These slow cooker beef ribs are a delight! They are tender, succulent, and incredibly flavorful.
I cook them slowly for several hours, then baste them with the pan juices and briefly broil them to brown the fat.
These ribs are so good. They have an intense beefy flavor and lots of delicious, melt-in-your-mouth fat. They are huge and very satiating. I eat two of them, and I'm stuffed for hours!
Apart from being delicious, these ribs are also very easy to make, and I love the fact that leftovers are REALLY good - almost better than the freshly cooked ribs.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Beef back ribs: I usually get them at the meat counter at Whole Foods.
- Smoked salt: This ingredient is non-negotiable! The smoky flavor it adds greatly enhances the ribs. This is the brand I use.
- To season: Black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika (also very important), ground cumin, and dried thyme.
Variation
You can cook these ribs with BBQ sauce if you wish. Personally, I'm not a fan because these ribs are so wonderfully flavorful, and I don't want a sweet-tasting sauce to mask their flavor.
But if you'd like to try, season the ribs with just salt and pepper. Then spoon barbecue sauce on top of each rib, using a total of about 1 cup for all of them. Cook them for 6 hours on LOW. Once cooked, spoon some more BBQ sauce on top of each rib (use a total of about ½ cup) and briefly broil them.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Your first step is to cut the rack into individual ribs. You can remove the thin membrane from the bone side of the ribs, but it's not mandatory, and I typically don't.
Mix the salt and spices and season the tops of the ribs, gently pressing to help the spices adhere.
Add water to the slow cooker pan, then layer the ribs in the pan. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
Transfer the cooked ribs to a rimmed baking sheet. Baste them with the pan juices, then briefly broil them to brown and crisp them up. That's it! Dinner is served.
Expert Tip
Using smoked salt and smoked paprika in this recipe is a must. They both impart a subtle but wonderful smoky flavor to the ribs and greatly enhance their flavor.
You can buy smoked salt on Amazon. Smoked paprika is available on Amazon and in most supermarkets.
Recipe FAQs
These ribs have a thin membrane attached to the bone side. You can remove it if you wish. But it gets considerably soft in the slow cooker, does not interfere with eating the ribs, and helps them stay intact. So I don't remove it.
I like to use the slow cooker. These ribs are wonderful because they are cooked for several hours on very low heat in a moist environment. You can't cook these ribs quickly. If you do, the meat would be tough and chewy.
You can try cooking them on HIGH for 3-4 hours, but they won't be the same. It's best to make this recipe on a day when you have the time to cook them on LOW for the full six hours.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve these ribs with any side you like! They're very versatile. Personally, I like to serve them with any of the following side dishes:
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power, or in a 350°F oven (uncovered). You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
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Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Beef Ribs
Ingredients
- 4 pounds beef back ribs - 7-8 ribs
Seasoning mix:
- 2 teaspoons smoked salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- If your ribs come in a full rack, turn the rack bone side up. Use a well-sharpened butcher’s knife or chef’s knife to cut the rack into individual ribs.
- Prepare the seasoning mix: In a small bowl, mix the smoked salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and dried thyme.
- Turn the ribs bone side down. Season them with the seasoning mix, pressing to help the spices adhere to the meat.
- Layer the ribs in a 6-quart slow cooker pan. Add ½ cup of water to the bottom of the pan.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
- Fit an oven rack 6 inches below the broiler element (not directly below) and heat your broiler on high (500°F). Arrange the ribs on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Baste them with the cooking liquids.
- Broil the ribs briefly to brown them, for about 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- You can remove the thin membrane from the bone side of the ribs, but this membrane helps prevent the ribs from falling apart and is considerably softened in the slow cooker. I don't remove it.
- Using smoked salt and smoked paprika in this recipe is a must. They both impart a subtle but wonderful smoky flavor to the ribs and greatly enhance their flavor. You can buy smoked salt on Amazon. Smoked paprika is available on Amazon and in most supermarkets.
- The nutrition info assumes the entire rib is eaten - lean and fat parts.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. Gently reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power, or in a 350°F oven (uncovered). You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Mia
My husband absolutely loved my ribs this way!! Thank you for sharing.
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! You're very welcome, Mia!
Christo
Perfect Thank you!
Vered DeLeeuw
You're very welcome, Christo! Glad you liked these ribs.
Grace
Excellent. Simple, with a deep rich flavor. I used the cut off bones from the standing rib eye roasts I picked up to cut steaks. I was pleasantly surprised that there was so much meat on the bone, and delighted that I could use them in such a delicious way. I even made a gravy from the drippings (the 1/2 Cup water was perfect). Looking forward to making this recipe my own.
Vered DeLeeuw
How wonderful, Grace! I'm so glad this recipe worked for you. Thank you for taking the time to write a detailed comment.
Brock
Made this recipe EXACTLY as written (detest reviews where individuals make deviations and say how good, or poor, it was).
It was absolutely delicious!
The smoked salt and smoked paprika certainly impart a nice subtle smokey flavor.
Job well done!
Vered DeLeeuw
Thank you for following the recipe! I'm so glad you liked it!
Kym Snelling
Excellent recipe in its simplicity! I only made a couple of adjustments. I broiled the ribs for about 7 minutes on each side before I slow-cooked them. Also, instead of using water in the bottom of my crockpot, I used beef broth. My family really enjoyed them.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe, Kym! Thank you for leaving a comment.