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Savory Brown Sugar Honey Bourbon BBQ Ribs Slow Cooker Recipe Easy and Tender

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Tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs slow cooked in a sweet, smoky, and boozy sauce made with brown sugar, honey, bourbon, and classic BBQ flavors. Easy to prepare and perfect for busy weeknights or summer parties.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2–3 pounds baby back ribs or spare ribs, trimmed of excess fat
  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup bourbon
  • 1 cup BBQ sauce
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Remove the silver skin membrane from the back of the ribs if not already removed (about 10 minutes).
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, honey, bourbon, BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth and well blended.
  3. Cut ribs into sections of 2-3 ribs each. Place ribs in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over them, coating all sides using tongs.
  4. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until meat is tender and pulls away from the bone easily.
  5. Optional: Preheat oven broiler. Transfer ribs to a foil-lined baking sheet, brush with extra sauce, and broil 3-5 minutes per side until caramelized and sticky. Watch closely to prevent burning.
  6. Let ribs rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with extra sauce on the side.

Notes

Remove the silver skin membrane for better tenderness and flavor absorption. Use thick BBQ sauce to avoid watery sauce. Broiling after slow cooking adds a sticky caramelized crust. Sauce can be simmered on stove to thicken if too thin after cooking. Substitute bourbon with apple juice and smoked paprika for alcohol-free version. Use gluten-free sauces for gluten-free diet.

Nutrition

Keywords: BBQ ribs, slow cooker ribs, bourbon ribs, honey BBQ sauce, brown sugar ribs, easy ribs recipe, tender ribs, summer BBQ, slow cooker recipe

Find it online: https://zorbmeal.com/savory-brown-sugar-honey-bourbon-bbq-ribs-slow-cooker-recipe-easy-and-tender/