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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.
stacey says
Such a delicious and easy recipe! I served it with sauteed white beans, broccoli and garlic bread. Definitely a winner in my house!
Michele says
I made this and it turned out too spicy for my son. Is there a way I can maybe add something now which will make it not spicy? I probably should have used about half of the cayenne and regular paprika instead of smoked- but that's all I had. Wondering if I just ruined a good batch of pulled pork! :(
Philip S says
You can try to add a little more vinegar or sugar keep tasting so you don't ruin it.
Denise Geese says
Can you use a fresh ham cut for this? Excited to try it.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
That is not something we've tried, Denise. :)
Erin says
My husband told me it is the only thing I am ever allowed to make in the crock pot again!
Ashley says
What is the reason of cutting the meat in 2 pieces?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Ashley. Here is Lisa's reply to that question on an earlier comment: "it helps with cooking time and also allows more surface area to be covered with the paste. I think it would still totally work if you didn’t want to cut it though." ~Amy
tosha says
I have a butt roast will that be fine with this recipe?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Tosha. Yes, it is basically the same cut. ~Amy
Bec says
I made this overnight for this evening's dinner and oh boy, oh boy! I had a little taste test while pulling it this morning and it's beautiful. I used a leatherwood honey, which adds the woody depth to the meat. Thank you!
Melinda says
My family love it😊.....I cut down on salt and cayenne pepper. Thanks for sharing this recipe
Debbie says
I made this recipe yesterday for a crowd. Yummy! I made the honey/spice mixture per the recipe quantities, but doubled the pork. There was plenty of juice and the meat was very moist. Thanks for the recipe.
Danielle says
Hi There, I was wondering with the pork shoulder if it is best to use a very lean cut or is it best with fat? I would prefer the lean but I don't want the end result to be dry seeing as I am cooking it for so long :-) xxx
Theresa says
The first time I made this, I used a boneless pork roast. It had a nice layer of fat on its top and it made the best pulled pork. The second time I made it, I used a boneless pork shoulder. I much preferred the leaner pork roast. I will only use pork roast from now on.
Elizabeth says
I only have apple cider vinegar on hand. Do you think it would be as yummy without the red wine vinegar?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Elizabeth. We are rarely able to answer recipe questions in real time. Did you try it with ACV? Let us know. ~Amy
Tracy says
I made this last week. My husband said it was the best pulled pork I have ever made!
Amy says
If you froze the left overs how long would they be good for in the freezer?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Amy. Three months is a good rule of thumb. This is a good guide: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/freezing/how-long-food-last-freezer-10000000687907/. ~Amy
Jessica says
I like when there is extra sauce for my pulled pork, will there be? Or should I double certain parts of the recipe?
I'm looking forward to making this very soon. Thank you!! :)
Mishele says
You will not need extra sauce. I've made this recipe as is and x6 and each time, it has been plenty moist with some juice in the bottom. I pull it right in the slow cooker and mix it around in the juice.
Donna says
I need to feed more than 6-8. Can I double the recipe in the same slow cooker for 8 hours? Also, I would prefer to make ahead and reheat. Is that ok? Thank you.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Donna. It is important that your crock pot lid closes fully to keep the heat in. So be sure you do not over-fill. You can certainly make and reheat. ~Amy
Jayne says
I made this recipe last week. It was devoured and I made it again last night and devoured again! Easy and superb!!!
Andrea says
I just wanted to leave a comment to say how fantastic this pulled pork was! I served this to a large crowd for a family birthday at our place and it was devoured!! The recipe was super simple to throw together and just to point out, I used 3 pork tenderloins as I don't like to buy the pork shoulders, these are much leaner! The meat shredded beautifully and you end up with a really nice sauce that it stays moist in the crock-pot. Thanks so much, this will be my go to pulled pork now :)
Donna says
This is the best pulled pork recipe I have found. I have made it several times so far, and also brought it to a graduation party where it received rave reviews. I chose it because the ingredients were all things I already had in the house, so it was super easy. It is a lot of paprika, but I love that, if you don't I am sure you can alter the amount of spices without any problems. I use apple cider vinegar, instead of red wine and Rosemary if I have no Thyme. Last night I served it on sour dough bread, with Swiss cheese sauerkraut and pickles. AMAZING.
Donna says
I meant coleslaw! not sauerkraut...:)
Amy says
My pork shoulder isn't cut in half. Should I pull it out (been cooking for about 2 hrs) and cut it? Or, do you think it will shred ok like this?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Amy. We are rarely able to answer recipe questions in real time. How did it turn out? ~Amy
NaniG says
This recipe is truly awesome! Just as good as our favorite local BBQ restaurant! We loved it served with our favorite (Bullseye) BBQ sauce on the side. A definite keeper, easy to make and high quality taste. Tried to give it 5 stars but I can't get the stars to work!! :)
Naomi says
Could I use water instead of the vinegar? My family is not a fan of vinegar.
Bruce Schmidt says
I have used this recipe on 3 different occasions and it has been awesome and earned smiles each time. It is easy, great ingredients, and tastes amazing. No extra sauce needed (except hot sauce for me). The thin sauce left behind is perfect for keeping the pork warm and juicy after shredding. Thanks for publishing. I personally feel if tastes even better on day two. My suggestion is to cook the night before, then reheat in crockpot with leftover juices and onion. Try that.
Valerie says
How many calories is in the Crock pot Pulled Pork dish?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Valerie. We do not provide the calorie details but there are many online tools that will calculate it for you. We want people focusing on making the switch to real foods and not so much on the numbers. Real food tends to be far more filling, satisfying, and nutritious than processed food. ~Amy
Jj says
Hi, I must say this recipe is awesome! I have one little problem though. Is the sauce supposed to be thin? I just got done cooking it and the sauce is pretty thin. Also, does this work well with say a whole chicken? Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jj. We've not tried it with a chicken. Here is Lisa's whole chicken recipe: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/02/25/recipe-the-best-whole-chicken-in-a-crock-pot/. ~Amy
Caroline says
Will flavor be sacrificed if I use tenderloin? It's all I have in the freezer. Looking forward to trying!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Caroline. This recipe really needs a higher fat cut of pork. ~Amy
Michelle says
WAY TOO HOT! Meat is really tender but I dumped the liquid, rinsed the meat, and added barbecue sauce. It is still hot!
Quianna says
Im trying to avoid all nightshades for my son which includes paprika. There are three tablespoons of it in this recipe that I feel like are needed. I've read that cloves can be used in way smaller amounts but does anyone have any other suggestions? I'll just leave the cayenne pepper out. Thanks!
Daniel says
Any recommendations for a substitute for red wine vinegar?
Cathy says
I used a sweet peach vinegar. You can sub any type for whatever flavour you want.
Brittany says
I followed this recipe to a T and the meat just isn't tender enough. It's been in the crockpot for 8 hours and is more like a roast than pulled pork. Not sure what happened but I don't think I'll be using this recipe again. Disappointing. :(
Cathy says
Brittany, what type of meat did you use? Was your crockpot on high or low? Is it an older crockpot? I don't think it is the recipe but either the type of meat or how it was cooked. Mine was VERY easy to pull apart. I had about 8 pounds of pork butt and cooked on low for about 9 or 10 hours. You have to pull apart the pork. It won't fall apart itself. Take 2 forks and pull it apart.
Meredith says
This was wonderful!!!!! Shared with friends at July 4th celebration! Delicious and so easy! Will definitely make again!
Denise says
does the honey paste have to fully cover the pork? My slow cooker is quite tall, so when I poured it over the pork it practically all dripped to the bottom. Must I make more honey paste to cover the pork entirely?
Cathy says
Just dump it all in over top the pork. The juices from the pork will mix and it will get nice and covered when you turn the pork half way.
Matthews says
Holy geeze this is delicious!
beth says
How long does it take to reheat in crockpot the next day? Place it on high or low setting?
Cathy says
I reheated on low for about 3 hours. Then kept warm. Each crockpot is different.
Cathy says
I have only made pulled pork a couple times, usually in the smoker. I decided to try a crockpot version. This one did not disappoint. The sauce was very tasty! I did it the day before and put the sauce in the fridge so the fat would settle on top. Removed it the next morning and added back to crockpot with the pulled pork to reheat. Really enjoyed it. It was ALL gone at my Canada Day Party.
Ben says
can this be made the day before in the slow cooker and then reheated in the slow cooker?
Cathy says
That is exactly what I did. I made the day before and reheated in crockpot the next day. I also put the sauce in the fridge to allow the fat to settle on top and be easily removed.
Sam says
Hopefully I didn't mess this up. Added corn syrup due to lack of honey in my house. Smells amazing though, can't wait to try it.
Karen says
This is amazing!!!!! Even better the next day! Used a 2.5kg ( about 5.5lbs) pork shoulder without bone and followed the recipe perfectly just subbed the red wine vinegar for apple cider vinegar. Almost reduced amount of salt due to the reviews but glad I didn't it was the perfect balance of flavour although I did use Celtic sea salt. And it was not spicy at all! It had a nice kick to it but next time I will probably add a touch more cayenne. There was so much liquid though I drained half and left half for the meat to soak in the juices. Will definitely make again. Served it with a paleo coleslaw recipe I found, my boyfriend LOVED it!!!!!
Jill says
This was the best pulled pork I have ever made! Loved the spicy kick. No need for any added barbeque sauce. It will be a go-to recipe for me in the future.
Tracy says
Has anyone made this recipe but with boneless chicken breasts?? I'm curious how, if at all, I would need to change the recipe..Thanks!
Michele says
If you use all the liquid recommended above, especially red wine vinegar you will get a marinade not a paste. I recommend using less vinegar.
Sam says
oooook, thats what i got. I'll try that next time