Put your slow cooker to use with this recipe for Sweet Onion-Teriyaki Beef Ribs. They are fast to prep and slow to cook, and they taste amazing!
Sweet Onion-Teriyaki Beef Ribs
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I used to be afraid of cooking ribs. Now, with a little bit of practice (and a lot of love for my slow cooker), I am no longer afraid of ribs! Ribs can be so amazing, you just need to know how to cook them the right way. The right way for beef ribs? Low and slow.
I used beef back ribs for this recipe. Short ribs and back ribs are both parts of the ribs, but they come from different sections of the ribs. Short ribs come from lower down on the chest, and back ribs come from higher up on the back. (That was deep, wasn’t it? Meat cut names aren’t always that creative.) The back ribs are right next to the ribeye steaks. Most of the meat is cut away to stay with the ribeye, so back ribs won’t have quite as much meat as short ribs. But they are still so tasty!
Start with a rack of back ribs – it should weigh around 4 pounds. You probably won’t be able to find this in the meat section of your local Walmart grocery store. (I sure couldn’t.) Grocery stores with a meat counter might be able to help you, or you could head to your local butcher shop, if you have one. I headed over to Dewig Meats, and they were very helpful finding what I needed!
The ribs themselves need almost no prep. Just cut them apart between the bones (leaving plenty of meat on each side of each bone), and put the ribs in your slow cooker. You’ll need a big slow cooker for this – I used my 6 quart oval slow cooker and everything just fit. The ribs will fit best if you put them on end, and match the curve of the ribs to the curve of your slow cooker.
Use a sweet onion for this, instead of a regular yellow or white onion. It will give you just a little different flavor. Chop up half of a sweet onion and about 2 Tablespoons of fresh ginger. You can find fresh ginger in your produce section. It looks like a brown root. (If you can’t find it, use 1 teaspoon of ground ginger instead.) Peel off the outer layer of ginger root to the fibrous-feeling yellow insides. Chop up a bit of that and toss it in with your onion. Saute the onion and ginger in olive oil until the onion is soft and translucent. Then pour that over the ribs.
Next, mix up teriyaki sauce and water and pour that over the ribs. Cover, and cook! Really, that’s it! Cook them on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. You’ll know the ribs are done when they are fork-tender, and the meat is practically falling off the bone. (Or it is actually falling off the bone!)
Garnish with some sliced green onion and sesame seeds. If you want the ribs really saucy, use some of the teriyaki sauce they cooked in all day. Just separate out the layer of fat from the top first. Then pour that stuff over your ribs for some amazing flavor!
Are you ready to try some ribs? You’ll love them!
What’s the Difference Between Beef Ribs and Pork Ribs?
Are you wondering why I chose to use beef ribs instead of pork ribs for this recipe? Check out this post to see the difference between the two types of ribs, and why beef ribs do better in the slow cooker. While you’re there, grab your free printable cheat sheet to keep handy!
Enjoy!
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Printable Recipe Card for Sweet Onion-Teriyaki Beef Ribs
- 1 rack beef back ribs, around 4 pounds
- ½ sweet onion, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup teriyaki sauce or marinade
- 1 cup water
- Optional: green onion and sesame seeds for garnish
- Cut ribs apart into 1-rib sections. Put ribs in 6-quart slow cooker.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan. Saute onion and ginger in the oil over medium heat until onion is soft (5-7 minutes).
- Pour onion mixture over ribs in slow cooker.
- Pour teriyaki sauce and water over ribs and onion.
- Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Ribs are done when they are fork-tender and the meat is almost (or actually is) falling off the bone.
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