These slow cooker 3-ingredient BBQ country style ribs are the kind of meal my brother begs me to make every weekend. They come out fall-apart tender, sticky, and saucy with almost no effort at all. This is one of those small-town, busy-family recipes that’s been passed around at potlucks and game days because it uses just three simple ingredients and the slow cooker does all the work. If you’re looking for a foolproof, crowd-pleasing dinner that tastes like you fussed all day, this is it.
These ribs are wonderful piled onto a plate with creamy coleslaw and buttery mashed potatoes or baked beans to soak up the extra sauce. For a lighter option, serve them with a simple green salad or roasted vegetables. They’re also great tucked into soft sandwich buns with pickles and a little extra BBQ sauce for an easy game-day spread. I like to set out a tray of the ribs right in the foil pans with some tongs so everyone can help themselves family-style.
Slow Cooker 3-Ingredient BBQ Country Style RibsServings: 6
Ingredients
4–5 pounds bone-in country style pork ribs
1 (18–20 ounce) bottle thick barbecue sauce, plus extra for serving if desired
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
Directions
Pat the country style pork ribs dry with paper towels and trim any large, thick pieces of fat if you like. This helps them brown a bit and keeps the sauce from getting too greasy.
Spray the inside of your slow cooker lightly with nonstick cooking spray for easier cleanup, or use a slow cooker liner if you prefer.
In a small bowl, stir together the barbecue sauce and brown sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved and the sauce looks glossy and slightly thicker.
Add a thin layer of the BBQ sauce mixture to the bottom of the slow cooker. Arrange the ribs in the slow cooker in an even layer; it’s fine if they overlap slightly, but try not to stack them too high so they cook evenly.
Pour the remaining BBQ sauce mixture evenly over the ribs, turning them with tongs to make sure every piece is well coated. Spoon some sauce from the bottom over any spots that look dry.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2–4 hours, until the ribs are very tender and easily pull apart with a fork.
Once the ribs are cooked and tender, preheat your oven broiler to high and line two rimmed baking sheets or foil trays with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
Using tongs, carefully transfer the ribs from the slow cooker to the prepared foil-lined trays, letting any excess liquid drip off slightly but keeping plenty of sauce clinging to the meat.
Spoon or brush some of the thickened BBQ sauce from the slow cooker over the top of the ribs in the trays so they are generously coated and glossy.
Place the trays under the broiler on the upper-middle rack for 3–5 minutes, watching closely, until the edges of the ribs are slightly charred and the sauce is bubbly and sticky. Rotate the trays if needed so they brown evenly without burning.
Remove the trays from the oven and let the ribs rest for a few minutes. Spoon any pooled sauce from the bottom of the trays back over the ribs for that extra sticky, saucy finish.
Serve the ribs hot right in the foil trays for a casual, family-style meal, with extra barbecue sauce on the side if anyone likes theirs extra saucy.
Variations & Tips
If you have picky eaters, choose a sweeter, milder barbecue sauce to keep the flavor kid-friendly, and skip the broiler step for little ones who don’t like charred edges. For a bit of heat, use a spicy BBQ sauce or stir 1–2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce into the bottled sauce (this does add an ingredient, so keep it optional if you’re sticking to the 3-ingredient base). You can also swap brown sugar for honey if that’s what you have on hand, though it will be slightly less caramel-like. If your ribs are boneless, reduce the cook time slightly and start checking for tenderness about 30–45 minutes earlier. To make this more like pulled pork for sandwiches, shred the cooked ribs right in the slow cooker, stir them into the sauce, then pile onto buns. For easier weekday prep, assemble the ribs and sauce in the slow cooker insert the night before, refrigerate, then set it in the base and start cooking in the morning. Leftovers reheat well in a covered dish in the oven or in a skillet on the stovetop with a splash of water or extra BBQ sauce to keep them moist.
