Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Ribs - Tender 4-Hour Recipe

A 2 1/2 pound rack of pork ribs and four hours on high. That is the whole deal here. You rub the meat with a spice mix, drop it in the slow cooker with a honey and soy sauce, and walk away.

The garlic is not a background note. Ten minced cloves go in the pot, and they mellow into something sweet and soft by the time the ribs are done. If you like garlic, don't cut that number.

One thing to know up front: the ribs stand upright against the wall of the cooker, meaty side down. That keeps them partly out of the liquid so they braise instead of boil.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix the spice rub

Stir the salt, pepper, paprika and chili powder together in a small bowl. Pat the ribs dry, then rub the mix over every side of the meat with your hands.

2. Build the pot

Put the honey, soy sauce and minced garlic in the slow cooker and stir. Lay the ribs in and turn them so the sauce coats all sides.

3. Stand the ribs up

Set the ribs upright with the meaty side down and the bone side facing the middle. Rest the meat against the cooker wall. Cover with the lid.

4. Cook low and slow

Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours. The ribs are done when a fork twists easily in the thickest part and the meat starts to pull from the bone.

5. Cut and sauce

Move the ribs to a cutting board and cut between the bones into single ribs. Skim the fat off the sauce in the pot and spoon it over the top.

How to Store Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Ribs

Variations

• Add 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar to the sauce for a sharper, less sweet finish.
• Swap half the honey for maple syrup if you want a milder sweetness.
• Brush the cut ribs with the sauce and run them under the broiler for 3 to 4 minutes for a sticky glaze. Watch them, they burn fast.

Frequently Asked Questions

Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Ribs – Tender 4-Hour Recipe

Pork ribs slow-cooked in honey, soy sauce and ten cloves of garlic until the meat pulls off the bone. Set it and forget it, then serve with the sauce.

15 minPrep time240 minCook time255 minTotal6Servings

Print RecipePin Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 ½ lb rack of pork ribs (halved)
• 1 cup honey
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 10 garlic cloves (minced)

Instructions

1. 1Mix the spice rub — Stir the salt, pepper, paprika and chili powder together in a small bowl. Pat the ribs dry, then rub the mix over every side of the meat with your hands.
2. 2Build the pot — Put the honey, soy sauce and minced garlic in the slow cooker and stir. Lay the ribs in and turn them so the sauce coats all sides.
3. 3Stand the ribs up — Set the ribs upright with the meaty side down and the bone side facing the middle. Rest the meat against the cooker wall. Cover with the lid.
4. 4Cook low and slow — Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours. The ribs are done when a fork twists easily in the thickest part and the meat starts to pull from the bone.
5. 5Cut and sauce — Move the ribs to a cutting board and cut between the bones into single ribs. Skim the fat off the sauce in the pot and spoon it over the top.

Cook's note: Cook times are for a 6-quart slow cooker. Smaller cookers run hotter and bigger ones run cooler, so check the meat rather than trusting the clock.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course

RecipesCooker15 minutes240 minutes255 minutes

Written by Darnell
Darnell covers air fryer recipes and slow cook meals, with a steady side of eggs and breakfast casseroles for people cooking on a tight schedule. He writes in a blunt, test-it-again voice and flags the mistakes that ruin texture, from soggy fries to rubbery eggs. Every post gives timings, temperatures, and a fallback if your machine runs hot.