In Good FlavorThis slow cooker dish features tender boneless pork ribs cooked with beans in a sweet, slightly spicy barbecue-style sauce. It’s a hearty, budget-friendly, and comforting meal for the entire family to enjoy.
Any dish that requires little effort with maximum reward is a winner in my book. This pork and bean checks off both boxes. I can prep it in the morning and go about my day, knowing that dinner will be essentially done.
This pork and beans is a main dish that emphasizes more on the meat component. Doctored-up store-bought barbecue sauce provides flavor. The pork is seared before going into the slow cooker. When done, it falls off the bone tender, and the beans are buttery soft. The sauce is savory, tangy, and sweet, with a touch of spiciness. It’s all sorts of wonderful. Serve with rice for a rib-sticking meal.
What to love about this dish:
- Budget-friendly—country-style pork ribs are a relatively inexpensive cut of meat. Pork and beans are so filling that it doesn’t take a lot to fill you up.
- Just about 15 minutes prep time—once the pork is seared and onion & garlic are quickly sautéd, everything is added to the slow cooker. Then just set it and forget it.
- Slow cooking makes the kitchen smell so good!!
Ingredients needed:
- Boneless country-style pork ribs—slow cooking breaks down the connective tissues and produces tender meat.
- Canned beans—provide extra protein and bulk. I use butter beans, but pinto, red kidney beans, or white kidney beans are also good.
- Barbecue sauce—I use store-bought honey chipotle.
- Chili sauce—add a depth of flavor.
- Brown sugar—for a little sweetness.
- Worcestershire sauce—for depth of flavor.
- Onion—for flavoring and sweetness.
- Garlic—everything tastes better with garlic 🙂
- Salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder—for seasoning.
- Ground chipotle pepper—for a little touch of heat.
- Chicken broth—for added moisture and to thin out the sauce.
- Olive oil—for searing the pork.
You think there are a lot of ingredients for an “easy recipe.” That’s a fair assessment. But I promise you, it is easy!! A good many of the ingredients are for the sauce. They are combined and dumped into the slow cooker. Easy peasy!
Recipe highlights:
- Cut pork into large chunks. Season with salt and black pepper. Cooking in two batches, sear on all sides.
- Combine sauce ingredients while pork sears.
- Transfer the pork to the slow cooker.
- Add chopped onion to the skillet. Season with salt and black pepper. Sauté 2 minutes. Add garlic. Sauté 1 minute.
- Add onion mixture to crockpot.
- Add beans. Pour in sauce.
- Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.
- Refer to the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
View the how-to video or save it for later with this Pinterest Pin.
What exactly are boneless country pork ribs?
Country-style ribs aren’t actually ribs. They come from the area between the shoulder and the loin. They have great marbling and flavor. This versatile cut of meat is ideal for low and slow braising. And when cut into small pieces, they can be grilled or stir-fried.
Do you have to sear the pork?
I recommend searing the pork before adding it to the slow cooker for the best flavor. It caramelizes the exterior, adds flavor, and helps seal in the juices. But if you don’t have time, you can skip this step. Just season with salt and pepper as instructed, then add directly to the slow cooker. If you opt out of searing the pork, you can also skip the quick sauté of the onion and garlic
How spicy is it?
The chipotle-flavored bbq sauce and chipotle seasoning used provide a hint of heat. Elevate or reduce the spice level as you desire by adjusting the chipotle pepper seasoning accordingly.
What are butter beans?
Butter beans are also known as lima beans. The name varies depending on geographic location. In the southern part of the U.S., they are called butter beans. Other parts of the country refer to them as lima beans. No matter the name, they are creamy, buttery, and delicious!
If you’re wondering why this New Englander doesn’t call these legumes lima beans, there is a very good answer. It’s because that’s the name on the label of the canned beans I used 🙂
Can you use dry beans?
Most certainly! I have! But it adds more time and effort to the recipe. The beans require an overnight soak in water to soften before they can be used. In an effort to keep the recipe simple, I opted for the canned variety.
I also find that the dried beans don’t always cook evenly. Unless you take the time to stir and incorporate the beans during the slow cooking process, some might tend to be al dente while others are tender. Canned beans always yield consistently tender results.
How to store:
- Refrigerate—store in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
- Freeze— Cool completely in the refrigerator before freezing. Place in a freezer-proof container for up to 3 months.
Recommended supplies:
(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or come highly rated.)
- Slow cooker—this is a 6-quart programmable Crockpot with an auto-warm setting.
- Skillet—for searing the pork. This is a 12-inch Anolon Accolade Forged Hard Anodized Nonstick pan.
- Kitchen tongs—this is a set of 2 stainless steel tongs with silicone tips.
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Description
This slow cooker dish features tender boneless pork ribs cooked with beans in a sweet, slightly spicy barbecue-style sauce. It’s a hearty, budget-friendly, and comforting meal for the entire family to enjoy.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cut pork into large chunks. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
- Preheat a 12-inch skillet on medium-high. Add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the skillet lightly. Add half of the pork to the skillet. Leave undisturbed until golden brown on the bottom, about 2-3 minutes. Turn and brown on the remaining sides, about 1-2 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium if the skillet becomes too brown at any point. Transfer to the slow cooker. Repeat cooking the second batch.
- While the pork sears in the skillet, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, add barbecue sauce, chili sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, chipotle pepper, and chicken broth. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Once all the pork has been transferred to the slow cooker, reduce the skillet heat. Set it at medium to medium-low range. Add onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic. Sauté for 1 minute. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add drained beans to the slow cooker. Pour in sauce. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high. The pork is done when it pulls apart easily without any force using two forks.
- Serve over rice.
- Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Notes
- Bone-in ribs can be used, but they will take longer to cook.
- Different models of crockpots / slow cookers can cook at different rates. The cook times given are guidelines. You should conduct periodic checks for doneness. If the pork is tough, continue to cook. It’s done when it’s fork tender.
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