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Home » Main Meals » Slow-cooker barbeque pork spare ribs

Slow-cooker barbeque pork spare ribs

Author: VJ Published : October 2022 Updated : October 2022 / Be the first to comment!

Recipe
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Succulent barbeque pork spare ribs cooked in a slow-cooker deliver the juiciest and most tender ribs imaginable. The meat is so soft it practically falls off the bone. And the homemade barbeque sauce provides a sweet yet tangy flavour that really gets the taste buds going!

A pile of succulent barbeque pork spare ribs on a plate.
Just look how the pork is pulling away from the bones.

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Table Of Contents
  1. Barbeque spare ribs
  2. What you will need
  3. What to do
  4. FAQ
  5. Save for later
  6. Other recipes
  7. The recipe
  8. Slow-cooker barbeque pork spare ribs

Barbeque spare ribs

Spare ribs have to be one of the most economical ways of feeding a crowd. Pork is a relatively inexpensive cut of meat, and if you cook it in an energy-efficient slow-cooker, then the cost is even less.

What’s more, you get the most succulent and juicy meat that simply falls off the bone.

I never thought of cooking spare ribs in a slow-cooker before. Let’s face it, there’s not much that is nicer than a rack of pork spare ribs cooked over an open fire, or grilled in the oven. If you’d like to try some oven-baked ribs you might like these sticky pork ribs with honey glaze.

But in my quest to convert as many recipes as possible to the slow-cooker, I think I’ve hit the jackpot with this recipe for slow-cooker barbeque pork spare ribs. I may never cook pork ribs in the oven again!

I whipped up a batch of my homemade barbeque sauce and poured it over a rack of pork ribs in the slow-cooker and left it to cook on high for 4 hours.

The result was succulent, tender meat that melted in the mouth, liberally flavoured with the delicious flavour of homemade barbeque sauce. I served the ribs with a dish of boulangere potatoes and a side of steamed green vegetables (beans and broccoli). See the FAQ section below for other serving ideas.

Three cooked barbeque pork spare ribs on a plate.

What you will need

Equipment

Of course, you will need a slow-cooker. This particular model has a timer, which is handy if you want to go out and have the slow-cooker switch itself off once the time is up. My model doesn’t have a timer, so I have to remember to set an alarm to remind me to switch it off.

You will also need a small mixing bowl for mixing the barbeque sauce and a small saucepan for thickening the barbeque sauce before you brush it over the cooked ribs. You can use a small paint brush for brushing on the barbeque sauce, or you can get fancy and use a silicone basting brush.

Ingredients

This recipe will feed 2 people and you may get leftovers, but they are delicious on sandwiches for lunch the next day.

**You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making barbeque pork spare ribs in the slow-cooker on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

Ingredients for slow-cooker barbeque pork spare ribs.
These are the ingredients you will need for making slow-cooker barbeque pork spare ribs:
  • Pork spare ribs – you can buy these in racks from your local butcher or supermarket. One rack will usually have 10 to 12 rib bones and will normally be sufficient for 2 people.
  • Passata – this forms the base for the barbeque marinade. Passata is made wholly from skinned and deseeded tomatoes and has a very thick consistency.
  • Vinegar – I like to use white spirit vinegar for this recipe, but you can use your vinegar of choice.
  • Brown sugar – adds sweetness and cuts through the tartness of the vinegar.
  • Chutney – if you use a chunky chutney you may like to blend the marinade before pouring it over the ribs. It’s entirely up to you. For this recipe, I used my homemade green tomato chutney.
  • Paprika – adds the characteristic smokey flavour.
  • Worcestershire sauce – adds saltiness and umami or a savoury taste.
  • Salt – to your own taste

What to do

In a nutshell, all you do is put the ribs in the slow-cooker, mix up the sauce ingredients, pour the sauce over the ribs and leave it all to cook on high for 3 to 4 hours!

A mixing bowl containing barbeque sauce.

Combine all the sauce ingredients and mix well to dissolve the sugar.

Uncooked pork spare ribs in a slow-cooker, covered with barbeque sauce.

Place the ribs into the slow-cooker. You may have to cut the rack in half to get them to fit.

Put the ribs meat side down (bone side up) so that the meat lays in the barbeque sauce and can absorb all the flavour.

Pour the sauce over the ribs.

Note – if your slow cooker is deep enough, you could stand the ribs around the edge, but then the ribs wouldn’t be submerged in the delicious sauce.

Cooked pork spare ribs in a slow cooker.

Leave the ribs to cook on high for 3 to 4 hours. You could also cook them on low for 5 to 6 hours.

Swap the ribs over halfway through the cooking time so that the top half goes to the bottom. That way you make sure the flavour of the sauce penetrates all the ribs.

Cooked pork spare ribs on a baking sheet.

Remove the ribs from the slow-cooker and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil (for easier cleaning up).

My ribs were so soft after 4 hours on high, that they were practically falling off the bone. If you prefer your ribs to be firmer, keep your eye on them and take them out a bit earlier when they are done to your liking.

Barbeque sauce in a saucepan with a spoon showing the thickness of the sauce.

Pour the sauce into a saucepan and thicken with a mixture of cornflour and water, stirring over a low heat, until the sauce thickens and coats the spoon.

You could do this step in the slow-cooker too.

If you want a completely smooth sauce you could blend it with a stick blender.

Barbeque sauce being brushed onto cooked spare ribs.

Brush the thickened sauce over the ribs, slice them into individual pieces, and serve immediately.

Alternatively, if you want to caramelise the sauce slightly, you could pop the ribs under the grill (or broiler) for a few minutes before serving.

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Barbeque spare ribs on a plate next to a knife and fork.

FAQ

How do I know when the ribs are done?

The ribs will be cooked when the meat has pulled back exposing about half an inch of bone. You should also be able to pierce the meat with a toothpick without much resistance.

What can I serve with barbeque pork ribs?

There are so many ways to serve these spare ribs. Here are a few suggestions:
– a baked potato and a fresh green salad with slices of garlic bread.
– potato salad and curried green beans
– German fried potatoes
– tomato and onion pasta salad
– crusty bread rolls and a slice of crustless tomato quiche
The possibilities are endless.

These meat also make delicious sandwiches if you remove the bones.

Can I freeze them?

Yes, you can freeze these ribs. Just let them cool to room temperature and wrap them in a layer of tinfoil before sealing them in a freezer bag. You can freeze them for 2 to 3 months. Let them defrost in the refrigerator and then reheat them either in the microwave or in a hot oven.
Leftover barbeque sauce can be frozen separately in a freezer bag for 4 months.

How long can I keep these ribs in the refrigerator?

If you store leftovers in a covered container, they will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Can I cook them in the oven?

Yes, you can bake these ribs (in the barbeque sauce) in the oven. Arrange them in a baking dish large enough to hold the ribs and pour over the sauce. Cover the dish with a lid of tinfoil and bake for about an hour at 200C / 400F. Remove the tinfoil (be careful – there will be a lot of hot steam in the dish) and grill/broil for a few minutes to allow them to brown.

How can I scale up the recipe to cater for a larger family?

The recipe is easy to scale up.
Simply allow around 350 to 400 grams (or 12 to 14 ounces) of ribs per adult (obviously children will eat less). This will take into account the high bone content of the ribs.
(Note this is an estimate only, and will depend on how ‘meaty’ your ribs are).
For the sauce you can increase the ingredients proportionally, but take care with the sugar and vinegar, you don’t want to make the sauce too sweet or too tangy.

Save for later

If you would like to make these slow-cooker barbeque pork spare ribs yourself, why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily. Just click on the image below.

Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

Other recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like to try some of my other slow-cooker recipes:

  • Beef stroganoff – succulent chunks of beef, slow-cooked with mushrooms and onions in a decadent creamy sauce.
  • Coq au Vin – tender, juicy chicken pieces cooked with mushrooms, bacon and shallots in a red wine gravy.
  • Mongolian roast beef – instead of a typical stir fry, this recipe calls for an entire beef joint to be slow cooked in a delicious garlic, ginger and soy sauce flavoured gravy.
  • Beef trinchado – a South African favourite, made by cooking slices of beef in a peri-peri sauce with tomatoes and onions.
  • Pork casserole with honey and mustard – tender chunks of juicy pork shoulder, slow-cooked in a delicious honey and mustard flavoured sauce.

The recipe

A pile of succulent barbeque pork spare ribs on a plate.

Slow-cooker barbeque pork spare ribs

Succulent barbeque pork spare ribs cooked in a slow-cooker deliver the juiciest and most tender ribs imaginable. The meat is so soft it practically falls off the bone. And the homemade barbeque sauce provides a sweet yet tangy flavour that really gets the taste buds going!
Recipe by: Veronica
Main Course
American, British
Calories 703
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 2 people
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5 from 1 vote

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Equipment

  • Slow cooker
  • Mixing bowl small
  • Saucepan
  • Silicone basting brush
  • Stick blender optional

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds / 700 grams pork spare ribs
  • ¼ cup / 60 ml tomato passata
  • 2 tablespoons white spirit vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons chutney
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to your own taste
  • ¼ cup /60 ml cold water
  • 1 – 2 teaspoons cornflour mixed to a paste with water

Instructions

  • Combine all the ingredients (except the pork) in a mixing bowl and mix well until the sugar has dissolved.
    ¼ cup / 60 ml tomato passata, 2 tablespoons white spirit vinegar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 tablespoons chutney, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup /60 ml cold water
  • Place the ribs meat-side down into the slow-cooker. You may have to cut the rack in half to get them to fit.
    1½ pounds / 700 grams pork spare ribs
  • Cook for 3 to 4 hours on high or 5 to 6 hours on low. If you have layered your ribs in the slow-cooker, swap them over halfway through the cooking time, so the top layer goes to the bottom.
  • Remove the ribs from the slow-cooker and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil (for easier cleaning up).
  • Pour the sauce into a saucepan and thicken with a mixture of cornflour and water, stirring over a low heat, until the sauce thickens and coats the spoon. You could also do this in the slow-cooker on a high setting.
    1 – 2 teaspoons cornflour
  • Brush the thickened sauce over the ribs and place them under a grill/broiler for a few minutes to allow them to brown.
  • Cut into individual riblets and serve hot.

Notes

If you used a chunky chutney and prefer a smooth sauce, you could blend it with a stick blender.
To freeze – Allow the ribs to cool then wrap in tin foil and place them in a plastic freezer bag.  Freeze for 2 to 3 months.  Any leftover sauce can be frozen separately in a plastic container for 4 months.
Nutrition assumes that all ribs and sauce will be consumed.  In reality, you will likely have leftovers.

Nutrition

Calories – 703kcal | Carbohydrates – 16.5g | Protein – 63.4g | Fat – 40.8g | Saturated Fat – 15.6g | Cholesterol – 141mg | Sodium – 1573mg | Potassium – 46mg | Fiber – 1.3g | Sugar – 6.1g | Calcium – 7mg | Iron – 3mg

I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
Tried this recipe?If you made this recipe I’d love it if you could leave me a comment and let me know how it went!
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Filed Under: All Recipes, Main Meals

About VJ

In my previous life, I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, and you'll probably find a little South African influence creeping in due to the many years I spent there.

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