Slow Cooker Char Siu Pork Ribs
Slow cooker char siu pork ribs are very easy; blend some ingredients, throw them in the crockpot, then 6 hours later, give them a quick glaze.
This recipe uses baby back pork ribs, but it also works equally well with spare ribs!
Slow Cooker Baby Back Pork Ribs
It does not matter how you do it, the very best way to cook ribs is slowly.
Whether that be slowly smoked BBQ ribs, slowly roasted oven ribs, slowly braised in the oven like my bacon ribs and Korean gochujang ribs or even these slow cooker ribs, they are the best.
There is one exception, and that is pressure cooker or instant pot ribs, but essentially, that does the same thing as slow cooking, just in less time!
This recipe goes with a take on char siu pork, and it is super simple.
Sweet, slightly sour and with a hint of heat, these are delicious!
You can chuck all of the ingredients into the crockpot before you go to work with minimum fuss.
Then all you need to do is flash them under the grill or broiler for 10 minutes when you get home. This is the perfect time to reduce the sauce a little too.
If char siu is your thing, check out my much quicker char siu pork tenderloin and char siu chicken leg recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you mean by "remove the membrane"?
Ribs have a membrane, similar to silverskin on meat, on the inside of the ribs.
If you have bought your ribs as a single sheet, you should remove this because it makes the eating experience a little better.
Some people also claim that it helps get a better flaovur into ribs, but I have never found this to be the case.
Can I use spare ribs instead of baby back ribs?
Yes, this recipe works equally well with both types of rib.
Do you have to crisp up the ribs later?
I think so, yes, without doing this, the ribs are very soft, caramelising them adds a depth of flaovur and pushes this recipe over the top.
Do I have to crisp the ribs under the grill or broiler?
No, I have taken to doing this in an air fryer in recent years, and it works really well, although it does make a bit of a mess of the air fryer basket!
You could also do this in an oven with a fan mode set at its highest temperature. Although it is a very inefficient way of getting the job done.
Serving Suggestions
I've served these slow cooker char siu influenced pork ribs with some air fryer jacket potatoes in these pictures.
However, these also work really well served with pickles.
Both the pickled daikon recipe from my salt and pepper chicken recipe and the pickled cucumber from my salt and pepper squid recipe are wonderful sides for this dish.
They also work really well with my sweet and sour stir-fried noodles, or even this broccoli stir fry.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Slow cooker, I use a 3.7 litre (4 quart) slow cooker made by Crockpot.
- Grill/broiler.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 30cm or 12" frying pan.
- Blender.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Grater.
- Kitchen tongs or a slotted spoon.
Slow Cooker Char Siu Pork Ribs Recipe
Ingredients
- 700 g Pork Ribs 24oz (I use baby back ribs)
- 2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Rice Wine
- 1 tablespoon Honey 20g
- 3 tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 Spice
- 5 Cloves Garlic
- 15 g Ginger ½ thumb sized piece
- 1 Small Onion 100g
Instructions
- Peel and blend the onion, garlic and ginger with the soy sauce, rice wine and honey, then pour it into the slow cooker.
- Add in all of the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- If your ribs are not already separated, remove the membrane by picking at a corner until you can grab hold and give it a pull, then cut the ribs into individual pieces.
- Turn the slow cooker to low and cook for 6 hours
- Carefully remove the ribs from the slow cooker and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes. Be careful because the meat will want to fall off the bone.
- Pour the cooking juices back into a blender and blitz until smooth and well combined.
- Pour the sauce into a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a high heat and reduce by a third to half, this should only take 5-6 minutes.
- Baste the ribs with the sauce and slide them under the grill for 5-6 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
These ribs look and sound amazing! Better yet, they sound so easy to make! I love easy, delicious recipes!
Boy! Do those ever look good!! We do love our pork and we are having a slab of ribs tomorrow. The very idea makes me smile. Your cut of ribs we've never tried. I'd love to have Hubby make them. I think I'll show him the recipe. Maybe he'll surprise me. Your sauce sounds like one I use. Excellent idea.
I hear ya on yearning for Spring veges, but if I was staring down at that pork, I don't think that would be the time I thought about them! Lol! This pork just looks so juicy and delicious!
These ribs look and sound amazing! Better yet, they sound so easy to make! I love easy, delicious recipes!
They certainly are not challenging to make and really tasty.
Boy! Do those ever look good!! We do love our pork and we are having a slab of ribs tomorrow. The very idea makes me smile. Your cut of ribs we've never tried. I'd love to have Hubby make them. I think I'll show him the recipe. Maybe he'll surprise me. Your sauce sounds like one I use. Excellent idea.
Thanks Marisa... The differences in cuts of meat around the world is completely bewildering to me!
I hear ya on yearning for Spring veges, but if I was staring down at that pork, I don't think that would be the time I thought about them! Lol! This pork just looks so juicy and delicious!
Snigger, thanks Beth.
I never knew you could cook something like this in the crock pot. The color looks really nice! Crock pots really do come in handy!
Thank you, finishing them off under the broiler gives them that little crispy edge but they come out of the crock put cooked perfectly and just need 5 minutes extra love to turn the up to 11.
I really need to invest in a slow cooker. This pork ribs are looking pretty damn delicious, Brian. One of my dislikes for the slow cooker is the lack of browning - do you have any issue with that? I read that you like to place the ribs under a broiler after they're cooked to brown them up a bit. That changes everything. Hahahah - after all, what's meat without charred bits?
Yup definitely, without those crispy bits it is a little flat but just 5 minutes under the grill and 'boom', I love cooking meat in a slow cooker, particularly fatty meat I find it renders the fat in a much more pleasing way than in an oven.
My husband may be willing to let me use the slow cooker instead of the smoker to try this recipe haha. Is there are particular cut of ribs I should look for? They sell them in a few different styles here in the States.
We get very different cuts of meat over here in Europe than the US so would be wary at guessing a name, but I like to use ribs from the middle of the rib cage and cut them in half with a big butchers saw.
These look so delicious Brian! I LOVE ribs...and even better in the slow cooker!
Anything that is chuck it in the pot and walk away has its place in real life 😉
Oh my oh my oh my! These look sublime Brian! My step mum would go mental for these and given I've missed Mother's Day, I suspect I'll have to make these to distract her from it lol ;). What a simple but incredible looking recipe 😀
Thank Jo, it really is a fabulously simple recipe... You just have to not take the cooking too far or the meat will fall off the bone but apart from that there aint nothing that can go wrong, chuck it in the crock pot go do something and come back, 15 minutes of finishing and dinner is done 🙂
That looks fantastic.
Cheers Jeff
These look wonderful. I’ve never used Char sui sauce before, but will look for it next time at the grocery store.
Thank you
Oh my word Brian! You have my mouth watering so much it is difficult to keep the keyboard dry 😉
Looks stunning, as always. A real comforting, keeper of a recipe.
Thanks Georgina, unfortunately I am unable to compensate you for your damaged keyboard, may I suggest some cling film over the keys in future 😉
Nothing beats a good rib recipe...and doing them in the slow cooker is even better. Nice pics too.
Definitely with you on that 😉
I'm a sucker for a rib!! These look spectacular!! YUM and beautiful pics!!!
Thanks Felesha
I don't eat pork but I'm sure this would taste great on beef ribs too! Love your blog!
Thanks April, I've not tried it with beef, it does wonders with a chicken though 😉 You will have to let me know how you get on.
Im not a fan of ribs, but these ones look delicious, maybe I have to give it a try:)
I think ribs can often be a little fatty and they need real long and slow cooking to render out all of that fat and that's where a slow cooker comes into its own.
I love using my slow cooker for meals! This one I have to try!
Me too they are so simple.
Finger licking good !
I don't own a slow cooker, but I always use my oven for such recipes.
Like you, I'm also craving lots of spring greens at this time of the year.
Yes I have used an oven too, it is a slightly different cooking method but if you take the lid off for the last hour in the oven you do get some lovely crispy bits even at a very low setting 🙂