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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).

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    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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    Recipe

    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 minutes
    Cook Time: 8 hours hours
    Total Time: 8 hours hours 30 minutes 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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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

      November 07, 2014 at 10:38 pm

      Wow these ribs look delicious.. all that sauce is definitely making me hungry too, I can imagine how good it must have tasted!

      Reply
    2. Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says

      November 04, 2014 at 7:12 am

      Can these ribs look any more tempting? LOVE it!

      Reply
    3. Christie - Food Done Light says

      November 03, 2014 at 4:13 pm

      These sound absolutely luscious. We all love ribs especially my daughter. I have to try cooking them in a slow cooker. That way we can eat them all year long.

      Reply
    4. Lauren Kelly Nutrition says

      November 03, 2014 at 7:59 am

      I will be the BEST mom (and wife) ever if I make this for my family! Love it!

      Reply
    5. DessertForTwo says

      November 03, 2014 at 7:10 am

      5 stars
      You just brought back a fierce craving for gallo pinto! Oh, and salsa Lizano! I used to live there. Have we talked about this? We should 🙂

      Reply
    6. Beth @ The First Year says

      November 03, 2014 at 7:09 am

      My husband suggested ribs for dinner this week – now I have a recipe to follow!!

      Reply
    7. Julia says

      November 01, 2014 at 5:44 pm

      Tender, juicy, fall-off-the-bone ribs are one of my all time favorites! I love that these are made in a slow cooker! I must try this trick, root beer and all! It sounds absolutely amazing and those ribs just look so addicting! Perfect for football season, too 😀

      Reply
    8. Anne-Marie @ This Mama Cooks! On a Diet says

      November 01, 2014 at 4:09 pm

      I do a couple of racks of pork ribs in my large slow cooker all the time. It seems that pork’s always on sale down here in Georgia, so it’s ridiculously inexpensive. (I make sure to stock up and keep several racks in the freezer.) Then I cheat and find a good, quality sauce that’s gluten free and doesn’t have HFCS. (And stock up when that’s on sale, too!) To make a fancier dinner, I serve the ribs on a bed of creamy polenta made with coconut milk and pumpkin puree. Just the best and so easy!

      Reply
    9. Colleen says

      November 01, 2014 at 11:28 am

      We used to beg for pancakes in our pajamas for dinner on Sunday nights. Eleanor Roosevelt served scrambled eggs for dinner on Sunday nights when the White House cook had the evening off. Liberating breakfast foods from their pigeonholes apparently has a strong tradition, and now it’s time for ribs to join the ranks of the wild and free.

      Reply
    10. Rust says

      November 01, 2014 at 7:55 am

      They sound delicious …and look gorgeous! Gotta try them, soon.

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        November 01, 2014 at 10:58 am

        I hope you will Rust! They really are delicious and so easy too.

        Reply
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    About Toni Dash

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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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