Want to Save this Recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get great new recipes from us every week!
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.
Mike says
Wow you did it again Thanks it was so easy and the one who would'nt eat pork will now!
Pam says
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe. I was worried it would be dry because of the lack of liquid ingredients, but this turned out so juicy and we even had stock leftover just from the meat! I put carrots and potatoes too.
susan kalish says
AS FAR AS I KNOW, PORK SHOULDER AND PORK BUTT ARE THE SAME THING.
Kim Garcia says
I was just curious if I can't find a pork shoulder or if pork butt happens to be cheaper can I use pork butt? And why do you cut the pork shoulder in half? I plan on making this recipe this week it looks good!!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Kim. You can. Cutting the roast in half helps it cook through a bit faster. ~Amy
Rebekah says
There's hardly any liquid in my crockpot. The recipe didn't give me enough sauce to go up to the middle of the meat. Maybe my crockpot is too big?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Rebekah. I'm not sure. There should be plenty of liquid. ~Amy
Rose Marget says
Amazing (and easy) pulled pork! I followed the advice of a couple other reviewers and cut back the salt to 1 Tbs, otherwise I made no other changes to the recipe. The roast came out juicy, tender and delicious! Already planning on making this again soon. Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe.
Kristi says
Oh my, this turned out awesome! My kids loved it too. The only change I made was to add an additional onion and substituted red pepper flakes for the cayenne.
ian says
I normally smoke my pork; but decided to crackpot it today because of high winds and I didn't want to babysit the smoker all day. I changed up the glaze by adding freshly juiced pineapple and lime and also added coriander and cumin to the rub.
Served with homemade tortillas and a cilantro lime slaw....so good!
expat says
I tried that tonight. It definitely wasn't bad, but I did find the taste of honey too present (then again I'm from Europe and do I find a lot of North-American dishes way too sweet). If I try it again, I may go with 1/4 to 1/3 cup honey. I also found it missed a note of smokiness; next time I'll use smoked paprika.
Jana says
Can you tell me how many servings this recipe makes?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jana. It serves 6-8.
Jeanne says
Could pork tenderloin be used instead of shoulder.?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jeanne. You need a fatty cut of pork for this recipe. Otherwise it will be too dry to pull apart. ~Amy
Jackie @Chronicles of a Dietitian says
I made this last night and it was delicious! You know it's a good recipe when my boyfriend doesn't even add sriracha or hot sauce! I added 3/4 tbsp of cayenne and that was just spicy enough for me.
Thanks for sharing!
Jackie @Chronicles of a Dietitian says
Correction: 3/4 TEASPOON haha whoops! 3/4 tbsp would be a bit much!
Rose says
Tara, maybe make a gravy with it....or even use it with the bread somehow.
Lea Varda says
Made the the pulled pork for Easter dinner and it disappeared before the cook could get some! Good thing I did some taste testing while I shredded! Everyone loved it! I even sent a copy of the recipe home with one of the guys. I removed about half the liquid before putting the pork back into the crockpot. Set aside in case I needed it. Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes!
Shalene says
It was the best! Thanks so much!!
Tara says
Made this today to have for Easter dinner tomorrow. Oh mah gawd!!! So delish!!! My only question is what do you do with all the juice from the meat dripping and glaze? I used a 5 1/2 lb pork butt cut into 3rds. I cut the salt and cayenne in half and doubled the thyme. I put it in the crock pot for 8 hrs and it's fall apart tender. There's so much liquid (nearly to the top of my crock pot) so after removing the pork to a cutting board to be "pulled" I strained the juice and defatted what I could. I poured into a container and will defat again tomorrow after refrigerating overnight. The original recipe didn't mention anything about the liquid but it's so tasty I hate to discard it. Thoughts?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Tara. Wow, that's a lot of liquid to get from this recipe. What did you decide to do with it. I'd say freeze it and use it as a stock later on. ;)
Judi says
3lb cut in half, so you only use about 1.5lbs??
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Judi. No, you cook both pieces. :)
Kimberly says
This look so yummy and easy. Just one question. Wonder if anyone has made this with out honey. How would it taste with out honey or what can I use instead of it?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi. Our typical sub for honey is maple syrup. ~Amy
Vivien says
You can use powder sweetner like Canderel or own brand if you are trying to eat well and lose weight.
Julie Crehan says
Where can you buy the crockpots? Are they just slow cookers?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Julie. They are slow cookers. Crock Pot is a brand in the US. :)
Susan says
I loved it with the except of the salt was too much next time I'll use much less.
tori says
This was amazing!
Kristi says
This recipe lives up to its name! It really is THE BEST! Served the pulled pork topped with homemade cole slaw on a toasted whole wheat bun...YUM!!
Christine says
I totally love your blog. My all time favorite so far is the pulled pork
With the cornbread. I have to agree with your husband hot sauce just makes
It perfect. I thought I read a while ago some meal plans for when you
Go camping. I have a camping trip with the family coming up but I can't find the article
On your page. Could you please direct me towards it? I would really appreciate it
Christine
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Christine. Here are Lisa's camping food posts: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/08/29/real-food-while-camping/, https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/05/21/recipe-grilled-meat-veggie-foil-packets-camping/,and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/09/03/how-to-pack-a-cooler-safely-real-food-tips/. ~Amy
Julie says
Wonderful flavour, easy to make. My family loved this and will become a firm favourite. The only problem was where you suggested to freeze left-overs, we didn't have any!
Absolutely yummy, thank you.
Melissa says
Wow this was amazing! Seriously the best pulled pork I've ever had! I did make a few changes though. I used a smaller roast so I only used 1 tablespoon salt. I also only used 1 tablespoon paprika (because that's all I had left in my pantry!). And because I was also feeding a 3 and 5 year old, I cut the pepper down to 1 teaspoon and used 1/2 teaspoon chili powder instead of the cayenne pepper.
So, so yummy! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Sarah says
I try to always make recipes as written the first time I make it, but this time I had to use what I had in the kitchen so I did make some slight alterations. But my North Carolina native husband said it was the BEST barbecue he has ever had! I must agree that it was quite good. Super moist and had a lot of flavor. Thanks for another great recipe!
Robert says
I'm going to give this a try. I'm diabetic and I'm wondering if there is a good not sugary alternative to the honey, or if i could completely omit it and not ruin the flavor. Any thoughts?
Laurie says
Can this be done with chicken and still taste good?
Suzanne says
I've done this with chicken breasts and loved it. Although, my boys (tall and short) prefer it with the pork and half the cayenne.
karen says
Do you drain the juices before shredding the meat?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Karen. No, the juices add to the flavor and texture. ~Amy
Jess says
I am trying to make pulled pork for 10-12 people. I have a 9.5lb pork boston butt. Will this work, if i double/triple the ingredients?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jess. It should work fine but you do need to make sure your crock pot is large enough. The lid must fit securely and you may need to increase cooking time. ~Amy
Andy says
This was perfect and had great taste!!! Will make again and will look for others here!
d.lester says
can you use pork butt instead? what can I substitute for the honey as I am allergic to it?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi. Yes, you can. You just don't want to use a really lean cut of pork. ~Amy
Amy says
This was the best pulled pork recipe ever! The only substitution I made was that I used pork tenderloin instead of pork shoulder, only b/c the tenderloin looked better than the shoulder that day. It was amazing. Thank you!
Shannon says
Just wondering what type of hot sauce is recommended? We used to use Red Hot but I'm fairly certain it is processed. Any suggestions?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Shannon. There is not really a brand we recommend. There are several organic sauces available. Just compare labels between brands in order to make the best choice. ~Amy
Cathy says
I had a little cooking spree today making this amazing pork, plus your cornbread and the lemon and raspberry muffins. All were a hit. I have never seen my 4 and 2 year olds gobble down a new meat dish like this, it usually takes them a few tries before they declare they like something. My husband is not really into pork, but really liked it and asked me to make it again. Thanks for some great, easy new dishes for my menus.
Kate Simpson says
I've made this twice now and have plans to make it for company this weekend and for a baby shower in May. This is the most amazing pulled pork ever!! My husband (NOT a foodie like me) RAVES about it and constantly requests it :) do you have a coleslaw recipe that you serve with it? Or what do you typically serve to accompany this?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Kate. Lisa has an Asian cole slaw recipe: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/08/02/recipe-asian-coleslaw-radish-ministicks/. :) ~Amy
Linda says
I didn't have cayenne pepper (don't like it), so I used ancho chili instead. Everything else the same...delicious!! I'll definitely be trying this again!
Karen says
Holy cow it was VERY spicey! Next time I will use less pepper and a fraction of the cayanne pepper!
John says
Out of curiosity do you not like spicy food that much or was it just way too spicy?
John says
I was just wondering if I should take the skin off the shoulder before cooking, or just leave it on for flavor?
Linda says
I left it on so it would create a lot of juice for the meat to stew in.
Karen says
I made this tonight and it was way too peppery for my family and I. I'll try again, but cut way back on the pepper. Anyone else have the same experience?