Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs + VIDEO - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

FAQs

Why are my slow cooked ribs tough? ›

If your ribs are chewy, you either forgot to remove the membrane from the back of the ribs or you didn't cook them long enough.

Don't worry that the ribs go into the slow cooker without liquid; the heat is gentle enough that the ribs do not burn, and the meat releases liquid as it cooks, so it braises in its own spiced juices.

The secret to incredibly tender ribs is baking them low and slow. Baking ribs in the oven is so easy. 95% of the cooking time is spent relaxing while your ribs transform into fall-off-the-bone perfection.

When using a slower method like the grill, smoker, or oven, you'll need about 3-5 hours. Slower methods can be ready in as little as 30 minutes - however, keep in mind that the longer you cook your pork back ribs the more tender and succulent they'll be.

Collagen makes meat tough when cooked quickly, but when slow-cooked, it breaks down into gelatin, giving you that juicy, tender mouthfeel. Fattier — and cheaper — cuts of beef can also be good for slow cooking, because the fat helps to ensure the beef won't dry out while adding extra flavour.

Place ribs bone-side down in smoker at 225 F /110 C and cook for three hours. Remove ribs from the smoker and wrap tightly in aluminum foil to form an airtight seal. Return to the smoker bone-side up and smoke for two hours.

Grill all the way

For ribs with incomparably smoky flavor, you have to cook them low and slow on the grill, adding more charcoal and wood chips every so often to keep the temperature steady.

Cooking any kind of meat for too long will usually leave it dry, tough, and utterly unappealing. In all honesty, cooking BBQ ribs to perfection is something of an artform. It's not something the home chef does very often, and overcooking the ribs is a common way to disappoint yourself when you sit down to eat.

How to get ribs to fall off the bone? ›

Place the ribs bone side down into a large deep baking pan. I used a 400-hotel pan. Pour 2 cups of beef stock into the pan. Cover with foil and bake at 300° for 2 ½ hours or until the meat easily pulls away from the bones.

“Boil your meat first”

Add in the ribs and turn the heat low. Allow the ribs to simmer for about 45-minutes until just tender but the meat is not falling off the bones.

Believe it or not, you can overcook ribs in a slow cooker.

Meat Thermometer

The light connective tissue in ribs begins to break down around 195 degrees F. Anything under that temperature and your ribs will be chewy, stringy, and tough. At 195 degrees F, that tissue starts to gelatinize and turn into tasty, melty deliciousness.

Add Just Enough Liquid

This doesn't mean the meat should be submerged; a cup or two of liquid will be enough, since the cooker is covered and liquids stay trapped inside. If you want the dish to be saucy, or you're making a beef stew, add enough liquid to come about 1/3 of the way up on the meats in the slow cooker.