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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.
Sarah says
Decided to make this tonight for 13 people . Half the people can't eat it it's so spicy :(. I did not expect this on only a teaspoon of cayenne.
Allissa says
Same here!! My husband loves spicy food, and neither he or the kids could stomach it. I was very disappointed :(
Mike says
That was the best pulled pork ever by far..and I cant believe it..no BBQ sauce..the trick is putting the ingredients in bottom of the crock..don't baste or pour it over the meat..I also drained and pulled the pork in a separate bowl not in the crock pot itself..in the 7-8 hrs of cooking on low I believe the whole idea of leaving the sauce on the bottom of the crock is that it slowly seeps into the meat gradually from the bottom up....12 thumbs up(family of 6)my review is very simple...YUM!!
Karen S. says
Outstanding!!!Followed the recipe closely and it turned out perfectly. My husband is "pulling"it now but I think he's eating more than he's"pulling." :)
Lynn says
This is not the "best". Fine enough for meat with no sauce. I prefer the meat with more sauce. It just seemed dry.
Jaymi says
Could I use pork leg? I've had a boneless one in my freezer for ages and want rid of it!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jaymi. I am not sure. Legs tend to be lean and might not work well in this recipe which relies much on fat for moisture. ~Amy
Jennifer says
I just got this in the slowcooker, and it's about 4.5 lbs pork shoulder (bone in). I want to serve it around 5:30. Any thoughts about if it will come out well on high for 5 hours??
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jennifer. We are often unable to answer questions in real time. How did it turn out? ~Amy
Jennifer says
Sorry - mis-posted my last reply (pasted below). Did this TWICE now when I didn't have enough time to cook on low and it came out fantastic both times. The whole family loved it (including the 16 month old), even with the cayenne, so it's not too much for us. Thank you!
----
from Feb 24:
It turned out fantastic. I served it for my son’s birthday party. It was the first time I hosted in my new lovely neighborhood. I couldn’t have been happier. Making it again for my visiting parents tomorrow. Hopefully I can get it in even sooner and I’ll compare the high and low cooking.
I do have one more question, though: “refrigerate or freeze†the what? People were practically licking the serving platter. Good luck having any leftovers!
Alicia says
This was seriously amazing! It was so easy and the taste was just perfect. I did sub about 1/4 of the paprika for some smoked paprika, just because I had some and wanted to see how it would taste and it was so good! I had planned to make pulled pork sandwiches from the meat but it was so good we just ate it as is. Thanks for sharing!
Cara says
Hi, I made this recipe and it was a big hit. I was wondering, however, if you normally shred the pork right inside the crock pot and keep it in the juices, or remove it from the pot? I would like to serve it in the crock pot for a party, but am concerned about the fat needing to be cut off first.
Also, when Lisa cooks with honey, is it raw honey or regular? If it is raw, do you warm it up first to soften it? I have only been able to find raw honey in small jars, and some of her recipes call for so much of it the whole jar wuld be gone. Wondering if I am missing something. Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Cara. You can do it either way, totally your preference. Lisa uses local raw honey. Enjoy. ~Amy
julie says
I made this recipe exactly as written. It was so salty it was almost not edible. Maybe they meant tsp instead of Tbsp.
Franki says
So I just tried this with split chicken breasts about 3 1/2 pounds worth. I did 1 1/2 tbs of sea salt and only half the cayenne. Seems to be the right amount of spice for us. I cooked it on low for 5 1/2 hours and it was way overcooked. So I shredded it and have it sitting in the juice to hopefully make in more tender. Maybe next time I would try it with a whole chicken or if I do it again with chicken breast, I'm thinking cooking it on low for 4 hours would be plenty. The sauce is very good so I'm thinking we'll still enjoy it.
Melissa O says
Thanks for sharing this recipe. It was a hit with everyone. Having leftovers for lunch. We can't wait to make it again.
Tara R. says
I made this for dinner and holy cow this is delish!! I thought the salt sounded like too much, but it is not. This we'll be something I'll cook pretty frequently. :)
Debbie says
This recipe is fantastic. I froze the leftovers, reheated it and it came out great. It is absolutely delicious if you add the pork to a whole wheat tortilla with some shredded cheddar cheese. Another excellent recipe from this site!
Maryanne Matteo says
I made this for dinner tonight. We don't eat pork, so I substituted two split chicken breasts and four bone in chicken thighs and it was delicious!
Erin says
Just got home to this. Been cooking on low all day. The meat isn't falling apart like I'd hoped, and there is a large amount if liquid in the crockpot. Do I need to let it go longer? It's been on low for about 9 hrs.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Erin. Sorry but we often cannot answer recipe questions in real time. Did it turn out okay? ~Amy
Jennifer says
It turned out fantastic. I served it for my son's birthday party. It was the first time I hosted in my new lovely neighborhood. I couldn't have been happier. Making it again for my visiting parents tomorrow. Hopefully I can get it in even sooner and I'll compare the high and low cooking.
I do have one more question, though: "refrigerate or freeze" the what? People were practically licking the serving platter. Good luck having any leftovers!
Tamsin Johnson says
I don't have a slow cooker - can I do this in a cast iron pot in the oven? What temp and time would you suggest? Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. This should help: http://blog.williams-sonoma.com/slow-cooker-vs-dutch-oven-a-conversion-guide/. ~Amy
JuLee says
....just finished cooking this, but it is WAY too spicy for myself and kids----I would use 1/4 of the spicy stuff and then I think this would be good
Brandie says
Everyone is saying this recipe is a bit spicy. Although I absolutely LOVE spicy food, my husband does not. He can barely handle black pepper. Any suggestions on making this without it being too spicy for him?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Brandie. You can cut back the amount of cayenne and black pepper. ~Amy
Kaelen says
Can I use apple cider vinegar instead of red wine? That is the only ingredient I don't have in my house right this minute haha :) Thanks!
Dylan says
Hahahaha I have the same problem, and was wondering the exact same thing
Jill says
I always make mine with apple cider vinegar :) it adds a but of sweet!
ADS says
Wow. This really delivered. I've recently purchased a new crockpot to help save on time and money (leftovers!) and have been having a hard time finding simple, truly wonderful recipes. This was exactly what I was looking for - no time to throw together and good enough to also serve to company!
Served with Swiss Chard (courtesy Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home - fabulous recipe) and Annie's Mac-n-Cheese.
Can't wait for the leftovers tonight!
Andrea says
Instead of pork could you use chicken?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Andrea. Yes, that would work, too. ~Amy
Suzy says
Made this last night for the first time...huge hit! Now my go-to pulled pork recipie, thank you!!
Mike says
Hi! This looks fantastic, and I like the idea of not having to smother it with bbq sauce. My only question is, after it's shredded, does it go back into the sauce/drippings? My concern is the amount of grease from the pork, but having never made it, I don't know for sure what to expect. Thanks
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Mike. It doesn't have to but the drippings do keep it moist and add to the flavor. ~Amy
Jen says
We like it to be a bit sweeter over spicy. Next time we will play with the proportions of honey and spices. Glad I saw this post though, I have been looking for a good pulled pork recipe.
Rahel says
I made this Sunday for about a dozen people and everyone raved about it. Not a speck of it left. I loved it and can't wait to make it again and have left overs for ME! About the saltiness people commented about: I was concerned about this since I read those comments after it was all in the crock pot cooking and wished I had maybe cut back on it. But it was not salty at all! So I wonder what type of salt people are using?? - if you use regular table salt, then yeah, it will be way too salty. Kosher or Redmond's Real salt (which I used) would be less salty (and better for you, full of minerals). Any reflections on this?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. Agreed. Lisa uses Real Salt or Celtic Sea Salt. ~Amy
Esther says
I made this yesterday. Was not a fan of this dish. Will not be making it again.
Angela says
I have a silly question. Do you chop the onions or peel them apart and put them in the bottom? Do you leave them in the shredded meat to serve or take them out?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hello Angela. Not silly. Lisa just discards the onion but if you want to chop it up and add it in, have at it. :) ~Amy
Paul says
Tried this recipe on the weekend and it was amazing! Also, instead of putting into buns we made lettuce wraps with it.
Amy says
I made it today and it was a great success. I did cut the salt in half (I usually do that with all of the recipes I use) and I cut the cayenne pepper in half after reading the comment about kids finding it too spicy. My 10 and 12 year old boys loved it too. Many thanks. This will become a regular in our house.
Molly says
This recipe looks delicious, but I am curious about what else is on the plate in the back. :) it looks delicious too! Is that a salad of some sort!?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Molly. That is a slaw that Lisa has not shared yet. :) Here is a slaw recipe which she has: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/08/02/recipe-asian-coleslaw-radish-ministicks/. ~Amy
Kristi H says
I made this today and it was very good, but too spicy for my family! I used half the amount of salt after reading the other reviews and the saltiness was perfect, but next time I would only do half the cayenne pepper. Very tasty though and moist.
Kelley says
Would I be able to upload this to myfitnesspal for calorie count purposes with rights to you?
Amy says
Thanks Amy, that's what I was leaning toward. What is the advantage of cutting it in half?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi again. It cooks through more quickly.
Kathie says
Our family loves pulled pork so I was excited to try a recipe where I don't use prepared bar b q sauce. Spices were great--a little salty (I used less pork, so should have adjusted.). I also added some ancho chili powder because I didn't have quite enough cayenne. Very good
Leslie says
I made this for dinner tonight and was surprised how spicy it was... especially since your husband likes to put hot sauce on it. Yikes! My husband and I loved it but I couldn't feed it to my kids. I will definitely try it again with a little less cayenne pepper (if any at all).
Elissa Cronk says
I made this last night, and it was a HUGE hit with the family. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Christi says
I made this last night and it turned out great! I wish I had some coleslaw too!
Amy says
Plan to make it tomorrow. Does it matter how it is cut in half? Should the fat side be down?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Amy. You could do fat side down. Lisa doesn't specify a preference. ~Amy
Laurel McGilvery says
Love this recipe. I raise my own pork and this is wonderful with "real" meat. Thanks for a pulled pork recipe I can eat.
Irene says
I am going to try this with a tenderloin, I usually use that anyway.
Nathalie says
I just want to let you know your pulled pork recipe got raving reviews from my husband, sister in law, and niece. Thanks for creating and sharing such a tasty recipe. I followed your directions totally except i only used 1 teaspoon of salt and it turned out great. Thanks!