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Close-up of a pile of glistening Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Ribs, glazed and perfectly cooked.

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Ribs

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Ribs are packed with bold sweet and savory flavor and cook low and slow until perfectly tender. Finished with a sticky honey garlic glaze, these juicy ribs are an easy crowd pleasing recipe for summer weekends, family dinners, and backyard celebrations.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Broiling Time 5 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ribs
  • 3 pounds beef back ribs
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
Honey Garlic Glaze
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Thickener
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water

Equipment

  • slow cooker
  • Baking sheet
  • Saucepan
  • Small bowl

Method
 

  1. Pat the ribs dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
  2. Cut the ribs into sections that fit comfortably into the slow cooker.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce, honey, minced garlic, soy sauce, and apple cider vinegar.
  4. Pour half of the sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker.
  5. Add the ribs and pour the remaining sauce over the top.
  6. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours until the ribs are very tender.
  7. Carefully remove the ribs from the slow cooker and place them on a baking sheet.
  8. Pour the cooking liquid into a saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water to create a slurry.
  9. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat and stir in the cornstarch slurry. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened.
  10. Brush the thickened glaze over the ribs.
  11. Broil the ribs for 3 to 5 minutes until caramelized and sticky.
  12. For food safety, cook beef ribs until they reach an internal temperature of at least 145°F. For tender fall off the bone texture, cook until the meat is very tender and easy to pull apart.

Notes

Broiling the ribs at the end creates a caramelized sticky glaze that tastes just like barbecue restaurant ribs.