Easy Slow-Cooker Memphis-Style Ribs (Fall-Off-The-Bone!)
Make incredibly tender and flavorful Memphis-Style Ribs in your slow cooker! This easy recipe features pork baby back ribs coated in a homemade smoky, sweet, and spicy dry rub.
Ingredients
(Original recipe yields 6 servings)
Ribs & Initial Prep:
- ▢ 2 racks pork baby back ribs (about 5 pounds total)
- ▢ 1/2 cup white vinegar
- ▢ 1/2 cup water
Memphis Dry Rub:
- ▢ 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
- ▢ 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
- ▢ 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ▢ 1 teaspoon celery salt
- ▢ ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
Instructions
Prepare Vinegar Wash and Spice Rub:
- In a small bowl, combine the ½ cup of white vinegar and ½ cup of water. Whisk briefly and set aside.
- In a separate large bowl or shallow dish, combine all the ingredients for the Memphis Dry Rub: smoked paprika, packed brown sugar, salt, coarsely ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, ground mustard, dried thyme, dried oregano, celery salt, and cayenne pepper. Mix thoroughly until all spices are evenly distributed.
2. Prepare and Season the Ribs:
- Prepare the pork baby back ribs. If there’s a tough membrane on the bone-side of the ribs, you can remove it for more tender results (slide a dinner knife under the membrane, then grip with a paper towel and pull it off).
- Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the ribs all over with some of the vinegar-water mixture.
- Generously sprinkle and rub about half of the prepared Memphis Dry Rub seasoning blend all over both sides of the ribs, pressing it into the meat.
- Cut the seasoned racks of ribs into smaller, serving-sized pieces (e.g., 2-3 rib sections) so they will fit comfortably in the slow cooker.
- Reserve the remaining half of the dry rub seasoning mixture for later.
3. Arrange in Slow Cooker and Cook:
- Pour the remaining vinegar-water mixture into the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Carefully arrange the seasoned rib pieces in the slow cooker. You may need to stand them on their sides or overlap them slightly to fit.
- Cover the slow cooker with its lid.
- Cook on the LOW setting for 5-6 hours, or until the ribs are very tender and the meat is pulling away from the bone. (Avoid high heat for ribs in the slow cooker, as it can make them tough).
4. Finish the Ribs:
- Once the ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender, carefully remove them from the slow cooker using tongs and place them on a platter or baking sheet. They will be very delicate.
- Let the cooking juices in the slow cooker settle for a few minutes, then carefully skim off as much visible fat from the surface as possible using a large spoon or ladle.
- Using a clean pastry brush, generously brush the tender ribs all over with some of the skimmed cooking juices from the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the ribs generously with the reserved remaining Memphis Dry Rub seasoning mixture.
5. Serve:
- Serve the Slow-Cooker Memphis-Style Ribs hot, with any remaining skimmed cooking juices offered on the side for dipping or drizzling, if desired.
- Enjoy the incredibly tender and flavorful barbecue!