Cooking Slow-Cooked Ribs with Bourbon
Craving some tender, flavor-packed baby back pork ribs? You're in luck! This bacon-bourbon barbecue recipe is an absolute game-changer, taking your slow cooker game to a whole new level. Let's dive in!
Recipe Yield: 2 racks of baby back ribsDifficulty: A cinch!Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes, plus marinating time
Ingredients
For the dry-rub:- Dark brown sugar: 1 tablespoon- Smoked paprika: 2 tablespoons- Chili powder: 2 tablespoons- Ground yellow mustard seed: 1 tablespoon- Dried sage: 1 tablespoon- Cayenne powder: 1/2 teaspoon- Kosher salt: 1 teaspoon
For the barbecue sauce:- Thick-cut smoked bacon, chopped: 8 ounces- Large yellow onion, chopped: 1- Garlic cloves, chopped: 4- Bourbon: 1 large shot- Extra-strong brewed coffee: 1 cup- Ketchup: 1 cup- Soy sauce: 1 tablespoon
For the ribs:- Baby back ribs: 2 racks
Let's Get Cooking!
- Mix the dry rub ingredients together and set aside.
- Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until it starts to brown, roughly 10 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic, cooking until the onions soften, around 10 more minutes.
- Stir in the dry-rub mixture. Add the bourbon, blending the ingredients together to deglaze the pan.
- Transfer the bacon-vegetable mixture, coffee, ketchup, and soy sauce to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Combine the sauce and ribs in an airtight container and marinate in the refrigerator. A few hours will do, but overnight is even better.
- Turn on your slow cooker to high and cook the ribs and sauce for 4 to 5 hours.
- Broil the ribs for about 5 minutes after they're cooked, brushing them with more sauce.Keep a close eye to prevent burning.
- Serve with the remaining 2 cups of sauce on the side.
Photos by Chris Rochelle
For more slow cooker meal ideas, give our slow cooker baked beans a try!
Want more BBQ flavors? Try this bonus BBQ sauce recipe with brown sugar, ketchup, honey, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper as a rub for your ribs. Simply whisk together, simmer, and let the flavors meld. Bake 6 slices of bacon, chop, and sprinkle over the ribs during the last 30 minutes of cooking for an extra punch! Enjoy!
- Be sure to set aside the dry rub ingredients, which include dark brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, ground yellow mustard seed, dried sage, cayenne powder, and kosher salt.
- If you have a credit line to spare, you might want to consider trying another slow cooker recipe like our slow cooker baked beans for more meal ideas.
- While the baby back ribs are cooking in the slow cooker, you can use some of the leftover barbecue sauce to broil the ribs for an additional 5 minutes, ensuring a flavor-packed finish.
