I love a delicious barbecue ribs recipe; this recipe is my go-to for special occasions or when I need to impress my dinner guests. These ribs will make everyone think you spent all day cooking. In reality all you have to do is place them in the slow cooker with two simple ingredients. Let them simmer all day. Then place on the grill for a couple minutes while you slather them in BBQ sauce. It could not be easier.
Recipe Ingredient Notes
To make our slow cooker barbecue ribs, you need the following ingredients:
- Pork loin ribs
- Pineapple juice
- Brown sugar
- BBQ sauce
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
How to Make Our Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs
- Spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray (or use a slow cooker liner to make clean up a breeze).
- Take your slab of ribs (make sure that they are defrosted) and cut into individual slabs (about 2-3 ribs each). Throw the ribs into the slow cooker.
- Mix the pineapple juice and brown sugar together and pour over the ribs.
- Put the lid back on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 7-8 hours or LOW for 10-12 hours.
- After they are done in the slow cooker, use tongs to gently pull them out (they will literally fall apart when you touch them).
- Turn the grill on medium heat. While the grill is warming up, mix together the bottle of BBQ sauce and the ¼ cup of pineapple juice you saved from earlier.
- Place the ribs gently on the grill and and brush with BBQ sauce.
- Turn the ribs twice, slathering with more sauce each time (you can’t have enough sauce).
- They will take about 10-15 minutes to glaze over (as soon as that sauce starts to turn sticky, you know they are done).
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
This marinade works for chicken, beef, and other pork cuts, but cooking time and nutritional information will vary.
Serving Suggestions
We recommend serving this recipe with our Creamy Pasta Salad, Easy Potato Salad, or Oven Roasted Parmesan Broccoli. You can find more classic American recipes here.
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 Cilantro Lime Pork Tacos
- Slow Cooker Citrus Pork Tacos
- Slow Cooker Company Pork Roast
- Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Loin
- Slow Cooker Creamy Ranch Pork Chops
- Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Casserole
- Slow Cooker Ham with Maple Glaze
- Slow Cooker Herb Pork Roast
- Slow Cooker Honey Baked Ham
Fall Off The Bone BBQ Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pound pork loin ribs
- 3 ½ cups pineapple juice, divided
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 16 ounces BBQ Sauce, 1 bottle, (I love Famous Dave's Rich and Sassy sauce)
Instructions
- Spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray (or use a slow cooker liner to make clean up a breeze!).
- Take your slab of ribs (make sure that they are defrosted) and cut into individual slabs (about 2-3 ribs each). Throw the ribs into the slow cooker.
- Mix 3 ¼ cups pineapple juice and the brown sugar together and pour over the ribs.
- Cook on HIGH heat in the slow cooker for 7-8 hours or LOW for 10-12 hours.
- After they are done in the slow cooker, use tongs to gently pull them out (they will literally fall apart when you touch them).
- Turn the grill on medium heat. While the grill is warming up, mix together the bottle of BBQ sauce and ¼ cup of pineapple juice you saved from earlier.
- Place the ribs gently on the grill and and brush with BBQ sauce.
- Turn the ribs twice, slathering with more sauce each time (you can't have enough sauce).
- They will take about 10-15 minutes to glaze over (as soon as that sauce starts to turn sticky, you know they are done).
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Video
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.
Do you take off the membrane that is on the back of the ribs before you put them in the slow cooker?
YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!
I am sooo going to try these but I’m going to be in my hometown of Austin visiting relatives next week. Where did you originally have these?
I think you have officially solved my dilemma of what to make for our Father’s Day shindig! These ribs look a.maz.ing. I’m wondering whether I could cook them in the slow cooker a day ahead of time and put them in the fridge, then pull them out when it is time to BBQ them on the grill with the sauce? I’m going to try it! Thanks, Camille!
Um, this may be a silly question, but how are you supposed to grill them if they fall apart right out of tbd crock pot? I’d like to make these for Farther’s Day dinner!
Those are some fantastic looking ribs! Great recipe, definitely going to try these 🙂
It says to put them on the grill very carefully.
I see no reason why it wouldn’t work. Good luck on your Father’s day dinner. Let us know how it turns out! 🙂
Stubbs BBQ!!
Oh man… I didn’t notice a membrane on my ribs! Ha ha! That sounds disgusting! But I ate it and survived!! Ha ha ha!
We love Kansas City Ribs. Unfortunately, we don’t live there anymore. I used your crockpot method and then slathered them in JackStack bbq sauce (our favorite). These were the best ribs I’ve ever made. So easy, too.
Since they will be falling apart after coming out of the crock pot, could you put foil on the grill just to make sure they don’t fall apart and fall through? Or will that affect how they cook?
If they are really hard to handle and put on the grill, you can use one of those grilling baskets (we usually put marinated veggies in them) to keep them from falling into the grates…
I want to make these today, but my ribs are chopped up into singles. i cant remember how many would equal a slab. Lol, help me please. And can i do the sauce inside the crocpot? i didnt want to grill.
I made these ribs last night, and holy smokes they were awesome! I cook a lot of pinterest recipes and this is one of the BEST!!! I followed the recipe exactly, just changed out the BBQ sauce for some sticky fingers sauce:) VERY easy and VERY good:)
I just made these tonight for Fathers’ Day! They were WONDERFUL! I prepared them exactly as stated and they were just perfect! Def a keeper and already have requests to make them again!
I made these for Father’s Day… they were a hit! I highly recommend this recipe! So easy too!
We would say that you needs about 20 ribs. And you can put the sauce in the crock pot, but they won’t be “glazed” and will have a different taste .
Just want to say, I have been making this same ribs recipe for years, but used Chris & pits, now use Trader Joe’s BBQ sauce.
Although you do not need all that Sugar, or pineapple juice!
I boil my ribs first. till they almost fall off the bone. Boiling takes off most of the yucky fat, and makes them Tender.
That said, After I boil them, wash them off (fatty) I line a cookie sheet or two, with tin-foil,
put the sauce on them , and bake them in the oven.350, or higher..The ribs to die for..
looks Hmmmm delicious can’t wait to try it have high blood pressure and high cholesterol so I will use the beef ribs ! Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes with us!
Made these ribs and the grandkids loved them and said they were better than their dads. Now I will call it my secret recipe. Thank you
This recipe looks absolutely amazing! The meat would be deliciously tender from cooking in the crock pot and then the sauce would caramelize and get the great flavor from finishing off on the heat of the grill! I will be trying this one out this summer. My husband will love you 🙂
Hi Annie,
Could you send me your recipe so I can do both. Thank you. noah00ark@aol.com
Sounds delicious! How many people (approximately) does this recipe serve? Thanks!
Is this recipe using Light or Dark brown sugar ?
We used light brown but either one will work fine!
Just made these and they were AWESOME! So tender, juicy, great bbq flavor!
I just made these…SOOO Tasty…The meat realy fell rigt off the bone…I prepard them 6 hours on high and 2 hours on low in the crockpot en then 10 minutes on the bbq and added some honey to the bbqsause and pineappeljuice.
Camille, I made these ribs in my slow cooker yesterday. I was very skeptical that they would be too sweet, but I followed your instructions anyway since they received such good comments. I was not disappointed. I put some Sweet and Spicy Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce on them and put them under the broiler. They were SO delicious! I took the leftovers to work today and made everyone drool. 🙂
Wow do these ever sound good! I make my ribs in the oven and my family loves them. I’ll have to try your recipe because I use my crock pot so often in the summer.
I made em.. taste good but when you pull em outta of the crock pot they are literately falling off the bone and when you cut them it turns into BBQ pulled pork.. I’m with you! Boil first and I’m in a rush I will bake em.. cuz I love the BBQ taste :))
IMHO The cooking time is too long!
oh, now I can’t imagine boiled meat being any good at all. I;ll take BBQ done the old fashioned way, smoked low and slow and never boiled or baked, My husband doesn’t like any chew to his ribs at all though, so I might try this for his…
Thanks – this sounds great and is just what I’m seeking! I’m also leery of boiling meats first (unless it’s for broth such as for pho); seems to me too much of the flavors would leech out in the boiling.
I don’t own a grill. Does anyone know if I could just finish them off somehow in the oven and have a similar effect?
I made these when we were camping. Filled crockpot w/ 3-4 pound of ribs. This was the most amazing meal I’ve ever made! Four kids and hubby LOVED these. So tendy, perfectly done after 7 hours on high. Grilled about 15 minutes. FABULOUS recipe. Wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you so much for posting this! Hint: I added microwave corn on the cob to this meal – snapped 4 husked cobs in half, put on paper plate, covered w/ damp paper towel, miked for 7.5 minutes and had perfect corn to go w/ the perfect ribs!
Hi Ann,
I read your comment about your “to die for ” ribs recipe. I like the simplicity of it. Can you tell me how long you bake them for?
In the slow cooker on HIGH for 7 hours or LOW for 10 hours.
I don’t own a grill either. I finish mine in the broiler. If you make these ahead of time I think they turn out best by putting the sauce on them. That way the meat absorbs some of the sauce.
I made this recipe last week when my girlfriend’s mom was in town visiting since on of her favorite foods is ribs. What a GREAT recipe! Thanks so much! Since I had read on the comments that the ribs were a little hard to handle coming out of the slow cooker, what I did was let them rest for about 30-45 minutes before finishing them off on the grill. Gently using my tongs, I removed the ribs from the slow cooker and placed them onto a baking sheet covered in foil. I let the ribs rest while prepping the rest of the meal – peeled, cut and steamed the potatoes, cut and started baking the brussel spouts, prepped asparagus for grilling and warmed the grill. Then I took the ribs outside to finish with the BBQ glaze for 15 minutes. Once off the grill, all I had to do was finish the potatoes in the kitchen aid. My girlfriend and her mom were both very impressed! I have to say, these are the best ribs I’ve ever made! I’m making them again today but for more people. Do I need to change the amount of pineapple juice and brown sugar if I’m cooking 2 racks of ribs instead of one? I figured as long as the ribs were 90% covered by the liquid in the slow cooker, I’ll be okay. What do you guys think?
That is quite a group you are feeding! 🙂 So glad they turned out. We agree with you, if they are 90% covered in the slow cooker you should be fine. May even want to rotate them part way through the cooking time.
I made these on high for 7-8hrs but didnt grill them and they tasted fantastic, fell off the bone as they should. Though the meat was actually a bit dry, it was from walmart unfortunately but thats really the only option here, any ideas to help with this?
Low and slow is always the key for a moist and tender meat. So if you have the time, always go with the lower temperature for longer time.
Do you think added just a little seasoning on the ribs would mess up the overall taste of the ribs?
A little extra seasoning would be delicious.
this is from a famous chef in mass. wrap ribs in plastic wrap.place on a baking sheet.put in oven at 200 for 3 to 4 hrs.dont worry he plastic wrap will be fine.take out of oven unwrap lather with bq sauce place on grill till slightly chared.yum.
Had these for dinner and they were INCREDIBLE!!! Oh my gosh they were so good, with each bite my husband and I kept raving. Thank you for this recipe. We will eating ribs a lot more now. So so good!!! You guys haven’t let me don’t with recipes.
I agree I boil mine to for about 1 1/2 hours put them in a ziplock freezer bag to marinate for as long as you like . After I out them in broiler bout 10 min on each side omg they are amazing taste just like we did them on our BBQ pit soooooo amazing 🙂
I made these for Mother’s Day. I put 3 full racks in the crock pot in the morning, came home from church service, took them out, covered them with BBQ sauce, put in the oven for 15 Min Wow!!!! deliciousness!!!!!!!!
How long do you bake them at 350?
We have only made these ribs in the slow cooker.
Made these for dinner tonight. AMAZING!!! I have never tasted ribs as good as these! Thank you!!
I made these ribs for 4th of July. They were fantastic! I didn’t have 7 hrs so I baked them in the pineapple and brown sugar sauce for 3 hrs on 350. Than I made my own barbecue sauce that I always use but added the pineapple juice Instead of water. It turned out great. Thank you for the recipe.
Made these a couple of weeks ago they were delicious. Making them again today. But using two racks. Any suggestions on cooking time?
I do not boil ribs; that leaves them tasteless! Rather, I put a rub on all sides of my ribs then put 4 single country style ribs/half rack/whole rack in double thick foil packets. I put an ice cube under every 2-3 ribs before folding the foil over and sealing the top and sides. I cook the packets about 30 minutes on a 325-350 degree grill. They come out steamed and tasty because of the ice and do not get burned. Be careful opening the foil packet though because of the steam. I finish the ribs on the grill with BBQ sauce. Yummy!!
I’ve never made ribs before and I am anxious to try this one. I’m confused. Am I supposed to take the membrane off first before putting them in the crockpot? Any help would be great especially those that have already made this.
Thanks
My bbq grill is broken? How long did you put under broiler?
We only cook them for about 10 to 15 minutes on the grill. The broiler is so hot. Watch them so very closely. Shouldn’t take more than a minute or two.
Stupid question….do you have to grill them? Our grill took a nose dive thanks to strong winds…& I’m truly hungry for these ribs now (& it’s winter lol)
Let me know please!
Thanks!
donna-hahn@mchsi.com
made this for dinner tonight. YUM. Was super gentle with the ribs on the grill. Plus put tinfoil of the grill to save on the clean up. Totally a keeper. Will try a different bottled bbq next time. THANKS FOR SHARING.
After the ribs cook in the slow cooker, they are fully cooked. However, they have only been cooked in juice and brown sugar so they don’t look very attractive.. The grilling and brushing on the BBQ is what really locks in the flavor and adds a caramelized finish to them.
Has anyone ever heard of par-boilng the slab in a 2liter of pepsi? The only thing tough are the bones,which I’ve had fall out in the stock pot!!!!! It even gives the meat a slight sweetness.
I made them for Easter. I followed the recipe but only cooked them 6 hours and then broiled them in the oven with BBQ sauce, turned out perfect! Thanks!
Broil them in the oven, works perfect!
I do mine the same way except that I do put a couple of TBSP of vinegar in the water before boiling as it helps to tenderize. Everyone loves them.
We LOVE BBQ ribs around our house! I can’t wait to try this recipe….we always use Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce…I’m sure it will be just as yummy as yours! We love to experiment with new recipes and make up our own…this sounds YUMMY!
Has anyone tried this recipe with boneless ribs?
I made this tonight.
Love the favor but the ribs were dry.
I only cooked them for 6 hours in crock pot and then put the ribs on grill with plenty of BBQ sauce.
Thank you for any help you can give.
Cindie
Made these for dinner last night and they were fantastic, only change I made was to use country style boneless ribs so they only cooked for 7 hours on low to be tender. Thanks for another great recipe.
These ribs were good, but using the boneless ribs, made it almost impossible to get the ribs out of the crock pot. They fell apart into several tiny pieces. It was even worse on the grill. Several pieces fell into the grill because they were so tender. What we were able to salvage, did taste great.
…. and every one of the sisters are hot (they can cook too – BONUS)!!! Thanks Mom & Dad!
anybody ever answer you? that is exactly why I do not make ribs, don’t want to mess with that “silver skin” I think they call it…
WAIT A SEC!!!….. TEXAS and you’re cooking PORK RIBS??!!?? o_O WHO ARE YOU???!!!??
Can I replace the brown sugar with honey? If possible how much honey should I use?
Thanks in adv.
The honey may not grill very nicely. You are safe to stick with the brown sugar.
Has anyone done this with beef ribs?
I’ve made a similar recipe, boiling the “country style” ribs in pineapple juice until cooked, then placing them on the grill with sauce to get the grill marks and the smoky flavor. Simple… and delicious!
If I adjusted this for boneless skinless chicken breasts, how long would I cook it in the slow cooker? I would want it to be done but not fall apart, so I can caramelize it on the grill. Thanks
Hi Tara. We have not tried the chicken breasts with this recipe. But I’m sure it would work great. We don’t know the exact cooking time. So you will need to keep on eye on them until they are cooked through. Most Slow Cooker chicken recipes take anywhere from 4-8 hours.
Just wanted to pipe in here and say, I’ve been making this recipe for years and it’s the only way I’ll make ribs! I finish them in the oven usually, but I’ve only ever gotten rave reviews on these! Even from my BBQ snob dad!
I’d like recipe too, if you ever see this message that is Annie! Lol
Can u do the ribs in the instant pot what time and temperature do u put that on
Here is the recipe for delicious Instant Pot Ribs
I live in an apartment and can not have a grill, can i use my oven?
You can cook ribs in the oven. The grill is best. George Foreman grills are also a way to grill meat indoors.
Can I use pineapple juice (like orange juice) instead of canned?
Thank you for this delicious recipe. My husband couldn’t get enough and requested more for the next time. Just a note -my crockpot runs hot so they were actually done on low in 5 1/2-6 hours. I removed them from the pot, basted with the bbq sauce, and let them rest for a bit until they were grilled. I will definitely make these again.
Sure, whatever pineapple juice you have.
I live in an apartment and can not have a grill, can i put them in the over on broil ?
Sounds like a very long time to cook them on high. And why cut them into such small pieces. Maybe bigger pieces would be easier to get out of the crock pot without the meat falling completely apart.
It looks like you put the ribs on foil then the grill.
Is that correct?
We just have them sitting on foil while we transfer them to the grill. And then after they are grilled, we place them back on the same sheet. Whatever works best for you. But for grilling, they are place right onto the grill.
Recently made this recipe. First time EVER making ribs. They were so, so good. Had friends over and zctuallyjused them as guinea pigs. They loved them. Will be making thses A LOT.
Hello,
I am trying this recipe for the 1st time. I am going to do 3 pkgs. of the ribs, should I 3x’s the pinapple sauce and is 10 hrs on low the best way to cook that many ribs? How do you put them on the grill if they fall apart too much?
If you are tripling the recipe, you’ll want to triple everything including the sauce. You’ll will want more than one slow cooker (purchase a 2nd one or borrow one from a family member or friend) if you are cooking that many ribs so that they cook well and evenly in the slow cooker. Then just grill according to the recipe instructions and they should be fine.
Would you be able to use the instant pot instead of the slow cooker with this recipe? If so how long would you cook it for?
We have this recipe for the Instant Pot – https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/instant-pot-fall-off-the-bone-bbq-ribs/
This is my go to recipe for BBQ ribs. I have made ribs this way countless times now and they never disappoint. I have substituted beef ribs and they also turned out great. I’ve finished them in the oven instead of on the grill during bad weather and they were just as good (put them on the top rack at 375 until the sauce gets sticky). Great and super easy recipe!
I have made this recipe so many times now. Turns out great every time! When we can’t finish them on the grill we just put them on high heat on the top rack of the oven for a few minutes. My husband prefers dry rub ribs so we put dry rub on his abject they’re delicious that way also. We will never cook ribs any other way again.