Slow cooker riblets with bbq sauce makes a fun easy to eat bite size appetizer or meal. How to cook pork riblets to tender and delicious. One of our favorite Crockpot recipes you can really sink your teeth into as a high protein dinner.
How to Cook Pork Riblets
These are small, narrow cuts of meat taken from the back of a pig, specifically from the ribcage area. They are essentially smaller portions of baby back ribs, which are cut into shorter lengths. Riblets typically include a portion of the rib bone surrounded by meat, making them a flavorful and tender cut of pork.
Prized for their tenderness and juicy meat, which comes from being close to the spine of the pig and having less connective tissue compared to other cuts of pork. They are popular in various culinary traditions, including American barbecue. Of course you can Slow Cook Ribs in Oven too but this is more hands off.
How to Cook Riblets in a Crockpot
Now there is no need to remove membrane from ribs in this case, yay! As far as the prep is concerned you typically will find them at the butcher counter like this. Already cut into strips but better and the expected size would be to slice them into small bite-size pieces.
In some restaurants, you might find riblets served as an appetizer or a main dish. They are often served in a finger-food style, making them a popular choice for casual dining or as a snack during sporting events too! Think Super bowl party food!!
Slow Cooker Beef Riblets
Now we have made Crockpot ribs in full form for years and years and I will say it is easy to do, hands off, and produces some of the most tender bites ever. For this you’re going to need;
- 3 lbs riblets we used pork, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/4 c beef broth or water
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
- 1.5-2 c barbecue sauce bottled
OR you can make Homemade Honey BBQ Sauce yourself and add heat into the mix or not.
Pork Riblets Recipe
Many times I will serve these with our Corn Ribs Recipe as we mind as well go with the whole theme right? Makes it easy since it is all finger food so kids just love dinner that night.
- Place pork rib-lets into slow cooker.
- Add broth and sprinkle with garlic. Cover and heat on low for 7-8 hours cooking time or until fall off the bone tender.
- 30 minutes before serving drain liquid from slow cooker and season riblets with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over the top and gently stir to coat.
- Set to high for 20 more minutes.
- If you would rather bake the sauce on the top to get a bit crispy set riblets on baking sheet covered with non stick foil and brush sauce over the top.
- Bake the riblets in preheated oven on broil setting for 3-4 minutes or until top is caramelized and meat reaches 145 degrees F internally
Crockpot Riblets Recipe
Like I said, use your favorite sauce to smother at the end. You can use Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce if you like or the one we used in our Instant Pot Teriyaki Ribs that is sweeter.
Rather make a killer homemade barbecue sauce you can with just a few ingredients such as brown sugar, worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar. That way you can adjust the heat level to your liking. From mild to spicy both are great with these and our Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs . Jump to recipe and get started.
