Pat your 2 lbs of beef short ribs completely dry with paper towels. This is boring but important — moisture prevents browning. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the ribs for 3-4 minutes per side until they get golden brown. Don't panic if they don't cook through — that happens in the crockpot.

While the ribs sear, combine 1 cup BBQ sauce, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2 minced garlic cloves in a small bowl. Whisk everything together until the sugar dissolves completely and the sauce looks smooth. Set it aside.

Transfer your seared ribs to the crockpot standing them upright if they fit, or lay them flat if that works better. I usually stand mine up because it lets the sauce coat them more evenly, but honestly either way works fine.

Pour that sauce mixture over the ribs, making sure they're mostly submerged. Use a spoon to coat any exposed spots. Cook on LOW for 6 hours — don't skip this timing because ribs need that extended time to get truly tender. Resist the urge to peek constantly.

After 6 hours, carefully remove the ribs using tongs and place them on a cutting board. The meat should practically fall off when you touch it. If it's still sticking, cook for another 30 minutes and check again.

Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a saucepan, discarding the solids. Place the pan over medium heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes until it reduces by half and thickens slightly. This glaze is where the magic happens — don't skip this step.

Brush the thickened glaze over your cooked ribs generously, coating both sides. Return them to the crockpot on WARM setting for the last 15 minutes if you're serving immediately, or refrigerate until you're ready to eat. The crockpot BBQ ribs recipe tastes even better the next day when flavors have time to deepen.