15 minute prep Fall-Off-the-Bone Slow Cooker HONEY BUFFALO Ribs might be your new favorite ribs AND they are SO tender and SO easy!
These Honey Buffalo Ribs are slathered in an amazing rub and the most addicting honey buffalo sauce ever! These Ribs are destined to become a new Game Day MUST!
Slow Cooker Honey Buffalo Ribs Recipe Video
You guys, I am super giddy to share these Honey Buffalo Ribs with you – I might even prefer them to my Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs which is no small feat. If you are a fan of my Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs (with tons of RAVE reviews), then you know how good they are and you know just how easy slow cooker ribs are – but these Honey Buffalo Ribs are even simpler because you don’t have to turn on the stove for the sauce! If you have never made ribs, or never made them in the slow cooker, prepare for your mind to be blown with this easy method for moist, literally falling- of-the-bone-ribs, every single time.
These Honey Buffalo Ribs are a cross between the sauce from my crazy popular Slow Cooker Honey Buffalo Meatballs and the method of my most popular Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs. And when you combine two powerhouse recipes, you get one of the best recipes to come out of my kitchen. No joke.
These tender ribs are so crazy good because they are first slathered in the most incredible rub and then smothered in the most incredible sweet heat honey buffalo sauce to create layers of multidimensional flavor. The Spice Rub is an aromatic blend of paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, dried thyme, salt and pepper. The rub might feel like a lot but it is not overwhelming by any means. Just overwhelming perfection.
After you spice rub your ribs, you bake them for 15 minutes on each side to seal in the juices and render some of the fat. Meanwhile, whisk up your intoxicating Honey Buffalo Sauce that is tangy, sweet and spicy and just plain lick-your-ribs delicious. Its a simple mixture of Franks BUFFALO WINGS Sauce (not their original – there is a big difference), honey, apricot preserves, brown sugar, soy sauce, Dijon mustard and cornstarch. I think this Honey Buffalo Sauce is not to sweet or too spicy but should be perfect for everyone. If you want more heat, then you could either add more Buffalo Sauce to your own portion to dip in or you can add more hot sauce to the reserved Honey Buffalo Sauce that you slather on after they are cooked.
Let the ribs cruise on low for 7-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours or until they are fall apart tender, rotating the ribs once while cooking so they cook evenly, otherwise the bottom ribs will be more tender then the top. If the ribs are not fall apart tender, they simple need a little more cooking time.
Once the ribs are falling apart – and they will be falling apart – smother them in some reserved Honey Buffalo Sauce and chow down on their juicy, tender, addicting perfection.
A culinary touchdown every. single time.
LOOKING FOR MORE PARTY RECIPES?
- Slow Cooker Barbecue Ribs
- Slow Cooker Honey Buffalo Meatballs
- Sticky Honey Buffalo Hot Wings
- Slow Cooker Carnitas
- Cheesy Baked BBQ Pork Taquitos
- Easy Cheesy Sausage Pesto Ring
- Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
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Slow Cooker Honey Buffalo Ribs (Video!)
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Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds baby back pork ribs membrane removed
Honey Buffalo Sauce
- 3/4 cup Frank’s BUFFALO WINGS Sauce not original
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3/4 cup apricot preserves
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Spice Rub
- 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp EACH chili powder, garlic powder, salt
- 1 tsp EACH ground cumin, onion powder, pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with sides with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Cut ribs into 6 sections then rinse and pat dry.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together Spice Rub ingredients. Rub evenly all over the meat then place ribs on prepared baking sheet. Bake ribs for 15 minutes ON EACH SIDE (30 minutes total) to sear meat.
- Meanwhile, whisk together all of the Honey Buffalo Sauce ingredients EXCEPT the cornstarch. Remove and reserve 1 cup Sauce to brush on cooked ribs. Whisk cornstarch into remaining Sauce (not the reserved sauce).
- Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray then add a thin layer of sauce, followed by ribs. Layer sauce then ribs until complete, tossing to coat as needed to ensure ribs are evenly coated in sauce.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or on LOW for 7-9 hours OR cook until ribs are fall apart tender. Rotate ribs once during cooking so they cook evenly. Cooking time may vary between slow cookers.
- When ribs are tender, remove from slow cooker and brush with Reserved Honey Buffalo Sauce. Serve the rest of the Sauce a dip if desired.
Video
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Dawn says
Hi Jen! I’m already giddy with excitement over these new ribs!! And yes, I know this is a premature review since I haven’t yet made them, but if they’re even a tiny bit as good as your original Slow Cooker Rib recipe (one of my absolute go-to recipes), then I know they’ll be amazing!! Already adding to my faves…..see, that’s how much I trust you 🙂 As always, hope you are doing well and staying healthy!!
Jen says
You are awesome Dawn, thanks for trusting me – that’s a wonderful compliment 🙂 and I’m excited YOU’RE excited! I can’t wait to hear what you think after you make them – I think you will love them! I had a bit of rough go these past few weeks but have turned the corner -thanks for the well wishes, that means the world to me! xo
Dawn says
Jen, so sorry to hear you had a rough couple of weeks, but glad to hear you’re feeling better. I’ll be sending all the healing thoughts I can muster and hope that the only thing coming your way is the best of health! You take care….xo
Jen says
Thanks Dawn, you are so thoughtful, I really appreciate all the healing vibes!! xo
Sandy Airhart says
Hi Jen, I devour your delicious original Slow Cooker Ribs about once a month, along with a dozen or so of your Asian-inspired recipes, among others. You are extremely talented and I’m so impressed with your scrumptious creations. The Honey Buffalo Meatballs are a favorite, but needed to adjust it slightly since I love spicy, but spicy doesn’t exactly love me. How would you suggest I adapt the Frank’s sauce in your newest rib recipe to a less spicy sauce, but still with all the incredible flavor? My warmest, most positive thoughts and prayers with regards to your health.
Jen says
Thanks for such an awesome comment Sandy! It makes my heart so happy that you make my ribs so often and many of my other recipes as well! As far as less spicy, I would suggest using Franks Original Sauce instead of Frank’s Wings Sauce as the Original Sauce is much less spicy. Having not tried this substitution, I am not sure if they will be too sweet this way- so maybe start with less brown sugar and add more to taste when you are making the sauce – hope that helps! Thank you so so much for the prayers and warm wishes – they mean the world to me and I know they make a difference!
Sherie Dracup says
OHHHHH My Gosh!! Made these yesterday, and what a hit. My husband loved them. Moist and fall off the bone perfect. I did not have Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce, but I did have President’s Choice Buffalo Wing Sauce (store brand of Loblaws, Canada) and used the exact same amount. I was a little worried they may be too hot, but they were perfect with just a touch of heat along with the great sweetness. YUM!!
Jen says
YAY!!!! I am thrilled these were such a hit AND that they worked with the hot sauce you have! phew 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and make my day!
April says
These were amazing! Best ribs we’ve ever made. I’ve tried them in our Instant Pot before but these actually came out much more tender. My 4-yr-old loved them.
Jen says
Thanks so much April, I’m honored these were the best ribs you’ve ever made!
Heather says
I have been craving ribs for awhile (I literally never make them because my husband doesn’t like them – Ha! My mission is to prove to him he *can* like them, as I’m convinced he’s just never had good ones before), anyway came across your site by googling about recipe (the pineapple-chicken skewers, which I also cannot WAIT to try) 😀 Just had to comment that I am SO happy to have found this site. I usually dislike when people comment on a recipe when they haven’t actually made it (lol, and here I’m doing that now), but I literally am so excited to try this recipe and to have found your amazing site. Thanks for the delicious recipes. They all seem incredible (and I look at a LOT of online food and don’t say that lightly) ;p
Thanks again,
Heather from Ontario (Canada, lol) 🙂
Jen says
Welcome to my site Heather! It sounds like we just might be foodie kindred spirits if you are already loving what you see! I hope you love these honey buffalo meatballs and indeed do prove your husband wrong with the ribs (excited to hear)! Have fun exploring and I hope you find many new favorite recipes!