Slow Cooker Country Ribs With BBQ Sauce

Sprinkle a few seasonings on bone-in or boneless country ribs, add them to a slow cooker on a layer of sliced onions with soda and tender, shredded pork will be ready in a few hours.

Our favorite way to enjoy slow cooker country style ribs is to slather them with BBQ sauce and broil for a few minutes before serving. This creates a delicious caramelized finish that takes this meal up a notch!

This recipe is sponsored by the Iowa Pork Association, but all opinions are my own!

Tender, Fuss Free Country Style Ribs Recipe

A combination of white meat and dark meat, country style ribs cooked in a slow cooker and coated with bbq sauce creates a tasty meal!

We like how versatile country ribs are. They can be picked up and eaten like a traditional rib or shredded with your fork and enjoyed as pulled pork.

Country ribs are a cut of pork from the intersection of the loin and shoulder. Therefore there are several muscles and connective tissue that will become tender when cooked slowly with low heat and some liquid. This creates variability in each piece of meat. When the ribs are fork tender they are ready to enjoy!

We have Instant Pot Country Ribs and Oven Baked Ribs and Sauerkraut, but love how hands off using a slow cooker makes this meal. Set it and forget it is the perfect way to describe this meal.

Serve with instant mashed potato casserole and bacon topped green beans for a nice family meal!

Recipe Tips For Success

• As long as there’s liquid in the crock, the meat can continue cooking and will only get more fall off the bone tender.
• Broiling for 3 to 4 minutes after cooking until tender in a crock pot is an optional finish to caramelize the sauce and add an extra step of flavor.
• We serve two to three ribs which is typically 1 to 1.5 pounds of meat per person.
• About one third of the pork raised in the USA comes from family farms in Iowa. So when you make and eat this meal, you are supporting family farms here in the United States.
• We love how cuts of pork are packed with protein, which helps us feel full longer.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Country Style Ribs – Bone-in or boneless work fine in this recipe. We prefer boneless as there’s a bit less picking to get the meat, but bone-in is more common and often a little cheaper.
• Onion – Sweet onion is our favorite, any larger onion works fine when sliced and creates a base for the ribs to cook on.
• Soda – We like dark colored pop like Coke or Pepsi.
• Barbecue Seasoning – Your favorite brand is fine.
• Additional Seasonings – Garlic powder, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper are our favorites.

Eye Appealing Country Ribs

Mom my always makes country ribs on New Year’s Day for our whole family to enjoy. We took over the task this year to begin experimenting.

We tested one batch of crock pot ribs in an Italian dressing and Worcestershire sauce marinade.

A second batch was slow cooked in barbecue sauce, but the sauce didn’t stick quite as well as the ribs release moisture while cooking.

The third batch of ribs was made in the slow cooker and then slathered with bbq sauce and broiled for 3 minutes.

The third batch with sauce was the clear winner. All options taste great, but there’s an eye appeal in the option we’re sharing here that seems to be most popular.

Step By Step Instructions

Mix together seasonings. Barbecue rub, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Sprinkle over the ribs and rub in to the top and sides of the ribs.

Slice an onion and lay in the bottom of a lightly greased 5 quart or larger crock pot. Add dark pop.

Arrange seasoned country ribs on top.

Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours.

When all of the meat is fork tender the ribs are ready to enjoy.

How To Broil Slow Cooked Country Ribs

Preheat oven to broil. Then set ribs out on a foil lined baking sheet and use a silicone brush to cover with the bbq sauce.

Broil for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce is soaked into the ribs and caramelized.

When using the broil setting check every minute and don’t step away as the sauce could burn.

Serve immediately and enjoy.

More Easy Family Meal Ideas

Kielbasa and Potatoes and Sausage Macaroni and Cheese are quick skillet meals that are great for week nights.

Ham Balls cook in a simple glaze to create a homestyle meal that we crave.

Sausage Biscuit and Gravy Casserole is quick to toss together and is great for any meal of the day!