For the Ribs
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp table salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 racks pork spareribs, trimmed St. Louis style and each rack cut in half
For the BBQ Sauce
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 5 tbsp apple juice
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
Season the Ribs
Mix the paprika, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Save 1 tablespoon for the sauce.
Pat the ribs dry with paper towels. Wet ribs won’t hold the rub. Coat all sides with the spice mix, working it in with your hands.
Slow Cook
Stand the ribs vertically in your slow cooker – thick ends down, meaty sides against the walls. They’ll overlap. That’s fine.
Cover and cook until meat pulls back from bones. HIGH takes ~5-6 hours, LOW takes ~6-7 hours.
Make the Sauce
In a saucepan, whisk together all sauce ingredients plus that saved tablespoon of rub.
Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to medium-low and simmer ~10 minutes, stirring occasionally. It’ll reduce to ~1 cup and thicken up.
Make this up to 3 days ahead if you want.
Get Ready to Broil
Line a baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack on top.
Remove ribs with tongs and arrange meaty side up on the rack. Let them sit ~10 minutes. This drying time helps the sauce stick and caramelize.
Broil for the Crust
Position oven rack ~3 inches from broiler. Preheat broiler.
Brush ribs with half the sauce. Broil ~4 minutes until bubbling and charring in spots. Watch them – sugar burns fast.
Brush with remaining sauce. Tent with foil and rest ~20 minutes. The rest lets juices redistribute and meat firm up for cleaner cuts.
Serve
Cut between bones and serve immediately.
St. Louis style ribs work best – they’re trimmed square and cook evenly. Baby backs work too but cook faster. The liquid smoke is worth buying – gives you that outdoor flavor indoors.
Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
Ingredients
For the Ribs
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp table salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 racks pork spareribs trimmed St. Louis style and each rack cut in half
For the BBQ Sauce
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 5 tbsp apple juice
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
Instructions
- Mix paprika, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Reserve 1 tbsp for sauce.
- Pat ribs dry, coat thoroughly with spice rub.
- Place ribs vertically in slow cooker, meaty sides against walls.
- Cook on HIGH 5-6 hours until meat pulls back from bones.
- Whisk sauce ingredients with reserved rub in saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes until thickened.
- Transfer ribs to wire rack on foil-lined baking sheet. Rest 10 minutes.
- Position rack 3 inches from broiler. Preheat broiler.
- Brush ribs with half the sauce, broil 4 minutes until charred.
- Brush with remaining sauce, tent with foil, rest 20 minutes.
- Cut between bones and serve.
