Who’d have guessed that the BEST grilled baby back ribs I’ve ever had started in a slow cooker? It’s true, this grilled crockpot ribs recipe produces fall-off-the-bone tender ribs! Toss them on the grill for a few minutes and you have the best of both worlds…
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Wet Ones® Hand Wipes. The opinions and text are all mine.
Ever since we returned from our annual beach vacation, the reality that summer is winding down has slowly been sinking in. In fact, my kids already started school last week! I feel like this summer just flew by…
Those first few days of school are always rough, as we ease back into routines and juggling homework plus sports practices. So taking a cue from a Gabe and Garrett video my kids recently watched on YouTube, we decided this past weekend called for a little end of summer hoorah (AKA a family cookout with all the faves)!
My older boys requested that I add ribs to the menu, since we haven’t had them for awhile. Only problem? Other earlier obligations meant we didn’t have hours to grill them low and slow to perfection. So I decided to pull an old trick out of my bag and tossed them into the slow cooker for a few hours. Then we finished them off with about 15 minutes on the grill to add a little char.
The result? Seriously some of the BEST ribs I’ve ever tasted — full of flavor and fall apart tender. Now that I know how simple and easy this method is, and how delicious the results are, I predict that my future will be filled with many more requests for these grilled crockpot ribs!
Sticky Ribs Cleanup
Sticky ribs = sticky, messy fingers. So no cookout in our home would be complete without Wet Ones® Hand Wipes — sticky foods are no match for them! They’ve been a trusted brand for as long as I can remember. Even as a little girl, I can recall my grandma whipping them out to clean off my messy hands. I guess it’s only natural that I turn to Wet Ones®, as well.
Germs and sticky messes are a constant with kids — even older kids, like mine. Especially my 14-year-old, who’s still apt to use his shirt if nothing else is available. Ack! I just hand him a Wet Ones® Hand Wipe, and we can go on with our dinner, minus the extra nagging and frustration. They’re the ideal solution for quick clean-ups after sticky foods, greasy dirt, and everyday messes in general, while still being gentle on hands.
And then there’s this little guy — my youngest, who’s always eager to give anything a try that he knows his big brothers like. It’s a surefire way to get him to try new foods!
Between a little backyard soccer with his brothers and sisters, he ran over to gobble up his ribs, pausing for just a moment to wipe off his sticky chipotle glaze-covered hands with a Wet Ones®. And then he was right back at it! If only I could bottle some of his energy…
How To Make Grilled Crockpot Ribs
Want to give this grilled crockpot ribs method a try for yourself? You won’t believe how easy it is…
I started by rubbing down a couple racks of baby back ribs with a quick spice mixture I threw together: kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, ground cumin, and black pepper. Smoked paprika is a spice that I recently added to my collection, and I’m loving the smoky, spicy flavor that it adds to grilled foods.
Of course, you could just use your favorite store-bought spice rub instead. You’ll get great results either way!
Next, slice each rack into 3-4 portions, transfer to the slow cooker, and cook them on low for about 7-8 hours — any more and they become a little too tender to throw on the grill. I just layered them on top of each other in my 5-qt. crockpot, and they fit perfectly.
After their stint in the crockpot, I finished the ribs off on the grill over high heat for about 15 minutes, turning every few minutes. I basted them with the same sweet & spicy honey chipotle glaze that I used on my bacon-wrapped corn, which added the perfect amount of heat. I wasn’t kidding when I said we were going to smother everything in it!
Tip: You can also use this slow cooker method and then finish the ribs off under the broiler. This comes in handy during cold weather or if you run out of gas in your grill while cooking — which seems to happen for us way too often…
Grilled Crockpot Ribs
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4-6 servings
Who'd have guessed that the BEST grilled baby back ribs I've ever had started in a slow cooker? It's true, this grilled crockpot ribs recipe produces fall-off-the-bone tender ribs! Toss them on the grill for a few minutes and you have the best of both worlds...
Ingredients
- 2 racks baby back ribs
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the rub by mixing the following together with a fork: kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin and black pepper.
- Rub each rack of ribs with about 1 tablespoon of the dry rub, and then cut each into 3-4 portions.
- Add the apple cider vinegar to the crockpot, then layer each portion of ribs in it and cook on low for 7-8 hours. I recommend using a liner to avoid sticking.
- Remove the ribs from the slow cooker and grill over high heat. Cook for about 15 minutes or until you reach a nice char, brushing with your favorite BBQ sauce (try this honey chipotle glaze!) and turning frequently.
Notes
You may also cook the ribs in the crockpot on high for 4-5 hours.
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I know I’ll definitely be taking advantage of this offer! With fall soccer season starting, I need to replenish our cars and my kids’ soccer bags…
Joy says
I do so with my children too, always on the weekends I look for a different dish to eat on the weekend and they like the myth of new things, I’ll make your recipe and then I’m sure that just like yours, mine will want me to do more times.