Dr Pepper Braised Short Ribs Slow Cooker

collage of dr pepper ribs for pinterest

Looking for a fun summer dinner? Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Ribs take no time to add to the slow cooker and make for a great easy dinner.

If you haven't done ribs in the crock pot, you need to put it on your dinner menu ASAP. I've done ribs with other cooking methods but for me, the cooking them in the crock pot is not only is the easiest but it also always cooks the ribs to perfection. This is one of those dump and go recipes with little prep!

How to cook ribs in the slow cooker:

Low and Slow. The low setting is the best to ensure tender ribs
Remove sinew from the back of ribs BEFORE cooking
Keep the lid on the entire cooking time
Add plenty of liquid (this recipe uses Dr. Pepper as the liquid)

raw ribs, liquid smoke, dr. pepper garlic powder on a wooden table.

You will need:

Pork Baby Back Ribs, these are packed raw and usually weigh somewhere between 3-4 pounds.
Dr. Pepper
Barbecue sauce
Hickory liquid smoke, this makes the ribs taste like they've been in the smoker all day
Black pepper
Garlic Powder

Dr. Pepper adds sweetness to the ribs, notice I did not add brown sugar to the recipe, I think that would have been too much sugar.

Time to cook!

The hardest (and grossest) thing about this recipe is removing the sinew from the back of the ribs. It's a thin piece of tissue that you would think would break down with cooking, but it doesn't all the way and is not good eats. This piece of tissue is easily removed by taking a knife and loosening an edge of it, then grab hold of that edge and rip it off, if you are lucky it will come off in one piece.

I made ribs for my entire extended family years ago in the oven, not only did I not cook them long enough to get tender, I left that piece on the back of the ribs. I'm really surprised my family let me cook at all for family functions after that.

raw ribs with barbecue sauce and dr. pepper in a slow cooker.

Add the ribs to the slow cooker. Sprinkle over the garlic powder and black pepper. Pour over the barbecue sauce, Dr. Pepper and liquid smoke.

cooked ribs in a slow cooker with barbecue sauce.

Cook on LOW for 8 hours, do not open the lid while these cook. They will turn out moist and tender if you leave them be.

Serve these ribs with your favorite sides. My go to is mashed potatoes and a green salad, what is yours? Enjoy!

Other rib recipes for the slow cooker:

Slow Cooker Beer and Onion Beef Ribs
Slow Cooker County Style Pork Ribs with Bell Peppers and Onions
Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs in Tomato Gravy
Slow Cooker Pork Ribs, Potatoes and Sauerkraut
Slow Cooker Louisiana Ribs {Cajun Style}
Slow Cooker Pork Buffalo Style Ribs
Slow Cooker Classic Baby Back Ribs

Want to make more magic in your crockpot? Please stay up to date, subscribe to my newsletter, and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Ribs cooked in dr. pepper and barbecue sauce in slow cooker.

▢
Slow Cooker Size: 5-quart or larger

▢ 4 lbs. rack baby back pork ribs (1 rack is usually about 3-4 pounds, any size that will fit in the slow cooker will work fine.
▢ 1/4 tsp. pepper
▢ 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
▢ 1 tsp. hickory liquid smoke
▢ 1 cup barbecue sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays)
▢ 12 oz. can Dr. Pepper

Remove the sinew from the ribs (it's the white slimey thing on the rounded back part of the ribs.) I do this by lifting a edge of it up with a knife, then grabbing it with 2 fingers. If your lucky the entire things will come off in one pull.
Cut the ribs in to 4 even sections, or in half. Doesn't matter how you slice it.
Add to the slow cooker
Sprinkle over the pepper, garlic powder and add the liquid smoke.
Drizzle over the barbecue sauce.
Pour the Dr. Pepper in.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
Serve with additional barbecue sauce if desired

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Out of Dr. Pepper? A coke or root beer works just as great in this recipe.

Nutritional values are approximate, please use your own calculations if you require a special diet. The values below are for 1/6 of the recipe.

Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

I want to see your photos! Tag me on Instagram @themagicalslowcooker

FREE EMAIL SERIESSLOW COOKER SECRETS

Get Sarah's tricks to delicious and hands-free cooking!