Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
BBQ ribs don’t have to be cooked on the grill. Try these mouth-watering Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs that will be the easiest ribs you ever make!
I made these ribs a while ago and they were awesome! Naturally I made them again served them at my small paleo potluck and people seemed to like them.
Except the second batch I quadrupled and didn’t have the time to cook for a full 6 hours so the sauce was thinner and the ribs were almost fall off the bone quality but they were still yummy!

Don’t forget to sear the ribs because this adds a lot of flavor and improves the texture of the finished ribs.
You can also try out my other BBQ inspired recipes like Maple BBQ Sauce, Campfire Banana Boat, and Grilled Asparagus.


Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs Recipe
Author: Carol Lovett
Yield: 1 rack of ribs
Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs Ingredients
BBQ Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut amino acids
- 1/4 cup of maple syrup or more – use erythritol if you want to make it keto friendly
- 1 can of tomato paste
- 3 tbsp of ground dried mustard
- 3 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional – gives it a smoky flavor)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp ground pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (use less if you don’t like it spicy)
- 1 cup or more of homemade chicken broth or water
How to Make Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs
- Generously apply salt and pepper all over the rack of ribs.
- Place some grass fed ghee/olive oil or preferred fat into a large pan and turn to medium-high heat.
- Place the ribs in the heated pan and brown both sides.
- In a bowl mix together all the sauce ingredients and pour into a slow cooker that can fit the ribs. You can also cut the ribs into smaller sections to fit better.
- Place the ribs in the sauce and turn the temperature of the slow cooker to low heat.
- The sauce should cover the majority of the ribs. If it doesn’t add a little more chicken broth or water.
- Allow the ribs to cook for 6 hours flipping the ribs around 3 hours.
- When the ribs are done they should be falling off the bone. If the BBQ sauce is not thick enough place it in a pot and bring to a boil and continue boiling it and stirring it until it is thick enough.
Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

Ingredients
- 1 rack of pork ribs
- Sea Salt & Pepper to season
- Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut amino acids
- 1/4 cup of maple syrup or more
- 1 can of tomato paste
- 3 tbsp of ground dried mustard
- 3 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp ground pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne (use less if you don't like it spicy)
- 1 cup or more of homemade chicken broth or water
Instructions
- Generously apply salt and pepper all over the rack of ribs.
- Place some ghee/olive oil or preferred fat into a large pan and turn to medium-high heat.
- Place the ribs in the heated pan and brown both sides.
- In a bowl mix together all the sauce ingredients and pour into a slow cooker that can fit the ribs. You can also cut the ribs into smaller sections to fit better.
- Place the ribs in the sauce and turn the temperature of the slow cooker to low heat.
- The sauce should cover the majority of the ribs. If it doesn't add a little more chicken broth or water.
- Allow the ribs to cook for 6 hours flipping the ribs around 3 hours.
- When the ribs are done they should be falling off the bone. If the BBQ sauce is not thick enough place it in a pot and bring to a boil and continue boiling it and stirring it until it is thick enough.