Marinated overnight and cooked in a slow cooker all day, these incredibly flavorful BBQ ribs are melt-in-your-mouth, fall-off-the-bone tender. They are so easy to make and are the perfect Whole30, Paleo, and Keto Friendly recipe.

 

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with a lot of Whole30 recipes to keep things interesting and to make clean eating more fun. 

I’m determined to make some awesome healthy recipes for you guys to follow on your Whole30 journey or just trying to find a healthier alternative without satisfying flavors. 

A few of my Favorites:

  1. Chicken Pad Thai (Whole30)
  2. Turkey Meatballs (Whole 30 Recipe)
  3. Healthy Bolognese Sauce (Whole30, Keto)

 

I’m especially excited about this recipe because one of Tom and I’s guilty pleasures is going out to a BBQ place and getting ribs.

Now, I can make them at home. Slow-cooked all day, finished off with a few minutes under the broiler to achieve a nice crisp char, those BBQ ribs are absolutely delicious, easy,  guilt-free.

 

Why I Love These Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

 

Charred Slow Cooker Whole30 BBQ Ribs on a piece of parchment paper. There is a jar of BBQ Sauce on the side.

 

One of my favorite things about these ribs is that you can use this recipe for any occasion.

They are perfect game-time food for any sports gathering (just in time for Superbowl!), great for any summer BBQ or picnic, and they even hit the spot on a cold winter day.

Even though these ribs are Whole30 compliant, they are certainly not lacking in flavor.

They are also sugar-free, gluten-free, and keto-friendly so you don’t need to feel any guilt about eating these babies.

Truthfully, no one would be able to tell they were a healthified version if you didn’t tell them (shh). 

Another reason I love these Whole30 ribs? They are SO easy to make.

It’s pretty much a set-it-and-forget-it kind of recipe. Simply marinate the ribs overnight and pop them in the slow cooker or instant pot. Easy-peasy, right? 

 

How to Make These Slow Cooker Ribs

 

Cooked Ribs with caramelized soft onion on top, in a crockpot.

 

As I stressed previously, these ribs are so easy to make. Season the ribs with the dry rub, sugar-free BBQ sauce and let them marinate overnight.

Then, throw them in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours.

Lastly, broil in the oven for about 5 minutes to get a perfectly crispy char on top.

If you are short on time, you can set your crockpot to high and cook for 4 hours, but low and slow is the best method here and I highly encourage you to allow yourself enough time to let them cook for 8 hours.

Besides using a slow cooker, you can pressure cook the ribs in your Instant Pot, they can cook in about 20-30 minutes and then finish them off under the broiler for another 5 minutes.

 

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the dry rub, you probably have most, if not all, of these ingredients already on hand.

All you’ll need for this recipe is

  • paprika
  • allspice
  • chipotle chili powder
  • cumin
  • salt, pepper
  • garlic powder
  • cinnamon.

If you aren’t following Whole30, you could add a little brown sugar in this for even more layers of flavor too.

 

I used this Whole30 approved BBQ sauce to complete this recipe. Let me tell you, it was perfect. I like to keep extra on hand for dipping and to use for reheating (reheat instructions below).

 

How to Store Whole30 BBQ Ribs

 

Charred Slow Cooker Whole30 BBQ Ribs on a piece of parchment paper. There is a jar of BBQ Sauce on the side.

 

If you need to store any leftovers you can do so in an airtight container in the fridge; they’ll last for ~5 days (if no one finishes them for that long, I doubt it.) These leftovers still taste great cold, but if you do want to reheat them it’s best to use the oven.

To reheat the leftover ribs in the oven, preheat oven to 250-300 F. Slather BBQ sauce over ribs and completely cover with foil.

It is important to make sure they are covered completely to prevent them from drying out, so don’t skip this step if you want to keep your ribs nice and juicy!

The safe internal temperature of your meat should be 145 F when it’s done reheating. 

 

That’s it! Super-simple and delicious, healthy Whole30 crockpot BBQ ribs! 

How do you like to cook your ribs? Leave a comment below!

 

I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS

Charred BBQ ribs on a piece of parchemnt paper. There is a jar of BBQ sauce for dipping.

You may also like these Whole30 Crockpot recipes:

1. Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork

2. Crockpot Thai Curry Chicken

3. Slow Cooker Whole Chicken (Whole 30)

 

 

Charred Slow Cooker Whole30 BBQ Ribs on a piece of parchment paper. There is a jar of BBQ Sauce on the side.

Get the recipe:Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs {Whole30}

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
These incredibly flavorful and Easy Sow Cooker BBQ ribs are melt-in-your-mouth, fall-off-the-bone tender. They are also Whole30, Paleo and Keto Friendly.
4.91 stars (10 reviews)
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Ingredients

  • 3 lb baby back pork ribs
  • 3 tsp chipotle chili powder
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • Dashes of cinnamon and nutmeg
  • 2 cups of BBQ Sauce, Whole30 Friendly Linked
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar, for non-whole30 option
  • 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 of a medium yellow onion, roughly chopped

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Turn the rib bone side up, and use a small knife to scrape off an edge of the membrane. Peel it off slowly until it is all removed. Cut the ribs in half (if it is too long to fit in the slow cooker as it is).
    Pulling off the membrane of the rib in order to prepare for cooking.
  • Stir together all the seasoning. Rub mixture all over the top and sides. Then brush about half of the BBQ sauce over the ribs.*
  • Place the rib in the slow cooker. Add chopped onion, garlic and 1/4 cup of water or stock.
  • Cover and cook on low for 7.5 – 8 hours.
    Instruction step by step on how to cook Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs.
  • Preheat the oven to high broil. Gently take the ribs out of the slow cooker and place on a parchment paper-lined baking pan. Brush the rest of the BBQ sauce on top and all the sides (or reserve some for dipping later). Broil for 4 -5 minutes to charr.

Notes

  1. * For best result, let the rib marinate in the dry rub overnight.
  2. Increase/decrease the ratio of the seasoning depending on the amount of ribs you are working with or your preference to taste.
  3. Note: Nutrition Facts below may vary depending on the BBQ sauce you choose to use.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 286kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 79mg, Sodium: 274mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g

The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.

Author: Shuang Shuang Liang
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American