The key to making the best
pulled pork is to cook it low and slow. One of the best ways to do this? Make the saucy, tender dish in your slow cooker. This method makes it easier than ever to prepare pulled pork for a crowd with maximum flavor and minimum effort. While it requires an ample amount of time to get this pulled pork to perfection, there’s only 10 minutes of prep work. Let the slow cooker do its thing, and you’ll have extra-tender pulled pork—complete with sauce—ready to devour at your holiday dinner or game day party with minimal effort required. Here’s everything you need to know:
The best cut of pork for pulled pork:
Look for a boneless pork shoulder for this recipe. You’re going to want to choose a cut that’s well marbled for extra flavor, but any excess fat should be trimmed.
How to make the best pulled pork in the slow cooker:
— Cook it all in the slow cooker. While burnt bits would be delicious, they’re not totally necessary. For simple, juicy pulled pork, you can cook the pork from start to finish in the slow cooker instead of searing.
— Don’t worry about overcooking. It’s pretty much impossible to mess this one up. If you go an hour longer than you’d intended, your pork will probably end up even more tender. Rushed and need to pull it an hour earlier? You’ll still be able to shred it just fine with a fork.
— The best liquid to cook pulled pork in. For the most flavorful pulled pork (and to avoid having to dirty up more dishes), we like to cook ours with a homemade inspired BBQ sauce. There’s no need to cook a separate sauce on the stovetop. Every element about barbecue sauce that you like—sweetness, acidity, spice—is in the slow cooker too. At the end, toss the pork with the leftover juices. (The “sauce” will be a little bit thinner, but the taste is all there.) Craving something extra? Feel free to experiment and create your ideal BBQ sauce (sriracha and brown sugar are always good ideas).
What to serve with pulled pork:
This recipe is perfect for a crowd: It’ll make enough for at least 8 huge sandwiches. This on a potato roll plus pickles and coleslaw = absolute perfection. Having a big game day party? Buy slider buns and you’ll double the yield. Serve it with our favorite BBQ sides like our red potato salad and grilled corn for a complete summer dinner, or with your Super Bowl appetizers for a hearty addition to your spread. Not feeling sandwiches? Serve this recipe in our pulled pork nachos for an extra satisfying party app.
Storage & freezing:
Pulled pork holds well in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, meaning if you’re able to plan ahead, you can make this the night before no problem. It also freezes well! If you double the batch, save leftovers in large freezer resealable bags. Looking for leftover ideas? Check out our leftover pulled pork recipes for all our favorite ideas.
Made it? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
The key to making the best
pulled pork is to cook it low and slow. One of the best ways to do this? Make the saucy, tender dish in your slow cooker. This method makes it easier than ever to prepare pulled pork for a crowd with maximum flavor and minimum effort. While it requires an ample amount of time to get this pulled pork to perfection, there’s only 10 minutes of prep work. Let the slow cooker do its thing, and you’ll have extra-tender pulled pork—complete with sauce—ready to devour at your holiday dinner or game day party with minimal effort required. Here’s everything you need to know:
The best cut of pork for pulled pork:
Look for a boneless pork shoulder for this recipe. You’re going to want to choose a cut that’s well marbled for extra flavor, but any excess fat should be trimmed.
How to make the best pulled pork in the slow cooker:
— Cook it all in the slow cooker. While burnt bits would be delicious, they’re not totally necessary. For simple, juicy pulled pork, you can cook the pork from start to finish in the slow cooker instead of searing.
— Don’t worry about overcooking. It’s pretty much impossible to mess this one up. If you go an hour longer than you’d intended, your pork will probably end up even more tender. Rushed and need to pull it an hour earlier? You’ll still be able to shred it just fine with a fork.
— The best liquid to cook pulled pork in. For the most flavorful pulled pork (and to avoid having to dirty up more dishes), we like to cook ours with a homemade inspired BBQ sauce. There’s no need to cook a separate sauce on the stovetop. Every element about barbecue sauce that you like—sweetness, acidity, spice—is in the slow cooker too. At the end, toss the pork with the leftover juices. (The “sauce” will be a little bit thinner, but the taste is all there.) Craving something extra? Feel free to experiment and create your ideal BBQ sauce (sriracha and brown sugar are always good ideas).
What to serve with pulled pork:
This recipe is perfect for a crowd: It’ll make enough for at least 8 huge sandwiches. This on a potato roll plus pickles and coleslaw = absolute perfection. Having a big game day party? Buy slider buns and you’ll double the yield. Serve it with our favorite BBQ sides like our red potato salad and grilled corn for a complete summer dinner, or with your Super Bowl appetizers for a hearty addition to your spread. Not feeling sandwiches? Serve this recipe in our pulled pork nachos for an extra satisfying party app.
Storage & freezing:
Pulled pork holds well in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, meaning if you’re able to plan ahead, you can make this the night before no problem. It also freezes well! If you double the batch, save leftovers in large freezer resealable bags. Looking for leftover ideas? Check out our leftover pulled pork recipes for all our favorite ideas.
Made it? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
- Yields:
-
8
serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 10 mins
- Total Time:
- 6 hrs
- Cal/Serv:
- 430
Directions
-
- Step 1
Combine onion, ketchup, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar and spices in the bowl of a slow cooker. Season pork shoulder all over with salt and pepper then add to slow cooker, covering it with ketchup mixture. Cover and cook until very tender (the meat should fall apart easily with a fork!), on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours or on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
- Step 2Remove pork from slow cooker and transfer to bowl. Shred with two forks and toss with juices from the slow cooker. Serve on buns with coleslaw.
- Step 1
Kat Wirsing
