Are you ready for one of the easiest slow cooker recipes? These Slow Cooker Boneless Pork Ribs are simple to make, so tender and only require a handful of ingredients. It can be made ahead of time and it’s freezer friendly, too!
What Makes These Slow Cooker Boneless Ribs So Amazing?
Freezer-Friendly. This recipe is simple as is, but turning this into a freezer meal makes it even easier. Zero pre-cooking is required for this recipe to be a freezer meal.
Easy. Does it get any easier than adding all of the ingredients to your slow cooker?
Taste. These ribs are fall-apart tender and taste incredible!
Simple. This recipe doesn’t call for a huge list of ingredients or techniques.
What Goes Into This Recipe?
Only a handful of ingredients are needed to make this delicious slow cooker, freezer meal.
You’ll only need:
- boneless pork country-style ribs
- large onion
- garlic
- brown sugar
- apple sauce
- bbq sauce
- salt and pepper
How Do You Make These Slow Cooker Boneless Pork Ribs?
Are you ready for the easiest slow cooker recipe around? This is all you need to do:
Lightly salt and pepper your boneless pork ribs on both sides.
Add the ribs, onion, garlic, brown sugar, apple sauce and bbq sauce to your slow cooker. Gently mix it all up. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
Remove meat from the slow cooker. Discard the juices.
Shred the ribs into pieces. Top with fresh bbq sauce. Serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make These Crock Pot Boneless Ribs Into A Freezer Meal?
Absolutely! To freeze, start by adding salt and pepper to your boneless ribs. Mix together all other ingredients. Add all to a freezer safe gallon sized bag—>>here are my favorite reusable bags! Label it and freeze it.
When you are ready to cook them, thaw the freezer bag in the refrigerator and then add to the slow cooker as directed. Cook on low 5-6 hours and enjoy!
This is one of those meals that you can multiply and make for a crowd or you can make for individual servings.
What Are Country-Style Pork Ribs?
Country-style pork ribs aren’t like the traditional ribs we are used to. First, they are boneless. They are cuts of pork shoulder (what we use for pulled pork) that are marbled for a lot of flavor that makes the meat really tender when cooked low and slow!
Most of the time they are ready to go into your slow cooker but if any of your ribs have the fat cap attached – a thick, even layer of fat attached to one side of the meat – cut it off with a knife before you season it.
What Kind of BBQ Sauce Should I Use?
My favorite kind of bbq sauce is my Homemade BBQ Sauce – so good! But when I don’t have time to whip it up, I use any original store-bought bbq sauce.
Stay from a flavored bbq sauce like honey bbq so the sauce doesn’t get too sweet. And if you are looking for some extra zing, add some red pepper flakes or sriracha into the bbq sauce. It tastes amazing!
Looking For More Pork Recipes?
- Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops– All you need is a handful of ingredients and some seasoning to make these slow cooker smothered pork chops. Delight your senses with each bite!
- Pulled Pork Sliders – Freezer Meal– Delicious pulled pork sliders – a meal the whole family will love! Juicy pork covered in BBQ sauce served on a slider with make ahead freezer meal options!
- Instant Pot Pork Chili Verde – This Instant Pot melt-in-your-mouth seared pork chili verde is coated in a sauce that is a perfect balance of mild peppers, tangy lime juice & cilantro.
If you make this meal, I would love to see it! Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #happymoneysaver and tagging me @happymoneysaver!
Boneless Country Style BBQ Ribs
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs boneless pork country-style ribs
- 1/2 large onion thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup apple sauce
- 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Lightly salt and pepper your boneless pork ribs on both sides. Add all ingredients to your slow cooker. Gently mix it all up.
- Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove meat from slow cooker. Discard juices.
- Top with 1/2 cup fresh bbq sauce. Serve.
To Freeze:
- Salt and pepper your boneless ribs. Mix together all other ingredients. Add all to a freezer safe gallon sized bag. Label and freeze.
- To cook: Thaw the freezer bag and add to slow cooker as directed. Cook on low 5-6 hours.
Notes
- If any of your ribs have the fat cap attached – a thick, even layer of fat attached to one side of the meat – cut it off with a knife before you season it.
- My favorite kind of bbq sauce is my Homemade BBQ Sauce or use any original store-bought bbq sauce.
- Looking for some extra zing, I add some red pepper flakes or sriracha into my bbq sauce.
Nutrition
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If I am making this ahead of time for my family when I am going out of town for a few days; can I do the freeze method but just put it in the refrigerator? Will it keep for two days?
How long would you cook these in the oven.
When I discard the juices could I keep some pieces of onion? Me and my boyfriend like onion a lot and I think it would be good with the chopped onion and the fresh BBQ sauce
I made these boneless ribs exactly as directed, and they were delicious! Even my very picky husband loved them, and we are looking forward to enjoying a few batches of these after our baby arrives.
I don’t have any apples or apple sauce. Can I use apple juice?
Are you serious about discarding the meat juices and sauces created in the cooking process and then adding a bought in BBQ sauce?
That was the OLD me…or the crazy busy sometimes me (aka survival mode me) but if I have time I make a homemade BBQ sauce that is to die for!
so glad I found your recipe, tried it and loved it. Blogging about it soon.
Where do you buy boneless ribs?
I found them at Sam’s Club.
I find them at any grocery store. Sometimes they are labeled as country ribs. If you’re not sure, or you don’t see them in the meat case, just ask the butcher if they have them.
Looks delicious! Where can you find boneless pork ribs? At my grocery, we only have boned ribs or pork tenderloin.
Hi Nicki, you can do the boned ribs if you must, but you will have to remove all the bones after cooking. I like to save myself time so I get the boneless.
OK but where do you get boneless?
I found them at Sam’s Club.
Save a lot has their own butcher. Found an 8 piece rib pack for $4. Their meat is comparable to publix or winn Dixie but half the price.
And Save a Lots pork is scrumptious and always fresh. Recipe in my crock pot as I write! Trying it out for first time..
What about using beef ribs? I am not a fan of pork ribs.
I’ve never done freeze ahead of time crock pot meals. Just because I feel you would lose flavor? But looking at this one I am wondering if it would taste better because you are kind of marinating it? Have you tried both methods?
This sounds delicious. I’m going to test it out this weekend. Any suggestions for some great side dishes to go with it?
I love a good potato salad, french fries or corn on the cob!
My favorite combination is Ribs, of course, potato salad, baked beans topped with pieces of bacon that are crisp topped with brown sugar, and corn on the cob. Yummy.
Your recipe sounds great but I’m curious. Why do you discard the juices after cooking? I expect a good bit of fat cooks out of the ribs. Is that the reason? Thanks!
Yes, the juice is the fatty grease from the ribs. Adding in the fresh BBQ sauce makes a big difference to the meal!
I was wondering if you could use the bone in ribs?
You definitely could but then you would need to either pull the bones off–or hopefully the meat would fall off the bone because it is so tender. I find that the boneless is best in the crock pot and the bones are best in the oven or on the grill.
I love your recipes! Thanks for sharing. It seems as if some of your freezer recipes cooked and then frozen, and some are frozen and then cooked?
Yep!
Your recipe says to combine all the ingredients in the crock pot. But then at the end it says to top the ribs with 1/2 cup fresh BBQ sauce. So am I to put 1 1/2 cups of BBQ sauce into the slow cooker OR just 1 cup and save the other 1/2 for after they are done?
Usually the bottle is around 2 cups of sauce I find, so depending on the bottle you choose, save the last little bit out for topping.
Do you have the nutritional information for this recipe? Also, what is the best way to re-heat the leftovers for the next day?
Go to MyFitnessPal.com and sign in. CLick on food, then click on recipes. You can get individual food and/or full recipe nutritional info.
This looks AMAZING! I can tell just by the ingredients that it will be! Going to try it next weekend! Thanks! Just found your site and am anxious to look it over! Only myself and my husband at home now, so cooking and freezing on the weekends makes sense and will save me time during the week. Just have to remember to thaw and I’m golden!
I made it this weekend and it did not flake like yours in the picture at all. Maybe I need to cook it on high? The flavor was good and I was hoping it would fall apart more than it did.
Hmmm…maybe cook it a bit longer? If my meat is not fall apart tender I usually cook it a few more hours. Slowcookers can vary, some will cook hotter than others.
i tried this ribs in the crock pot sunday and it was wonderful– thank you for sharing — i have been trying to try new things o get out of the funk of the same ole stuff— this works great — simple easy — had all the ingredients too — whiched helped — thank you