Easy BBQ Ribs
It’s football season, which means tailgating, “home” gating, parties, and lots of good food.
It can also mean running around like crazy, trying to get kids to various sports activities (like more football and soccer), and little time to chill, let alone have dinner ready in time.
Or, it can mean lazy weekend afternoons on the back porch, staring into the sunset while others are busy watching football.
That’s why these easy BBQ ribs are clutch.
They fit so many needs, busy or not.
Plus they taste amazing. As though you slaved over a hot grill for 10 hours, meticulously slathering BBQ sauce, and adjusting temps.
Except you didn’t. Winning!
Throw them together sometime in the morning, with a homemade BBQ sauce or your favorite jarred variety. Toss them into the slow cooker, set it on low for five or six hours, and VOILA!
Fall-off-the bone, deliciously tender, BBQ ribs.
This will become a weekly thing, regardless of how busy you are. Promise.
- 1 rack baby back pork ribs
- For the rub:
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- For the BBQ sauce:
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ⅛ cup water
- Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a small sauce pan, and cook it over medium-high heat until it starts to bubble. Continue cooking for 5 minutes, then set aside.
- Combine all the rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Cut the rack of ribs in half. Coat both sides of each of rib halves with the rub mixture, pressing gently on the meat so that the rub coats it well and sticks.
- Place the ribs standing into the slow cooker, with the meat side facing out (against the wall). Use wadded up foil in the center of the slow cooker to keep the ribs standing if they start to slip.
- Pour a tablespoon of your BBQ sauce over each of the rib racks, then cover and cook the ribs on low for 6 hours.
- Preheat your broiler on high for 5 minutes with oven rack about 4″ from the element. Cover a baking sheet with foil, and then gently set each rib rack on top, meat side up. (They will be VERY tender, so don’t be alarmed if they start falling off the bone here.)
- Coat the top of each rack with 2 or 3 tablespoons of your BBQ sauce, then broil the slow cooker BBQ ribs for 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the edges are crispy.
- Serve immediately!
