Barbecue Beef Ribs In Slow Cooker

BBQ Crockpot Beef Ribs

Crockpot Beef Ribs are easy to make and insanely delicious. All you need are some beef back ribs, a few spices, and your favorite BBQ sauce and you will have a dinner recipe your family will rave about.

A big pile of sticky crockpot beef ribs on a serving plate.

I'd like to introduce you to Crockpot Beef Ribs, the easiest and most delicious dinner recipe around. And if we opt to use a sugar-free BBQ sauce then we can feel pretty good about digging into these tasty gems, too.

Why this is our favorite crockpot beef ribs recipe

After hanging out for a full 10 hours inside the slow cooker, these babies are fall off the bone tender.
A simple spice rub + your favorite BBQ sauce is all it takes to make these ribs taste AMAZING.
A quick broil after they come out of the slow cooker will caramelize the BBQ sauce and make it taste freaking incredible.
It's a BBQ beef ribs recipe that you can eat year-round. Read: no grill needed!

Uncooked beef back ribs with spices on them on a baking tray.

How to make BBQ Beef Ribs

One reason that I love serving beef back ribs for dinner (other than they taste seriously amazing) is that they are super easy to make. The hardest part is remembering to put them in your slow cooker early enough for them to be ready by dinner time.

Sprinkle some pantry-staple spices over the ribs then pop them into your slow cooker.
Pour some bbq sauce over top of the ribs and turn on your slow cooker.
Right before dinner, take them out of the slow cooker and baste them with a little extra BBQ sauce.
Now broil them in your oven for a few minutes until they are caramelized and extra delicious.

That's it. In only 4 super simple little steps you can make BBQ beef ribs!

A closeup of bbq beef ribs on a baking tray.

What kind of BBQ sauce is best for these slow cooker beef ribs?

We've made these beef back ribs with several different store-bought BBQ sauces and they always turn out great. If you have a favorite BBQ sauce, use that one. If you'd like a BBQ sauce that is sugar-free, paleo, gluten-free, or spicy, here are a few options:

Homemade:Chocolate BBQ Sauce or Best BBQ Sauce for Chicken (it's great with this recipe, too!)
Paleo: Date Lady makes a BBQ sauce that's sweetened with dates
Super spicy: Crazy Mooskies makes a super hot (and no sugar added) BBQ sauce
No sugar added: G Huges Smokehouse Sugar Free BBQ Sauce
Gluten-free: Daddy Sam's makes a tasty and gluten-free BBQ sauce

What to serve with beef back ribs

What I serve with these ribs depends on how many we plan on eating. If we want to enjoy a couple of these big bad boys, then I'll serve them with a simple salad and call that dinner. My Bacon Kale Caesar Salad and Classic Broccoli Coleslaw with Lemon Buttermilk Dressing are two of my favorites.

But if we want dinner to be a little more well-rounded, here are a few tasty sides to go well with these ribs:

Crispy Garlic Smashed Red Potatoes
Smoky Roast Potatoes
Sweet Apple Bourbon Baked Beans
Spicy Honey Roasted Carrots
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic

Crockpot beef ribs with a bowl of bbq sauce and a basting brush on a baking sheet.

Favorite Rib Recipes

Blackened Ribs with Caramelized Carrots
Dark Chocolate Stout Braised Short Ribs
BEST EVER Sticky Paleo Ribs
Grilled Pork Ribs with Ponzu Sauce
Oven Baked Ribs with Potatoes and Green Beans
Pork Rib Stew with Beans and Vegetables

A big pile of sticky crockpot beef ribs on a serving plate.

BBQ Crockpot Beef Ribs

Yield: 8 beef back ribs

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 10 hrs

Total Time: 10 hrs 10 mins

1 tablespoon paprika
1 ½ teaspoons each: garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, pepper, and salt
8 beef back ribs
1 cup bbq sauce, divided (see notes)

In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, pepper, and salt. Sprinkle the spices over the ribs and place the ribs into your slow cooker. Pour 3/4 cup of the BBQ sauce over the ribs and set your slow cooker for 10 hours on low.
When the ribs have finished cooking, preheat your oven to broil with a rack in the top third of the oven. Carefully remove the ribs (they will be tender!) from your slow cooker and place them on a baking sheet. Baste one side with the remaining 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce then broil them for 5-6 minutes, until the BBQ sauce is bubbling and starts to caramelize and smell extra sweet.
Remove the ribs from the oven and serve right away.

We've placed this recipe in the gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and paleo recipe categories. If any of these are important to you, make sure you choose BBQ sauce that suits your needs.

If your ribs come in a rack (rather than cut like you see in the pictures) there may be a thin, papery membrane on the back. Peel this off before sprinkling the spices on the ribs. You can put the whole rack of ribs into your slow cooker without cutting them.

Optional: sprinkle the ribs with a little minced parsley before serving.

If you love this recipe as much as we do, be sure to leave a review or share it on Instagram and tag @TheEndlessMeal.