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These slow cooker beef back ribs are cooked in a delicious red wine sauce and spiced with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. By the end of the cooking time the rib meat slides off the bones and is full of flavor.
I know it’s been around for a long time but I have only recently started to truly appreciate the beauty of the slow cooker. You add a bunch of ingredients with very little prep, turn the cooker on, go about your business, come back and everything is almost ready with minimal cleanup. It’s wonderful and it doesn’t even matter how long the cooking takes because it is so completely hands-off.
How to make slow cooker beef back ribs:
These delicious bone-in beef ribs were in the cooker for six hours in a mix of red wine, chicken broth, vegetables and a few chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for a bit of heat.
I bought them with the bone for extra flavor, seared them in a Dutch oven before transferring them to the slow cooker and by the time they were done the meat literally slid of the bone and tasted incredibly rich and flavorful.
I cooked the braising liquid down into a spectacular sauce (no additional ingredients required) and then served the ribs over egg noodles but mashed potatoes work equally well.
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Related Post:
If you’re interested in more slow cooker recipes, I recommend this Slow Cooker Indian Chicken Curry:
Slow Cooker Beef Back Ribs
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds beef back ribs, bone in
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and cut into 6 pieces
- 1 large carrot, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 cups dry red wine
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- cooked egg noodles
- sour cream, optional
Instructions:
- Cut the rib rack into individual ribs, season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
- Heat the oil in a cast iron pan or a Dutch oven until shimmering.
- Sear the ribs on all sides until browned, then transfer to a slow cooker.
- Add onion, carrot and celery to the pan or Dutch oven you seared the meat in and cook for about 10 minutes until starting to brown. Be careful not to burn the browned bits from the ribs that are in the pan, turn the heat down if you need to.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Stir in wine, chicken broth and water, bring to a boil, then transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the chipotle peppers and the thyme to the slow cooker, then cook on low for six hours.
- Transfer the liquid out of the slow cooker into a pot and cook on medium heat until reduced to a syrupy consistency.
- Shred the meat and serve with the sauce on egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
- Add a dollop of sour cream (optional).
Nutrition
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This recipe looks so tasty. Could be a little spicy for me, but I know my husband would love it. Love the photo as always!
This looks so incredibly delicious! I can’t even remember the last time I used my slow cooker and for the life of me, couldn’t tell you why. They’re simply the best for dishes like this. Can’t wait to try this soon!
Thanks so much, Christy! I know, it’s so easy to forget about the slow cooker once it’s out of sight in the cabinet but I’m getting it out more and more now. :)
Believe it or not, I still don’t have a slow cooker. Love what you did with this sauce though. So classic but with that addition of chipotle it throws it over the top~
I’ve had one for a long time but have only recently started to use it! It is awesome though, you should get one! Thanks for the lovely comment, as always! :)
With your photos you make browns irresistible!! Wow!! I love what is going on with the meat and spices — sound so incredible. The way you have the dish staged it looks like it’s waiting for me to dig right in — and if I were there I would!! This could almost be in a very romantic restaurant — cozy table for two, a carafe of red wine — hmmmmmmm!! I think this would be a perfect coming home present to ourselves. Great recipe and shot Nicole (as always)!!
Thank you so much Marisa for all your kind words, I really appreciate them! :)
Beautiful! You have a way with hard-to-photograph meats!
Aw, thank you, Lori, that is very nice of you to say! For some reason I really like to photograph brown food, but I have lots of trouble with green… :)
Hey Nicole,
I just saw your post pop up in my email! your photo looks lovely as usual, and I just had an idea for a fake wine bottle when I saw your image! I have a small bottle of red wine vinegar that is very similar dimensions that would work, so thank you for the idea :) I may need to hunt around for a small enough wine glass to match though.
Hey Sheena! That’s exactly what I thought this bottle looked like, similar to a vinegar bottle! The bottle in this photo is actually one of those small fiascos and I ripped away the basket thingy that was around it.
Amazing! This recipe sounds like the perfect dinner for any and every day of the year!
Thank you, Tori! :)
Love your new profile photo Nic!!! And glad you are discovering the wonders of slow cookers :) I am wondering if beef back ribs are what we know as beef short ribs. Are they quite large with loads of meet on them?? Almost a square shape? The sauce for this is a ripper!
Hey there! So glad you like the pic, what can I say, I love to drink! ;) Short ribs actually come from a different section of the animal than back ribs do but they are similar in taste, in my opinion. And yes, large, almost scarily so! :)