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.