These Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs are an incredibly easy and delicious way to cook fork tender pork ribs. This easy recipe uses only 4 ingredients and has no preparation time!
Easy Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs Recipe
Use your favorite bottle of barbecue sauce, freshly ground black pepper and salt, and either bone-in or boneless pork ribs to make the simplest slow cooker country ribs. It's an easy and foolproof recipe that makes wonderfully tender country style pork ribs with minimal effort from you!
You can cook the pork ribs on their own and serve with a side of air fried baby potatoes and vegetables, like green beans or asparagus. Or make it a one pot slow cooker dinner by adding potatoes and carrots to the slow cooker with your country ribs.
Either way, making country ribs in a crock pot is so simple, budget-friendly, and family-friendly.
MORE EASY SLOW COOKER RECIPES TO TRY
What Are Country Style Ribs?
Country style ribs are rib-like cuts of pork meat that come from the shoulder area of the pig so they aren't ribs at all. They are usually boneless, but when they do have a bone in, it is not a rib bone and instead is a bone from the shoulder blade. They are slow cooked in the oven or crock pot, usually in barbecue sauce or with other bold flavors, til the meat is fall-off-the-fork-tender.
Recipe FAQs
Country style ribs are made with boneless or bone-in pork shoulder. This cut of meat is labeled "pork shoulder" or "pork shoulder butt country ribs".
Country ribs can be made with bone-in or boneless pork shoulder.
Pork ribs take 4-6 hours on the low setting or 2-3 hours on the high setting. I don't recommend cooking them on high, as this style of meat tastes best cooked low and slow.
You should not need to cook for any longer if the recipe ingredients are increased. Just make sure that the internal temperature of the pork is 160 degrees Fahrenheit prior to rubbing on the barbecue sauce.
Your ribs will become more tender the longer they cook. At around the 4 hour mark they start to lose their toughness and become very tender. A few hours later they will be so tender they literally fall of your fork!
Ingredients
- Pork country style ribs: this cut of meat may be called a few different things, such as pork shoulder or pork shoulder butt country ribs. Use bone-in ribs or boneless ribs.
- Barbecue sauce: use your favorite brand of bottled bbq sauce or a homemade sauce. My favorite is Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce.
- Pepper: freshly ground black pepper is preferable.
- Salt: freshly ground salt is preferable, but table salt works just as well.
How To Make Country Pork Ribs In A Crock Pot
STEP 1: Place the ribs in the slow cooker in an even layer or layers, depending on how many pounds of meat you're using. Sprinkle evenly with freshly ground black pepper and salt.
STEP 2: Cover and set the crock pot to slow cook on LOW for 6 hours. After 4 hours, remove the pork ribs and carefully drain the liquid in the slow cooker. Brush one side of the ribs with half of the barbecue sauce and put the ribs back into the crockpot with the sauced side down.
STEP 3: Brush the top side of the ribs with the remaining bbq sauce. Put the cover back on and cook for 1-2 hours more, until the meat is very tender and falls apart easily.
*When the ribs have cooked for 5 hours time, check that the internal temperature has reached 160 degrees Fahrenheit with a digital thermometer. If it has, remove the ribs to a serving dish and check for tenderness. Brush with additional barbecue sauce if desired and serve. If the ribs have not come to temperature or still appear tough, continue to cook in 15 minute increments until done.
Enjoy!
What To Serve With BBQ Country Style Ribs
Some ideas for sides to serve with your slow cooker country ribs are:
- Instant Pot Broccoli
- Air Fryer Asparagus Parmesan
- Air Fryer Cauliflower with Herbs and Lemon
- Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Twice Baked Potatoes with Cheddar and Chives
- Instant Pot Mashed Cauliflower
- Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
- Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Corn On The Cob
- Buttered Noodles
Easy Variations
- make it a one pot dinner by adding potatoes and carrots.
- add onions and garlic to the bottom of the pot.
- add seasonings like chili powder or cumin.
- make them sweet and sticky by adding some brown sugar.
- mix the bbq sauce with liquid smoke for a little extra flavoring.
How To Store Leftover Cooked Ribs
Store leftover cooked ribs in the fridge for up to 5 days in a covered container or in the freeze for up to 6 months.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs
Equipment
- slow cooker
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 4 lbs country style pork ribs
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- freshly ground salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the ribs in the slow cooker. Sprinkle evenly with freshly ground black pepper and salt.
- Cover and set the crock pot to slow cook on LOW for 6 hours. After 4 hours, remove the pork ribs and carefully drain the liquid in the slow cooker. Brush one side of the ribs with half of the barbecue sauce and put the ribs back into the crockpot with the sauced side down.
- Brush the top side of the ribs with the remaining bbq sauce. Put the cover back on and cook for 1-2 hours more, until the meat is very tender and falls apart easily.
- Remove from the slow cooker and brush with a little morel barbecue sauce. Serve with your favorite side dishes.
Joni
I made this just as directed and it was chewy and tough. I would not recommend it
Beth
This rib recipe was delicious. I used sugar free BBQ sauce. Would make recipe again.
Tristin
This recipe came out juicy and full of flavor! It made the perfect Sunday dinner!
Hayley
How amazing and delicious this ribs are, that was the response I got from my friend! Such a juicy and tender dish.