Slow Cooker Bourbon Baby Back Ribs
These bourbon baby back ribs are slow-cooked until tender and infused with a rich, tangy bourbon barbecue sauce. The slow cooker makes this an easy, hands-off recipe that delivers juicy, flavorful ribs perfect for entertaining or a cozy meal at home.
Servings 14 ribs
Calories 220kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Bar-bie sauce
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup bourbon (or to taste)
- 1/8 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic paste (or two cloves, crushed)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper (or a few shakes)
Meat
- 3 pounds baby back ribs (trimmed, membrane removed, and cut in half)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add ketchup, bourbon, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic, onion powder, and pepper.3/4 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup bourbon, 1/8 cup maple syrup, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons garlic paste, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- Mix with a whisk until incorporated.
- To fit the ribs in my slow cooker, I divide them in two large slabs. I trime the fat off, and remove the membrane (see notes).Place ribs in the slow cooker.3 pounds baby back ribs
- Pour bourbon sauce on top of ribs and make sure you cover both sides. The ribs will overlap, so make sure there is sauce where the ribs touch.
- Cover slow cooker and set to high and cook for 4 hours.
- After 2 hours, open the lid, switch the bottom ribs to the top and visa versa. Baste the ribs by ladling more the sauce over them again.
- Transfer ribs to a serving platter and pour the bourbon sauce from the crock pot to a serving bowl.
- Eat, smile, and enjoy.
Notes
This recipe gives you a good amount of sauce so you will have leftover.
Helpful tips
- Baby back ribs are sometimes labeled as loin ribs, and either works perfectly for this recipe.
- These ribs can be cooked in the slow cooker on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Both methods produce equally tender results, but the shorter cook time gets them on the table faster.
- Cut the rack of ribs in half so they fit comfortably in the slow cooker.
- Coat both sides of the ribs generously with the bourbon sauce. Because the ribs will overlap slightly, thorough coverage ensures even flavor.
- Some people like to briefly broil the ribs after slow-cooking to caramelize the sauce. While that step adds a charred finish, these ribs are delicious straight from the slow cooker and don’t require it.
- Removing the membrane from the back of the ribs helps the seasoning and sauce penetrate the meat, resulting in more tender ribs. To remove it, slide a butter knife under the silverskin, lift until you can grip it, then pull it off using a paper towel for traction.
- If you don’t have apple cider vinegar on hand, apple juice makes a good substitute in the bourbon sauce.
- There’s no need to add extra salt to the sauce, as the soy sauce provides all the seasoning needed.
Nutrition
Serving: 4ribs | Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 216mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg