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Slow Cooker Char Siu Pork Ribs

Slow cooker char siu pork ribs are very easy all you do is blend some ingredients & throw them in the crockpot, then 6 hours later glaze them.

This recipe uses baby back pork ribs but it also works equally well with spare ribs!

Slow cooker char siu influenced pork 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 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.

Overhead slow cooker char siu pork ribs.

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 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.

Slow cooker char siu pork ribs.

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 a wonderful side.

They also work really well with my sweet and sour stir-fried noodles or even this broccoli stir fry.

Slow cooker char siu influenced pork ribs.

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 aka broiler.
  • Stovetop to reduce the cooking juices.
  • 30cm or 12″ frying pan to reduce the cooking juices.
  • Blender.
  • Chopping board.
  • Kitchen knife or other equipment to peel the vegetables.
  • Kitchen tongs or slotted spoon.
Close-up slow cooker char siu pork ribs.
Yield: 2 Servings

Slow Cooker Char Siu Pork Ribs Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes

These slow cooker char siu pork ribs are as tasty as a very tasty thing but even simpler than a very simple thing to make, what are you waiting for?

Ingredients

  • 700g (24oz) Baby Back Pork Ribs
  • 2 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Rice Wine
  • 1 Tbsp (20g) Honey
  • 3 Tbsp Hoisin Sauce
  • ½ Tsp Tabasco Sauce
  • 1 Tsp Chinese 5 Spice
  • 5 Cloves Garlic
  • 15g (Half of a Thumb Sized Piece) Ginger
  • 100g (⅔ Cup) Onion

Instructions

  1. Peel and blend the onion, garlic and ginger and with the soy sauce, rice wine and honey, then pour it into the slow cooker.
  2. Add in all of the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
  3. 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.
  4. Turn the slow cooker to low and cook for 6 hours
  5. Carefully remove the ribs from the slow cooker, be careful because the meat will want to fall off the bone, and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes. Now is a good time to heat your grill (broiler) as high as it will go.
  6. Pour the cooking juices back into a blender and blitz until smooth and well combined.
  7. Pour the sauce into a pan 30cm or 12" frying pan over a high heat and reduce by a third to half, this should only take 5-6 minutes.
  8. Baste the ribs with the sauce and slide them under the grill for 5-6 minutes flipping them halfway through.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 697Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 158mgSodium: 1649mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 2gSugar: 18gProtein: 35g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Angela

Saturday 14th of April 2018

These ribs look and sound amazing! Better yet, they sound so easy to make! I love easy, delicious recipes!

Brian Jones

Sunday 15th of April 2018

They certainly are not challenging to make and really tasty.

Marisa Franca

Friday 13th of April 2018

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.

Brian Jones

Sunday 15th of April 2018

Thanks Marisa... The differences in cuts of meat around the world is completely bewildering to me!

Beth

Friday 13th of April 2018

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!

Brian Jones

Sunday 15th of April 2018

Snigger, thanks Beth.

Whitney

Monday 21st of March 2016

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!

Brian Jones

Tuesday 29th of March 2016

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.

Byron Thomas

Monday 21st of March 2016

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?

Brian Jones

Tuesday 29th of March 2016

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.

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