Sweet & Spicy Slow Cooker Ribs
Yield: 4 servings
Active Time: 10 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours in slow cooker
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Fall off the bone, melt in your mouth ribs - that\\\'s what awaits you with this recipe. Let the ribs slow cook with a spicy rub and sweet BBQ sauce - it\\\'s the perfect sweet and spicy combo. If you prefer, once they are cooked you can run them under the broiler for a minute or two to really get that sauce to glaze onto the meat. Yummmmmmo!

Ingredients for Single Meal

  • 3 - lb(s) baby back pork ribs
  • 1 - Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 - Tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 - Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 - tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 - tsp salt
  • 2 - cup(s) sweet BBQ sauce
  • Side: - baked beans**
  • Side: - veggies**
  • 1 - gallon-size freezer baggie(s)
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Cooking Directions for Single Meal

  1. Cut up the ribs, as needed, to fit them into the base of the slow cooker.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt and cayenne pepper. Coat the ribs with the homemade rub. Brush half of the BBQ sauce onto the ribs.
  3. Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours. Brush the remaining BBQ sauce onto the ribs with 30 minutes left in the cooking cycle.
  4. If desired, place the slow cooked ribs onto baking sheet and broil for 1-2 minutes to
  5. Warm the baked beans.
  6. Prepare veggies.
  7. Serve Sweet & Spicy BBQ Ribs with baked beans and veggies.

Freezeasy Meal Prep Directions

  1. In a small mixing bowl, combine 2 Tbsp chili powder, 2 Tbsp ground cumin, 2 Tbsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp salt and 2 tsp cayenne pepper. Coat each rack of ribs with the homemade rub. Brush 1 cup of BBQ sauce onto each rack of ribs.

To each gallon-size plastic freezer baggie, add the following ingredients:

  • Half of the ribs with half of the rub and BBQ sauce

Remove as much air as possible and seal. Add label to baggie and freeze.

Freeze & Thaw Instructions

Put baggie in the freezer and freeze up to 6 months in fridge freezer or 12 months in a deep freezer. Thaw ribs completely in the fridge overnight, or a warm bowl of water for about 20 minutes, before adding to slow cooker and slow cooking for 8 hours on low.

Special notes

Because a rack of ribs is large and awkward to freeze, you could cut them into smaller pieces and use gallon size baggies. You also could purchase the Ziploc 2 gallon or larger baggies. (Most grocery stores don’t carry these, but you could get them from Amazon or online.) Or you could wrap the ribs and rub (not the sauce) in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze that way, then brush the BBQ sauce on just before slow cooking. You will need a 6 qt. or larger slow cooker for these ribs.

Dairy-Free Modifications

Recipe is dairy-free when served with dairy-free sides.

Gluten-Free Modifications

Recipe is gluten-free when served with gluten-free sides.

Printable Label Recipe Title

Sweet & Spicy Slow Cooker Ribs

Printable Label Instructions

Thaw ribs completely and transfer into slow cooker. Brush remaining BBQ sauce onto ribs with 30 minutes left in cooking cycle. Once cooked, broil for 1-2 minutes, if desired.
Serve with baked beans and veggies.

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