This slow cooker pulled pork recipe is extremely easy to make, but yields fall-apart tender, flavorful bbq pulled pork. It’s perfect for a stress-free dinner, or for serving at a party. (Who can complain when pulled pork sandwiches and pulled pork nachos are on the menu?)
I’m not a food snob.
I eat freezer meals decently often. I make recipes that use pop-can biscuit dough from time-to-time. I won’t even yell at you if you put green peppers on your cheesesteaks. But when it comes to pulled pork, I don’t mess around. I want pork that’s smoky with a little spice and a little sweetness, but doesn’t overwhelm the flavor of the meat. So tender that it starts to fall apart as you transfer it to a plate, and then shreds as if there was never anything holding it together in the first place. Super juicy, not a hint of dryness in a single bite. And I won’t accept anything less.
For a long time, that meant that I avoided most slow cooker pulled pork recipes, but in preparation for the Super Bowl, I decided I wanted to perfect one for myself.
HOW TO MAKE PULLED PORK IN THE SLOW COOKER
In order to make truly delicious slow cooked pulled pork, there are a few things you have to do.
- Use a cut of pork with a good amount of intramuscular fat and marbling, like pork butt or pork shoulder. That fat will eventually melt in the slow cooker, leaving you with juicy, tender pulled pork that will shred easily. Less fatty cuts will get tough and dry out when slow cooked.
- Add a little liquid to the slow cooker, but not too much! Liquid at the bottom of the slow cooker serves three purposes. The first is no different than what you’d expect from cooking on the stove– a bit of liquid prevents ingredients that are on the bottom of the pot from getting too hot and sticking or burning. The second is that these liquids combine with the liquids released by the pork as it cooks to create flavorful juices for serving over the pulled pork. The last is that acidic ingredients like apple cider vinegar and bbq sauce help in tenderizing the meat as it cooks. However, be sure not to add too much, as the pork itself will release a lot of liquid as well, and you don’t want your slow cooker to overfill.
- Rub the meat for extra flavor. Like any good recipe, excellent bbq pulled pork requires some tasty spices. I use bbq-inspired ingredients like brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, mustard powder, and of course salt and pepper to ensure that the pulled pork has plenty of seasonings. This also helps to flavor the drippings which we’ll add back to the pork after it’s shredded.
- Cook it low and slow. I know, I know. You don’t have that much time so you want to crank up the slow cooker to high and let it work overtime. You can do that, but I’ll warn you in advance: it won’t be as good. It’ll be harder to shred, and a bit dryer. If you can manage about 10 hours in the slow cooker (give or take, depending on your specific slow cooker), low is the way to go. If you absolutely must get it done faster, try starting off on high heat for a few hours and then finishing on low until it shreds easily.
- Don’t waste the juices. I mentioned it a few times already, but once you shred the pulled pork, spoon over some of the juices from the slow cooker. You won’t want to use all of it (there will be a lot), but the juices will keep your pork tender, flavorful, and delicious.
- Use a barbecue sauce that you love. I know, it’s controversial to start with a premade barbecue sauce, but honestly, anything you’re going to whip together with just a few ingredients in the slow cooker is not going to be as delicious. The addition of more spices and the additional liquid ingredients is great for doctoring things up, but trust your favorite bbq sauce to do some of the heavy lifting here. I personally use Sweet Baby Ray’s.
CAN I MAKE SLOW COOKER BBQ PULLED PORK AHEAD OF TIME?
Yes, you can make this slow cooker pulled pork recipe ahead. Made fully ahead, it will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or the freezer for 3 months before reheating. You can reheat in the slow cooker or in the microwave, if desired. You may have to add back a little bb1 sauce, as it tends to get absorbed as it sits.
You also can begin cooking this pulled pork up to SIXTEEN HOURS before serving, as long as you keep it on low heat. It’s pretty difficult (not impossible, but difficult) to overcook, so don’t be afraid to keep it going for a bit longer than the recipe suggests, if necessary.
You can keep the pulled pork on the “warm” setting in your slow cooker for up to 4 hours.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH PULLED PORK
I generally like to use my pulled pork in two ways: sandwiches or nachos.
For sandwiches, I always love a perfectly toasted brioche bun, but slider buns also work well for serving a crowd. I like to add a little coleslaw, which I usually make with broccoli slaw or power blends rather than the regular coleslaw mixture. I’ve even made Honey Jalapeno Lime Slaw in the past for my Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork (another favorite!), which is fantastic.
For nachos, I simply scatter tortilla chips on a lined baking sheet, spoon over pulled pork, top with shredded cheese, and bake until the cheese is melted. Then I top with chopped jalapeno, chopped red onion, and sometimes even more cheese sauce, like the kind I made in this Cheesesteak Sheet Pan Nacho recipe!
As far as side dishes go, you can’t beat some amazing Baked Mac N Cheese, Cornbread, Potato Wedge Fries, Green Beans, and Baked Beans.
WATCH THE SLOW COOKER BBQ PULLED PORK VIDEO
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
- Total Time: 10 hours 20 mins
- Yield: 14-16 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup bbq sauce, plus more to serve
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (4 to 5-pound) pork shoulder
FOR THE SPICE MIXTURE:
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
TO SERVE:
- Brioche burger buns, toasted
- Coleslaw
Instructions
- In the bowl of a slow cooker, whisk together the bbq sauce, chicken stock, apple cider vinegar, and liquid smoke. Add in the onions and garlic and stir to combine.
- Combine all of the spices in a small bowl and rub all around the pork, including inside any folds in the meat. There should not be any remaining spices when finished.
- Place the pork in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low until easily shredded with a fork, about 10 hours. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred.
- Ladle over some of the juices from the slow cooker. Top with extra bbq sauce and toss.
- Serve on toasted brioche buns with coleslaw, if desired.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 hours
This was my first foray into cooking with a slow cooker, let alone making pulled pork. The recipe was so easy to approach but the end result was AMAZING! So juicy, tender, and flavorful… The meat literally fell apart. Best BBQ Pulled Pork!
★★★★★
Does it matter if you use bone in or boneless pork butt?
The advantage to boneless means no worries in removing the bone when shredding the pork. Bone in does tend to give a better flavor.
★★★★★
You are so right
Hi Gina,
I too am fairly new to slow cooker but after I discovered how wonderful pulled chicken is in a slow cooker I just had to try this recipe. The seasoned pork but went into the slow cooker at 8 AM. I hope mine turns out as well as yours did.
This was outstanding. Thanks for posting.
★★★★★
I am using fresh pork shoulder picnic took off all the fat double the rub because I had one that was almost 8lbs. Still had some rub leftover but every area of this pork was seasoned well its in the crockpot going for 10 hours hope it comes out well
If I don’t have mustard powder, could I use a squeeze of mustard?
You can use yellow mustard if you don’t have mustard powder
1 tablespoon of mustard = 1 teaspoon of mustard powder
I’m new at this. So this may be a dumb question. Do you place the fat side up or down in the slow cooker? Does it matter?
I like to leave it up…seems the fat “drips” into the meat to keep moist. I do remove what remains after cooking before shredding.
Hi Mary, thank you for sharing your expertise! Your advice helped me decide to cook fat side up, because I did not consider this until reading your response to Melissa’s question. You’re awesome!
I place fat side up
Hi Melissa, this is actually a great question! This is my first time making the recipe a few days ago and your question along with Mary’s response helped me learn to place the fat side up. Thank you!
I really liked this compared to other Slow Cooker pulled pork recipes as it had plenty of spices – most just have BBQ sauce and mustard powder. Had a bit of a kick which I loved. Will definitely cook many times again – no need to look for a better recipe I think this would be as good as it gets.
★★★★★
Also usually I hate the current fashion of cooking blogs with the blah blah blah text and photo’s, and struggling to find the recipe at the bottom of the page… But in this case I really liked the info and tips. For once it was worth the read. 🙂
Yes!!! This was so refreshing. No scarcely relevant life story about a hot July at Aunt Bertha’s where her second cousin said they smelled bbq while driving on the freeway one time. It had to do with the food! Lol
Hilarious!!
Best pulled pork ever!! I made this for my husband for Father’s Day. Everyone loved it. Will definitely make this again.
★★★★★
I don’t have chicken stock. Can I just substitute water? I do have beef broth, but wasn’t sure it would give the same flavor. I can’t use chicken bullion as it has to be gluten free.
Hi Shelley! That would be fine, or you can omit the extra 1/2 cup of liquid all together. Gluten free beers or root beer might also be another good option for you!
I add a cup of black coffee. It helps to tenderize and in no way tastes like coffee!
Can I sub light brown sugar for the dark? It happens to be what I have on hand right now.
Yes that would be fine! 🙂
Just how much of a “kick” does this recipe have? Or how spicy is it? It “reads” delicious!
I’m curious about this too!
It shouldn’t have much of a kick, but if you want to increase or decrease the heat, you can adjust the amount of cayenne pepper it calls for. Hope this helps!
Is there a difference in cooking a bone in or boneless pork shoulder roast?
Will a 3lb pork shoulder work as well?
What quart size slow cooker is needed? Thank you.
I did a 2lb pork butt roast and just used half the spices the recipe caked for. Came out delicious.
Good question, I was wondering the same
This was sensational! In fact, it was so delicious that it has now replaced the way I cooked pulled pork for 20 years. My ultra picky husband even loves it. Thanks so much.
★★★★★
should the oven temperture be 205 degree for 10 hrs?
Is there a way to speed up the 10hrs? Could you do 6hrs on high?
Did you try this recipe on high? How long did it take?
Easy to make and the best pulled pork I have had in a long time. My husband was equally impressed. Will definitely make again. Didn’t have any chicken broth so skipped that part but it still came out delicious. Will buy for the next time to see the difference with the broth added.
★★★★★
This was just FANTASTIC!!! Even though 10 hours in a “slow” cooker is an oxymoron – so worth the wait! I will never use another recipe again. Must try – don’t rush it…
★★★★★
This is FANTASTIC!!! Even though 10 hours in a “slow” cooker seems to be an oxymoron, it is so worth the wait. Don’t rush it, Followed the recipe exactly. Strained and de-greased the liquid, then added it all back in (full of spice/seasonings) and couldn’t believe how tender and flavorful it was. I will never use another recipe for pulled pork again!
★★★★★
sorry about that oxymoron comment – I was thinking Instant Pot – LOL!
Amazingly Delicious So easy and fast to make. Thank you for your wonderful inspiration.
★★★★★
This was just FANTASTIC!!! Even though 10 hours in a “slow” cooker is an oxymoron – so worth the wait! I will never use another recipe again. Must try – don’t rush it…
What brand of bbq sauce did you use?
Hi Can I double spices and liquid recipe for a 8 lb roast ?..
You might not need all of it, but yes, as long as it will be able to fit in your slow cooker!
What is liquid smoke??
You’ll find it in the condiment section. It’s made from condensing the smoke that comes off from burning wood 🙂
Hi Morgan,
Can I omit the liquid smoke?
Yes, if you’re not a fan of liquid smoke or can’t find it, feel free to leave it out!
This is such an easy crockpot recipe to make your entire house smell great on a cold night. The flavors all mixed well and ate with Brussels as our side. Thanks for the tasty recipe.
★★★★★
Hi! This is currently bubbling away in the slow cooker and smells amazing, thank you for this recipe! Just wondered if you’d worked out the nutritional information per serving? Just interested in calories really. Thanks 🙂
I followed the recipe, and when done I strained the cooking juices, added it to a sauce pot and boiled it down 50% on high heat. I added the reduction back to the pulled pork so it had all its delicious flavor and moisture.
Sandy this was a great idea and I will do that too for now on.
I took you suggestion Sandy. I had a small bottle BBQ, should of have a large lol! The pork definitely needed the flavors put back and more moisture. It turned out perfectly by boiling the juices down in a separate pot and adding it back in the crock pot!
★★★★★
This was a great idea and I did the same thing. Only thing I did was use a fat separator and then reduced the liquid. The sauce came out thick and delicious. Thanks for the tip!
How spicy is it? I dont like to spicy only mild an i got all the ingredients to make it tomorrow an if its pretty spicy is there a way to make it less spicy?
I wouldn’t say it’s spicy! Maybe a small hint of heat but nothing that would be hard to handle!
I want to make this pull pork recipe but I only want to serve for 4 how much pork would of then I need to get??
For sandwiches is about 4 sandwiches per pound of meat in my experience
This was such a great recipe! I searched for a pulled pork recipe & found several. I decided on this one even though it had minimal reviews. All I can say is wow! This was better than any restaurant pulled pork sandwich I ever had. Definitely saving this one! I made it for my friend for her birthday and we both really enjoyed it.
★★★★★
Could I use this recipe in the oven instead? I have an 8 1/2 lb roast that’s too big for my crockpot. If so, what temperature? and for how long? Thanks
Does it have to be strained if the butcher trims a lot of the fat
Can I use boneless pork loin? I mean I know I can but would there be q difference in timing to keep it juicy?
If I use half the amount of pork do I decrease the cook time??
It can be quicker, just let it bubble for around 4 hours and stick a knife to see if is tender to the core, if not check every hour it should be ready in around 6 hours
This is amazingly good!! The roast I had was 8 pounds and this recipe easily doubled in my large oval crock pot!! We had lots of leftovers which we froze….and it was just as good after freezing!!
★★★★★
Do you make this with bone in or boneless?
So good and easy, thank you so much. Best we have had. Thank you so much.
Linda
★★★★★
This pulled pork meal is great. I used a 2 &1/2 pound Boneless Pork Loin and cooked it for 10 hours. Came out perfect. I put this pulled pork on top of my own MAC & Cheese meal…Delicious!
Do you know how many Calories are in this meal?
If it’s pork, who cares?
My crock pot only has a high setting low is broke so how long do I cook it on high for???
Can I omit the liquid smoke or does it absolutely need it?
This was my first time ever making pulled pork. I bought a 4 1/2 lb boston butt from Sams club for under $6 and I had all the rest of the ingredients on hand. The hardest part of this recipe was pulling all the spices and ingredients. There was quite a lot. But it was so worth it. It was delicious and tender-as good any any barbecue I’ve eaten in the restaurant. Thanks for a great recipe!
★★★★★
Can I put put it on hight for 6hrs or does it have to be on slow for ten??
Excellent recipe! I could not discard the flavorful drippings so I separated (and discarded) the fat, strained out the onions, and reduced the drippings in a sauce pan on a low simmer until it was a thick sauce. Added that and the onions to the pulled pork: FREAKING AMAZING!
★★★★★
When I look for pork shoulder two types of roasts are available…picnic and butt? Does it matter which one I buy? Also I assume this would be boneless. Again the come boneless or bone-in. Thanks
Instructions were great, and I’d give the recipe in its current state 3 stars, even with Sweet Baby Ray’s, simply because my family and I felt it had far too much paprika. We found the paprika to overwhelm the rest of the spices. Next time I will dial down the paprika significantly (teaspoons instead of tablespoons) and I think we will get a much more balanced profile. However the core recipe will remain unchanged and it’s all you!
★★★
How long should I defrost the pork shoulder before cooking? And do you recommend marinating the pork overnight?
Such a great recipe and sooo easy.
I have made it 3 times now and people who try it just love it and ask for the recipe. Its so good to do for large groups of people for lunch or dinner with some buns and homemade coleslaw.
I do however make a few changes
Only 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
Only 1 teaspoon of salt
I dont have nor know what liquid smoke is so don’t use that.
I take out the cayenne pepper and chilli.
Yum yum 🙂
★★★★★
Just made it in my instapot for 3.5 also rub the meat with spice and let it sit for 24 hr then seared the meat in a cast iron before putting it in instapot . It was amazing if you are looking for a good pulled pork recipe look no further
★★★★★
I have made hundreds of pulled pork BBQ recipes in my life but have never had one as delicious as this one! No additional BBQ sauce was needed. The “juice” in the slow cooker was the perfect topping for the pork. I did leave out the cayenne as it burns my throat but it had enough spices that that was not needed for us. I have a new BBQ recipe now and it is so easy to throw together!
★★★★★
Thank you for the xcellent tips and recipe as came out great. I did adjust a few seasonings due to intolerances to smoke, otherwise made as directed. Did put some juice on shredded pork to maintain moisture, but next time after initial moisturing will save all juice just in case, although after freezing half and reheating 2 xs was still moist.
Made this yesterday and will definitely be making it again. Ended up with pulled pork Mac n cheese sliders that were a huge hit with my husband and teenager. The pork was so tender and flavorful. YUM!
★★★★★
Another outstanding recipe! Our whole family loved this, even my husband who hates pork. Your barbecue sauce is way better than store bought ones that we have used! I’ve tried many of your recipes and all are yummy! Thank you!!!
★★★★★
If I’m Making a 7 1/4 lb roast should I double the liquid and the spice, or just the spice? I’m looking forward to making it tonight.
If your worried about dryness I’m slow cooker you can always wrap the meat in tinfoil TIGHT and it will come out super juicy you’ll just loose a lot of the sauce
So flavorful and easy. Very good spice and seasoning blend. I didn’t have liquid smoke so I added a touch of Worcestershire Sauce. Seared my pork first then just added everything else all together. Simmered in large Demeyre Stock Pot seven hours, reduced liquid and skimmed off fat. Everyone loved it!
★★★★★
This was a hit! Perfect flavors! My slow cooker cooks way too fast so I only had the pork butt in there for about 4 hours on low. Crazy! Next time I’d probably do it in my oven in a Dutch oven for a longer, lower cooking process. It was still awesome. Also made the slaw and it was so yummy. Exactly what I wanted. For BBQ I used TJs Kansas City style bbq sauce.
★★★★★
My first time making bbq pulled pork. It turned out awesome! It was a 5 pound pork butt roast on low for 10 hours. I didn’t have liquid smoke so I used Worcestershire sauce. I didn’t have smoked paprika so I used ground cayenne. I think this made it a lot more spicy, haha! But that’s ok because my husband and I enjoy spicy hot food. Sadly, I did not have any fresh onion, so I used a tablespoon of onion powder. I had all other ingredients required. The roast was so good! My husband is a very skilled and experienced cook. He loved this roast. We had the meat on bread with cheese, and sides of cornbread and a broccoli carrot slaw. Then for breakfast I served it with cheesy scrambled eggs and refried beans over tortillas. I agree with other comments that your tips were helpful and I appreciated there wasn’t a bunch of irrelevant info to scroll by to find the recipe! I like having enough leftovers to stow away some in the freezer to be enjoyed later. Thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★
This came out so well with the pork shoulder picnic with the bone I left in the crockpot for 12 hours the flavors were there the barbecue sauce I add after made it better everybody loved it definitely doing it again it wasn’t bad with the bone the bones fell out after grabbing the meat from the crockpot there was so much of it I put some in my Mac n cheese
OMG… this is the best pulled pork I’ve ever had!! I’m deleting all my other recipes and only making this from now on! I cooked a 3lb roast for 9 1/2 hours, and it fell apart as I was taking it out the the crock pot! Amazing flavor!! My family loved it! Thank you so much for this recipe!!
★★★★★
I have made this before & it’s yummy. My go to recipe. If I wanted to convert this to a Dutch oven, what temp & time would you suggest it would cook properly ?
★★★★★
This is absolutely delicious pulled pork! We usually try to find a 7lb shoulder or butt cut so we have loads of leftovers. We freeze them and make pork tacos and put it on pizza with red onions and pineapple. This pork is better than any we’ve had in a restaurant, hands down!
★★★★★