Crockpot Ribs Recipe
This crockpot ribs recipe makes the best melt-in-your-mouth ribs. They’re sweet and spicy and perfect for dinner or a special occasion.
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Crockpot Ribs Recipe
These crockpot ribs are the perfect family dinner. When everyone in the household smells the flavors wafting through the house, they can’t wait for dinner.
This meal has all the feels of comforting, easy to make, and has all the flavors you’ll love. The girls love it, and everyone needs a good face and hand wash once done. Leftovers are definitely not on the cards with this meal.
If you’re looking for more comfort food, try these: Easy Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas Casserole or Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken Pasta.
Why Make This Recipe
- Minimal effort. This recipe requires minimal effort to prepare. The slow cooker and oven do all the heavy lifting.
- Tastes amazing – The taste is so good, sweet, spicy, and a gooey sticky sauce thanks to the broiling.
- Family friendly – No child I’ve served this to has ever turned it down. So it’s a pretty safe bet for fussy eaters.
Ingredients Notes
- Pork ribs – Choose rib racks with plenty of meat and minimal fat for the best bite. You can use boneless ribs, but adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Soy sauce – You can use regular or go with low-sodium if you want to cut back on salt. You can also use tamarai or gluten-free soy sauce.
- Honey – Adds that sticky-sweet glaze; maple syrup can work great too.
- Sesame oil – Toasted sesame oil brings the best flavor. Trust me, you don’t want to skip it!
- Chinese five-spice powder – A little gives you that warm, aromatic flavor. Use store-bought or make your own by using a combo of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise, and Szechuan peppercorns.
- Brown sugar – Helps add to the sweetness and caramelizes during broiling.
- Sweet chili sauce – Adds sweetness and a mild spice. You can use store-bought or homemade. Add more if you want it a bit spicier, add more or add in some red pepper flakes.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic gives the best flavor.
- Ginger – Go for fresh grated ginger for extra flavor.
- Cornstarch – This is needed to thicken the sauce for brushing before broiling.
- Sesame seeds – Toast them lightly to bring out their nutty flavor.
- Green onions – Thinly sliced for a fresh, crisp garnish at the end.
Handy Tip: Use Good Kitchen Tools!
For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Kitchen Tools on Amazon.
How To Make This Crockpot Ribs Recipe
Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below
- Take a bowl and stir together soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, five-spice powder, brown sugar, sweet chili sauce, minced garlic, and ginger.
- Toss in the pork ribs and make sure they’re well coated. Cover and marinate overnight in the fridge.
- The next day, put the ribs and marinade into your slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours.
- Once cooked, spoon off any fat sitting on the ribs.
- Transfer the ribs to a foil-lined baking tray. Skim the fat from the liquid left in the slow cooker and pour the sauce into a saucepan. Stir in a little cornstarch.
- Heat the sauce until it thickens up.
- Brush the glossy sauce all over the ribs, then broil them for 8 minutes until slightly charred and sticky.
- Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds.
Oven Method
After marinating as per the above instructions. Bake the ribs in a 350 degrees F / 175 degrees C oven for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until they’re fall-apart tender. Finish them in the broiler to get that golden, slightly crispy finish.
Bintu’s Tips for Success
- To keep the ribs nice and juicy, make sure they’re fully covered in the marinade while they’re cooking in the crockpot. And when it’s time to broil, make sure they’re not covered in foil so they can crisp up nicely.
- The marinade can be used on other proteins like chicken, beef, or tofu. You can adjust the cooking time and method based on the protein you choose.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can add cornstarch to the sauce. Premix the cornstarch with a little water to prevent lumps.
- Marinate the meat overnight. Don’t underestimate this step; it makes the flavors more pronounced.
- Serve the ribs with rice, noodles, or steamed vegetables for a delicious dinner. The ribs work great with a side of kimchi or pickled vegetables.
Prep and Storage
- Prep Ahead – Marinate the meat overnight.
- Storage – Cool the ribs and then store them in the fridge for 4 days.
- Freeze – You can freeze them! Once they’ve cooled completely, store them in a sealed container or freezer bag. They’ll stay good in the freezer for about 3 months. Just thaw them in the fridge before warming them back up.
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Crockpot Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs (1.4kg) pork ribs
- ¼ cup (60ml) soy sauce
- ½ cup (120ml) honey
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) sesame oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 5-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- Sesame seeds
- Green onions
Instructions
- Take a bowl and stir together soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, five-spice powder, brown sugar, sweet chili sauce, minced garlic, and ginger.
- Toss in the pork ribs and make sure they’re well coated. Cover and marinate overnight in the fridge.
- The next day, put the ribs and marinade into your slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours.
- Once cooked, spoon off any fat sitting on the ribs.
- Transfer the ribs to a foil-lined baking tray. Skim the fat from the liquid left in the slow cooker and pour the sauce into a saucepan. Stir in a little cornstarch.
- Heat the sauce until it thickens up.
- Brush that glossy sauce all over the ribs, then broil them for 8 minutes until slightly charred and sticky.
- Sprinkle with green onions and sesame seeds. Perfect with noodles, a bowl of rice, or just on their own!
Notes
- To keep the ribs nice and juicy, make sure they’re fully covered in the marinade while they’re cooking in the crockpot. And when it’s time to broil, wrap them tightly with foil to lock in all that moisture.
- The marinade can be used on other proteins like chicken, beef, or tofu. You can adjust the cooking time and method based on the protein you choose.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can add cornstarch to the sauce. Premix the cornstarch with a little water to prevent lumps.
- Storage – Cool the ribs and then store them in the fridge for 4 days.
- Marinate the meat overnight. Don’t underestimate this step; it makes the flavors more enhanced.
- Serve the ribs with rice, noodles, or steamed vegetables for a delicious dinner. The ribs work great with a side of kimchi or pickled vegetables.
- Storage – Cool the ribs and then store them in the fridge for 4 days.
