Slow-Cooker Maple Bourbon Country Pork Ribs

This is the set-it-and-forget-it dinner that delivers big flavor with almost no effort. Country-style pork ribs slowly cook in a sweet, tangy maple bourbon barbecue sauce until they're fall-apart tender.

Sweet Vidalia onions melt into the sauce, adding a mellow, jammy sweetness that balances the smoky barbecue. Just layer the ingredients in the slow cooker, walk away, and come back hours later to a meal that tastes like it simmered all day—because it did.

Country-style pork ribs are the unsung heroes of the slow cooker. They're meaty, forgiving, and become incredibly tender with low, slow heat. This recipe layers them with thinly sliced Vidalia onions, brown sugar, and a generous pour of maple bourbon barbecue sauce.

The result is a rich, glossy glaze that clings to every bite. Perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends, this dish needs just 10 minutes of prep and then the slow cooker does everything else.

Ingredients

Why this recipe works

The slow cooker's gentle, moist heat breaks down the connective tissue in country-style pork ribs, turning them from tough to fork-tender.

The low temperature allows the meat to cook slowly without drying out, so it stays juicy and succulent. The sauce, meanwhile, reduces and thickens as the ribs cook, creating a concentrated glaze that coats each piece.

Vidalia onions are naturally sweet and mild, so they soften into a jam-like texture that blends into the sauce. Brown sugar adds a touch of caramelization, while the maple bourbon barbecue sauce provides a balance of sweet, smoky, and tangy notes. Together, they create a complex flavor profile that tastes like it simmered for hours—because it did.

Notes and substitutions

Use a good-quality store-bought maple bourbon barbecue sauce for convenience, or make your own if you prefer. The sauce is the star of the dish, so choose one with a balance of sweetness and smoke.

Vidalia onions are ideal for their sweetness, but any sweet onion, such as Walla Walla or Maui, will work. If you use a sharper onion, the flavor will be a bit more pungent.

Country-style pork ribs are available boneless or bone-in. Boneless are easier to serve and eat, but bone-in add extra flavor. This recipe calls for boneless, but you can use bone-in if you like—just increase the cook time by about an hour. The slow cooker should be at least 6 quarts to fit the ribs comfortably.

• Vidalia onions: Sweet onions or yellow onions (Vidalia are sweeter, but any sweet onion works)
• Maple bourbon barbecue sauce: Use your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce and add 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 1 teaspoon bourbon (or omit bourbon)
• Boneless country-style pork ribs: Boneless pork shoulder, cut into chunks (cook time may vary, check tenderness)
• Brown sugar: Coconut sugar or maple sugar (for a less refined option)

Equipment

• 6-quart slow cooker
• Cutting board
• Chef's knife
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Serving plate