Last Updated on October 11, 2021 by Anne-Marie

Crock-Pot Baby Back Ribs with Sweet Potatoes makes fall off the bone bbq pork. This baby back ribs recipe for the slow cooker is easy to make.

Why this recipe works

Do you love smoking ribs at home, but don’t have the time to do it during the week? Then make this easy recipe for Crock-Pot Baby Back Ribs with Sweet Potatoes.

This baby back ribs recipe for the slow cooker makes incredible fall off the bone barbecue pork.

And it’s just as good as anything you’d pick up at your favorite barbecue restaurant.

It also has the advantage of cooking up a side dish of sweet potatoes at the same time in your crock-pot, making it a true one pot meal!

How to make crock-pot baby back ribs

This baby back ribs crock-pot recipe is incredibly simple to make because all you need besides the baby back pork ribs and the sweet potatoes is an onion and a jar of Stubb’s Sweet Heat Legendary Bar-B-Q sauce.

Why I love Stubbs: I’ve been using Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q sauces for years. It’s a brand I trust since it’s made from real ingredients like tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, molasses, cane and brown sugars, and spices.

Unlike a lot of other BBQ sauces, it contains no high fructose syrup. Stubb’s BBQ sauces are naturally gluten free, and reasonably priced unlike some of the other “real ingredients” brands.

What variety of BBQ sauce: Stubb’s is delicious, and there’s a variety for everyone’s taste buds. Personally, I love Sweet Heat, which is spicy, sweet and ideal for my Crock-Pot Baby Back Ribs with Sweet Potatoes.

You may prefer a smokier sauce like Smokey Mesquite when making slow cooker bbq baby back ribs.

Or maybe you like your barbecue rib recipes Spicy or in a more Sticky Sweet Memphis BBQ sauce.

I also love the smoky flavor of Hickory Bourbon for easy slow cooker baby back ribs.

Too much sugar? Make your own Sugar Free BBQ Sauce.

A side dish of sweet potatoes served three ways!

If you have a big enough slow cooker, not only can you make two racks of Crock-Pot Baby Back Ribs at one time, but you can add a bunch of sweet potatoes in the middle for a side dish. Talk about feeding a crowd!

If there isn’t enough room in yours, get another slow cooker cooking at the same time. (I own four of crock-pots various sizes! So handy to get your sides going at the same time the main dish is cooking during the holidays.)

For easy crock-pot cleanup, use slow cooker liners. They’re WONDERFUL.

Now that I use them, I no longer have to soak my crock-pot overnight and scrub it using a scouring pad.

Three ways to serve up the cooked sweet potatoes

1. Place the whole sweet potatoes on the side of each dish of Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Ribs.

Split in half and serve with some Greek yogurt, seasoned salt, and chives or sliced green onions, as show in the pictures.

2. Mash up the sweet potatoes with a little butter and a tablespoon or two of brown sugar.

Serve on the side with your BBQ baby back ribs.

3. Slice up the cooked sweet potatoes. Serve on the side of the BBQ pork ribs. Drizzle some “juice” from the slow cooker over the slices.

Or if that’s too greasy, just serve with some extra Stubb’s barbecue sauce.

Tips for cooking your baby back ribs crock-pot recipe

How many ribs? I use approximately 3 to 3 1/3 pounds of baby back ribs (also called pork loin ribs) in this recipe.

I buy them when they’re on sale and freeze them so I can make Crock-Pot Baby Back Ribs with just a little planning.

I either defrost the ribs in the refrigerator for a few days or overnight in a pot of water.

How many sweet potatoes? I cook two racks of pork ribs and six medium sweet potatoes in a 8-quart slow cooker.

If yours isn’t that big, you may need to go down to one rack of pork ribs and less sweet potatoes. Don’t worry!

Serving size: One rack and 3-4 potatoes should be enough for a family of four. (Just use half a bottle of sauce.)

I like cooking two racks of pork ribs so we have leftovers for lunch the next day. Nothing like easy slow cooker pork sandwiches !

Save the juice: Make sure you strain the leftover “juice” from the crock for any extra pieces of meat that have fallen off the rib bones and all those nice little bits of sliced onions!

Watch out for bits of bone, too, as you may not want that going down your drain.

In a rush? Cook the ribs on high for 4 to 6 hours. You’ll know the slow cooker BBQ baby back ribs are done if the pork is falling off the ribs and the sweet potatoes are soft!

Sweet potatoes aren’t done? What if your sweet potatoes aren’t cooked through, but your ribs are?

No problem! Just place the sweet potatoes in a microwave safe dish and cook in the microwave until soft. (Try 2-3 minutes at first and go from there.) Place them back in the crock-pot until serving time!

More easy crock pot recipes

Looking for another baby back ribs recipe for the slow cooker? Try Crock-Pot Ribs with Balsamic & Sorghum.

Want more crockpot recipes for dinner?

Try Slow Cooker Sauerkraut and Sausage with Apples and Potatoes, 7 Can Taco Soup Recipe or Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast.

Crock-Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken with Black Beans & Corn and Slow Cooker Beef Stew with Vegetables and Rice Recipe are also family favorites.

Originally published on May 18, 2016. Updated with new pictures and information.