3 Ingredient Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Ribs

These tender 3 ingredient Dr. Pepper Ribs can go from the freezer to the crockpot to create a delicious meal.

Dr. Pepper is a carbonated soft drink, sometimes called “soda” or even “Coke”. Here in my region in Canada, we call it “pop”. The pop helps tenderize the meat, making it melt-in-your-mouth tender. In fact, I use it more for cooking than as a beverage like our Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork and Dr. Pepper Baked Beans.

This recipe is simple and delicious. These ribs are great for summer BBQs, Sunday dinners, or potlucks. 

All you need is ribs, BBQ sauce (your favorite brand and flavor), Dr. Pepper, and some salt and pepper!

Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Ribs Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 rack of pork ribs
• 1/4 cup Dr. Pepper
• 2 cups BBQ sauce
• salt
• pepper

Assembly instructions:

1. Cut the rack of ribs in thirds so that the ribs can lay flat in the crockpot later. Place the three pieces in a large resealable freezer bag.
2. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
3. Dump in 2 cups of BBQ sauce. Pour in Dr. Pepper and squish to combine.
4. Remove excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

1. Thaw.
2. Place the ribs in the crockpot.
3. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
4. Remove from the slow cooker once the ribs are fully cooked.
5. If desired, top with some additional BBQ sauce before serving.

Helpful hint: If you want, you can whip up a small batch of the extra sauce by mixing an additional 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce with 1 additional Tbsp. of Dr. Pepper. Freeze the extra sauce in a medium freezer bag. Staple that bag to the other bag above the seal. You can use this sauce when serving as an extra glaze or for dipping.

Can you cook frozen ribs in the Crock-Pot?

It’s not recommended to cook frozen meat in a slow cooker as there is the risk of harmful bacteria contaminating the meat before it has the chance to reach a safe temperature. It is best to thaw the ribs in the refrigerator before adding them to a slow cooker.

What to serve with Dr. Pepper Ribs

Serve these tasty ribs with potato salad, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, or a garden salad.

Print

Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Ribs

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

4 hrs

Total Time

4 hrs 5 mins

 

Course: Main Course

Servings: 4

Calories: 329 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 rack of ribs
• 1/4 cup Dr. Pepper
• 2 cups BBQ sauce
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

Assembly instructions:

1. Cut the rack of ribs in thirds so that the ribs can lay flat in the crockpot later! Place the three pieces in a large resealable freezer bag.

2. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.

3. Dump in 2 cups of BBQ sauce. Pour in the Dr. Pepper and squish to combine.

4. Remove excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:

1. Thaw.
2. Place the ribs in the crockpot.
3. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.

4. Remove from the slow cooker once the ribs are fully cooked.

Check out our other Dr. Pepper Freezer Meals:

• Dr. Pepper Baked Beans
• Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork