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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes » Slow Cooker Root Beer Baby Back Ribs

    LAST UPDATED: June 19, 2020 • FIRST PUBLISHED: November 1, 2014 By Toni Dash 14 Comments

    Slow Cooker Root Beer Baby Back Ribs

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    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Slow Cooker Root Beer Baby Back Ribs

    Am I the only one who thinks of ribs as a summer grilling food? Why is it that food gets pigeon holed to a meal genre or season? For instance do you ever think about how breakfast food can be eaten any time of the day and the novelty about that is charming: ‘backwards day’ or ‘Brinner’ for scrambled eggs and sausage in the evening. But eating dinner foods for breakfast? Unheard of except for pizza that has slipped by on certain occasions without scorn. (Though I’ll admit one of my favorite breakfasts is Costa Rican Gallo Pinto, or Black Beas and Rice).

    Slow Cooker Root Beer Baby Back Ribs on a plate

    I have no idea why I think of ribs only as a summer food. I was speaking with a friend a few weeks ago who was extoling the virtues of a new meal service she’s trying. She selects from a weekly menu, all of the components of the meals are shipped fresh to her and she assembles, cooks and serves. The recipes sounded inspired and mouthwatering.

    Somewhere in there was something that made Slow Cooker Ribs pop to mind and for some time I have thought a root beer sauce would be great. Not only is root beer sweet but the herbal notes in the soda would lend themselves to spike up a glaze. As soon as ‘slow cooker’ was included in my vision, the ‘ribs=summer’ equation was transformed.

    Slow Cooker Root Beer Baby Back Ribs in sauce

    Look at these ribs! Don’t they look luscious? Cooked long and slow, they are falling-off-the-bone tender by the time they are ready. The tangy barbeque sauce flavor is perfection as well as is the Root Beer Sauce made from the slow cooker’s simmering.

     Slow Cooker Root Beer Baby Back Ribs with sauce

    I had a lengthy discussion with my butcher about whether to use Baby Back or St. Louis Style ribs and settled on baby back. Though St. Louis style ribs could also be used, they have an extra membrane which needs to be removed and require trimming. My goal with slow cooker recipes is to keep them as easy as possible while delivering a mouthwatering recipe. These do just that!

    Slow Cooker Root Beer Baby Back Ribs on enamel plate

    rib bones on vintage plate

    Try these Recipes too!

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    Slow Cooker Root Beer Baby Back Ribs

    Slow Cooker Root Beer Baby Back Ribs

    Sweet and saucy slow cooker root beer ribs are a mouthwatering easy recipe.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 8 hours
    Total Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings of ribs and 1 1/2 cups Root Beer Sauce
    Calories: 728kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
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    Ingredients

    • 4 ½ pounds Baby Back Ribs , rinsed, patted dry with paper towels and cut into 4 rib portions
    • 1 ½ teaspoon ground Black Pepper
    • 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
    • 1/3 cup Ketchup
    • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
    • 1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon ground Mustard
    • ½ teaspoon Smoked Hot Paprika
    • ¼ cup Dark Brown Sugar
    • ½ teaspoon Liquid Smoke
    • ½ teaspoon Red Pepper flakes
    • 3 cloves Garlic , minced or pressed,
    • ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
    • 12 ounce can Root Beer
    • ½ teaspoon Cornstarch

    Instructions

    Instructions for cooking the Ribs:

    • Mix salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Rub into both sides of the ribs and place into the slow cooker.
    • In a small bowl combine all the ingredients except the root beer. Whisk to dissolve the sugar and mix together. Pour into the slow cooker and coat all the ribs (use a basting brush if needed to get the sauce onto all the rib portions).
    • Pour 1 cup of root beer (reserve the rest) into the slow cooker. Cook 8 hours on low.

    Instructions for making the Root Beer Sauce:

    • When the ribs are done, remove them from the slow cooker and place them in the oven on very low heat just to keep them warm. They may be wrapped in foil if preferred.
    • Drain the liquids from the slow cooker into a sauce pan or other vessel and allow to cool. As the liquids cool the fat will separate on the top; skim the fat off and discard. If the liquids are not in a saucepan, pour it into a medium saucepan.
    • Spoon ¼ cup of the liquid into a small mixing bowl. Add the cornstarch, whisk to combine and return back to the saucepan of liquid.
    • Add the remaining root beer (1/2 cup) and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, stirring periodically, until the sauce reduces to 1 ½ cups.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 728kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 66g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 251mg | Sodium: 987mg | Potassium: 1203mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 225IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 3.4mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!
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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutrition Coach and the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her seasonal recipes bring excitement to the dining table for both gluten-free and gluten diners. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

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    1. Jim says

      June 04, 2015 at 11:54 am

      Why do you specify Kosher salt? Some Kosher salt is pure, some of it is adulterated.

      I have and I use a variety of salts, some Kosher and some not. I wold prefer to make my own choice of salts.

      Jim

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        June 04, 2015 at 1:10 pm

        Hi Jim. The main reason I use mainly Kosher salt in my recipes is that for the same volume it is less salty than regular table salt. It also has a different shape making it easier to control when cooking (if using fingers). Take a look at (this article and this article) may be of interest to you as they compare the qualities of different types of salt and usage. With my recipes I try to be specific about all the ingredients I use so readers will experience the same end result I did in making the recipes. Certainly if you prefer to change things up, that’s great! Not everyone feels comfortable doing so. Thanks for asking!

        Reply
        • Jim says

          June 05, 2015 at 12:45 pm

          5 stars
          Toni Dash-

          Thanks for the reply and for the excellent links!

          Jim

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    Welcome! I’m Toni. I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach and my goal is to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER with delicious, well-tested recipes and travel tips! More About Me …

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