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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.
kristine says
Just made up the spice paste but had to sub apple cider vinegar for red wine vinegar. It smells amazing! Thanks for this great recipe!
Emily says
HI Lisa,
I don't eat pork, but love bbq shredded beef. Do you like I could use this recipe but instead of pork shoulder, doing a beef roast?
Emily
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Emily. Other readers have used this recipe with beef. I think it will work fine. ~Amy
Amy says
Hi, I made this to your exact instructions tonight and it was delicious. My first time making pulled pork, won't need to try any other recipes. Thanks.
John says
This sounds really good and is going to be our Superbowl dinner tomorrow.
Go Seahawks!
Judy says
Hi Lisa, It looks like I have the same 6 quart oval crockpot that you use. Do you think it would all fit if I doubled the recipe?
Lisa says
Judy - I honestly don't think you could fit double the recipe in there...you might need to borrow a second crock pot from a neighbor! Good luck :)
liz says
I'm trying this recipe this weekend..but I will need to make 8 lbs of pork is it safe to just go ahead and double/half the ingredients?
Also adding liquid smoke and cumin...huge fan of those flavors?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Liz. I'm getting to this just after the weekend. How did it turn out? ~Amy
Peter says
I've made this recipe twice now in a fairly large slow cooker, and both times the meat itself was really bland, almost tasteless. I put the meat back in with the juices and left that overnight to try to soak in the flavour, but even then it has remained lacking in flavour. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? People are saying that it's too salty or too spicy, but mine is just utterly without flavour.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hello Peter. Hmmm, sorry that it hasn't turned out. You followed the exact recipe? I only ask because lacking in flavor has not been a complaint on this recipe. Are your spices fresh? Sometimes old spices can ruin a dish or make it lackluster. ~Amy
Renee says
The thyme and cayenne were a bit much. Too spicy and thyme overpowered. Next time I'll eliminate those 2 and give it another try.
Jared says
The 3-3.5 lbs of pork is that bone in shoulder or boneless?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jared. This one is bone in but you could do either. ~Amy
LIZ says
Had never cooked pork shoulder/pulled pork before. This was the absolute best - better than any bbq restaurant (and I live in TX)
so thanks for getting an amazing recipe through efforts of your own. Keep working on new recipes - I will be visiting this site regularly. I cooked just as on the directions.
Do wonder how the person who used pork tenderloin did with that recipe....
I will make this a regular in my house.
John says
I made this today. Very,very good. Instead of pulling by hand i put the still warm pork in the kitchenaid mixer with the mixing paddle on slow until it was perfect! This works with chicken too for enchiladas.
Beth says
Thanks for the KitchenAid Mixer idea! It worked GREAT!
Genevieve says
making this for dinner tonight, never cooked with some of these ingredients before (paprika,cayanne pepper, red wine vinegar) I really hope it turns out good!!
Linda Roberts says
This pulled pork is amazing! I followed the recipe exactly and it had a nice little kick, nothing too much.
I love that I don't have to add shop-bought, sugary BBQ sauce at the end.
I'm eating left-overs for lunch today. *happy*
Nichole says
This turned out great a win for the whole family. I did lower the salt to 1 tablespoon and cayenne to 1/2 teaspoon and it was a hit. There will be so many uses and ways to eat this. I loathe cooking meat and impressed myself with this one :)
Angela says
Wow, thank you for posting this amazing dish, I ran low on paprika and I used white wine vinegar instead and it still turned out amazing. I also used pork tenderloins instead of the pork shoulder.
Kelly says
Loved the flavour! But way too salty. Perhaps 1 tsp. would be more healthy than 1-2 tbsp. of salt. I only added 1/4 tsp. of cayenne because my daughter won't eat really 'hot' foods. Will make again but adjust the salt content.
WO says
Love this recipe!
First time I made it exactly as the recipe states and didn't find it in the least bit spicy - was worried as lots of comments suggested it was too hot. Second time I made this I subbed 1tbsp of chilli powder for 1of the tbsp of paprika. It was PERFECT. A nice kick to it but not too much.
My family all loved this recipe too - and they can be a fussy bunch at times.
This is definitely going to be a regular meal here in cold Scotland. :D
KP says
I was wondering what sides would be good to serve with this - I am making pork for the first time. Also, would you serve this on a bun or in tacos?
Thanks!
Joyce says
Hi KP, You can make a quick side dish of coleslaw:
Mix together:
1 cup of mayo (low fat is ok)
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tsp. celery seed,
dash pepper and salt
Pour over:
1 bag of shredded coleslaw (16oz)
Let sit about 1/2 hour to let flavors blend.
Also, I like the pork w/ a bun, but tacos are great too! Enjoy!
Joyce
Shelbs says
We live in the UK, and my husband asked for a Southern style banquet for his birthday. However, most southern recipes call for copious amounts of sugar. I had a gastric bypass and one of the foods I can no longer tolerate is sugar, in addition, both my parents (who would be attending said banquet)are diabetic. I stumbled across this recipe in a quest for 'healthy' alternative recipes for Southern food. It didn't disappoint! Per recommendations from other comments I cut the paprika to 1/3 of the amount in the recipe, and I actually added no salt at all. I also let it stew in the slow cooker for 12 hours (overnight). It was divine and absolutely stole the show at the banquet!
Ella says
We always make pulled pork with orange juice instead of red wine vinegar and do not add the salt. Makes great tamales and carnitas.
Penny says
I made this for my family and it was wonderful! There is somewhat of some kick to it. Next time I will cut back on the cayenne pepper. It is excellent the next day as well, it may even be a little better.
Kristen says
Made this last night and it was unbelievably delicious. I thought it had great heat, will definitely be my go to pulled pork recipe from now on!
Julie says
I just made this and it really is the best!! We get pork from an organic farm. The only thing I changed was that I substituted garlic for onion pdr. since my younger son is allergic to garlic. I also added chopped bell peppers. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!!! It's a keeper!
Rachel says
Can you use apple cider vin instead of red wine?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Rachel. This is a pretty complete guide to alcohol substitutions: http://whatscookingamerica.net/alcoholsub.htm. ~Amy
RG67 says
So delicious! I followed the recipe to a T (with the exception of cutting the cayenne in half and setting my crock pot to High for 3 hours and low for 3 hours). The flavor was amazing and even better the next day. My husband, 9 year old and 2 year old loved it. This is definitely a keeper!
Thank you so much!!
Susan says
WAY too salty!! And too spicy for little kids. Definitely need to alter the recipe next time...good flavor though, aside from salt problem.
Crockpot newbie says
When you put the onion at the bottom do you put the whole half intact and put the pork on top or am I supposed to spread the onion half pieces (separate layers?) and cover the bottom of the crock pot?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi. You put the whole onion split in half (2 pieces) on the bottom of the crock pot and place the pork on top. ~Amy
Michelle says
Sorry, forgot to rate before
Michelle says
We made this tonight for dinner and we both loved it, which was a hard thing to do. Hubby loves pulled pork but he loves it slathered in BBQ sauce. I like the pulled pork aspect but dislike BBQ sauce. We both thought this pork was excellent. I have tried a few recipes from your site so far and Hubby thinks this was the best one so far. I did go with the suggestions for less salt and less cayenne. Thanks so much for sharing :)
Lily says
Would this sauce will go well with beef rump roast?
TIA!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Lilly. I think it will work fine for beef. ~Amy
Kate says
Pork is the one meat I don't feel confident shopping for. What should I be looking for and/or avoiding? Is pork supposed to be grass fed? Thanks for any help you can give. I am really excited to try this recipe!
Ella says
Pork is not labeled or considered "grass fed". Look for "pastured raised" if you want pork that comes from farms that raise their animals with a more natural diet.
Kate says
Thanks for the reply, Ella! Some of this can be so confusing and I often have a very difficult time getting responses on this blog. I really appreciate you replying!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Kate. Sometimes it takes a bit of time to get through hundreds of comments a day. Apologies. ~Amy
Carole-Anne says
This was amazing! It definitely did not need any bottle BBQ sauce, but just on the off chance taht it did, I picked up Annie's Naturals Organic BBQ Sauce Smokey Maple at the grocery store. Using just a small amount (quarter size or so) for dipping, the flavor of the pork and the flavor of the BBQ sauce were perfect together! Will make this over and over and over again!
Melissa says
I made this pulled pork for dinner tonight and it was amazing. I left out the thyme because we just don't like and and I used rice vinegar because I did not have red wine vinegar, but other than that there were no changes. It was so good and made a ton. We will be eating it for days (might freeze some). Thank you for this recipe. We try to eat lower carb foods and this fit well. Thanks again.
Rosemarie Nowicki says
I tried the crock pot pulled pork recipe. My husband is on the Paleo Diet and this fit the bill nicely for other dietary restrictions he had. It was delicious and I will certainly make it again. I will tweak the cayenne as, I, personally felt it had more kick than I personally like, but it was still delicious! Now to find a dairy free cole slaw, to serve with it!
It was my first time trying one of your recipes. Mommy like ; )
Abbi says
I don't know if you have tried this but Asian Coleslaw is amazing. Most or maybe all are made with olive oil instead of the heavy cream sauces.
I can't find the one i love at the moment but most are nice
Amy says
I made this along with the asian short ribs this week. Both were the most amazing meals I have had in such a long time! I"m going to make both over and over again! I did not even use the sauce on the short ribs because the flavor of the spices was so good!
Colleen says
Hi! This sounds delish! Can I put it in the oven (in a large covered Dutch oven) and slow cook it at a low temp.? We are having a large group for dinner this weekend and I have to get either two pieces of pork or a much larger one. Either way, I wouldn't have enough crock pot space to accommodate. I usually do pulled pork in the oven, but left uncovered for extra crispy-ness. Given that this recipe calls for all the juices/sauce ingredients to be included, I'm thinking that covered in the oven might be better, no?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Colleen. We have not tried this recipe in a Dutch oven but I am sure it can be done. Not sure of the specific, though. This might help: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-and-shred-a-pork-s-79485. ~Amy
Kristen McDonald says
I made this today!!! I pulled the pork out and shredded it in a bowl.. Then I took some of the juice and poured it into the bowl with the pork to add more juice to it! It was so delicious!!! I can't wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow!!!!!!
Thank you so much for these recipes! I have made 4 so far!
Christy says
Made this tonight and it was excellent! I can see how it might be overly salty and spicy with a smaller cut of pork shoulder/butt. My store only had a bone-in 3.7 lb so the amounts listed here were *just* right. I did cut the meat in half and take off the large sliver of fat on the bottom. It fit in a smaller crockpot. Instead of regular paprika I used smoked. Also used pink Himalayan salt (finely ground) vs reg table salt.
Cannot wait to eat leftovers tomorrow!
Amber says
Hello, do you have your homemade coleslaw recipe that you make with this? I would love to try it with that and the cornbread. I have made your Asian slaw several times but if you have another slaw recipe I'd love to make it with this dish! Thanks
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Amber . Lisa has this Asian coleslaw: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/08/02/recipe-asian-coleslaw-radish-ministicks/ and she might have one in the cookbook when it comes out. :) ~Amy
Kathy says
I am going to try this