Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Country Style Ribs Recipe

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4.75 from 4 votes
Published: April 1, 2022Updated: June 29, 2022Author: Elyse Ellis
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These Slow Cooker BBQ Country Style Ribs are fork tender, juicy and so easy to make. With boneless, country style ribs, liquid smoke, brown sugar, onion and BBQ sauce this is a recipe that is delicious and kid-friendly!
Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Country Style Ribs Recipe

If you love BBQ, these Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Country Style Ribs are for you!

I’ve always been a huge BBQ fan.  My husband and I are obsessed with a local BBQ joint and go there at least once a month so I can get my fill of BBQ ribs, brisket and all the sides.

We like to grill or use our smoker a lot during the summer months, but hate facing the bitter Utah winter weather to go out and barbecue during the colder months.

These Slow Cooker BBQ Country Style Ribs are easy to make, are tender and juicy and you get that tasty barbecue flavor without having to fire up the grill.

You could easily use another cut of meat for this recipe like pork butt or pork shoulder, but I like that country ribs are really meaty and you don’t have to try to eat off the bone.

Country ribs may have a little part of the shoulder bone on them, so check for that before cooking and you can easily cut it off.

Slow Cooker BBQ Country Style Ribs on a white plate

How to Make Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs:

It’s almost embarrassing how easy it is to make these Slow Cooker BBQ Country Style Ribs.

Start by spraying your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and placing the ribs on the bottom of your slow cooker.

Next, pour a little bit of liquid smoke over the top of the ribs so it can soak right into the meat.

Liquid smoke can be really overpowering, so be sure to not over do it!

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, some brown sugar and a diced onion over the meat and then top with your favorite barbecue sauce. You can try making these with various types of bbq sauce to try a different flavor as well.

Cover your slow cooker and cook on the low setting for 6-8 hours.

Fork with a piece of Slow Cooker BBQ Country Style Ribs

These ribs just fall apart and I love that you don’t have to worry about bones. Plus, the delicious ribs make for an easy clean-up since it only takes one pot!

With little kids, I’m always looking for ways to help make dinner time easier, so the fewer bones the better! This is one of our favorite recipes the whole family enjoys.

Looking for more freezer meals just like this? Click here for our top 100 Instant Pot Freezer Meals!

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What to serve with ribs:

I think the barbecue style side dishes might be my favorite sides of all.

We like to serve these Slow Cooker BBQ Country Style Ribs with corn on the cob or our Slow Cooker Creamed Corn.

Our Copycat Famous Dave’s Cornbread Muffins and our Mom’s Easy Potato Salad are barbecue staples in our family.

The Best Slow Cooker Rib Recipes:

Serves: 8

Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Country Style Ribs Recipe

4.75 from 4 votes
These Slow Cooker Ribs are tender, juicy and so easy to make. With boneless, country style ribs, liquid smoke, brown sugar, onion and BBQ sauce this is a recipe that is delicious and kid-friendly! Your entire family will be happy at dinner tonight when they see these on their plates.
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 8 hrs
Total Time 8 hrs 5 mins
Print Pin

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs
  • 2 Tablespoons liquid smoke
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 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

We like to serve these Slow Cooker BBQ Country Style Ribs with corn on the cob or our Slow Cooker Creamed Corn.
Our Copycat Famous Dave’s Cornbread Muffins and our Mom’s Easy Potato Salad are barbecue staples in our family.

Nutrition

Calories: 329 kcal · Carbohydrates: 15 g · Protein: 18 g · Fat: 11 g · Saturated Fat: 2 g · Cholesterol: 68 mg · Sodium: 652 mg · Potassium: 463 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 33 g · Vitamin A: 134 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 54 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker
  • Non-stick Cooking Spray

Recipe Details

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

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  1. Jenn says:
    March 24, 2019
    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.
  2. Mary says:
    May 17, 2019
    R they tough after4 hrs?
  3. Hollie says:
    February 23, 2020
    Better to slow cook it or can you put in instant pot and pressure cook? If so, for how long?
  4. Valerie Phillips says:
    February 23, 2020
    You didn't mention the cooking instructions for these ribs in the video. How long do you cook them in the InstaPot?
  5. Susan Shaw says:
    February 23, 2020
    I am sending the same thing. Thanks!
  6. Trisha Dunn says:
    February 24, 2020
    I was also looking for how long to cook them in an Instant Pot. Thank you!
  7. Naomi says:
    February 25, 2020
    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!
  8. Linda says:
    February 26, 2020
    In the video comments six sisters said 30 mins would be plenty
  9. Cyd says:
    February 27, 2020
    For about 30 minutes.
  10. Cyd says:
    February 27, 2020
    We cooked them for about 30 minutes.
  11. Helene says:
    February 29, 2020
    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?
  12. Jena says:
    March 21, 2020
    I want to use my instant pot for the second time what is the setting it needs to be?
  13. msSally says:
    March 23, 2020
    If you are cooking these in the Instant Pot do you need to add more liquid? And how long to cook?
  14. Sue says:
    March 24, 2020
    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
  15. Lorenzo de Eagledale says:
    March 24, 2020
    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.
  16. msSally says:
    March 25, 2020
    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?
  17. Tammie says:
    March 26, 2020
    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.
  18. Cyd says:
    March 26, 2020
    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/
  19. Cyd says:
    March 26, 2020
    Manual or pressure cook for 15 minutes.
  20. Mina DeFrancisco says:
    March 30, 2020
    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?
  21. Cyd says:
    March 30, 2020
    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/
  22. Barry says:
    April 15, 2020
    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.
  23. Cyd says:
    April 24, 2020
    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!!
  24. Kim says:
    April 28, 2020
    35 minutes and natural release for 15 minutes
  25. Carrie says:
    May 13, 2020
    Nutrition info?
  26. Cyd says:
    May 13, 2020
    You can put it in MyFitnessPal and it will calculate the nutrition.
  27. Jennifer says:
    May 17, 2020
    What size crock pot do you use? I have a medium round and a large oval.
  28. Cyd says:
    May 22, 2020
    Either of those should be just fine. We have a 7 quart slow cooker.
  29. Tracy says:
    June 14, 2020
    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.
  30. Bethy says:
    July 11, 2020
    from frozen how do you cook it?
  31. Cyd says:
    July 17, 2020
    You can thaw these ribs in the fridge overnight to thaw. We often just reheat in the microwave.
  32. Susan says:
    August 6, 2020
    I made the ribs in the instant pot tonight and they were delicious! Even my picky 2 year old ate them.
  33. Jenifer says:
    August 14, 2020
    Can I use bone in ribs with this recipe? If so does it change the time at all?
  34. Ashleigh says:
    August 17, 2020
    They were dry on low 5.5 hours so I suggest 3-4 instead.
  35. Sara says:
    August 20, 2020
    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!
  36. Cyd Adamson says:
    August 27, 2020
    You can use bone in and keep the time the same.
  37. Annette Specht says:
    August 29, 2020
    Do you have to have the other instant pot lid to make the ribs?
  38. Cyd Adamson says:
    September 4, 2020
    No, just the regular instant pot lid will work fine.
  39. Jacky86 says:
    October 3, 2020
    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. :(
  40. Alexis says:
    October 6, 2020
    I made these tonight and loved the flavor but my meat became really dry. Any recommendations on fixing that for next time?
  41. Momma Cyd says:
    October 15, 2020
    Did you cook them on low? We have the best luck when we cook our ribs on low instead of high.
  42. Momma Cyd says:
    October 15, 2020
    After cooking the sauce is thinner than regular bbq sauce because of the liquid that cooks off the ribs.
  43. Jill Casey says:
    October 18, 2020
    How long in slow cooker if your country style ribs are thawed out fresh?
  44. Momma Cyd says:
    October 21, 2020
    Low and slow is always best. Probably around 5-6 hours. Check them part way through cooking time.
  45. Janna Gimler says:
    October 31, 2020
    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.

    4 stars

  46. Mahesh Varma says:
    November 5, 2020
    What can I substitute the liquid smoke with ?
  47. Kiki says:
    November 9, 2020
    Don’t give up on the recipe! Cook in crock pot on low and check after 3 hours.
  48. Kiki says:
    November 9, 2020
    Sounds like a lot of people are experiencing dry ribs. The suggestion is to cook for less time, 3-4 hours instead.
  49. Shannon M says:
    January 31, 2021
    I am making the "freezer meal" option and considering doing in my InstaPot. Do you recommend? How much time from frozen? Thank you!
  50. Danielle Stapleton says:
    February 2, 2021
    I’m doing that as we speak and reading previous comments I’ve decided on 35 minutes with a natural pressure release.
  51. Momma Cyd says:
    February 3, 2021
    We have this recipe for the Instant Pot. Here is the link - https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/instant-pot-bbq-country-ribs-recipe/
  52. Ashley says:
    March 4, 2021
    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.

    5 stars

  53. Duke says:
    March 17, 2021
    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
  54. Linda says:
    March 17, 2021
    This was a hit! Will make them again

    5 stars

  55. Momma Cyd says:
    March 22, 2021
    It's in the instructions you listed. Sprinkle with brown sugar and diced onion over the meat.
  56. mamalm says:
    April 5, 2021
    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.
  57. Julie Keenum says:
    June 17, 2021
    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?????
  58. Momma Cyd says:
    June 17, 2021
    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.
  59. Kati says:
    August 20, 2021
    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!

    5 stars

  60. Annisa Larsen says:
    August 27, 2021
    You have to cook them longer. The longer you cook them the more tender they will be!
  61. Beatriz says:
    September 1, 2021
    Hi or lo pressure instapot temp?
  63. Ella says:
    September 28, 2021
    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 ?
  64. Momma Cyd says:
    September 29, 2021
    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.
  65. Fred says:
    October 10, 2021
    I think 2 TBS of liquid smoke a bit too much ?
  66. Diane Martis says:
    October 10, 2021
    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.
  67. Momma Cyd says:
    October 12, 2021
    You can cut back to your own liking and taste.
  68. Iris Crockett says:
    October 18, 2021
    Loved it
  69. Emily says:
    January 26, 2022
    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!!
  70. Momma Cyd says:
    January 26, 2022
    You could definitely use beef ribs too. They usually take longer to cook.
  71. April says:
    February 15, 2022
    Can you put the country ribs in straight from the freezer? I get them from a local farm already frozen.
  72. Momma Cyd says:
    February 15, 2022
    Yes, but it may take a little longer to cook.
  73. Mike says:
    March 29, 2022
    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?
  74. Pam says:
    April 13, 2022
    Should I use light or dark brown sugar?
  75. Momma Cyd says:
    April 14, 2022
    We use light brown sugar, but either will work great.
  76. Lynn D. says:
    May 31, 2022
    What brand bbq sauce do you use? I’m sure any can be used, what’s your favorite?
  77. Momma Cyd says:
    May 31, 2022
    Any bbq sauce works great. But we do like all the flavors of Sweet Baby Ray's and Stubb's.
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