Lightly coat the insert of your slow cooker with cooking spray. Arrange the sliced onions on the bottom of the insert of the slow cooker and set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, combine 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper.
Rub the seasoning all over the pork shoulder. Place the pork over the onions and pour in a can of Dr. Pepper.
Close with the lid and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or until fall-apart tender.
In the meantime, prepare the BBQ Sauce by adding all of the ingredients for the BBQ Sauce to a saucepan. Whisk together all the ingredients and cook over medium heat; bring to a gentle simmer.
Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes. Whisk and stir occasionally until cooked through and thickened. Be careful not to burn the sugar. When done, taste the sauce for seasonings and adjust accordingly. Set aside.
Remove the pork shoulder from the slow cooker and transfer it to a cutting board. Using two forks or meat claws, shred the pork, then return it to the slow cooker.
Pour the BBQ sauce over the pork and shred some more until everything is well combined.
Serve the pulled pork on buns, over nachos, salads, cornbread, or a side of baked beans.
Soda: If you don't want to use Dr. Pepper, you can use root beer or Coca-Cola instead.
Pork Selection: For this recipe, use a pork shoulder or pork butt. These cuts have a good amount of fat that renders down during the cooking process.
Cooking Time: The larger the roast, the longer it will need to cook. You're looking for the cooked pork shoulder to register between 195˚F-205˚F on an Instant Read Meat Thermometer.
Low and Slow: Cook on the low setting to allow the meat to become tender and absorb the flavors over time.
Cooking Juices: If your pork is swimming in juices when it’s done, pour most of those juices out before you add the barbecue sauce.
Shredding: Use two forks to shred the meat.
Storage: Put the pulled pork in an airtight container and keep it in your refrigerator for up to 4 days. To freeze, place the pulled pork in freezer bags and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Course: Lunch/Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: best pulled pork recipe, pork shoulder recipes, pulled pork crock pot