Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs cooked with with sauerkraut, apples and carrots. Comfort food at its best. Adding apple juice to the broth delivers a juicy tangy meal with maximum flavor. Crockpot country ribs is a hearty fix and forget it meal that your family will love.
I’ve had this recipe for crockpot country style ribs as long as I’ve had my crockpot. Literally, it was a recipe included in the little instruction booklet that came with my first crockpot. Do you pay any attention to those? I’ve found some really good ideas in them.
This recipe for country pork ribs in the crockpot is a sweet, sour and savory meal that’s a pleasure to come home to.
Why You’re Going To Love This Recipe
- Country ribs in the crock pot is a hearty fix and forget it meal. Let your slow cooker do the work.
- The flavor combination of sauerkraut and pork is classic and delish!
- Cooking country pork ribs in the slow cooker returns a melt in your mouth experience.
- The recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight or weekend dinner.
- You’re looking at a stress free simple dinner.
What are country pork ribs?
A country pork rib isn’t really a rib at all. In other words, there’s a bit of identity crisis involved. It’s a blade chop that comes from the area between the loin and the shoulder. They contain no ribs but instead part of the scapula.
Since it comes from close to the shoulder blade, they’re meatier than rib cuts. Some say you should grill them and some say cook them low and slow. Country Style Pork Ribs can be found two ways.
- The blade end near the shoulder. For this cut, blade end loin chops are cut into pieces. They an be sold bone-in. They will probably be labeled pork loin country-style ribs. You’ll find them with nice marbling which results in great flavor.
- From The shoulder. Boneless pork ribs can also be thick strips cut from pork shoulder steaks. They are sometimes labeled as pork shoulder country-style ribs. These ribs are fattier and also quite tasty.
For this recipe for crockpot country ribs with potatoes I chose bone in country style pork ribs. Either cut will work beautifully for this recipe.
Step by Step Instructions
Aromas of pork ribs with potatoes, sauerkraut, apples and onions fill the house. Let’s get started with this step-by-step.
- Step 1: We’ll start by salt and peppering the ribs then coating them with flour. Shake off the excess flour and brown in two tablespoons of vegetable oil until golden on each side. Remove to a paper towel to drain.
- Step 2: Next, layer the vegetables in the crock pot.
- Start with small new potatoes. Or you can use large potatoes that have been cubed or thick sliced.
- Add some large chunks of carrots. And then some sweet onion that’s been peeled, sliced in half , ringed and then cut into crescents.
- On top of the onions, we’ll sprinkle on a small can of sauerkraut that’s been quickly rinsed and drained.
- Step 3: The next step is to add a tablespoon of fennel and some apple juice. We’re big fan of fennel, so as you can see that spoon is heaping. You can also add caraway if you’d like.
- Step 4: We’ll slice an apple and then place those on top of the sauerkraut in the crockpot.
- Step 5: The final step is to snuggle the ribs on the top. Cover the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours.
Crockpot Country Ribs, FAQ’s
Guidelines indicate that you should cook pork to an internal temperature of 145 degrees. However following instructions for this slow cooker method, you’ll know when the ribs are done when fall apart fork tender. A rib that doesn’t flake easily isn’t done.
Absolutely. You’ll need a 6 – 7 quart Dutch oven to hold everything. Just follow the recipe instructions. Set oven temperature at 350 degrees. Ribs should be cooked in 3 – 4 hours.
Gather round that table and enjoy this savory slow cooker country style ribs meal.
Recipe for Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs
I hope you give this recipe for country ribs in the crock pot a try. And if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating. And if you have a recipe for slow cooker pork ribs and potatoes, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
And if you’re looking for more pork recipes, don’t miss my Pork Category. You’ll find lots of mouthwatering ideas.
Pork tenderloin is one of America’s favorite choice for an easy and delicious pork dinner. Take a look at my recipe for Spice Rubbed Pork Tenderloin. It’s a “how to” and a tasty recipe all in one post.
And if you’re looking for more tender ribs recipes:,
- You won’t want to miss this one for Oven Tender Spare Ribs. They’re fab.
- And speaking of comfort food, take a look at this Brats and Kraut over Mashed Potatoes. Cozier than a warm blanket.
- And this one for Crock Pot Pork Chops with Apples and Figs.
Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 4 pounds country style pork ribs
- salt/pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 10 new red potatoes (or two large russets cubed or thick sliced)
- 2 medium carrots sliced thick
- 1 onion sliced and then halved
- 1-15 ounce can sauerkraut drained
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1 teaspoon caraway seed
- 1 Tablelspoon fennel seed
- 1 whole apple cored and sliced
- salt/pepper to taste
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 2 Tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- Place the flour on a plate. Salt and pepper ribs and dredge the ribs in the flour until coated. Shake off excess flour. In a large fry pan, heat the oil until hot and sear the ribs until golden on each side. Remove to paper towel to drain.
- In the crackpot layer, potatoes, carrots, onion, and sauerkraut. Pour on the apple juice, sprinkle on the spices and then add the whole apple on top. Season with salt and pepper and then snuggle the ribs on top of the ingredients. Cook on low all day.
- If you’d like, remove ingredients from crockpot and place juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer combing water/flour mixture and apples. Simmer for a couple of minutes and use as gravy.
- Or serve directly from the crockpot.
Nutrition
Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs …It’s What’s For Dinner
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If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. And write a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback.
My husband love this recipe. We had it about a week and a half two weeks ago, and he asked me again today to make it again. He’s usually very picky so I’m sure he really really liked it and so did the rest of the family five stars for sure.
Incredibly delicious! My boyfriend absolutely loved it & helped himself to two huge platefuls! He’d never eaten sauerkraut like this before. The pork was so tender & the flavors complimented each other beautifully. Next time I’ll add more carrots, though. Perfect!
Hi Lea Ann. I am sold on Carolina Gold barbecue sauce (by Cattleman’s). Found locally at Restaurant Depot or on Amazon. I simply put a layer of onions on the bottom of a crock pot, put in the ribs and cover about 3/4 of the way up the ribs with BBq sauce, finish covering with water to thin out the sauce a little. Set the cooker to high and come back 5 to 6 hours later for fall off the bone ribs. ( Again no need to post this , just wanted to let you know how I do them) Still loving your posts.
Hi Jim! And thanks for your note.
I most certainly will be looking for that BBQ sauce.
And how easy is that! Onions and ribs. So if I’m reading right, you’re adding quite a bit of BBQ sauce? I must try it.
What’s your favorite side to serve with ribs? I’m always looking for ideas.
Thanks for following along with my cooking adventures. I so much appreciate my readers and love the notes I receive.
My sides for the bbq ribs pealed sweet potatos cut in 1inch cubes, seasoned, olive oil baked on 400 for 20 min on cookie sheet and steamed asparagus .