This easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork is mouthwateringly juicy, fall-apart tender, sweet, smoky, and saucy. It’s inspired by the pulled pork sandwiches at one of our favorite local BBQ joints. Great for a crowd!
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Pulled Pork Recipe
- The Flavor is Phenomenal. This juicy pulled pork recipe is the best of the best! It’s melt-in-your-mouth tender, ultra smoky, and savory. If you’re like us, you may even find yourself preferring this homemade recipe to your local BBQ restaurant.
- So Many Ways to Serve It. We primarily enjoy ours as slow cooker pulled pork sandwiches topped with Healthy Coleslaw and a side of Air Fryer Potato Chips, but that’s not the only option! Try Pulled Pork Quesadillas or take note from Slow Cooker Carnitas (Mexican pulled pork) and make tacos.
- It’s Wonderful for a Crowd or Meal Prep. Slow cooker pulled pork (and similarly, Crockpot BBQ Chicken) has become a go-to dish whenever I’m serving a crowd. It’s an inexpensive crowd-pleaser, I can prep it in advance, and guests can serve themselves. Not using it all? Portion and freeze it for meal prep!
- It Cooks Hands-Free. This easy slow cooker pulled pork is a “set-it-and-forget-it” that cooks almost entirely unattended. It’s easy and impossible to goof up.
5 Star Review
“Made this for a lake weekend and it was PERFECT. Everyone loved it and it was so easy to reheat leftovers.”
— Janie —
What is the Best Cut of Meat for Pulled Pork?
When making pulled pork, choose a fatter, tougher cut of pork that can stand up to long, slow cook times.
- This is because fat adds moisture. As it renders and the meat breaks down, the excess fat helps the pork stay juicy (and delicious), resulting in the best pulled pork recipe.
- Pork shoulder is the traditional and best choice for crock pot pulled pork.
Here’s how it compares to other cuts in a pulled pork recipe.
- Pork Shoulder. If you want meat so tender you can shred it with a spoon, slow cooker pork shoulder is the way to go. You’ll also see this cut referred to as pork butt (which for all intents and purposes is the same thing).
- Pork Loin. Leaner than pork shoulder, it doesn’t make for pulled pork that is as juicy and tender, but it is usable in a pinch. If you want to use pork loin, then try this Instant Pot Pulled Pork instead! The Instant Pot traps enough moisture to keep the pork juicy.
- Pork Tenderloin. DO NOT make slow cooker pork tenderloin. Just don’t. It’s far too lean of a cut, will very likely taste dry, and the pork will be difficult to shred. Instead, try this lovely Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin, Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Baked Pork Tenderloin, or Stuffed Pork Tenderloin.
- Pork Ribs. While not used for pulled pork, they’re delicious in this Crockpot Ribs recipe and Instant Pot Ribs.
How to Make The Best Crock Pot Pulled Pork
The Ingredients
- Pork. For unparalleled juiciness and melt-in-your-mouth taste, make slow cooker pork shoulder.
- Onion. It breaks down so much you’ll almost forget it’s there, but it works quietly in the background to make this BBQ pulled pork recipe taste more complex.
- Tomato Paste. Its concentrated flavor gives the sauce backbone.
- Apple Cider Vinegar. Slow cooker pulled pork with apple cider vinegar is a MUST! The acid helps cut and balance the richness of the pork.
- Honey + Brown Sugar. Some sweetness is essential for BBQ flavor.
- Hot Sauce. Spicy to balance the sweet. This recipe isn’t spicy as written, so if you want a spicy pulled pork, use more.
- Worcestershire Sauce. The umami ingredient.
- Liquid Smoke. Such a fun ingredient to use! It gives the pork an “I spent all day fussing over this” taste, with zero fuss at all. (If you prefer, you can omit it, but I think you’ll be happy with your purchase.)
- Smoked Paprika + Garlic Powder + Mustard Powder. To make the sauce taste boss.
- Cornstarch. A slurry thickens up the pork’s own cooking juices and makes them a part of the sauce. You don’t lose a drop of goodness.
The Directions
- Start with the Sauce Ingredients. Add everything to the slow cooker.
- Whisk. Make sure everything is mixed well.
- Season the Pork. This is important for creating tender, flavorful meat.
- Cook the Pork. Spoon the sauce over the top, then cook on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
- Thicken the Sauce. Remove the pork, then add the cornstarch slurry. Let cook. Shred the pork and stir it together with the thickened BBQ sauce. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate leftover pulled pork for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm over the stovetop or in the microwave, with a splash of water or chicken broth to keep the pork from becoming too thick or dry.
- To Freeze. Portion the pork into airtight, freezer-safe containers of your desired size. Freeze for up to 3 months (I’ve gone even longer). Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Meal Prep Tip
Crockpot pulled pork reheats beautifully! You can make the shredded pork up to 1 day in advance. Reheat it in the crockpot with a splash of water or broth added to thin the sauce as needed.
Ways to Serve Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Sandwiches. The classic! You can use regular buns or make pulled pork sliders with small buns.
- Tacos. Tuck it into tortillas for slow cooker pulled pork tacos (you’ll love Instant Pot Carnitas too!).
- Rice Bowls. Swap it for the chicken in these Burrito Bowls (here’s how to cook brown rice and white rice).
- Salad. Add protein to a salad like this BLT Chopped Salad or use it instead of chicken in this BBQ Chicken Salad.
- Hash. Turn it into a breakfast hash with these Cauliflower Hash Browns and a fried egg, or add it to Sweet Potato Hash.
- Baked Potato. Pile it onto a Baked Potato (or Air Fryer Baked Potato) or an Air Fryer Sweet Potato.
- Pizza. Do a spin on BBQ Chicken Pizza, using pulled pork.
What to Serve With Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Baked Beans. CLASSIC with barbecue. Make Easy Baked Beans if you’re in a hurry or Boston Baked Beans for something long and slow.
- Slaw. The Picnic Slaw in The Well Plated Cookbook is fresh and fabulous.
- Grilled Vegetables. Perfect for a summer meal! Grilled Corn Salad or Grilled Potatoes would be tasty. For some green, try Grilled Asparagus or Grilled Brussels Sprouts.
- Sweet Potato Salad. A unique and scrumptious cookout classic. Plus, bacon! You can also stick with classic Healthy Potato Salad too.
- Mac and Cheese. Add Instant Pot Mac and Cheese to the mix and you’ll have an award winning pulled pork recipe.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Glass Mixing Bowls. Stackable, durable, and microwave-safe.
- Magnetic Measuring Spoons. So easy to keep organized in your kitchen drawer.
- Whisk. Smaller size for easier storage and less splashing when mixing.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use Pork Shoulder (Or Butt). This is the secret to juicy pulled pork. When preparing pork in the slow cooker, remember that fat = flavor, so use pork shoulder or pork butt.
- Make Sure The Meat is Thawed. You can put raw pork in the slow cooker, but it does need to be thawed first. If it isn’t, it can become unsafe to eat, because the pork will spend so much time at room temperature as it thaws.
- Pick Up Liquid Smoke. Liquid smoke is inexpensive and available in the spice section of most major grocery stores or online here. It makes a big difference in this recipe, so don’t skip it.
- Let Guests Help Themselves. Let your guests serve themselves right out of the slow cooker for easy entertaining. Like this Italian Beef, people can make sandwiches to their preferences (no bun, extra slaw, etc.), and you’ll have your hands free to enjoy the gathering
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
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Ingredients
FOR THE PULLED PORK:
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons mustard powder
- 2 teaspoons Sriracha or hot sauce of choice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus additional for the pork
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke optional but super good
- 1 (3- to 4-pound) boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
- Ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch plus 3 tablespoons cold water to create a slurry
FOR SERVING:
- Buns
- Healthy Coleslaw
- Pickles
- Pickled Onions
Instructions
- In the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker, whisk together the onion, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, honey, water, brown sugar, Worcestershire, smoked paprika, garlic powder, mustard powder, sriracha, 1 teaspoon salt, and liquid smoke (if using), until smoothly combined.
- Cut the fat from the bottom of the pork. Season the pork all over with a generous amount of kosher salt and ground pepper.
- Add the pork to the slow cooker and spoon the sauce all over the top to cover it.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or LOW for 8 to 10 hours, until the pork is fall-apart tender. Transfer the pork to a large bowl, leaving the cooking liquid in the slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water to create a slurry. Pour into the slow cooker, then whisk to combine. Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH, whisking every so often, until the sauce is thickened to your liking, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- While the sauce thickens, shred the pork with two forks or, if it is cool enough to handle, with your fingers.
- Stir the shredded pork back into the thickened sauce in the slow cooker. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired (you may need an extra pinch of salt or some additional hot sauce if you enjoy a kick). Spoon pork on top of buns with coleslaw and pickles to create a sandwich, or serve it any way you like.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Store slow cooker pulled pork for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: To reheat slow cooker pulled pork, warm on the stovetop or in the microwave, with a splash of water or chicken broth to keep the pork from becoming too thick or dry.
- TO FREEZE: Portion the pulled pork into freezer-safe containers of your desired size. Freeze for up to 3 months (I’ve gone even longer). Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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Pork is so versatile, so you can do so much with different cuts and preparations. Here are some of my favorite pork recipes:
So good! Easy and flavorful, and would have been even better but I had to sub ketchup for some of the tomato paste and use Dijon mustard in place of mustard powder. I doubled the sauce for a large pork shoulder (7+ pounds), and did 4-5 hours high and 4-5 hours on low. Highly recommend.
HOORAY! I am so happy to hear it, thanks for sharing!
Accidentally bought bone in…any cooking time recommendations? Or same? Getting ready to make this tomorrow for a test run for a potluck.
Hi Sandy! That’s OK, I’m sure it will be great. I’ve never done bone in, but I’d plan on it maybe needing longer. Give yourself a buffer.
First time making pulled pork and won’t be the last! Can’t wait to share this at the next potluck. A few substitutions based on what I had in my house…I had a bone in pork butt. 4.25 pounds cooked for 6 hours on high. Perfect! I also didn’t have mustard powder so I used 2 tbsp of mustard. I also took out 2 cups of the sauce after it thickened up because there was a lot so I wanted to add back as needed. I think I will sear the meat next time and add more salt I think I under salted it but it’s comparable to that of a restaurant…I’m happy!
Hi Sandy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hi
If I make this overnight how can I keep this warm till noon ? Will this dry out too much staying warm for 4 hrs or so?
Hi Jim, warming it in the slow cooker shouldn’t dry it out because it will be sitting in the sauce. Hope this helps!
I’m not sure when you’re planning on starting it, but if your slow cooker has a keep warm function, you could switch it to keep warm. Though for me personally, I would be hesitant to have it in the slow cooker for more than 12 hours total. You can always make it entirely in advance, and then reheat it in the slow cooker. If it looks dry, add a little broth or bbq sauce.
The best pulled pork recipe ever. The homemade bbq sauce is wonderful. Thinking of trying it on wings.
Thank you Penny!
I’m trying this soon. How many servings do you think you got out of the 3-4 pounds?
Hi Ruth, this recipe is roughly 8 servings. Enjoy!
I have never been so disappointed in a recipe. I was so excited after reading all the great reviews and how wonderful it smelled cooking- but the taste was a huge let down. It had close to no flavor accept a hint of tang from the tomato paste. I cannot believe there are so many 5 star ratings.
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Nadine. The amounts, flavorings and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.
I made this today and I didn’t know what to do with the big slice of fat on the bottom of the roast, so I just put the whole thing in. The instructions and printed recipe didn’t say anything about it. After it had been in the crock pot for 2 hours, for some reason I watched the video where you say to cut that off. It wasn’t in any of the other instructions! So I hauled it out and cut it off as best I could, but by then a lot of the fat had already melted into the sauce. It would be helpful if that detail was added to the printed instructions. I’m looking forward to tasting it!
Hi Sharon! Thanks for letting us know! We will fix that! Hope you enjoyed it!
The recipe looks great, but I am unable to see the size of the pork butt so I can determine whether to double or triple.
Hi Don, it’s located in the recipe card. It’s two ingredients above the highlight section FOR SERVING. You’ll use (3- to 4-pound) boneless pork shoulder or pork butt. Hope this helps!