In the mood for barbecue-style low-and-slow pork ribs but can’t cook outdoors due to extreme cold, a lack of fuel for your cooker, or other factors? A slow cooker or instant pot-type pressure cooker are capable of producing very tasty ribs indoors.
Now let’s get one thing absolutely straight. Slow cooker ribs can be quite delicious, but they are an entirely different animal than slow roasted BBQ ribs on a grill, smoker, or even in your kitchen’s oven. There is a big difference between meats cooked in dry heat with warm air and in a wet environment like a slow cooker, instant pot, or stew pot. Wet cooked meats, also called stewed or braised, can be very moist and tender, but it is still possible to overcook and dry them out.
The core concept is to cook the meat in a closed pot over a low temp in a flavorful liquid that covers the meat only partially. Slow cookers are cheap and excellent at making braised meat that melts in your mouth. Instant pots are both slow cookers or if you wish, pressure cookers that can get the job done in less than an hour. They have the advantage of being easy to setup and you can start a meal in the morning and when you come home, it’s ready and the house smells like a restaurant. Every dorm room needs one.
Slow cookers adhere to the same principles as good outdoor barbecue cookers: Low and slow heat in a moist atmosphere. Slow cookers come in a wide range of sizes. If yours is large enough to hold two slabs, just double the recipe. This recipe is designed for a slow cooker that uses heating coils all around a removable ceramic pot such as the Rival Crock-Pot, West Bend Crockery Cookers, and Cuisinart Slow Cooker. Rival trademarked the name Crock-Pot and it is now owned by Jarden Corp. Some crockery cookers are nothing more than a hot plate with a crock on top. These heat from below only, and will likely burn the sweet sauce. If you don’t have a ceramic slow cooker, you can use a Dutch oven, a lidded pot, or even a baking pan covered with foil and put it in your oven at 200°F.
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But don’t just throw in a slab and a bottle of sauce (although this works fine). Make just little effort and you will be rewarded with this meat, potatoes, and veggie meal in one pot. If you have a Dutch oven or a nice pot with a tight lid, you’re good to go. Assemble the ingredients and cook it in your oven so the pot is surrounded by heat, not from just below.
This recipe is so simple. The ribs steam in flavorful aromatics, the sauce penetrates the meat, and they fall off the bone. You can use a storebought sauce or make your own. Even a displaced Alabama girl stuck in a University of Minnesota dorm during a blizzard will feel a little bit like she’s back on the farm if you serve her this ribs recipe alongside Pillsbury Buttermilk Flavored Biscuits, deli counter coleslaw, and Sara Lee Peach Pie.
Slow cooker temps
Slow cookers usually have three settings. Depending on the manufacturer, here’s what the mean, more or less:
Low. Approximately 200°F
Medium. Approximately 250°F
High. Approximately 300°F
The problem is that if there is a lot of liquid in the crock, then the water temp will rise to 212°F and stay there no matter what temp you have on the dial.
Click here for another recipe for indoor ribs cooked in the oven.
Slow Cooker And Instant Pot Ribs Recipe
Makes:
Takes:
Ingredients
- 1 slab St. Louis cut or spareribs
- 2 teaspoons Morton Coarse Kosher Salt
- 1 large onion
- 4 carrots
- 2 medium potatoes (it is OK to substitute sweet potatoes)
- 1 crunchy apple
- 1 cup Kansas City style tomato based barbecue sauce or teriyaki sauce (try one of our sauce recipes such as our Kansas City Classic, Eve's Pig Paint, or Hawaiian Huli-Huli Teriyaki Marinade and Sauce)
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
These recipes were created in US Customary measurements and the conversion to metric is being done by calculations. They should be accurate, but it is possible there could be an error. If you find one, please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the page
Method
- Prep. Remove the leathery membrane from the back of the rack of ribs then remove any excess fat (read more about how to skin and trim ribs by clicking here). Slice into 2 to 3 rib sections. Sprinkle with salt.
- Remove the ends and the outer skin of the onion. Cut it in half then into slivers.
- Peel the carrots and cut into bite-size pieces.
- Peel the potatoes (optional) then cut into bite-size pieces.
- Peel the apple, quarter it, remove the core, and cut into bite-size pieces.
- Mix the liquid smoke with the barbecue sauce.
- Cook. (Optional) If you have a broiler, place the meat about 6" (15.24 cm) under the broiler for about 15 minutes per side until brown. Keep an eye on them because they can start smoking in a very hot broiler. If you don't have a broiler, you can brown them in a pan with a little oil. In an instant pot you can brown the meat in the pot. Otherwise, don't sweat it. The little bit of flavor added by browning will not be missed.
- Line the bottom of the crockpot with the onion slices, carrots, apples, and potatoes. Place a layer of ribs on top, meaty side up. Pour the sauce over the ribs and coat the surface with a brush, spoon, or your (clean) fingers. Place another layer of ribs on top of the first layer, pour on more sauce, and spread. Keep going until all the ribs are in. Pour the remaining sauce on top. Resist the temptation to put the meat on the bottom. It will just get mushy.
- Place the cover on the slow cooker and cook on low (about 200°F (93°C)) for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. In an instant pot on pressure cook for about 45 minutes.
- When you’re done you will notice that the sauce is not as thick as when you started. A lot of the juices from the meat and other gredients will be extracted and you’ll have a rich, but runny sauce. If you have a stovetop, you can cook it down and thicken it, but I never bother. The thin sauce is concentrated in flavor and delicious.
- Serve. Divide the meat and other stuff between the diners, pour off the sauce, and serve it on the side.
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