The Best Slow Cooker BBQ Recipes

You Don't Need a Grill to Cook up Barbecue Favorites

Written by
Cathy Jacobs
A freelance journalist and avid home cook, Cathy Jacobs has more than 10 years of food writing experience, with a focus on curating approachable menus and recipe collections.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Cathy Jacobs
Updated 03/18/20
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Barbecued Pork Spareribs

The Spruce

Long, moist cooking at a low temperature in the slow cooker is a great way to transform inexpensive cuts of meat, such as pork butt, beef brisket, short ribs, ground beef, and chicken thighs, into succulent, saucy, flavorful dishes. When you add jarred or homemade barbecue sauce, and a little liquid smoke, you can get pretty close to traditional pit-grilled barbecue flavor, without ever leaving the comfort of your home kitchen. In fact, these slow cooker barbecue recipes allow you to assemble ingredients in the morning and leave them to cook all day, so you can come home to a tasty dinner. Enjoy!

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  • 01 of 16

    Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast and Baked Beans

    Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast and Baked Beans

    Alan Richardson / Getty Images

    Use your slow cooker to prepare a home style, budget-friendly Sunday roast for the family, with this clever recipe for beef pot roast with Creole seasonings. Canned baked beans are added to the dish, so they cook together with the meat, and everything comes out good and saucy. Serve the beef with barbecue sauce, and a side of potato salad.

  • 02 of 16

    5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Barbecued Pork Spareribs

    5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Barbecued Pork Spareribs

    The Spruce

    You only need a handful of ingredients to put together a tasty, satisfying meal of succulent spareribs and thinly sliced onions, drenched in your favorite store-bought or homemade barbecue sauce. Broiling the ribs before adding them to the slow cooker caramelizes the outside of the meat, adding great, savory flavor.

  • 03 of 16

    Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Barbecue

    Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Barbecue

    Diana Rattray

    Please the crowd at your next gathering when you serve up sandwiches loaded with savory Southern-style pulled pork barbecue. Boneless pork shoulder or Boston butt is slow-cooked until melt-in-your-mouth tender, in a simple cooking liquid made with jarred barbecue sauce, plus some chopped onion and optional liquid smoke for extra flavoring.

  • 04 of 16

    Crock Pot Shredded Barbecue Chicken

    Crock Pot Shredded Barbecue Chicken

    Diana Rattray

    Use economical chicken thighs or breasts for this tasty barbecue chicken recipe. It produces well-sauced, succulent meat that you can shred for pulled chicken sandwiches. The recipe also takes less time in the slow cooker than pulled pork, so you can enjoy it for lunch, if you start it in the morning.

    Continue to 5 of 16 below.
  • 05 of 16

    Crockpot Sesame Country-Style Ribs

    Crock Pot Sesame Country-Style Ribs

    Diana Rattray

    Cook country-style boneless pork ribs until they are ultra-tender, in this saucy, delicious crockpot barbecue recipe with a twist. The sweet-and-sour, thick, Asian-style barbecue sauce is a mouth-watering combination of honey, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, ginger, and garlic.

  • 06 of 16

    Slow Cooker Barbecue Brisket

    Slow Cooker Barbecue Brisket

    Jeff R Clow / Getty Images

    A slow cooker is the next best thing to a smoker when you want to cook a tender, savory beef brisket, but need your day free for work or running errands. Be sure to allow time for marinating the meat overnight in the fridge, before slow cooking the brisket in its sauce for several hours. Slice and serve on a bun, or plate with potato salad or coleslaw on the side.

  • 07 of 16

    Easy Slow Cooker Pork Loin Barbecue

    Easy Slow Cooker Pork Loin Barbecue

    The Spruce

    Pork loin roast is a lean cut that becomes a succulent and fork-tender dinner with long, slow cooking. This recipe calls for browning the roast on your stove top with some onions, before coating it in jazzed-up barbecue sauce, and leaving it to cook all day. Serve sliced in sandwiches, or as a hearty main dish with a side vegetable.

  • 08 of 16

    Crock Pot Texas Barbecued Beef

    Crock Pot Texas Barbecued Beef

    Diana Rattray

    Dr. Pepper soda is the secret to the tasty sauce in this slow cooker barbecue beef recipe. Liquid smoke makes the meat taste like it came from the grill. Use an inexpensive rump roast, lean chuck, boneless pot roast, or top round cut— they will become nice and tender after hours of simmering in the sauce.

    Continue to 9 of 16 below.
  • 09 of 16

    Homemade Crock Pot Barbecue Meatballs

    Homemade Crock Pot Barbecue Meatballs

    Diana Rattray

    Seasoned ground beef meatballs are briefly baked in the oven to create a tasty crust. Then they go into the slow cooker, along with ingredients for a dark, deep, and delicious homemade barbecue sauce. Serve as a filling family dinner with rice, or as an appetizer at potluck parties and buffets.

  • 10 of 16

    Spicy Slow Cooker Honey Barbecue Chicken Wings

    Spicy Slow Cooker Honey Barbecue Chicken Wings

    Brian Macdonald / Getty Images

    Hosting game day at your place? Cook up a batch of these popular spicy honey barbecue chicken wings. Season split chicken wings with salt and pepper, and oven-broil them until they are nicely browned, before simmering them in the slow cooker with a simple, delicious homemade barbecue sauce that combines sweet, savory, and spicy flavors.

  • 11 of 16

    Slow Cooker Island Barbecued Turkey Legs

    Slow Cooker Island Barbecued Turkey Legs

    Diana Rattray

    Budget-friendly turkey legs take on fantastic, meaty flavor, when slow cooked all day in a tasty homemade barbecue sauce, with tropical flavor from pineapple chunks. Simply arrange ingredients in your pot in the morning, and let them cook all day for a delicious family dinner to serve over hot cooked rice or noodles.

  • 12 of 16

    Root Beer Pulled Pork

    Root beer pulled pork in tacos with slaw and peppers.
    Diana Rattray

    Pork shoulder is simmered in root beer, onions, and spices for tender, succulent pulled pork. The root beer adds a hint of sweetness without overpowering the meat. It's delicious as a main dish, piled on a sandwich, or added to tacos or burritos.

    Continue to 13 of 16 below.
  • 13 of 16

    Slow Cooker Barbecue Beer Beef Stew

    Slow Cooker Barbecue Beer Beef Stew

    Katie Workman / themom100.com

    The slow cooker makes it easy to prepare a homey braised beef and vegetable stew. The recipe gets tons of richness and flavor from beer, beef broth, and barbecue sauce, with honey and Dijon mustard adding sweetness and tang. Serve ladled over hot cooked egg noodles.

  • 14 of 16

    Sausage Bites in Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce

    Sausage Bites in Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce

    Diana Rattray

    Use your crockpot to cook and serve these sweet and tangy sausage bites that make a hearty party appetizer. Onion and optional bell peppers add color to the mixture, which can also make a meal when served over rice, with a tossed salad, or steamed green vegetables.

  • 15 of 16

    Crockpot Barbecue Beef Short Ribs

    Crock Pot Barbecue Beef Short Ribs

    Diana Rattray

    Cook an entire family meal in one pot, with this simple, satisfying recipe for crockpot beef short ribs. Potatoes, carrots, and onion simmer alongside the beefy ribs, in a thick and tangy homemade barbecue sauce with a good kick of spice from chili powder.

  • 16 of 16

    Pulled Pork With Peppers

    Pulled Pork With Peppers

    Diana Rattray

    A pork shoulder roast goes into the slow cooker with onions, grill seasoning, and lime juice in the morning, and cooks all day, until the meat is easy to shred. The shredded pork is combined with prepared barbecue sauce, and cooked for one more hour, for well-sauced, sandwich-ready meat. Enjoy on split buns, with coleslaw topping.