These easy Crock-Pot Ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender, packed with smoky flavor, and finished with a bold chipotle BBQ sauce. They are simple, delicious, and perfect for dinner.
Should You Make This Recipe?
Time: Just 15 minutes of prep, 5 minutes to blend the BBQ sauce, and 4 hours in the slow cooker.
Ingredients: You’ll need a few spices, baby back ribs, BBQ sauce, and olive oil for the ribs. If making the BBQ sauce from scratch, grab canned chipotle peppers, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, and a couple of spices.
Ease: So simple to make and absolutely worth it! The homemade chipotle BBQ sauce is just as easy, and way better than store-bought.
Sound Good? Jump to the recipe arrow⬇️If you need ribs less time make them in the oven: Oven Baked Chipotle BBQ Ribs!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Baby Back Ribs – Baby back ribs are tender, flavorful, and ideal for oven cooking. If you can't find them, you can substitute with St. Louis-style ribs or spare ribs. See the questions section below for tips on cooking other rib cuts!
Rib Rub – You will need salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
Olive Oil – Helps the spices stick to the ribs and keeps them moist.
Water – A bit of moisture in the slow cooker keeps the ribs tender.
Chipotle BBQ Sauce – Make it at home with canned chipotle peppers, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
Full ingredient list with quantities in the recipe card below
How to Make Crock-Pot Ribs
Step 1 | Season Ribs
Pat the ribs dry, remove the back membrane, add oil, and season them.
Step 2 | Cook Ribs in Slow Cooker
Add the ribs to the slow cooker, add water, and cook for 4 hours on low.
Step 3 | Make Chipotle BBQ Sauce
While the ribs cook, add all BBQ sauce ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth.
Step 4 | Add BBQ Sauce and Broil
Transfer the cooked ribs, on to a baking sheet. Brush the ribs generously with BBQ sauce. Broil for 2–4 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and slightly chars in spots.
Tips & Notes
Remove the membrane from the ribs: Removing the membrane can be easy or a little tricky! Use a sharp paring knife to loosen one corner of the thin, papery layer on the back of the ribs. Once you’ve got a good grip, use your hands (or a paper towel for better grip) to pull it off in one piece.
Sides
Oven Baked Potato Wedges – These take very little effort to make and give you perfectly seasoned, creamy potato wedges you'll want for every dinner.
Texas Toast Garlic Bread – Nothing beats the taste (and smell) of homemade Texas Toast.
Parmesan Smashed Potatoes – Regular smashed potatoes are great, but when you add Parmesan and garlic butter, they transform into something irresistible.
Common Questions
Baby Back Ribs – are the best choice as they are leaner, curvier, and cook quickly in 6-6.5 hours.
St. Louis Style Ribs – are fattier and require a larger slow cooker (7-8 quarts) with an extra 1-2 hours of cooking time.
Spare Ribs – being larger and meatier, also need a bigger slow cooker and will take about 8 hours to become tender.
Yes! Double the amount of ribs. Cut the ribs to fit in your slow cooker if needed, making sure they’re standing upright. Double the amount of rub and BBQ sauce ingredients, but you’ll still only need ½ cup of water. The cooking time stays the same.
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Crock-Pot Chipotle BBQ Ribs
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- ½ tablespoon table salt
- 1 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 ¾ to 3 pounds baby back ribs 1-2 racks
- 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup Chipotle BBQ Sauce homemade or store bought
Chipotle BBQ Sauce
- ⅓ cups ketchup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1.5 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce use 1 peppers for a light kick
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Pat the ribs dry with paper towels.
- Flip the ribs so the bone side is up. Use a knife or your fingers to loosen a corner of the thin silver membrane. Grip the membrane with a paper towel and pull it off in one piece.
- Rub both sides of the ribs with olive oil. Generously coat both sides with the dry rub, pressing it in gently.
- Curl the ribs inside the slow cooker so they fit, with the meaty side facing outward.
- Pour ½ cup water into the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or until the meat easily pulls away from the bones.
- While the ribs cook, add all BBQ sauce ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust the seasoning if needed (see notes).
- Once the ribs are done cooking, Preheat the broiler and position the oven rack in the upper third. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Transfer the cooked ribs, meaty side up, to the baking sheet. (Tip: Using two tongs makes this easier.)
- Brush the ribs generously with BBQ sauce.
- Broil for 2–4 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and slightly chars in spots.
- Slice the ribs and serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side.
Notes
- If the sauce isn’t spicy enough, add another chipotle pepper.
- If it’s too spicy, add an extra tablespoon of brown sugar.
- For a bolder BBQ flavor, mix in an extra tablespoon of vinegar and Worcestershire sauce
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and may vary based on the ingredients used.
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- Slow Cooker Beef Ragu – This Slow-Cooker Beef Ragu only takes 15 minutes to prep.
Crock-Pot Shredded Beef Tacos – After several rounds of testing, I discovered the secrets to make these beef tacos super flavorful.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!