Sweet chili sauce alongside barbecue sauce is the whole idea. A third of a cup of it against half a cup of barbecue gives a glaze with more heat and more shine than barbecue sauce on its own.
One batch of sauce does three jobs: half of it is brushed on before the cook, more goes on before the broil, and the rest is served alongside. That is why the recipe makes more than it puts in the cooker.
Why This Recipe Works
- Removing the membrane lets the seasoning and sauce reach the meat rather than sitting on a tough sheet.
- Seven to seven and a half hours on Low takes baby backs well past tender.
- Brushing sauce on before the cook seasons the meat; brushing again before the broil is what actually forms the glaze.
- Three to five minutes under a broiler caramelises the brown sugar in the sauce into a sticky surface.
Ingredient Notes
- Baby back ribs
- Three and a half pounds with the membrane removed, cut into sections that fit the cooker.
- Sweet chili sauce
- A third of a cup, alongside half a cup of barbecue sauce. It is what makes this different from plain BBQ ribs.
- Brown sugar
- Two tablespoons in the sauce. It is what caramelises under the broiler.
How to Make It
Prep and season
Cut the ribs into sections that fit the slow cooker. Season with salt, smoked paprika and garlic powder.
Sauce and load
Whisk the barbecue sauce, sweet chili sauce, brown sugar and Worcestershire. Brush about half over the ribs and place them in the slow cooker.
Seven hours on Low
Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 7 1/2 hours, until very tender.
Broil to sticky
Transfer the ribs to a foil-lined sheet pan, brush with more sauce, and broil 3 to 5 minutes until sticky and caramelized.
Serve
Serve with the remaining sauce on the side.
One Sauce, Three Jobs
The recipe makes a single batch of sauce and uses it at three separate points. Each use is doing something the others cannot.
Mixed
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp Worcestershire
The whole batch, whisked in one bowl. The sweet chili is what separates this from a plain BBQ rib and the brown sugar is what will caramelise later.
First pass - into the cooker
7 to 7 1/2 hours on LOW, until very tender.About half the sauce, brushed over the seasoned ribs
Seasons the meat from the outside in across seven hours. It does not glaze at this stage - it thins into the cooking juices.
Second pass - under the broiler
3 to 5 minutes - watch it, sugary sauce burns fast.More sauce, brushed on once the ribs are on a foil-lined sheet pan
This is the coat that becomes the glaze. Direct heat drives off its moisture and caramelises the sugar into a sticky surface.
Third pass - at the table
Whatever sauce is left
Served in a bowl alongside, which is why the batch is larger than what goes into the cooker.
Then tasteRibs on a platter, glazed and sticky, sauce bowl behind - exactly as the finished dish shows.
Success Tips
- Take the membrane off the back of the rack. It is the single biggest difference between good and tough ribs.
- Keep back enough sauce for both the broil and the table — half goes in at the start and the rest has two more jobs.
- Stay at the oven during the broil. Three to five minutes is the window and sugary sauce burns quickly.
Serving Ideas
Six servings on a platter, glazed and sticky, with the remaining sauce in a bowl alongside.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skip the broiling?
No. The sticky caramelised glaze only happens under direct heat; a slow cooker cannot produce it.
How do I know when the ribs are done?
Tenderness is the doneness cue here. Properly tender ribs will be well above the 145 degree Fahrenheit pork safety minimum.
Does the membrane really need to come off?
Yes — the recipe specifies it before anything else happens.
