If you don't have a smoker, but want to create that smoky flavor, you can make that happen in your slow cooker with soaked mesquite wood chips and a little liquid smoke! This Smoky Mesquite BBQ Slow Cooker Beer Ribs Recipe is the perfect Father's Day recipe- smoky mesquite BBQ flavor, beer, and baby back ribs... what more could Dad possibly want?!
And you don't have to heat up your house or grill anything, as you would with traditional ribs- the slow cooker does all the work for you! You won't believe how easy this crockpot ribs recipe is! These beer ribs also make a great, easy dinner recipe for busy weeknights and a Father's Day recipe! These beer ribs pair perfectly with Healthy Potato Salad.
Jump to:
Obviously there is no actual smoke involved in these slow cooker BBQ ribs, so they're not going to taste exactly the same as making ribs in a smoker, but it's a close second! Is there anything a slow cooker can't do?! You've heard me say it before.... It's my fave small appliance, along with my Bread Machine, of course. What's not to love about a small appliance that does the work for you while you go about your day?
And if you love ribs, be sure to try my Grilled Greek Ribs!
🥘 Ingredient Note
- Pork short ribs (back ribs). Baby back ribs are the best! There are several different types of ribs, but if you want the best ribs for this recipe, I recommend using pork Baby back ribs (short ribs). They are tender ribs and leaner than spare ribs.
- Beer. Stouts and porters work well, but you could also use brown or amber ales too. Avoid IPAs or other hoppy-tasting beers as the bitterness will overpower the other flavors. I also recommend avoiding craft beer. I use Coors Light because I have it on hand and it works perfectly fine!
- Liquid smoke. You need this for the smoky flavor, but it's strong, so only use as much as directed in this recipe.
- BBQ sauce. I use my homemade Easy BBQ Sauce Recipe (with ketchup), but you could use your favorite BBQ sauce instead! President's Choice Gourmet is one of my favorite store-bought BBQ sauces
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and substitutions
📖Variations & Subsitutions
- Ribs - Baby back ribs are costly, so if that is an issue, don't worry, you can use spare ribs, as they will be a little more tender than usual (because they are slow-cooked), but they won't be as tender as baby back ribs. You can also use beef ribs, if you prefer, although they are usually even more expensive than pork ribs.
- Spice Mixture - you can use any brand or type of seasoning salt (I use Hy's, but you could use Lawry's, etc.
- Wood Chips- use any brand, but I recommend Mesquite or Hickory flavor, although you could use a different flavor of wood chip
🔪 How to Make Slow Cooker Beer Ribs
- Make a wood chip packet by soaking the wood chips in water
- Then place them on the parchment paper
- Then wrap them in parchment paper
- And poke holes in the packet before laying the seasoned pork ribs on top
5. Mix the Cajun seasoning and seasoning salt together. Rub all sides of your ribs with spice/dry rub. Put it in the crockpot, directly on top of the parchment paper packet.
6. Lastly, you add the seasoned ribs to the slow cooker (on top of the wood chip packet), pour beer over them, add liquid smoke, then add your favorite BBQ sauce! Then you let the slow cooker do the rest!
Expert Recipe Tips
- Cut the ribs if they are too long to fit in the slow cooker. Simply cut the racks in half or into thirds so they fit snugly in a single layer or stacked slightly. This won’t affect the outcome.
- Don’t skip soaking the wood chips. Soaking helps them release a steady smoky steam instead of burning too quickly, enhancing the flavor.
- Choose the right beer. Lighter beers like lagers or mild amber ales work best—avoid hoppy beers like IPAs, which can turn the dish bitter.
- Layer for flavor. Add half the BBQ sauce at the beginning and the other half later in the cooking process for a richer, deeper taste.
- Trim the silver skin. Removing the membrane on the back of the ribs helps the rub penetrate better and improves tenderness.
- Don’t overcrowd the slow cooker. Ribs need space to cook evenly—packing them too tightly can result in uneven texture and flavor.
- Let them rest before serving. A 5–10 minute rest time allows juices to redistribute and makes slicing easier.
- Add a smoky finishing touch (optional). Brushing on extra BBQ sauce and broiling for a couple of minutes at the end creates a sticky, caramelized finish.
🍽Equipment
For these crock pot ribs with beer recipe, you will need a 6 quart slow cooker (affiliate link), smoking wood chips (affiliate link), which you can buy at almost any hardware store, and parchment paper
Top Tip
You will want to use Mesquite or Hickory Smoking Wood Chips for this recipe. You can buy them anywhere you buy BBQ or smoker supplies. These are the ones I used (bought from Canadian Tire):
🥗 Side Dishes to go with slow cooker ribs
If you're looking for a great side dish to go with these ribs, a cold salad like this Healthy Potato Salad, Perogy Potato Salad (Gluten-free) (shown below), a simple pasta salad, such as my Tuna Macaroni Salad, Easy Bean Salad, or Healthy Artichoke and Red Pepper Coleslaw are great choices!
These 3 Ingredients Onion Soup Mix Baked Potatoes, also pair nicely with these ribs.
👪Serving Size
This pork ribs with beer recipe makes 8 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings if you'd like additional servings. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🌡️Storing
Cooked pork ribs will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. To further extend the shelf life of these leftover short ribs, freeze them; freeze in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags, or wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or freezer wrap.
❔ Recipe FAQ's
This slow cooker beer short ribs recipe can be made a day or two in advance and reheated, but it's best to make it the day of. It's great anytime, but ideal for Father's Day or for the birthday boy!
If you love spice, you can make this a little spicier by adding a little Tabasco sauce or crushed red pepper/chili flakes (depending on your taste preference).
No pre-cooking or searing is needed for this recipe. The slow cooker tenderizes the ribs beautifully over time, and the dry rub, beer, and BBQ sauce provide plenty of flavor without searing.
Yes, you can omit the wood chips if you don’t have them. The liquid smoke still gives a smoky flavor, but the chips do enhance the authenticity of the "smoked" taste.
Need an easy dessert to go with this meal? Dad is sure to love this No Bake Skor Bar Dessert!
I've had a lot of slow cooker pork rib recipes in my life, and none even come close to this one in terms of taste and flavor depth! Soaking the wood chips, then placing them in the slow cooker, with the addition of beer, BBQ sauce, and smoke flavor, creates a rich and scrumptious pork rib that Dad is sure to love!
More Father's Day Recipes
Did your family❤️this recipe? Did you know that commenting and⭐rating recipes is one of the best ways to support your favorite recipe creators? If you LOVED this recipe, please comment and rate it in the recipe card or share photos on social media using the hashtag #foodmeanderings or tagging @foodmeanderings !
📋Smoky Mesquite BBQ Slow Cooker Beer Ribs Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 lbs -of pork back ribs (baby back ribs) *approximately - about 2 racks
- ½ cup beer any kind (I used Coors light)
- 1 cup fave BBQ sauce *I use President's Choice Gourmet or my Homemade BBQ Sauce
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke * mesquite flavor
Dry Rub
- 3 tablespoon seasoning salt I use Hy's
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
Mesquite Wood Chips Packet
- 2 cups mesquite or hickory wood chips
- water to cover wood chips
Garnish/Topping
- additional BBQ sauce (to your liking) * I used about another ⅔ cup
Instructions
Mesquite Wood Chips Packet
- Soak your wood chips in a bowl with water for at least 30 minutes. Then drain the water.2 cups mesquite or hickory wood chips, water to cover wood chips
- Spread out a good-sized length of parchment paper (15x20 inches approx) on the counter.
- Put the wood chips in the middle of the parchment paper.
- Fold over the edges of the parchment paper (long way)
- Fold over the other side- similar to the way you'd make a foil packet for your BBQ.
- Staple the ends, ensuring it will fit inside your slow cooker.
- With scissors, cut teeny tiny holes here and there in the top level of the parchment paper to let smoky steam escape.
- Place packet in the bottom of your slow cooker.
Dry Rub
- Mix seasoning salt and cajun seasoning together.3 tablespoon seasoning salt, 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- Rub all sides of your ribs with spice/dry rub. Put it in the crockpot, directly on top of the parchment paper packet5 lbs -of pork back ribs (baby back ribs)
- Cover with beer and add liquid smoke.½ cup beer, 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- The last step is to add ½ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce and put the lid on the slow cooker. Set on the low setting with a cooking time of approximately 8-9 hours. ** For bolder BBQ flavor, I added the additional ½ cup of BBQ sauce towards the end of the cooking process - about 6.5 hrs, but you could add it at the beginning or earlier, if that is your preference.1 cup fave BBQ sauce
- The meat is done when it is cooked through and has reached desired tenderness.
Garnish/Topping
- Brush ribs with additional BBQ sauce to your liking.additional BBQ sauce (to your liking)
Cynthia @ Cynful Kitchen
What a genius idea to use wood chips in the slow cooker! Will have to try this.
Terri Gilson
Thanks - it gives it a really nice flavor!
Nancy @instanomss
Love this simple recipe! Love that i can do this without a grill or bbq!
Sharon
Perfect for those in apartments wothout access to a grill! Thanks for this. These ribs are incredible.
Scott
Does the wood chips char at all. Just curious don't think I'm going to burn down the house. I trust your recipes. Just curious. I kind of hope they do a little bit. Thank you definitely trying this recipe.
Terri Gilson
Hi Scott,
No you won't burn down the house 🙂 Just be sure to follow the directions exactly and soak the wood chips for at least 30 minutes just prior to starting.
There is a tiny bit of browning (not exactly char) as I recall, but not like you'd get on a grill. I haven't made the recipe in a while. But they are so good! If you want a great grilled, charred rib, give my Grilled Greek ribs a try too -they are soo yummy!
Hope you enjoy it and I'd love to hear how they turn out!
Terri
Bernice Hill
Interesting technique...it's almost like they're mesquite steamed ribs. We have a smoker, so we use that in the summer but I will definitely try this out in the winter!
Joss
Oh my gosh, you sure know what Dad likes! Every single word in this recipe title is going to get all of the dads excited to eat! Delicious.