Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

5 from 2 votes

Sweet, tangy, sticky, and savory, this easy pulled pork recipe only requires a few minutes of prep time, and your crock pot does the rest.

Prep Time10

Total Time8 10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: slow cooker pulled pork

Servings:

Prep the pork. Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels.
Prep the slow cooker. 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.
Make the seasoning mix. 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.
Season the meat and cook. 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. Add all of the ingredients for the BBQ Sauce to a saucepan. Whisk them together and cook over medium heat until it comes 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.
Shred the meat. 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.
Toss it with the BBQ sauce and serve. Pour the BBQ sauce over the pork and shred some more until everything is well combined. Serve the pulled pork on buns, over nachos, in salads, on cornbread, or with a side of baked beans.

Soda: If you don't want to use Dr. Pepper, you can use root beer or Coca-Cola.
Pork options: For this recipe, use a pork shoulder or pork butt. These cuts have a good amount of fat that renders during cooking.
Cook 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 get 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.