These slow cooker Dr. Pepper ribs are cooked low and slow in spices and Dr. Pepper to the best ribs that are tender and you'll want to sink your teeth into. Slather the ribs with BBQ sauce mixed with Dr. Pepper for the ultimate easy finger-licking ribs!
*This is a sponsored post in partnership with the Iowa Pork Producers Association. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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If you love these pork ribs, try some of my other tender pork recipes. This slow cooker pork loin is moist and tender and gets rave reviews. Make it with this savory pork roast gravy made from the drippings! Or try slow cooker pineapple pork loin which is juicy with just the right amount of sweetness.
The membrane that runs down the back of the ribs is a thin, white colored membrane that is both strong and somewhat see-through.
This membrane is also called sometimes the "silver skin" as sometimes the white membrane can look shiny and silver in color.
I recommend removing the membrane as it stays tough even after being cooked. The ribs can be tender and delicious, but the membrane will be tough and chewy.
This means you'll hit a tough bite in the middle of enjoying tender ribs which is simply unpleasant. I strongly recommend removing the membrane before cooking the ribs.
Some butchers will remove the membrane for you, but these ribs are usually labeled and cost a little more.
Most grocery stores will package ribs with the membrane still attached.
For safety, all pork ribs need to be cooked until at least 160 degrees to be safely eaten.
Ribs however need to be cooked longer and to a higher temperature to be tender so they are falling off the bone. When slow cooking this rib recipe, my ribs ranged between 180-190 degrees when they were falling off the bone. See more about cooking temperatures of different cuts of pork including ribs here.
You can also use the bend test to tell if your ribs are done. When you hold the ribs with a pair of tongs, the end not being held by the tongs should bend towards the ground. Ribs will also begin to split in between each bone as you hold it with tongs when they are tender.
One full rack of ribs will make about 3-4 servings. This does depend on how many other sides you have, and how much your family chows down on ribs!
I have successfully fit two racks of ribs in the same slow cooker by slicing them into two pieces each and still made juicy ribs, no issues. Both sets of ribs came out tender when cooking for 6-7 hours. You will need to double the amount of spices in the recipe to cook two racks of ribs and increase the liquid to two full cups of Dr. Pepper.
To make more than two racks of ribs in the same slow cooker, you will need a very large slow cooker or multiple slow cookers. I have not tried making more than two racks of ribs in the same slow cooker.
Sure, you can try and use your own favorite spice rub on these ribs instead of what I have suggested, though it will give the ribs a different flavor I would suggest using three to four teaspoons of spice rub in this recipe in place of all the spices listed.
Store ribs in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Expect that the ribs will last for about three days.
I don't recommend freezing cooked ribs on the bone. leftover ribs on the bone don't tend to reheat easily. These ribs are already falling off the bone so freezing them tends to get tricky fast.
Instead, I recommend just taking a fork to pull the meat away from the bone. Remove the bones and any extremely fatty pieces, then place the rib meat in a freezer zip-top bag. Leftovers can then be reheated as pulled pork for sandwiches, wraps, on top of salads, and more!
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