These Amazing and Tender Crockpot Kansas City Ribs are perfect for game day or an evening meal too.

Kansas City-style BBQ actually originated over 100 years ago. It is different from other regional BBQ styles due to its dry rub and thick, rich tomato-based sweet sauce. There is not as much vinegar taste to a Kansas City sauce as you might think compared to a sauce from Tennessee or the Carolinas.

I priced out the difference between making my own sauce and just buying a Kansas City-style sauce at the store. It was going to cost me almost four times as much to purchase the ingredients to make a homemade sauce over buying a store-made version. Considering the time involved as well, I went for a store-bought version. Kansas City BBQ Sauce is in most grocery stores and I’ve even found it in local Amish markets, so you should be able to find some at your local grocery store as well.

However, if you really want to be authentic, you can buy Joe’s Kansas City BBQ Sauce from Amazon and make your BBQ as close to Kansas City as you can get without getting on a plane and waiting in line.

Making the Amazing And Tender Crockpot Kansas City Ribs

We are going to try and add as much flavor as possible to these ribs while still making them easy to cook in your crockpot.

First, prepare the ribs. Lay them out on a cookie sheet or other large flat pan. Remove the tough membrane from the bottom of the ribs. this is a little tricky — just keep pulling, I promise it will come off, you may just need to wrestle it a bit. Then trim off any large visible fat.

Next, assemble your dry rub. Whisk it to combine.

Then make sure you are looking at the bottom of the ribs. Coat with apple cider and shake a little of the dry rub. Rub it in.

Turn the ribs over. Baste with apple juice. Sprinkle the remaining rub over the two slabs of ribs. Rib it in and make sure to coat the sides as well.

Let the ribs sit for at least 20 minutes or as long as twelve hours. This is to let the dry rub season the meat. If you are going to let them sit longer than 20 minutes, be sure to refrigerate the ribs for food safety.

After the ribs have sat for at least 20 minutes with the dry rub, prepare your crock pot. I used an 8-quart crockpot and the ribs fit very well if I cut each slab in half. For any sized crockpot, you are likely going to need to cut the slabs in half to stack them and fit the lid on top.

I have recently started using crockpot liners and I will never go back. Cleanup from the ribs was so easy and efficient. So line that crockpot and get ready to add some ribs.

Cut the slabs in half and add Kansas City BBQ Sauce to the top of each. You should use about 1/4 of a bottle on each of the four pieces.

Next place the ribs meat or top side down in a stack into the crockpot. This way the juices will continue to flow into the meat portion and give them extra flavor and moisture.

We don’t want to cook the ribs until they are mush, so you will need to check them starting at four hours. Each crockpot cooks a little differently and has a wide variety of temperatures. At four hours, also rotate the bottom two slabs to be on top and the two that were on top to be back on the bottom. This helps distribute the moisture and evenly cook the meat. When you can pull the meat away from the bone with a fork, the ribs are done. Mine took about six hours total on low.

Prepare a cookie sheet lined with foil. Place the ribs on the cookie sheet with the meat or top side up. Spread about half a bottle of sauce around the slabs. Place the slabs under the broiler for about 5 minutes. You want to caramelize the sauce, not burn them black, so watch them closely. The sauce will be all bubbly and hot when the ribs are done.

Be sure to let them sit for a few minutes before cutting and serving so that you don’t lose all those beautiful juices inside your delicious ribs!

Can you make them in a smoker? Absolutely! Just cook them for about 2 hours at 275 baste with sauce, place in foil, and cook another two hours. Test for doneness. Baste with additional sauce. Place them back in the smoker for 20-30 minutes to caramelize the sauce.

Are you looking for other foods to serve to a large crowd? My Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Chicken and Bean Soup, Spaghetti Sauce, Hearty Chili, and Korean Turkey are recipes that are easily made in larger batches to help you conquer any party.

Print

Amazing And Tender Crockpot Kansas City Ribs

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword BBQ, Crockpot, Ribs, Slow Cooker

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Resting Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 7 hours hours

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 2 slabs St. Louis Style Pork Ribs
• 1 cup apple juice

Dry Rub

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 2 19 oz bottles Kansas City style BBQ sauce

Instructions

• Dry Rub: Assemble spices. Whisk to combine.
• On a large cookie sheet, lay the ribs flat side by side. Clean the membrane off the back of the ribs. Remove any large chunks of fat.
• Coat the back sides of the ribs with apple juice (orange juice or olive oil will work if you don't have apple juice). Lightly sprinkle the dry rub. Rub in as needed.
• Flip the ribs over and coat the tops with apple juice. Sprinkle the remaining rub on the tops of both ribs. Rub into the meat and make sure the entire surface and sides are covered.
• Let ribs sit for at least 20 minutes or as long as 12 hours. Refrigerate if left to sit longer than 20 minutes.
• Prepare a crockpot with a cooking bag if desired. Set the crockpot to low.
• Lightly coat the tops of the ribs with one bottle of Kansas City style sauce. You may need to cut the ribs in half to fit them into your crockpot.
• Place each slab in the crockpot, top side down. This will help the meat to become more flavorful and juicy. Cook on low for six hours. Check periodically after four hours for tenderness. We don't want to overcook the ribs and turn them to mush. The meat is done when you can use a fork to pull the meat apart.
• When the ribs are done cooking. Place them on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil. Make sure they are top-side up. Baste with additional sauce — don't use the whole bottle, you will want to save some for dipping later.
• Broil ribs for 3-5 minutes. You are trying to get the sauce to brown a little at the edges and make a nice caramelized crust on the top of the ribs.
• Let ribs sit for 10 minutes. Cut and serve with additional sauce.

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