Tender, smoky, succulent and beautifully caramelized Country Style Ribs are easy to make, and you don’t even need a grill!
Slow Cooker Country Ribs cook on the counter in your crockpot while you get to enjoy the wonderful aromas and get on with the rest of your day.
These delicious country style ribs are tender and meaty — absolutely mouthwatering. Just before serving, I brush them with barbecue sauce and pop them under the broiler to let them caramelize.
They’re perfect for BBQs and potlucks when the grill is already full. They’ll be a hit wherever you serve them. And when planning large backyard BBQs these ribs will be welcome next to any burgers, hotdogs, steaks or even Chichi’s air fryer bbq chicken legs.
You guys! You won’t believe how mouthwateringly delicious these simple ribs are! They’re one of David’s favorite meals. And as you’ll notice from the photos, we enjoy them often with all kinds of sides.
I can’t wait for you to try this scrumptious recipe for Country Style Ribs in your slow cooker.
I’ll also include oven instructions in the post, just in case you don’t have a slow cooker, ’cause you guys are my absolute favorite!
Let’s make some ribs!
The Ingredients
- Country Style Ribs – We most often prepare beef country ribs, but the same country-style ribs cut is available in pork, too. Both are delicious, and pork is definitely more economical. Choose your favorite.
- BBQ Rub – I’ve included my recipe for our favorite BBQ rub in the notes section of the recipe card. If you have a favorite brand, then, of course, use that one. Mine calls for brown sugar, salt and pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, and chipotle chili powder.
- Red Onions – The base of all savory, umami flavors. Slow-cooked onions add so much to the flavor of country ribs and their drippings.
- Liquid Smoke – The secret to the smoky, grilled flavor without having to fire up the grill. See my description, below.
- Barbecue Sauce – Again, this will be a matter of personal preference. We love Sweet Baby Ray’s Brown Sugar and Hickory. And if you like making your own, you’re gonna love this 2 Ingredient BBQ Sauce from Katy over at the Katy Kicker blog. Choose your favorite barbecue sauce brand or recipe and make these yummy Country Style Ribs your own.
What Is Liquid Smoke?
Liquid Smoke is a seasoning that’s been around since the 1800s.
To make it, smoke is captured inside a condenser.
Then, the smoke is cooled and captured in water as a condensate.
Next, it’s filtered and bottled. Ta-da! Liquid smoke.
I love the flavor it adds to recipes. And, when it’s too cold to fire up the smoker, liquid smoke is a great option for adding flavor.
Can I leave liquid smoke out of the recipe? Of course. You just won’t get that delicious smoky flavor.
Exactly What Cut Makes Country Style Ribs?
You may find them packaged as Country Ribs or Country Style Ribs. In spite of their name, Country-style ribs are not ribs at all. I know. Shocking. Right?
And where the cut comes from depends on the animal. As I mentioned earlier, you can buy country ribs in beef or pork.
For pork country ribs, the cut comes from the point where the loin meets the shoulder of the hog. So, pork country-style ribs are a delicious blend of light-colored lean from the loin and rich dark meat from the shoulder area.
You can also buy pork country ribs with the bone in, but I personally prefer boneless.
For beef country ribs, the ribs are cut from the chuck area of the cow, again up near the shoulder. It’s the same cut that chuck steaks (poor man’s ribeye) are taken from.
Are you starting to see why these flavorful cuts of meat can benefit from low and slow cooking?
Just like Mississippi Pot Roast, Maple Mustard Pork Loin or my easy 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Roast Beef Dinner, the slow cooker does all the work of tenderizing the beef and makes these slow cooker country ribs utterly irresistible.
If you want to learn to cook a bone-in cut of ribs, try these St. Louis Ribs from Sarah at Real Food with Sarah.
What to Serve with Country Ribs
My all-time favorite drink for a BBQ is iced tea. Did you know you can grow your own tea!!??! My friend Leah over at Bagels and LAsagna tells you just how to do it. Be sure to check out her post.
If I’m in the mood for sweet beverages, there’s always soda, but nothing beats homemade lemonade, rhubarb lemonade, easy homemade rhubarb soda or blueberry lemonade.
And for a summertime dessert that’s as celebratory as a delicious pile of BBQ Country Ribs, check out these delish 4th of July Cupcakes from Nora over at Combine Good Flavors! Yum!
FAQs
Yes. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Follow the recipe, but place the ribs in a roasting pan covered tightly with foil. Bake for 2 hours. Remove the foil. The ribs should have started getting tender when you test them with a fork.
After the two hours is up, remove the country ribs from your roasting pan. Pour off all the drippings so your roaster is empty. You can discard the drippings or save them for gravy, whichever you prefer.
Enjoy the roasted onions, as is, alongside the ribs later, or you can discard them. We love to place them back in the pan and then place the ribs on top of them. They get toasty and caramelized as the ribs finish baking. It is a matter of preference. So make this what your family will love best.
Put the ribs back in the roaster, brush with barbecue sauce and return them to the oven. Now, turn the oven down to 275°F and bake the ribs for an additional hour until the sauce has caramelized and the country-style ribs are fork tender.
How to Make Slow Cooker Country Ribs
- Make the BBQ rub, or get your store-bought rub and a platter or tray ready.
- Coat each of the ribs with BBQ rub. I poured the rub onto one end of the platter and rolled each one into the rub to coat all sides. Be sure to coat the ends, too.
- Chop the onion into medium dice.
- Spread the onion in the bottom of the slow cooker and drizzle the liquid smoke over the top.
- Arrange the country ribs over the top of the onions.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until the ribs are tender and cooked through. You will be able to easily pull pieces away with a fork when the ribs are done.
- When the ribs are done cooking, preheat your broiler while you arrange the ribs on a baking sheet.
- Brush the ribs with barbecue sauce and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the sauce sets and begins to caramelize. Keep an eye on the ribs. Sugary barbecue sauce can burn quickly. Check at 1 minute and then every 15 seconds after that.
The Recipe
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BBQ Country Style Ribs Recipe (for the Slow Cooker)
- Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 – 8 servings 1x
Description
Tender, smoky, succulent and beautifully caramelized Country Style Ribs are easy to make, and you don’t even need a grill! Ribs are a summertime classic, but you don’t need to miss out if you don’t own a smoker or a grill. These scrumptious Slow Cooker Country Ribs are a hit at every barbecue.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds country style ribs, (I buy beef & boneless. You can also buy pork and/or bone-in.)
- 1/3 cup BBQ dry rub (recipe in notes, or substitute your favorite)
- 2 large red onions, diced
- 1 Tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s Hickory Brown Sugar)
Instructions
- Make the BBQ rub or get your store-bought rub and a platter or tray ready.
- Coat each of the ribs with BBQ rub. I poured the rub onto one end of the platter and rolled each one into the rub to coat all sides. Be sure to coat the ends, too.
- Chop the onion into medium dice.
- Spread the onion in the bottom of the slow cooker and drizzle the liquid smoke over the top.
- Arrange the ribs over the top of the onions.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until the ribs are tender and cooked through. You will be able to easily pull pieces away with a fork when the ribs are done.
- When the ribs are done cooking, preheat your broiler while you arrange the ribs on a baking sheet.
- Brush the country-style ribs with barbecue sauce and place the baking sheet under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the sauce sets and begins to caramelize. Keep an eye on the ribs. Sugary barbecue sauce can burn quickly. Check it at 1 minute and then every 15 seconds after that.
Notes
Homemade BBQ Rub
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 Tablespoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
Mix all the ingredients together and store in an air-tight container in a cool dark cupboard or pantry.
Boneless vs Bone-In
I always buy boneless country ribs for this recipe. If you buy bone-in, remember that you should purchase more to net the same number of servings. 3 lbs. with bones will not feed near as many people as boneless.
Can I Make Country Style Ribs in the Oven?
Yes. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Follow the recipe, but place the ribs in a roasting pan covered tightly with foil. Bake for 2 hours. Remove the foil. The ribs should have started getting tender when you test them with a fork.
After the two hours is up, remove the country ribs from your roasting pan. Pour off all the drippings so your roaster is empty. You can discard the drippings or save them for gravy, whichever you prefer.
Enjoy the roasted onions, as is, alongside the ribs later, or you can discard them. We love to place them back in the pan and then place the ribs on top of them. They get toasty and caramelized as the ribs finish baking. It is a matter of preference. So make this what your family will love best.
Put the ribs back in the roaster, brush with barbecue sauce and return them to the oven. Now, turn the oven down to 275°F and bake the ribs for an additional hour until the sauce has caramelized and the country-style ribs are fork tender.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Main Dish, Beef, Pork, Slow Cooker
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
About Glenda
I believe cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated and that YOU can do it. My simple recipes, tutorials, and cooking tips will help you get weeknight dinners on the table with less stress. Forget takeout or the drive-thru. Let me show you how to make homemade easy. Read more...
I’m adding country-style ribs to my grocery list ASAP!
Yay! I’m excited for you to try them Jill. Enjoy!
Wow! I am super happy I found this recipe! I had never made ribs in the slow cooker before, but thanks to this recipe I can easily make ribs I enjoy even during the cold winter months.
Thanks so much, Josh! I’m glad you are enjoying the recipe.
Oh my goodness this recipe is perfection. Tender and beautifully flavored meat. This recipe is a keeper.
Thanks, Jo! I appreciate that.
This country style ribs recipe is so easy and convenient to make with the help of a slow cooker! It was mouthwatering and incredibly delicious, it melted in our mouths! So impressive!
That’s great news, Sharina! Thank you for the lovely compliment.
I made this last night and it was so good! I cooked it for six hours, but I think next time I’ll cook it for eight.
Perfect, Jane! So glad you’re making the recipe your own and adapting it to your own equipment.
The ribs were incredibly flavorful. I loved the blend of spices in your rub and I’ll definitely be making them again for our next family barbecue!