Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

 

This Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe is mouthwateringly juicy, fall-apart tender, sweet, smoky, and saucy. It’s so easy to make and great for a crowd!

Key Ingredients

You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.

• Pork. When making pulled pork, choose a fattier, tougher cut of pork that can stand up to long, slow cook times. As the fat renders and the meat breaks down, the excess fat helps the pork stay juicy. Pork shoulder is the traditional and best choice for crock pot pulled pork.
• 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. The acid helps cut and balance the richness of the pork.
• Honey + Brown Sugar. Some sweetness is essential for BBQ flavor. (Also vital in Smoked Pork Butt).
• 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.

• Meal Prep Ideas

  Crockpot pulled pork reheats beautifully, so it’s great for making on the weekend and using to make dinner a few nights in a row. Reheat it in the crockpot with a splash of water or broth added to thin the sauce if needed, then put it to use in:

  • Sandwiches. A favorite! Use my homemade Hamburger Buns recipe or make pulled pork sliders with small buns.
  • Tacos. Tuck it into tortillas for slow cooker pulled pork tacos.
  • Rice Bowls. Swap it for the chicken in these Burrito Bowls with brown rice.
  • Salad. Use it instead of chicken in this BBQ Chicken Salad.
  • Baked Potato. Pile it onto a 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

  Here are some classic pairings with pulled pork. You can’t go wrong with any of them!

  • Baked Beans. CLASSIC with barbecue. Make Easy Baked Beans if you’re in a hurry or Boston Baked Beans for something long and slow.
  • Grilled Vegetables. Perfect for a summer meal! Grilled Corn Salad or Grilled Potatoes would be tasty.
  • Mac and Cheese. Add Instant Pot Mac and Cheese to the mix for a comfort food meal.
  •