This is some of the best pulled pork I’ve had in a long time (I’ve been working on perfecting this recipe for months!), and it also doesn’t include any highly processed ingredients like refined brown sugar, corn syrup, or ketchup.
My husband says it is so good that no BBQ sauce is necessary. Now, you know it’s good pulled pork when you don’t reach for your favorite BBQ sauce. He would like me to pass on that he does like to dip it into a little hot sauce, although I for sure prefer mine with nothing added. Try it both ways and decide for yourself. Either way this is a great dish for serving (and pleasing!) a crowd.
What type of meat is best for pulled pork?
Pork shoulder is the most common cut used when making pulled pork. The shoulder includes the front leg and shoulder, and will likely come with a bone and plenty of marbling. The marbling is key because the fat is what will prevent the meat from drying out during the cooking process.
A full pork shoulder is a large cut of meat, so I recommend asking your grocery store’s butcher to cut the shoulder down into two portions (3-4 lbs each). Alternatively, you can choose a Boston roast or picnic roast – these are smaller cuts of the shoulder and work just fine.
What to serve with pulled pork
I have some great side choice options here on the blog that perfectly accompany this slow cooker pulled pork.
- Collard Greens
- Simple Corn Salad
- Kale and Bacon Stuffed Potatoes
- Southern Potato Salad (without mayo!)
- Whole Grain Cornbread
- Charred Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Avocados
Pulled Pork in a Crock Pot
This simple pulled pork recipe for your slow cooker doesn’t include any highly processed ingredients like refined brown sugar, corn syrup, or ketchup.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon thyme, dried
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and cut in half
- 3 pounds pork shoulder, cut in half
Instructions
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In a medium size mixing bowl, mix together the first six ingredients (all of the spices) with a fork.
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Pour in the honey, vinegar, and olive oil and stir to form a paste.
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Place the onion in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top it with the 2 pieces of pork and then pour the honey paste over all sides of the pork pieces. It’s okay if some of it (or a lot of it) just drips down to the bottom.
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Turn the slow cooker on to low and cook for 7 to 8 hours or until the meat is tender enough to be easily shredded with a fork.
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Serve the shredded pork warm with fixings like homemade coleslaw and cornbread. My husband also likes his dipped in a little hot sauce. Refrigerate or freeze the leftovers.
Recipe Notes
I used a pork shoulder, but you could experiment with a pork roast or pork loin. Another serving option is whole-wheat hamburger buns - pulled pork sandwiches!
Nutrition Facts
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HFlowers
February 11, 2017 at 6:23 pmis the Thyme leaves or ground?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
February 15, 2017 at 1:22 pmWe use dried.
Casey
May 17, 2019 at 8:40 pmLooks great! I’m going to make it tomorrow for a grad party! Red or white onion?
100 Days Admin
May 22, 2019 at 9:24 amSorry, we can’t always reply to recipe comments in real time. Did you end up making it? – Nicole
Sioux
February 17, 2017 at 1:42 pmHey! This looks awesome, got a bargain lump of pork but my other half never fancies pulled pork with BBQ sauce drowning it! Going to get it in for hangover day tomorrow-thanks! Just one thing, what size is your slow cooker? I’ve tried out loads of recipes and always over cook the meat as I’ve a medium size slow cooker or crockpot. TIA X
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
February 26, 2017 at 10:15 am6 quart.
paddy
February 18, 2017 at 3:25 pmwe made this exactly as described and it was soooooooooo good
you were right about no barbecue sauce necessary
K Ann Guinn
February 20, 2017 at 7:21 pmDo you ever eat it in rolls (with or without bbq sauce), like many of the recipes suggest? That’s the only way we’ve had it, although we are open to trying it on it’s own. I’ve tried several recipes, and yours looks delicious! Thanks.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
February 26, 2017 at 10:14 amYes, you can absolutely eat it on bread. :)
K Ann Guinn
February 26, 2017 at 1:57 pmWe tried it and served it to company, and it was enjoyed by all! Some tried it “plain” without BBQ, and some with, but mostly on rolls. I also have some leftover in the freezer for some quick future meals. Thanks so much for a wonderful and tasty recipe.
A Brown
March 1, 2017 at 9:28 amThis is the best pulled pork recipe I have ever tried. My family requests it often & I have passed along the recipe to a few friends as well. We do add bbq sauce & eat it in sandwiches, but the meat is so flavorful you don’t have to. Definitely try this recipe, your family will thank you.
Guia
March 2, 2017 at 11:18 pmI was so surprised with the flavor of this recipe. The red wine vinegar made it so awesome! Thanks so much. My husband, kids and I loved this so much! Keeping this. Love it!
Matt
March 5, 2017 at 5:02 pmWhen serving this, is the idea to pull it apart with a couple forks, mixing the meat with all the liquid/juices that have collected in the bottom of the crock pot? I would assume so, though I’m a little over half way through the cooking process, and there seems to be a pretty substantial amount of oily liquid, which could make for pretty greasy servings.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
March 13, 2017 at 1:33 pmHi, Yes, that is the idea. You can drain any of the liquid you do not want.
Anna
March 8, 2017 at 2:05 pmseriously the best pulled pork ive ever had. I have shared this with so many people. I will never use another recipe. THANK YOU
Sandra
March 9, 2017 at 9:28 pmI would like to try this recipe – it sounds great! I haven’t ever bought pork shoulder before. I went to look at my grocery store to see if they have it and they do (I think it was called pork shoulder blade roast or something like that), but it looks like it has a huge piece of fat on it. Is this something you cut off before putting it in the slow cooker?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
March 13, 2017 at 2:27 pmHi. This is a fattier cut of meat necessary for pulled pork. You can always trim some of the fat if you choose.
Sari
March 11, 2017 at 9:58 pmHi! I juat tried this recipe yesterday and I really didn’t need to change a thing! This recipe is fool-proof and the result is AWESOME!
Thanks a lot for sharing!
Cheryl Dempsey
March 13, 2017 at 10:19 pmCan you make this ahead of time and. Reheat on low in the crock pot the next day?
AKMum
March 13, 2017 at 11:01 pmI have done it for potlucks and it worked wonderfully!
Sherry
March 15, 2017 at 12:21 pmCan you use apple cider vinegar in place of the red wine vinegar?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
March 16, 2017 at 10:37 amYou can!
Aviator
March 18, 2017 at 3:39 pmPulled Pork feels a bit dry and does not have a lot of flavour in it. I feel it should be more juicy. Is there something I did wrong? What can I do to make it more juicy?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
April 5, 2017 at 6:49 pmHi there. Did you use a pork shoulder or a leaner cut?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
April 7, 2017 at 12:11 pmHi there. Did you use the suggested cut or something leaner?
Linda
May 18, 2017 at 1:19 pmI separate the pork and add a little sweet baby ray’s to it and let it cook another 1/2 hr.
Alicia S.
March 24, 2017 at 10:31 pmI’ve used this recipe for every party, every work event, and all charity events… it never disappoints! I did pump up the garlic powder but that because I looove garlic. For corporate events, I recommend scaling back on the cayenne.
Thanks for this recipe, great with chicken, too!
RonJames
March 28, 2017 at 9:13 pmI’ve made this twice before and the meat is juicy and delicious.
Am I supposed to do anything with the juices left in the crockpot after I take out the pork? ‘m not sure whether it’s meant to be thrown out, or if I’m supposed to thicken it (reduce/cornflower). I had kept some of the juice for flavor in a separate container the first time, but we found it fatty and watery. So my family ended up using BBQ sauce instead.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
April 21, 2017 at 10:35 amYou can mix the juices in with the meat once you have pulled it. I’ve reserved the rest of the juices for flavor and sauces.
Erin Leggatt
April 17, 2017 at 9:49 pmI have made this over 10 times. Its the absolute best pork I have ever eaten! Everyone I make it for asks for this recipe.
Winner!!!!!!
Thank you
T,
April 22, 2017 at 10:54 pmI have been using this recipe for pulled pork for a number of years and sharing it with everyone I know.
I am now going to try using it for ribs. I am going to marinade the ribs overnight in the fridge using ingredients above then tomorrow morning I will put the racks in the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hrs then bbq them to finish them off.
Whitney
May 10, 2017 at 7:19 pmI just finished my 10 day pledge and it went great! This was the first meal I cooked and it truly is the best pulled pork ever! Yum!
Val
May 22, 2017 at 9:24 pmThis is truly the best slow cooker BBQ pork and I have tried several
Thanks
Sarah Dickison
May 24, 2017 at 2:20 pmMade with 6 lb chicken (didn’t double seasonings), no cayenne (for kids), added 2 TBS honey. Came out great served on whole wheat buns with coleslaw. Will make again,
Jemnifer
May 29, 2017 at 6:36 amDid you use 2T of honey instead of the 1/2 cup or in addition? Thanks.
Sarah Dickison
May 29, 2017 at 3:08 pmI used 2 TBS in addition to the 1/2 C
Nicole
May 28, 2017 at 9:22 pmMade this in my Instant Pot, 60 minutes on high (manual) I added 1/4 c water to the liquid just to make sure I had enough liquid for it to come to pressure! We love it!!
Deb
May 29, 2017 at 4:56 pmOUT OF THIS World!!
Kendra Hackett
May 30, 2017 at 3:01 pmDoes anyone have the proteins, carbs, fat grams associated with the servings for this recipe? Oh, and it is delicious by the way! thanks
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
June 2, 2017 at 9:32 amHi Kendra. We do not provide nutrition details on recipes. This post helps explain why: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/healthy-eating-defined/.
Maygem
June 11, 2017 at 3:23 pmI have never made pulled pork because I thought it would be too complicated and I’ve never seen ingredients that seemed appropriate. I decided to try this today. AMAZING is all I can say! Do yourself a favor and use a hand mixer to pull the pork to save time! Great recipe to add to my collection. I paired this with a creamy coleslaw. Perfection! Thank you!
Marie Hostetter
June 13, 2017 at 8:29 amCan I use beef eye roast instead of pork?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
June 20, 2017 at 3:13 pmWe’ve not tried but a really lean cut of meat would not work well with this recipe.
Sherry Hoover
June 27, 2017 at 7:22 pmReally? 4.5 stars? I was so excited to make this and even considered buying the book the day I saw the recipe on Pinterest. If this is an indication of what the other recipes are like, I’m glad I saved my money. While it’s true that I dearly love SMOKED pulled pork and nothing can replicate that distinct flavor, this meat was absolutely tasteless. I wouldn’t have been able to identify it as pork if it had been served to me rather than my preparing it myself. I couldn’t pick out ANY of the flavors from the ingredients I used to make the ‘paste.’ And speaking of that, mine wasn’t the consistency of a paste; it was more runny….? It didn’t even smell enticing (or have an aroma at ALL, really) as it cooked in all day in the crockpot, which seemed strange to me. Maybe I’m at fault for some error in ingredients or technique,…but this certainly won’t be added to my recipe file, which disappoints me. Glad I have some King’s BBQ sauce from Virginia to spice this up!
Carol Vigilante
February 2, 2018 at 10:13 amLove this recipe.I have made this a couple of times already.Love the fact that there is not any barbecue sauce in it.The rub is very flavorful.Making it again for Super Bowl this Sun.Trying it with a 4.34 lb butt boneless roast. Will adjust the spices.Hope it will be enough for 9 people!
Megan
July 11, 2017 at 11:06 amI’ve commented before, and this is one of my long-time go-to recipes now. I think I’ve perfected the “liquid” process now that a lot of people have questions on.
With my ~3 lb boneless (or you could do ~5-6 lb bone-in), I let it cook for 7 hours on low, then took out the meat and set aside, poured out all of the liquid and onions, dispose of onions, put pork back in crockpot and then ladle juices back into crockpot enough to submerge about half of the meat, then shred. I think it tastes best if you turn the crockpot to warm (or even to off, but leave lid on to retain heat), so the flavors still meld but its not still cooking about 30 minutes prior to serving. You’ll notice after shredding that the pork soaks in even more of the juices, so its not really sitting in as much liquid.
If you get bone-in, you can take the bone out before putting it back in the crockpot to shred. Or just ask your butcher to remove the bone, and I actually had them trim some of the fat (although there was still a good amount of visible fat).
Also I’ve never been successful at skimming off the fat from the liquids, but a little bit doesn’t hurt :)
Michelle Poland
July 14, 2017 at 11:42 amI am using 1.25lb of pork instead of 3lb does anyone know if i should reduce cooking time and ingredients
Tina
July 19, 2017 at 9:18 amIf I use a 6 lb pork butt do I need to cook it longer or the same amount of time?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
July 24, 2017 at 11:11 amHi there. Be sure to cut the pork in half and I would add 30 minutes to the cooking time.
Laura
July 31, 2017 at 12:05 pmJust wondering how many portions you’d say this makes? Thinking about making it for my daughter’s birthday party.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
August 8, 2017 at 12:47 pmI’ve easily fed 8 with this recipe.
Caroline Pfeiffer
August 7, 2017 at 9:44 pmAny recommendations for making this on an instant pot?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
August 8, 2017 at 12:45 pmWe’ve not tired this recipe in an Instant Pot.
Jill
August 21, 2017 at 4:20 pmWe put all the ingredients in the insta pot with frozen pork. I hit the meat/stew button twice and added a cup of water. Sometime after the 1st time up to pressure I cut it into hunks, resealed it, and pushed the meat/stew button again. I pulled the pork out to shred on a cutting board and pushed the saute button to reduce the liquid. I put it all in after that on keep warm till dinner time. Awesome.
Katy
August 8, 2017 at 11:41 pmWonderful recipe! Makes a bunch, so my hubby &I I have leftovers. Moist just as it is and doesn’t need additional BBQ sauce. You hit this one out of the park! Thanks!
Kellie D
September 16, 2017 at 5:54 amHave you tried with chicken?
Leslie
September 17, 2017 at 5:20 pmI have several times! Its wonderful! Just watch cooking times in the slow cooker- I find that chicken breasts are done in around 3 hours.
Brenda
September 18, 2017 at 4:11 pmThis is the best recipe. I’ve made it several times, and it always turns out delicious. So many crock pot recipes use processed foods, but this recipe is perfect because it’s all “real” food.
Kristen Kemp
September 19, 2017 at 6:58 pmCan I make this with a 3-4 pound pork roast instead of pork shoulder? Thank you for your help?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
September 25, 2017 at 1:30 pmHello. You really need a high fat cut of pork. A roast is lean and would not produce the necessary juices.
Debra
September 30, 2017 at 9:49 pmCan I use pork tenderloin instead of pork shoulder?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
October 6, 2017 at 1:49 pmLoin is too lean for this recipe.
Katie W.
October 1, 2017 at 5:48 pmMade this tonight and both husband and I were disappointed. Unlike other reviewers, we had no problem with it being too salty or spicy – it was completely flavorless. Cooked to perfection, falling off the bone, but it had no flavor whatsoever. I followed the recipe exactly and did not mix all the sauce in at the end – just added a couple large spoonfuls over shredded meat. Maybe that was the problem? Although other replies to questions about that said you didn’t need to mix any sauce in if you didn’t want to. Not sure what went wrong. We really wanted to love this, but it was a miss for us :(
Cristin
November 7, 2017 at 1:46 pmI have never had a problem. it is my fav. pulled pork. it is suppose to cook in the juice, the you can easily use forks to shred it apart and leave it in the sauce.
Camie Gould
November 7, 2017 at 3:10 pmKatie, I always pull the meat out to shred, spoon off some of the oil, transfer juices to a sauce pan and reduce the juices for awhile. It makes a delicious sauce!
Theresa
March 4, 2018 at 3:53 pmAny chance your spices are old and have lost their punch? I’ve made this many times and it’s a no-fail recipe for me. When this recipe was originally posted it called for TWO tablespoons of salt, which is way too much. I don’t even use the full tablespoon that it calls for. I’m not a big fan of pork shoulder, so I always use a boneless pork roast that has a nice layer of fat on it. Makes for a moist and flavorful pulled pork.
Agnes
May 23, 2018 at 10:59 amI usually shred the meat in the pot and let it soak in the sauce for a while, which soaks up the flavor and serve it all mixed up with a spoon. This is the first and only slow cooker pulled pork recipe I have ever used and is a hit every time I make it! So good!
Laura
October 13, 2017 at 3:34 amThis is our go-to pulled pork recipe, and has been for several years now! My husband and I both love it. We often add a little bit more cayenne pepper for a spicier flavor, but otherwise follow the recipe as written. :)
Bella
November 20, 2017 at 10:29 amMy family loves the pork, it’s out of this world! One question, didn’t you have a coleslaw recipe too?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
November 26, 2017 at 10:24 amHi. Here ya go: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/recipe-asian-coleslaw-radish-ministicks/.
Christina
November 30, 2017 at 10:27 pmI love this has anyone tried it with beef? I’m wondering if it would be just as good?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
December 12, 2017 at 11:54 amHi there. No, we’ve not tried it with beef. Let us know if you do. :)
Christina
December 12, 2017 at 3:58 pmYes it isn’t very good with roast
Sandra davi
December 12, 2017 at 1:18 pmI tried it but I didn’t have Cheyenne pepper so I used red pepper flakes it was a bit hot so I added a little brown sugar, it’s perfectly delicious! Thank you!
Sarah L.
February 7, 2018 at 7:10 pmOne of our favourites! Any ideas on how this could be adapted for the Instant Pot?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
February 13, 2018 at 1:57 pmHi. These should help: https://blog.platejoy.com/how-to-adapt-recipes-for-instant-pot/ and https://mycrazygoodlife.com/convert-recipes-instant-pot/.
Laura
April 12, 2018 at 9:10 pmWe loved this recipe!! I followed all the directions but cooked it in my instant pot steaming for 65 minutes. It was fantastic! The boys liked it better that the bottled bbq sauce…Win for Real Food!!
Amanda
April 12, 2018 at 11:29 pmDid you need to add any water/liquid? Thanks!
Laura
April 13, 2018 at 7:49 amI did not add any extra liquid in addition to the recipe sauce. My piece of pork was fatty on one side. It turned so tasty!!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
April 16, 2018 at 11:34 amNope, it makes plenty of its own.
Mary
June 18, 2018 at 10:09 pmcan you use regular vinegar?
Kate
July 2, 2018 at 12:31 amAbsoulutely delish!! Have cooked this pulled pork recipe many times and still love it.
Amanda
July 25, 2018 at 1:31 pmIs it ok to cook it on high instead of low. And if so, how long on high should I put it on for? Thank you
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
August 2, 2018 at 4:48 pmHi there. This one is best and most tender when cooked slow.
Kelly
July 29, 2018 at 11:33 pmSO good!! Thank you!!!
Debi
August 29, 2018 at 11:05 pmIf I change the recipe for 16 people – 8 lbs of pork-should I cook it longer than 8 hours?
Meg
January 2, 2019 at 9:39 amI use this recipe for pulled chicken- a family favorite!
Sdish23
January 18, 2019 at 8:55 amMy husband doesn’t like bbq sauce because it’s too sweet. Does the honey make this very sweet? Thank you in advance
100 Days Admin
January 18, 2019 at 12:17 pmThis one shouldn’t be too sweet for him. – Nicole
Mary Whitson
January 28, 2019 at 8:59 pmAbsolutely the best pulled pork!!! We have made this many times and always get asked for the recipe.
Shenaz
February 15, 2019 at 3:16 pmThis recipe was a huge hit at our office potluck. Everyone enjoyed the fact that the flavor of the meat wasn’t overpowered by sauce or heavy spices.
Catherine Sevdalian
April 4, 2019 at 4:14 pmI used 1:1 (or 1/2 and 1/2 of whatever amount your measurements call for if that makes more sense to you) regular paprika and smoked paprika (because I ran out of regular) and it had a really great smokey flavor. I think I will do the same thing next time I make it. I also adjusted the recipe for the size pork shoulder I had, which changed the amount of spices.
I also used previous poster’s suggestion of removing most of the liquid and reducing it down to a sauce and adding it back in, which worked well. But I found most of the liquid got absorbed by the meat as it warmed/finished cooking after I shredded it. It’s a little more liquidy than straight-up pulled pork, I suppose, but it will be liquidy if you put a sauce on it anyway and you don’t have to with the flavor in this recipe.
Meagan
April 6, 2019 at 3:36 pmMade this and it turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
Stephanie
April 28, 2019 at 5:25 pmHmm… this recipe got mostly rave reviews, and I really wanted to like it. A few people mentioned it had no flavor and no smell while cooking and that’s exactly what I experienced. I followed the recipe exactly. My cut of pork even had a “perfect for the slow cooker” sticker on it. The texture of the shredded pork is perfect, but it has practically no flavor other than just… plain pork. I took the meat out and shredded it, then tasted it –bland. So I added spoonfuls of the sauce/juice and stirred, tasted, repeated. Ehn. It’s very greasy, obviously that is from the pork itself, but I would recommend omitting the olive oil. It’s completely unnecessary. I also think maybe there’s too much paprika and not enough… I’m not sure what. Also, I removed the onions rather than mixing them in with the shredded pork because they were just mushy and gummy. I will definitely make this again, but without the added oil and with a different spice mix and perhaps less honey. Or maybe using maple syrup instead? Or brown sugar. I do love all the natural ingredients, the easy slow cooker part, and the tender shredded pork though.
Marguerita
April 29, 2019 at 9:51 pmCan pork loin be used instead of shoulder?
100 Days Admin
May 2, 2019 at 9:01 amPork loin is a little too tender for this recipe, so pork shoulder work best. – Nicole
Alberto
May 1, 2019 at 3:43 pmI didn’t have Red Wine Vinegar, so I substituted with Red Wine & Vinegar! Looking forward to tasting it!
100 Days Admin
May 2, 2019 at 9:01 amWe’d love to hear how it turned out for you! – Nicole
Gerilynn
May 18, 2019 at 1:03 pmWill a NESCO work as good as a crockpot for a grad party?
100 Days Admin
May 22, 2019 at 9:20 amWhile I haven’t used a NESCO, I don’t see why it wouldn’t be just as good. – Nicole