Slow Cooker Sriracha Cranberry Baby Back Ribs are some pretty major comfort food!
Slow Cooker Sriracha Cranberry Baby Back Ribs
My family and I experienced an 8-week driving trip around the USA a few years back, and we drove endlessly across Texas until we were satisfied that we had found a proper place to eat BBQ ribs. Have you ever driven across Texas?? Yeah, it’s quite big. It goes on forever. But those ribs were worth the drive. My son Brooks (now an adult) goes absolutely nuts for ribs. He actually lives in Texas now, so he’s lucky to have access to those wonderful Texas BBQ ribs all over the place! When he still lived at home, I created this recipe for slow cooker sriracha cranberry baby back ribs, and he loved those, too.
🛒Ingredients needed:
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- garlic powder and paprika
- sriracha ketchup
- canned cranberry sauce
- baby back ribs
- water
✏️How to make Slow Cooker Sriracha Cranberry Baby Back Ribs:
*The complete, printable recipe with all ingredients and instructions is at the end of this post.
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In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper and set aside.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the Heinz® Tomato Ketchup Blended with Sriracha Flavor and cranberry sauce until smooth. Remove 1 cup of the sauce and set it aside.
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Remove the ribs from the package and pat dry, and set them meaty side up on a cutting board. Cut the ribs into 3 to 4 rib sections. Sprinkle the dry spice mixture onto the meaty side of the ribs and press to adhere to the meat.
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Pour the water into the bottom of the slow cooker.
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Spread the sauce generously onto both sides of the ribs. Set the ribs into the slow cooker. Cook on high heat for 3½ hours.
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Remove the ribs to a baking sheet (meaty side up). Preheat your oven broiler. Brush the remaining 1 cup of sauce onto the meaty side of the ribs. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling. Serve immediately.
➡️Recipe Tips:
- Sriracha ketchup is made by Heinz (found in the condiment aisle) and Huy Fong Foods (Asian products). If you can’t find it, I did find a recipe for it >> Homemade Sriracha Ketchup.
- I haven’t tried it yet, but I think the whole berry cranberry sauce would be delicious in this recipe, too. So if that works better for your family’s tastes, I say go for it!
- Don’t skip that final broiling step. It really adds a nice rich kick to finish off these delicious ribs.
✔️What to serve with Sriracha Cranberry Baby Back Ribs:
- Classic Macaroni and Cheese seems like an obvious choice to go with these ribs.
- It’s also nice to have something fresh and green like a broccoli salad alongside the sweet and spicy ribs.
- For the grown ups, a light lager or a pilsner would be a great beer accompaniment.
★How to Store:
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They should also freeze nicely for 2 to 3 months. In both cases make sure you have them tightly wrapped or in a tightly sealed container.
❤️Why I love this recipe:
- My family loves this slightly different kind of take on ribs and that’s an easy win for me.
- I love the Sriracha ketchup and cranberry sauce combination. They make these ribs both a little spicy and a little sweet, too.
- I’m always a fan of slow cooker recipes. Being able to get other things done while dinner cooks just makes life easier. Plus, this recipe makes a lot, so sometimes I can even get a second meal out of it!
Terrific Slow Cooker Recipes:
- Crockpot Cranberry Pot Roast
- Slow Cooker Paella
- Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Alfredo
- Crockpot Apple Butter
- Slow Cooker Beef Burgundy
Slow Cooker Sriracha Cranberry Baby Back Ribs
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1½ tablespoons smoked paprika
- One 14-ounce bottle Sriracha ketchup
- One 12-ounce can jellied cranberry sauce
- 4 pounds baby back ribs
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the Heinz® Tomato Ketchup Blended with Sriracha Flavor and cranberry sauce until smooth. Remove 1 cup of the sauce and set it aside.
- Remove the ribs from the package and pat dry, and set them meaty side up on a cutting board. Cut the ribs into 3 to 4 rib sections. Sprinkle the dry spice mixture onto the meaty side of the ribs and press to adhere to the meat.
- Pour the water into the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Spread the sauce generously onto both sides of the ribs. Set the ribs into the slow cooker. Cook on high heat for 3½ hours.
- Remove the ribs to a baking sheet (meaty side up). Preheat your oven broiler. Brush the remaining 1 cup of sauce onto the meaty side of the ribs. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Sriracha ketchup is made by Heinz (found in the condiment aisle) and Huy Fong Foods (Asian products).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These look delicious!
Drooling!!! Yummo!
My first reaction was WHAT?! Heinz has a sriracha ketchup out?! As a Pittsburgh native, Heinz is the best ketchup brand ever. Even in Ireland, we ate Heinz (Irish ketchup tasted….different). Can’t wait to these the new ketchup and make these ribs!
I cannot wait to try these ribs. I’m a serious carnivore. Can’t get enough ribs on weekends.
I also cannot wait to try this sriracha. We have a Heinz factory about 20 minutes from our house. Leamington Ontario is known as the Tomato capital of Canada. We used to go in there to shop at the factory when my hubby did a 3 month apprentice there. He got to fix the huge boilers in the factory as part of his training for his engineer license. We are so loyal to Heinz having grown up so close to where it was made. You would be kicked out of our town if you put anything else on the table. Ha.
Loooove the sweet and spicy combo! And I must find this ketchup! I love to Sriracha ALL THE THINGS!
Love this, Lori. My family would be all over these baby back ribs!
My husband will LOVE these! Pinned!
Whoa!!! That ketchup! And these ribs!!! They look amazing! I make ribs the same way – slow cooker + broiler is the way to go.
A road trip aimed at finding the best BBQ around sounds pretty good! I’ve never been to Texas at all and I’m really wanting to go! These look positively finger licking good!
I Love this recipe.