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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 such as 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. Try this Dutch Oven Pulled Pork or this Instant Pot Pork Roast too!
What type of meat is best for slow cooked 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 (3-5 lbs each). There are different names for the various parts of the pork shoulder that may be used—whether you use a pork butt, pork shoulder, Boston butt or picnic roast, they will all work just fine.
How long should you cook pulled pork in a Crock Pot?
The Crock Pot is great for pulled pork because you need to cook it low and slow for several hours. I usually cook 4 lbs of pork shoulder for 7 hours on low. Be aware though, pulled pork will dry out if overcooked.
Can you slow cook pulled pork on high?
I don’t recommend it. Pork is the most tender when cooked on low. Trust me, it’s worth the wait! For a quicker option, try this Instant Pot Pulled Pork.
What to put on a pulled pork sandwich
Pulled pork sandwiches are a super easy dinner idea or way to serve a crowd. If you use real food ingredients for your rolls and toppings, it’s also a healthier alternative to all that junk food you get at Superbowl parties or BBQ gatherings.
Whole wheat bread or bun
Start with any whole wheat slider bun, either homemade or store bought. Whole grain brioche is another delicious option or serve pulled pork sandwich style with homemade sandwich bread.
Vegetable toppings
Traditionally, pulled pork is served with coleslaw. You can also top your pulled pork sandwiches with lettuce, julienned carrots, onions, or arugula—almost any sandwich or burger fixings taste great on pulled pork!
Personally, I like to add veggies that give the sandwiches a bit of crunch. If you’re entertaining, offer toppings buffet style so people can pick their own.
Sauce
My husband says this recipe is great without BBQ sauce, and we avoid it because it’s usually full of sugar. An easy alternative is to drizzle a bit of the leftover juices onto your sandwich. Just don’t go overboard or your bun will get soggy!
Some other great sauce ideas are: hot sauce, tzatziki, and salsa.
Cheese
Not everyone agrees when it comes to cheese on pulled pork, but some popular choices are cheddar, mozzarella, and Havarti. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, try Gruyère, Cotija cheese, or pepper jack. Try these pulled pork nachos too!
How to make this pulled pork recipe in an Instant Pot
Crockpots and Instant Pots cook things differently, but this is one recipe that does adapt well to pressure cooking. Here’s how to make this pulled pork recipe in an Instant Pot:
- Note: You’ll need an additional 1 cup of liquid for this recipe. Water will work, but chicken stock will be more flavorful.
- Prep the seasoning mixture.
- Heat a small amount of olive oil in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting.
- Meanwhile, cut your pork shoulder into quarters.
- Cover each pork piece with the seasoning mixture, then drop into the Instant Pot. Don’t overcrowd; you may have to work in batches.
- Brown the pork on all sides and remove.
- Turn off the Instant Pot, then toss in half a cup of water or stock and use wooden spoon to deglaze the pan.
- Place the pork back into the Instant Pot and add the remaining ingredients including the other ½ cup of water or stock. Note: Instant Pots heat from the bottom. Add the onion last and keep it mostly on top of the pork.
- Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Once it’s done, natural release for at least 15 minutes.
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
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- ½ 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)
- 3-5 pounds pork shoulder (cut in half)
Instructions
- In a medium size mixing bowl, mix together the first six ingredients (all of the spices) with a fork.
- Pour in the honey, vinegar, and olive oil and stir to form a paste.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Kelly B says
Wow. This is better than some pulled pork I've had at restaurants. It really does stand on its own, no sauce needed. The pork definitely has a kick to it which we liked (including my 4-year-old daughter!). For those asking how to get rid of the spice, reduce or eliminate the amount of cayenne. We previously used the root beer method to cook pulled pork in a slow cooker, but that pales in comparison to this.
Christa says
Oh My !!!!!!!!! Amazing recipe . I followed it to the tee. It is amazing! ! This will be my go to recipe forever. Thank you
Trying to find a way to send a picture.
Thank you again for the wonderful recipe
Ericka says
What size is your crock pot
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
HI there. Here is Lisa's crock pot: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003HF6PUO/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003HF6PUO&linkCode=as2&tag=shop100drf-20&linkId=ZJ54RQKV52S4P5ZD.
Denise says
Loved this recipe but, I made about 2lbs of meat tried cutting the ingredients in half and it was too spicy. What would I need to cut down so it wasn't so spicy for my kiddos.
Theresa says
This was AMAZING! perfect for a low calorie meal for a crowd. I especially enjoyed this wrapped in a boston lettuce leaf with a sesame ginger slaw!
Chungus says
Low calorie, Lol
Mary says
How many people would this feed? I am looking to make it for a party of about 20 and am trying to decide if doubling the amount would be enough?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. I used a 6lb cut to serve 12. There were very few leftovers.
Nicole says
When you cooked the 6 lb pork roast did you still cook it for the same amount of time? Did you cut in half still or into quarters?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi again. I cooked it a little over 7 hours and split it into three pieces.
Tracie says
Is the pork shoulder weight for boneless or bone-in? Thanks!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Lisa uses boneless for this recipe. :)
Sheree says
Made this for my family tonight. Seasonings are great! Has a nice little kick to it, but not spicy. Thumbs up all around. Made it into sandwiches on grilled rolls with homemade coleslaw. We have TONS of leftovers so I will be using it for burritos this week, too. It was also be great over rice and veggies. Loved it!
Kimberly says
Making this later this week, so my pork shoulder is currently in the freezer. Have you ever cooked it with meat from frozen? Is so how long? Or do I have to defrost first?
Looking forward to making this! So many great reviews!
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi. In order for it to cook evenly, it should be thawed first.
Mary says
Can I cook it on high for a shorter time. I want to make it tonight but I don't have 7-8 hours?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi. Sorry, we are rarely able to respond in real time. How did it turn out?
Jill says
Do you think it would be okay to substitute a different vinegar? Trying to decide if it is worth an extra trip to the store.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. You can. I've used apple cider vinegar.
Jill says
I'm going to try this. Is the honey essential? I'm trying to cut out all sugar for a little bit to break my sugar addiction.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Jill. The honey adds a lot of flavor but you can leave it out.
Jessie says
This is my first time making pulled pork it's my boyfriends 30th bday this is what he wanted so I hope it is what everybodys saying!! It smells great!! Can't wait to try it
nbn says
Has anyone ever made the paste in advance? I'd like to make this recipe while on vacation. The idea would be to prepare the paste, store it in a jar in the cooler for 2 days, and then assemble onion, meat, and paste in the crock pot. What do you think?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi. I don't see why that wouldn't work just fine.
MJ says
This truly is the BEST pulled pork recipe. My biggest complaint about pulled pork was that you always needed to add half a bottle of bbq sauce for it to taste decent or not be too dry. My husband and I have tried so many recipes looking for one that would be good enough for us to keep. Finally our search is over! This recipe will be our go-to from now on!
Melinda says
I got this all set up to cook last week, but when I opened the (very expensive, organic) pork it had gone bad (even though the sell by date was still 3 days away. I'm not bitter though). I didn't want to waste the sauce/paste, so I threw some chicken breast in the crock pot with it for about 4 hours. Bracing for disaster, I took the chicken out, shredded it and served it on a wrap. My family devoured it and asked me to make it again! Today I made the sauce/paste again for a pork shoulder, only to realize I only have a tenderloin. I know it won't be the same, but I'm going to try it out. Thanks for an awesome, seemingly versatile recipe!
Michelle says
Has anyone used pork tenderloin to make this instead of pork shoulder?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
HI Michelle. Tenderloin is too lean for this recipe. It will not shred well and will be too dry.
Kim says
I made this tonight and my son who is super picky said "it tastes amazing!" and ate three sandwiches.
Was super easy to make and tastes great! There are zero leftovers.
Thanks for the great recipe.
Stephanie says
This was great! Your husband is right - it's perfect without BBQ sauce. I did not use the liquid that's left in the pot when serving the first time, but I did spoon a couple spoonfuls over the leftovers so they wouldn't dry out. I served it over mashed potatoes with steamed broccoli. Thanks for my new favorite pulled pork recipe!
Gary says
Cooking this ATM for the first attempt. Do I drain the sauce off when cooked to go on top or is it just discarded
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Gary. I keep it marinating until I serve and keep the juices available in a gravy boat.
Lorra Barrette says
I halved the black pepper and cayenne and it turned out fine. It would have been too peppery for my taste using the whole amount. I used cut up apples with the onions as one commenter did, fresh garlic instead garlic powder, and had to substitute the red wine vinegar with rice wine vinegar. I cooked it in the crock pot on high for 4 1/2 hours and it shredded just fine.
Overall, I wasn't wowed by this recipe, but it was good. I added a small amount of prepared BBQ sauce to my serving and liked it much better. If I make it again, I'll definitely use smoked paprika for a smokier flavor and reduce the black pepper even more. Also, I will try using the maple syrup and molasses additions to the honey as another comment did for a richer flavor.
Carole says
I"m trying dr. Pepper and a little brown sugar on high for 4-4.5 Hours! Wish me luck!
Guy says
Great recipe! I used it too cook beef in a slow cooker. I had to adapt it a bit since I didn't have cayenne pepper, garlic powder, or dried thyme, & wine and can't stomach wine vinegar. But I used a little water to make the sauce a bit more loose and poured on the beef and it cooked up great. Thanks!
Davina says
I tried this for the first time with a BBQ we had recently. It was brilliant, everyone loved it and there were NO leftovers (unfortunately!). I made a home made smoky BBQ sauce to go with it and it was divine. Based on comments here I'll experiment with the left-over sauce next time. I love how simple this recipe is and I always have everything I need in the cupboard. Reliable and easy. Thanks for the recipe!
Jennifer Todd says
Delicious
Karen says
Hi there, can I replace the red wine vinegar with balsamic or apple cider? I've got these two in my pantry along with some red wine.
Mary says
I've used apple cider vinegar and it tasted great.
Karen says
thanks Mary! i added 1 tbsp of red wine to the red cider vinegar :) love this recipe!
Sonja says
I'm always leery of 'the best' anything recipes, but your pulled pork is truly the best I've ever tried. So flavourful even without bbq sauce. The only things I changed was I used a tbsp of garlic powder (because I love it!) and I chopped up 2 pink lady apples and added them to the bed of onions.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Becca says
Will this be ok if on for 9-10 hours?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. Other readers have cooked it on low for up to 10 hours.
Bella says
Made this today. Cook time was only 7 hours, on low, and had no problem shredding it. Recipe was great though I had to make my own modifications (as I always do with any recipe online). I used real garlic instead of garlic powder, used smoked paprika instead of the regular, used only 1/4 cup combination of maple syrup and honey and added 2 tbsp of organic blackstrap molasses. There was a lot of liquid and soupy like what others were saying so I took all the liquid in a pan and simmer it on the stove for 20 minutes. I added some cornstarch to thicken the sauce and Voila! It was perfect! Now that's your homemade barbeque sauce :))
Dee Brown says
Can I use pork steak instead of shoulder.?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hello Dee. You need to use a fatty cut of pork in order for it to be moist and shred.
Brianne says
What crock pot do you recommend?
shawn says
Take a look at our Kitchen Essentials post: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/my-kitchen-essentials/?sShop=&shopcats%5B%5D=467.
Raelene says
Can I use a pork loin roast instead?
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi there. No, you need to use a cut with more fat for this recipe.
Cindy says
This was delicious! I am a busy working mother of two. Crock pot recipes are ideal! My kids loved it!
Sue says
Great recipe we had it with jacket potato and curly kale.
jen says
do you have the coleslaw recipe?
Victoria says
This recipe is amazing!! Made it today and it exceeded my expectations, and got rave reviews from all who ate it. I followed the recipe exactly, except doubled it as I cooked 2 pork shoulder roasts. Cut them both in half, cooked them for 9 hours on low and they just fell apart. Will definitely make this again.
Ainy says
Have never made or tasted pulled pork before, not a well known dish in Australia, and it was amazing! Worked perfectly and tasted incredible. Served it with soft white rolls, coleslaw and Char Siu sauce ( Chinese barbeque sauce). Have shared the recipe with several friends who all loved it as well. Thank you for a fabulous dish...
Jennifer says
Love love love this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing! I've made it several times now. I think once I subbed apple cider vinegar for the red wine vinegar because that's all that I had on hand and it still came out deeelish!!! This is a keeper, that's for sure!
Steve says
Made this last night, it came out great! Used smoked paprika, and half honey - half maple syrup,
Put in an extra 1/4 cup of red wine by mistake, so it was a tad soupy.
Will certainly make again!
Sarah says
Hi there; great recipe - I was wondering why the pork was cut in half. Does this make any difference than if left whole? Thanks
Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says
Hi Sarah. It cooks more quickly and evenly and I have found it absorbs the liquids/flavors better.
Amy says
well, I'm trying this for the first time with a 3lb center cut pork loin! I hope it works!
Lynette says
2 Questions: I dont have a slow cooker but am desperate to make this. Any chance I can make this in the oven and if so, at what temperature and how many hours. Second question is, can I use pork fillet too? Would appreciate any feedback. Thanks in advance.
Lynne peterson says
How did your pulled pork turn out using pork loin?