Craving tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs while following a ketogenic diet? Look no further! This article provides a comprehensive guide to making delicious keto-friendly ribs in your slow cooker. Forget spending hours over a hot grill; with a slow cooker, you can effortlessly create juicy, flavorful ribs with minimal effort. This is pure comfort food, aside from the taste, the best part about Keto Ribs & Sauerkraut is smelling it cook! Cooked low and slow, this is a meaty dish that’s infused with flavor.
Why Slow Cooker Ribs are Perfect for Keto
Slow cooking is an ideal method for preparing ribs because it allows the meat to become incredibly tender. The low and slow cooking process breaks down the tough connective tissues, resulting in ribs that are moist and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Also, it doesn’t take hours over a hot, smoky grill to create fall-off-the-bone, tender, juicy ribs. These ribs cook for about 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, making it the perfect low-effort recipe.
Furthermore, slow cooker ribs are easily customizable to fit a ketogenic lifestyle. By using sugar-free BBQ sauces and low-carb sweeteners, you can enjoy all the flavors of traditional ribs without the added carbs.
Choosing the Right Ribs
The type of ribs you select will impact the final result. Here's a breakdown of popular options:
- Baby Back Ribs: These are a leaner cut of pork ribs that are known for their tenderness. We always use Baby Back Ribs from Butcher Box. Pick good quality and meaty baby back pork ribs.
- St. Louis Style Ribs: These ribs have more fat than baby back ribs, which can add flavor but may also make the dish greasier. If you pick the long St. Louis style ribs, they could dry out and there’s a fair bit more fat on those that’ll just grease up your dish.
Essential Ingredients for Keto Slow Cooker Ribs
Making keto slow cooker ribs requires a few key ingredients to ensure both flavor and adherence to your low-carb diet. Here's what you'll need:
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- Pork Ribs: The star of the show! Choose your favorite cut, keeping in mind the considerations mentioned above. About 2 racks of ribs.
- Dry Rub: A flavorful blend of spices is essential for creating delicious ribs.
- Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce: The most important step! Your favorite store bought or homemade sauce will do! BBQ sauces are full of sugar, so if you’re watching carbs you’ll want to specifically seek out a no sugar added BBQ sauce. If you’re not concerned about carbs, just sauce your ribs with whatever your favorite sauce is and don’t worry about it!
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This adds a tangy flavor and helps to tenderize the meat.
- Liquid Smoke (Optional): For a smoky flavor reminiscent of traditional BBQ.
- Beef Broth or Water: To provide moisture and prevent the ribs from drying out during cooking. Add 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth if things start to look too dry in the slow cooker.
- Sauerkraut: Next, get a jar or can of sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is fermented cabbage and is loaded with nutrition. White wine sauerkraut is fine, or go for the fancy refrigerated kind. No matter what brand or type you use, you MUST drain and RINSE the sauerkraut. There’s nothing fouler than sauerkraut right from the jar - unless you’ve never had any different. Once you’ve drained, rinsed and squeezed most of the water from your sauerkraut, the rest of the recipe is as simple as putting everything into the Crock Pot, setting it, and forgetting it!
Crafting the Perfect Keto Rib Rub
A well-balanced dry rub is crucial for infusing your ribs with flavor. Here's a basic recipe to get you started:
- 2 T Himalayan Salt
- 1 T Smoked Paprika
- 1 T Onion Powder
- 1 T Garlic Powder
- 1 T Cumin
- 2 tsp. Black Pepper
- 1-2 T of Granulated Lakanto Sweetner (use depending upon how sweet & spicy you like your ribs)
Mix the rib rub in a bowl or plastic bag. Mix the rib rub in a bowl or plastic bag. Using about 5 pounds of thawed St. Louis Style Ribs (or however many will fit upright in your slow cooker), rub the rib rub in a thick layer over both sides of the ribs. You most likely will not use up all of the rib rub.
Tips for the Dry Rub:
- Adjust the sweetness level to your preference by adding more or less of your preferred brown sugar substitute. You can use your favorite low carb brown sugar substitute for this recipe. We use and love Lakanto.
- For a spicier rub, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a dash of chili powder.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Keto Slow Cooker Ribs
Follow these simple steps to create mouthwatering keto ribs in your slow cooker:
- Prepare the Ribs:
- Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. To prepare the ribs flip them over and use a knife to carefully separate the silver membrane from the rest of the ribs. The membrane is thin and hard to hold, so grab a few paper towels and get a good grip and carefully, evenly pull the membrane from the ribs. Remove the membrane or silver skin from the back of the ribs. May Be Necessary: Remove the thin membrane (if it's there) from the back of the rib racks (The tutorial I always use can be found here).
- Cut the ribs into sections to fit in your slow cooker. You’ll also want to cut the ribs in half or in thirds so that they can fit in your slow cooker. After removing the membrane from the ribs, I used to cut the ribs into smaller, 3 - 4 bone sections. I found that this made it easier for the ribs to fit into my pot or Crockpot.
- Apply the Dry Rub:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, brown sugar substitute, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and parsley. Combine the rub ingredients (brown sugar sweetener, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, seasoned salt and pepper) in a small bowl.
- Sprinkle the dry rub over each side of the ribs and use your hands to press it into the meat. Sprinkle some of the dry rub on one side of the ribs and then use your hands to rub it into the meat. Try and cover as much of the outside surface of the ribs as you can because it’s going to add a lot of good flavor! To season the ribs rub each side very generously with the BBQ rub. Rub the BBQ mix evenly over each side of the ribs.
- Slow Cook the Ribs:
- Add the apple cider vinegar to the bottom of a slow cooker along with 2 tablespoons of water. Pour the apple cider vinegar and water into the slow cooker and add the ribs. Place the ribs in a lightly greased 4-6 quart slow cooker. In a mixing bowl combine the BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar and liquid smoke if using. Pour over the ribs. Place sliced onion into the bottom of the slow cooker and pour in the water. Place baby back ribs on top of the onions, and slather them with one cup sugar-free BBQ sauce.
- Place the ribs in the slow cooker. Place the ribs upright in the slow cooker. I usually set them up in a circular pattern in the slow cooker to maximize the amount of ribs I can fit into it.
- Cook, covered, on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Cook ribs on high for 3-4 hours or low for 8. Cook, covered, on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. If you don’t have as much time you can cook these on high, but ribs cooked low and slow taste the best! It’ll be about 8 hours on low. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours on low. Add the lid to the stockpot and set it on the Slow Cooker Base. Turn the Slow Cooker Base to 3 (medium-high) and cook for 3-4 hours. Cover and cook on High for 3-4 hours (or on Low for 6-8 hours). It is only an approximate value.
- When ribs are tender but not falling apart, carefully remove them from the slow cooker to a large baking sheet. Carefully remove the ribs from the slow cooker when they’ve finished and place them on a baking sheet. Carefully the ribs on a baking sheet and brush with additional BBQ sauce and the cooking liquid from the crock pot if desired. It’s easy to tell that ribs are done when the meat pulls back and the bones are poking out about 1/2 -3/4 an inch. You know they are done if they fall off the bone. If you like them chewier take them out earlier.
- Broil with Sauce:
- Brush the ribs with your favorite sugar-free BBQ sauce. Now you can start brushing on the sugar free BBQ sauce! Brush the ribs with the remaining cup of BBQ sauce and place under the broiler for about 3-5 minutes, until sauce is bubbling.
- Broil for a few minutes until the sauce is caramelized and sticky. The broiler will quickly thicken up the sauce and caramelize it which will add even more flavor to these keto ribs! Watch them closely under the broiler because it can quickly go from being perfectly done to burnt. It should take about five minutes. For a broiler: broil them in a broiler-safe dish on high for 5 minutes.
Alternative Cooking Methods
While the slow cooker is a fantastic option, you can also use other appliances to make keto ribs:
- Instant Pot/Ninja Foodi: Preparing to cook keto ribs in a Ninja Foodi or other pressure cooker (like an Instant Pot) is the same as when you make them in a slow cooker. The major difference between the two cooking methods is time. Add the ribs to the pressure cooker pot. Pour the Zevia or Chicken Broth into the bottom of the pot. Add the pressure cooker lid and cook on high for 25 minutes. Allow the pressure to release.
- Oven: You could also make this in your oven. Follow my directions but start with a Dutch Oven to sear the meat. Once all the meat is seared set aside and add remaining sauce ingredients. Once onion is tender add back the meat and place it covered in your oven at 350 degrees F for 2-3 hours.
Serving Suggestions
These delicious keto bbq ribs work well with any of these keto side dishes for bbq. Everyone knows ribs are best with slaw and a side of pickles! You’ve got protein and veggies with this dish, so you really don’t need much more than that. However, the plate would look pretty with a bright green veggie on it.
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Tips for Success
- Every slow cooker cooks a bit differently, so if your ribs are still tough when the time is up, just keep cooking them a bit longer. Why are my ribs tough?Every slow cooker cooks a bit differently, so if your ribs are still tough when the time is up, just keep cooking them a bit longer. The meat should pull back from the bones a bit and they should be very tender when finished cooking.
- If you want you can broil them at the end to get them a bit crispy but they don’t need it.
- I did not use a sauce with these ribs because they didn’t need any with all the flavor from the rub. However if you want to eat them with a low carb barbecue sauce feel free.
- Since keto-friendly BBQ sauce is more expensive than sugary BBQ sauce, I add my sauce right before browning the ribs.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Absolutely! We love making extra so that we have plenty of leftovers. Can I store these ribs after cooking?Absolutely! We love making extra so that we have plenty of leftovers. They should last in the fridge for about 3 or 4 days in an airtight container. They should last in the fridge for about 3 or 4 days in an airtight container.
Yes! You can freeze this dish just fine. Then, portion it into freezer-safe containers or plastic bags. To heat, thaw it in the fridge overnight. Then, heat it in the microwave until warmed through, or put it in an oven-safe dish and cover with foil.
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