Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Ribs

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Ribs are fall off the bone tender and wrapped in a delicious restaurant quality caramelized sticky sauce.

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Ribs has been a well loved recipe in regular rotation in our house for well over ten years. Of all the ways that we make ribs, this is the easiest one with the best results every single time!

The hardest part of the recipe is probably the ten minutes that it takes to make the sauce but the way it caramelizes in the slow cooker and soaks the ribs in flavor makes it absolutely worth it. Fall off the bone deliciousness!

How to make Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Ribs

It has never been a secret that I love my slow cooker and this recipe for Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Ribs is one of those recipes on repeat in my house.

As these ribs cook, the smell wafts through the whole house and gets everybody hungry for dinner. The meat falls off the bones after a long, slow cook and the caramelized sauce on these ribs is sticky and delicious.

Our favorite serving suggestion is to serve these ribs over rice and spoon extra sauce over the top. The rice soaks up the sauce and the combination is a filling and delicious dinner idea.

We like to use baby back ribs for this but any type of pork spareribs can be used.

Prepare the ribs by cutting the slab into sections of 2-3 ribs each, depending on thickness. This makes them fit better in the slow cooker and portions them into individual servings. Set aside.

In a large saucepan combine the brown sugar and flour. Mix with a fork or a whisk until the flour is incorporated into the flour. Add water and stir until combined.

Set the saucepan on the stove over medium heat.

Add the vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, ginger and garlic powder and stir to combine.

Heat and stir until boiling and thickened, about 10 minutes. As the sauce simmers it will caramelize and visibly thicken.

Please note: Stay close to the sauce as it simmers. It needs to be stirred often and if it boils over it is a terrible sticky mess. (Trust me on this one!)

Layer the ribs in the slow cooker and pour the thickened sauce over them.

Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours, basting occasionally with sauce throughout the cooking process if possible.

It’s an amazing and delicious thing that happens in the course of those 6-8 hours. The sauce totally changes, the fat disappears and the ribs become fall-off-the-bone delicious.

Baste with sauce just before serving. Serve over rice if desired. Enjoy!

Other Slow Cooker Recipes You May Enjoy

Sweet Pulled Pork Sliders with Rootbeer Sauce – Sweet and tender slow cooked pulled pork served on slider buns with a delicious savory sauce with just a hint of rootbeer!

Crockpot French Onion Soup – Overnight French Onion Soup made easy!

Crockpot Taco Chili – Delicious dump, stir and walk away recipe. Dinner is ready.

Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Meatballs – easy and delicious as either a meal or as an appetizer!

Mississippi Pot Roast Sandwiches – Flavorful slow cooked shredded beef, tender and tangy with just a hint of heat.