cooker ribs are at least 190 degrees F.
Add all ingredients to a gallon-sized freezer bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag closed. Place the freezer bag into the freezer and it will last 60-90 days.
When ready to use, spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and dump the ingredients from the bag into the slow cooker. Place the lid on top and cook on LOW heat for 8-9 hours or until ribs are completely cooked through. Follow the rest of the instructions as written.
If you want to add even more flavor to these slow /cooker ribs, use either garlic powder, onion powder, or chili powder for a little kick.
Enjoy More Delicious Pork Main Dishes
Whether you like your pork cooked in the slow cooker, grill, or Instant Pot, pork is one of the most versatile main dishes. Check out our comprehensive collection of pork main dishes here.
- Slow Cooker Apple Butter BBQ Spareribs
- Slow Cooker Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin
- Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Slow Cooker BBQ Ranch Ribs
- Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
- Slow Cooker BBQ Spareribs
- Slow Cooker Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin
- Slow Cooker Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
- Slow Cooker Chile Verde Pork Enchiladas
Slow Cooker BBQ Country Style Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds boneless country-style pork ribs
- 2 Tablespoon liquid smoke
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 bottle BBQ sauce, (18 ounce bottle)
Instructions
- Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place ribs on the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Pour a little liquid smoke over the ribs so it can soak into the meat. Don't over do it.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Then sprinkle brown sugar and diced onion over the meat.
- Top with your favorite sweet or tangy barbecue sauce.
- Cover slow cooker and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours.
Notes
- Let the liquid smoke soak into the ribs before seasoning.
- Thicker bbq sauces will give you extra sticky or more tacky ribs.
- Cover and cook the ribs the slow method for the best results, but you can cook the ribs at a high temperature if necessary.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
This recipe had a delicious flavor but after only 5hrs on low I checked them and the meat tasted dry. Next time I will only leave these on low for 3-4hrs then check them. Thanks for an easy go to recipe for ribs.
R they tough after4 hrs?
Better to slow cook it or can you put in instant pot and pressure cook? If so, for how long?
You didn’t mention the cooking instructions for these ribs in the video. How long do you cook them in the InstaPot?
I am sending the same thing. Thanks!
I was also looking for how long to cook them in an Instant Pot. Thank you!
Instant pot time is not mentioned here or in the video. Someone mentioned in the video comments 40-45 minutes with NR. So that’s what I’m doing. Already smells YUMMY!
In the video comments six sisters said 30 mins would be plenty
For about 30 minutes.
We cooked them for about 30 minutes.
I keep getting a burn error – but nothing is wrong with the pot itself. I’m using not frozen ribs and all the other ingredients as stated. Is the bbq sauce too thick for the instant pot to come to seal?
I want to use my instant pot for the second time what is the setting it needs to be?
If you are cooking these in the Instant Pot do you need to add more liquid? And how long to cook?
You show the country ribs in your 15 day freezer meals but you don’t say they can go in the insta pot. Please let me know if I can put frozen ribs in insta pot. I live your meal prep videos
I’m going to make this tomorrow in my crockpot. I love country ribs in the crockpot. I used to make these ribs a long time ago. That was because I had to learn how to cook easy meals after my wife left me for her girlfriend. It’s was times ‘that try a mans soul’ . But my crockpot stayed with me throughout these years.
ANYONE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?
Do you add more liquid if you cook it in the instant pot? How long in the instant pot? Thaw first?
Cooked these yesterday after assembling last week as a freezer meal. With the COVID mess happening right now I wasn’t able to get country ribs but had boneless pork chops which were pretty thick (about an inch). I put 1/2 cup water in the bottom of my pot because I didn’t want to get the burn notice and used high pressure for 40 minutes, then let them release naturally. They seemed a bit “dry” even though they were floating in liquid. I decided to put them back on and used high pressure again for 20 minutes and did a quick release. They were delicious though I still didn’t love the consistency of them. I think it was because they were lean chops instead of ribs. They were delicious but I would definitely use thinner chops and less cook time. Anyone know if I used too much time or not enough time? I’m new to Instant Pot cooking.
We did a post on converting recipes to the instant pot. This should help. https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/how-to-convert-recipes-into-instant-pot-recipes/
Manual or pressure cook for 15 minutes.
Can you update this with proper timing & directions for the instant pot, please? Is it normal pressure or high pressure when cooking in the IP?
The recipe you commented on is the Slow Cooker BBQ country ribs. You can cook it for 30 minutes on the meat/stew button. We do have a few instant pot rib recipes. Here are the links:
https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/instant-pot-bone-in-ribs/
https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/instant-pot-fall-off-the-bone-bbq-ribs/
We also have a post that will help you convert recipes into Instant Pot recipes: https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/how-to-convert-recipes-into-instant-pot-recipes/
I am so thankful for your stuff, especially the insta pot directions. I am a dad, who has never been a very good cook. And, I am now in charge of feeding my 2 boys and myself as my wife works through meal times most days. I love the simplicity of your meals and how I can have a nutritious wholesome meal ready to eat in less than an hour.
My boys thank you also. I prepared this freezer meal this morning. I told my littlest that we were going to have it tomorrow night and let him smell the bag. He begged me to make it tonight. So we are going to have this meal tonight.
Way to go Barry!! So glad you like the recipes. Hopefully we are making the Instant Pot easier for you. It’s a total game changer. Enjoy those Ribs!!
35 minutes and natural release for 15 minutes
Nutrition info?
You can put it in MyFitnessPal and it will calculate the nutrition.
What size crock pot do you use? I have a medium round and a large oval.
Either of those should be just fine. We have a 7 quart slow cooker.
Put in crockpot on low 6 1/2 hours. Smelled great. Gave plate to hubby, took one bite and said these are dry! ☹️ Kept the rest in crockpot, cooked another hour, no better.
Will try other recipes though.
from frozen how do you cook it?
You can thaw these ribs in the fridge overnight to thaw. We often just reheat in the microwave.
I made the ribs in the instant pot tonight and they were delicious! Even my picky 2 year old ate them.
Can I use bone in ribs with this recipe? If so does it change the time at all?
They were dry on low 5.5 hours so I suggest 3-4 instead.
Made these in the instant pot – I added 1/2 cup of water because I was worried about them being dry, and had a ton of liquid left over when they were done. But after removing the meat, I used the leftover liquid and onions to cook some dried beans (which were delicious), so it turned out to be a good thing!
You can use bone in and keep the time the same.
Do you have to have the other instant pot lid to make the ribs?
No, just the regular instant pot lid will work fine.
Are they supposed to be watery after 6 hours? I watched your video on frozen meals and I made them in the slow cooker but they’re super watery and the BBQ sauce was pretty much a stew. 🙁
I made these tonight and loved the flavor but my meat became really dry. Any recommendations on fixing that for next time?
Did you cook them on low? We have the best luck when we cook our ribs on low instead of high.
After cooking the sauce is thinner than regular bbq sauce because of the liquid that cooks off the ribs.
How long in slow cooker if your country style ribs are thawed out fresh?
Low and slow is always best. Probably around 5-6 hours. Check them part way through cooking time.
I made this tonight and while the sauce was sooo good, the country boneless ribs were very dry. I ended up shredding them up to get more sauce mixed in to help with the dryness. I think next time I’ll use regular ribs.
What can I substitute the liquid smoke with ?
Don’t give up on the recipe! Cook in crock pot on low and check after 3 hours.
Sounds like a lot of people are experiencing dry ribs. The suggestion is to cook for less time, 3-4 hours instead.
I am making the “freezer meal” option and considering doing in my InstaPot. Do you recommend? How much time from frozen? Thank you!
I’m doing that as we speak and reading previous comments I’ve decided on 35 minutes with a natural pressure release.
We have this recipe for the Instant Pot. Here is the link – https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/instant-pot-bbq-country-ribs-recipe/
This is a really great and simple recipe. It makes accomplishing a pulled pork kind of recipe very easy. To everyone who keeps insisting their pork was dry and tough at only 4 or 5 hours , well of course it was you didn’t follow the recipe. When you are cooking pork especially on a low and slow setting after only a few hours it will be tough because you haven’t given it a chance to cook for the full seven to eight hours during which time the connective tissues fully breakdown rendering your pork very soft and tender. Don’t mess with your Crock-Pot halfway through the cook time on a recipe. Your instant pots are making you impatient! It is also possible that you selected the high temperature instead of low on your slow cooker. Be patient. A slow cooker is not an instant pot. Let the recipe cook the way it was written and you won’t be disappointed.
Instructions
Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Place ribs on the bottom of the slow cooker.
Pour a little liquid smoke over the ribs so it can soak into the meat. Don’t over do it.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Then sprinkle brown sugar and diced onion over the meat.
Top with your favorite bbq sauce.
Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
What do I do with the onion ? lol
This was a hit! Will make them again
It’s in the instructions you listed. Sprinkle with brown sugar and diced onion over the meat.
I think the confusion is coming from the fact that the link from the IP freezer meals video brings you to this recipe. The video does not state how long to cook this particular recipe so we’re all following the link for the specifics and probably like me, skimming since i’ve watched the full video, and being confused at the lack of information for an IP recipe. I made this in an IP following the 30 min recommendation from other commenters and they were DRY!! I did’t cook from frozen, maybe that was the issue? The sauce however was delicious! Not sure I’ll try this one again. I agree that the info should be updated, or create a new link to and actual IP recipe from the video.
I’m so confused🤪 Most people say their ribs were dry following your recipe. Some people said to only cook on low 3-4 hours. Then another person said to cook like the directions say and they will be fine. Which is it?????
We always stick with the motto “Low and Slow” for a slow cooker for moist and tender meat. Just follow the directions in the recipe and you should be just fine.
Yummy dish and easy to prepare! I had pork steaks to use up so I used those and it fell off the bone and was so flavorful. Served it with homemade mashed potatoes and corn. Baked in crockpot on high for 3 hours then low for 1 hour. It was moist and tender. Thanks!
You have to cook them longer. The longer you cook them the more tender they will be!
Hi or lo pressure instapot temp?
Just push the manual/pressure cook button and set the time. https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/instant-pot-bbq-country-ribs-recipe/
I followed the recipe exactly, but swapped the ribs for pork chops, as this substitution was suggested in the video. It’s very watery, is this korm’a ?
It’s not a super thick sauce, but not watery either. You could try using a thicker bbq sauce. Some bbq sauces are a thinner consistency than others.
I think 2 TBS of liquid smoke a bit too much ?
Haven’t tried this yet but commenting on the many, many reports of dry meat. I, too, have been finding that all meats are much drier and chewier than a few years ago. Veggies are also taking on a different taste. So much food for so many people on this planet that food is being grown faster and with different methods and it is NOT the same as we have been used to eating in years gone by.
You can cut back to your own liking and taste.
Loved it
we don’t eat pork, so will beef ribs work? If so, what will render the juiciest, boneless or bone-in? Should I adjust the cook time at all if beef and pork break down differently? Thanks!!
You could definitely use beef ribs too. They usually take longer to cook.
Can you put the country ribs in straight from the freezer? I get them from a local farm already frozen.
Yes, but it may take a little longer to cook.
Do you know why a dog is man’s best friend? Put both your wife and god in the trunk. Close the trunk with them in it. Open the trunk one hour later. Who will be happy to see you?
Should I use light or dark brown sugar?
We use light brown sugar, but either will work great.
What brand bbq sauce do you use? I’m sure any can be used, what’s your favorite?
Any bbq sauce works great. But we do like all the flavors of Sweet Baby Ray’s and Stubb’s.
Fabulous! Fall off the bone good. Great grandma could eat it without teeth and loved the flavor.
This is an easy to make recipe that is delicious!
These ribs were delicious! Thanks for the recipe!