Slow Cooker Pulled Pork is one of the easiest, most delicious family meals. A pork roast is cooked low and slow in the crock-pot in a tangy, sweet, and slightly spicy homemade barbecue sauce that is simply irresistible.
If you like BBQ Pulled Pork, you will also love Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs, Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Drumsticks, and Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Thighs. And if you have a pressure cooker, you may want to try out Instant Pot Pulled Pork.
If I am throwing a party in the summer, you better believe BBQ Pulled Pork is on the menu.
Everyone loves pulled pork, it feeds a crowd, it’s inexpensive, and it’s down right delicious.
When made in the slow cooker, pulled pork is also one of the EASIEST recipes to entertain with.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Many people will tell you that to have delicious BBQ pulled pork you need to have a smoker. However, I am here to say that you can make pulled pork in the crock pot and have it turn out JUST as delicious, if not MORE delicious than smoked pork.
With a few simple ingredients, pork cooks until it is perfectly tender and falls apart in a sweet and tangy sauce.
Ingredients for Pulled Pork
- 3-4 pound pork butt (sometimes referred to as pork shoulder roast). Feel free to use a pork loin–it won’t be as tender, but less fatty and still delicious.
- Seasoning--I use a mixture of salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder
- Onion–to add flavor the the pork
Ingredients for Homemade Barbecue Sauce
To cook the pork roast you need liquid. You could simply use apple juice, beer or stock, but I find adding a few ingredients allows the pork to cook in a homemade barbecue sauce that adds so much flavor to your pulled pork.
- Apple Juice–beer or stock can be substituted, but the apple juice adds just the right sweetness.
- Apple Cider Vinegar–red wine vinegar can be used if you do not have apple cider vinegar.
- Tomato Sauce
- Honey–feel free to use brown sugar in place of honey
Pulled Pork Recipe for Slow Cooker
- Combine ingredients for rub and generously rub pork roast evenly with the rub.
- Place sliced onion in slow cooker and then top pork roast on top of the onion.
- Mix together the apple juice, vinegar, sauce, and honey together and pour over the pork.
- Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
- After cook time, remove pork from slow cooker and place in large bowl or cutting board.
- Shred pork with 2 forks.
- Strain off cooking liquid and pour over pulled pork to coat. Note: If you want to strain off fat that accumulated prior to pouring liquid over pork, simple place liquid in freezer for 5-10 minutes, then scoop the solidified fat off the liquid before pouring over the pork.
- Serve your pulled pork alone, or put out some buns and coleslaw. I especially love to top my BBQ Pork Sandwich with homemade coleslaw. If you have never tried the combo, I promise you it takes a great BBQ sandwich and makes it out of this world!!!
Leftover Pulled Pork
Pulled pork will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can also top baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes with the leftover pulled pork or make a Grilled BBQ Pizza. These are my go to for leftover BBQ pork that my family devours!
You can also freeze the leftover barbecue pork in 2-3 cup portions for up to 3 months. To reheat frozen pork, let the pork thaw out overnight in fridge. Place in microwave safe dish and heat for-2-3 minutes per cup of pork. Add in a splash of apple juice, water, or stock to loosen up pork if needed.
Serve Pulled Pork With
Recipe for Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Ingredients
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder roast (pork butt) or pork loin
- 1 onion diced
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tbs paprika
- 1 tbs onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 tbs chili powder
- 1 cup apple juice or chicken stock or beer
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey or brown sugar
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
Instructions
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Combine the dry spices and cover pork with the mixture.
- Place onion in crock pot and lay seasoned pork on top of onion.
- Combine the juice, vinegar, honey, and tomato sauce and pour over the pork loin.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- Shred the pork loin with 2 forks and stir the meat into the juices.
Kristen Chidsey
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We love pulled pork and it is so much easier to make it in the slow cooker than my prior method!
This is PERFECT for a summer potluck or get-together! So easy and delicious!
Hey Kristen!! I LOVE that you added Instant Pot directions for this pulled pork–’cause I just got one for Christmas and have never used one! QUESTION: Other than the extra apple juice, Do you put everything in the same way as the crockpot directions (onions first and rub the dry spices on the pork and then the mixed up liquids) ?
WE’ve made this in the crockpot before and it was delicious!
Oh Susan, you are going to LOVE your Instant Pot.
And yes, you can put onions in first or on top of pork…it won’t make a difference in this recipe.
Thanks!! It was DELICIOUS! And easy!
I totally need this right now!
I think you do too 😉
I LOVE Carolina barbecue sauce. Both kinds!! I will definitely be trying this one.
YAY!!! Enjoy!
This looks like one perfect meal to me! I love eating my pulled pork smothered in coleslaw, too!
Thanks Liz! It is pretty good!
We have a famous place here in Pittsburgh that puts fries and coleslaw on their sandwiches but the coleslaw is more of a vinaigrette. I’ll have to give this a try at home….I like how you use the greek yogurt! Looks delicious!
Interesting. I love a vinegary slaw for tacos, but creamy all the way for BBQ 🙂
Such a great meal for a crowd
Always a hit with NO effort!
Slaw and pulled pork go perfect together!
They sure do!
I agree, when it comes to a pulled pork sandwich I’m all about that slaw!
It is really the ONLY way I want to eat it!
Suggestions for how to do this best w an akward gas cooker? ( doesnt really have a low setting) weve just moved to remote island, and ive forgotten how to cook without a crockpot!
A remote island–fun!! But without a low setting, the best thing I can offer, is to cook pork with apple juice until pork starts fall apart. Then add in tomato sauce and honey and cook for a very short period of time. That way it will not scorch. Good luck!
You can also cook in oven at 300 degrees for 3 hours if you have an oven. I would rub it with dry rub and put some water or stock in bottom of pan. Then cook BBQ until boils and then pour over shredded pork.
March Madness recipes always go over great in my home. This recipe is so well done. Homemade coleslaw is so much easier to make than people think. Great post and pics.
March Madness food is just pure comfort and indulgence 🙂
My husband loves pulled pork so I am always looking for new recipes to try! Can’t wait to try yours out.
I hope he loves it. The coleslaw topping is what makes it in my opinion.
This is one of my favorite summer meals…and since we’re in early spring, it’s time to get making this. Fantastic.
Michelle, Spring can’t get here fast enough!! I can’t wait to be hanging out with my friends eating BBQ outside!!
Still drooling looking at this.
🙂
I just LOVE a good pulled pork sandwich topped with coleslaw! 🙂 This looks delicious.
Thanks Carrie! This is one of my favorites!
Do I have to leave the crockpot on low? I only have 7 hours.
Feel free to set to high. It will be ready on 5-6 hours but will be fine at 7 hours.
Is this sauce more of a Carolina-style barbecue or Texas-style barbecue?
Hey Rachel, if I was to categorize the bbq, I would lean more towards Kansas City style because the sauce is sweeter and thicker than a more vinegar base style as Carolina or dry rub as Texas bbq
Thanks! I’ve never heard of Kansas City style, but I guess that’s probably what I’m looking for because the Texas barbecue I know isn’t a rub; it’s a red sauce. 🙂 But it’s the thick & sweet, so that must be it. I’m looking forward to trying this one!
(I’m not a big fan of Carolina BBQ, but I’m from Virginia. That’s all anyone sells here.)
Well enjoy it 🙂
Pulled pork is a staple in our house. Pinned and stumbled!
My husband would love this! Only hiccup for me is mayonnaise is not something we have on hand. Is there anyway around it? Any substitution?
Julie,
I often use just plain yogurt (Greek or regular). My husband prefers a bit of mayo, but I prefer it with just yogurt. Hope that helps!