It's under 10 degrees Fahrenheit in my area of the world right now, yet I've been inexplicably craving one of my favorite summer-time foods: pulled pork sandwiches. Maybe it's because I've been dreaming of days when it's warm enough to even consider going outside to barbecue, or maybe it's because I like my sandwiches with extra spice (which would be nice to warm you up on a day like this), or maybe it's just because pulled pork is so good you don't ever need an excuse to eat it. Whatever the reason is, I knew I had to have it. Immediately.
Instead of BBQing my pork shoulder, I decided to throw it in a slow cooker, because that didn't involve me going outside... which was obviously the best choice. Then I considered making a rub and a mop and a sauce from scratch, but it all seemed like a lot of work and, truthfully, I just wanted to eat. Instead, I threw together a few ingredients I happened to have laying around and hoped for the best.
Well, guess what? I wouldn't change a thing.
The cherries lent additional sweetness to the sauce, and the chipotle gave some heat and smoky flavor. It was well-balanced and delicious, and my family couldn't get enough of it. Topped off with a Honey Jalapeno Lime Slaw, all of the flavors were amplified and there was great texture contrast. I didn't even feel guilty about cutting some corners with this Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork recipe.
As you can tell, I enjoyed these delicious sandwiches with plenty of cold beer, and I recommend you do the same. I know it seems counter-intuitive when you're complaining about winter weather and your toes may be developing a bit of frostbite, but trust me, if you drink enough of them, you'll start to warm up on the inside. Or so I've heard...
Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork with Honey Jalapeno Lime Slaw
- Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients
- Buns or rolls, for serving
For the Pulled Pork:
- 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 1 cup fresh or frozen pitted cherries
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, chopped
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the can of chipotles in adobo)
- 1 bottle BBQ sauce (such as Sweet Baby Ray’s)
- 3 lb pork shoulder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
For the Slaw:
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
- 1 10 oz bag slaw mix
- â…“ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine first 4 Pulled Pork ingredients in the bottom of the crock pot. Mix in ½ of the BBQ sauce.
- Season the pork shoulder with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper and place on top of the BBQ sauce mixture. Pour the remaining BBQ sauce on top.
- Cook on low for about 6-7 hours, or until the pork can be pulled apart with forks.
- Remove the pork, pull it, and return it to the crock pot.
- Mix it all together and cook on low for an additional hour.
- As the pork cooks, prepare the slaw by mixing together all of the ingredients. Cover until ready to serve.
- When the pork is done, serve warm with slaw on fresh hamburger buns.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 8 hours
Anna @ The Table says
This looks delicious. I love using my slow cooker when it's so cold out. I saved the recipe so I could try it this week!
Sarah Toasty says
cherry and chipotle is one of my favorite flavor combos, this sandwich looks amazing!
Morgan says
Thank you, Sarah!
Chris @ Shared Appetite says
I'm with you on dreaming of warmer days when we can be outside BBQ'ing! This slow cooker pulled pork sandwich looks absolutely amazing... I may have just drooled a bit on my laptop. Love the honey jalapeno lime slaw! YUM! Pinned 🙂
Benny says
Okay, I will be making this tomorrow for friends and family coming over to watch the Chargers beat the Broncos again. It sounds awesome and have great home brew to pair with it!
Melissa says
Made this for Super Bowl Sunday and it was a big hit! Replaced cabbage slaw with shredded jicama and carrots. Very yummy! Will be making again!
Morgan says
The shredded jimcama and carrots sound fantastic for these! I'll have to give it a try sometime. Glad to hear that it the recipe was a hit!
Biz says
Right now I still have two feet of drifting snow in my back yard - my gas grill, Weber and smoker are all covered in snow - so sad!
For some reason my husband doesn't like pork anymore, but I love some piggy! Can't wait to make this - I may have this every day for lunch next week!
Morgan says
Ugh I just can't take the snow anymore. Warm weather, I'm waiting not-so-patiently for you!
Hope you love the pork-- if you want to make it husband-friendly, try it with chicken! I'm sure it would still be great =)
Susan says
How many does this serve?
Morgan says
If you're serving the pork as a main course in the buns, I'd say it will be plenty for 4-5 people.
paulette says
OUTSTANDING....Loved this recipe will make again.
Morgan says
Hi Paulette! So glad you liked them! Thanks for letting me know =)
Tory Tanouye says
I made this yesterday to round out a day of football with some buddies, and it went great! I added garlic to the crock pot mixture, and decided to add a small amount of rice vinegar to the slaw. I may just make the slaw by itself sometime, as it was a hit all on its own! Thank you for another great recipe.
Morgan says
I'm so glad to hear it, Tory! =)
Janette says
This was AWESOME! Totally going to be my go-to for pulled pork from now on! Thank you!
Eric says
Deeeeeeelish. Make this recipe all the time. It's always a big hit.
Cynthia B says
This is so good it makes me want to weep tears of joy. Thank you for an easy crockpot recipe that's delicious and different.
Natalie Johnson says
Curious - what size bottle of BBQ sauce do you recommend??
Barbara says
I doubled the recipe this time as I made it for a group while on Maui. It was a huge success. So now, will make sure there are plenty left overs as it just got better with time to meld. Yum!!’ Thanks so much for my new bbq go to.
Nancy says
How many adults does this serve? It sounds delicious!
Suzanne says
This looks so good! Is Jalapeño slaw good with anything else?
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Chelsea B says
If I wanted to cut this recipe in half, how long should I cook it in the slow cooker?