My slow cooker pulled pork is about as hands-off as barbecue gets. Season a pork butt, set the cooker, and hours later, you've got tender, shreddable meat ready for whatever you're in the mood for.
You’ll find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Be sure to check out the blog post itself for extra tips and tricks!
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork at a Glance
- Best for: hands-off barbecue, meal prep, feeding a crowd
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 6 to 8 hours on LOW (recommended) or 3 to 4 hours on HIGH
- Servings: about 6 to 9 servings from a 6-pound pork butt
I'm a huge barbecue fan, and pulled pork, in particular, has always been my thing. I'm constantly finding new ways to make it work for whatever's going on that week. My North Carolina Instant Pot Pulled Pork came out of my love for that tangy vinegar style, and I always keep a batch of my homemade BBQ rub and homemade BBQ sauce on hand for it. But when I don't want to babysit the pressure cooker, or I need something that just runs while I'm out doing errands, this slow cooker version is what I reach for.
What I like about this method is that it gives you a blank canvas. I keep the rub simple on purpose, just salt, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and smoked paprika. This has flavor without the sauce, but then it’s like a choose-your-own-adventure, and you can add any type of sauce. This is great for a family dinner or party.
Happy Cooking,
Tanya
Ingredient Notes
Ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions are on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Pork butt (Boston butt): Bone-in or boneless both work.
- Kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, smoked paprika: This is a plain rub with no sugar in it, and that's on purpose. It keeps the pork neutral enough that you can finish it with vinegar sauce, sweet BBQ sauce, or lime juice. Sweet paprika works fine if that's what you have.
- Chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, or light beer: Pick based on where you're taking the pork. Broth keeps it savory, apple cider vinegar leans toward my Carolina style, and beer adds a little malty depth.
- BBQ sauce, lime juice, or pan juices: Add BBQ sauce after your pork has been cooked and shredded. Stir in BBQ sauce for sandwiches, lime juice if it's headed for tacos, or just moisten it with the reserved pan juices and let whatever you're serving it with do the flavor work.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Please see the recipe card below for the full printable recipe, ingredients, and instructions. Here you will find step-by-step photos of how to make this recipe.
Step 1: Trim and Season the Pork. Pat the pork dry with paper towels; a dry surface holds seasoning better. Trim off any large slabs of excess fat, but leave a thin, quarter-inch layer for moisture. In a small bowl, combine the kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Rub the mixture over every side of the pork, pressing it in so it sticks.
Step 2: Load the Slow Cooker. Pour your chosen liquid; chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, or light beer, into the bottom of the slow cooker. Set the seasoned pork on top, fat-side up if it's bone-in, so the fat renders down and bastes the meat as it cooks.
Step 3: Cook It Low and Slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. LOW is the better bet for even, tender results. You're looking for the pork to pull apart with almost no resistance when you twist a fork into the thickest part.
If you're using a probe thermometer, that's around 200°F (93°C), don't pull it before 195°F (90°C), since the connective tissue needs that heat to fully break down.
Step 3: Shred and Finish. Transfer the pork to a large bowl or cutting board and let it sit a few minutes before handling. If using a bone-in pork, remove any bones and big chunks of gristle, then shred with two forks.
Toss the shredded pork with a few tablespoons of the warm cooking liquid to keep it from drying out, then stir in BBQ sauce and a squeeze of lime juice, or leave it as is with the reserved pan juices, depending on what you're making.
important tip
Slow cooker size
I made this in a 6-quart slow cooker, and a 6-pound bone-in butt fits with room to spare. If you only have a 4-quart, size down to a 3 to 4 pound piece of pork shoulder, or cut a larger butt in half so it isn't packed in past the rim. An overcrowded cooker won't heat evenly and can leave you with a raw-ish center even after the full cook time.
Tanya's Top Tips
- Buy a bigger butt than you think you need. Pork shoulder loses close to half its weight once it's cooked, boned, and trimmed, so a 6-pound raw butt isn't as much finished meat as it sounds like.
- Don't skip fat-side up. That fat cap renders down over the long cook and bastes the meat the whole time, so you're not doing any extra work.
- Save the cooking liquid. That's flavor you already built in. Skim the fat off the top and use what's left to loosen the pork before serving or when you reheat it later.
Variations
- Go full Carolina style and stir in my vinegar BBQ sauce with a scoop of coleslaw right on the sandwich. Or go with thick and sweet BBQ, like my homemade BBQ sauce or your favorite store-bought brand.
- Skip the sauce entirely and use lime juice for taco or burrito filling.
- Swap the broth for light beer in the bottom of the cooker if you want a little more depth in the background flavor.
What to Serve With Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Pile it onto toasted buns with vinegar coleslaw or a classic coleslaw for a proper sandwich. Round out the plate with Southern potato salad and homemade baked beans. It also works well in tacos, over nachos, stuffed into a baked potato, or piled onto a burrito bowl with rice and beans.
Coleslaw
This Pork pairs well with a classic coleslaw. Make it from scratch, or use a coleslaw package as a shortcut.
Storage, Reheating, and Freezing
Storing: Let the pork cool, then transfer it to an airtight container with a little of the reserved cooking liquid to keep it moist. Refrigerate and use within 3 to 4 days.
Freezing: Portion the shredded pork into freezer bags or containers, press out the air, and freeze with a little of the reserved cooking liquid. It's safe to keep longer, but for the best texture and flavor, use it within about 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Warm it gently in a covered skillet over medium-low with a splash of the reserved liquid or broth, or microwave in short bursts with a little added liquid, stirring in between. Either way, bring it back up to 165°F (74°C) before eating.
FAQs
Both work here. Bone-in holds moisture slightly better and gives you a visual cue, the bone should wiggle loose when the pork's close to done. Boneless is easier to trim and portion but can overcook a little faster, so start checking it toward the earlier end of the time range.
Keep going. Check back every 30 to 45 minutes on LOW until a fork twists through with no resistance. Cook time varies some depending on the exact size and shape of your pork butt.
Yes. Cook it the day before, refrigerate it with some of the cooking liquid, and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the slow cooker on LOW before serving. It also holds well on the WARM setting for a few hours if you're serving buffet-style.
No, it’s not recommended. Pork tenderloin is extremely lean and lacks the fat and connective tissue needed for slow cooking. Cooking it low and slow for hours will leave it dry and tough rather than juicy and tender. Stick to pork shoulder (Boston butt) for the best results!
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do. If you have tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! Your feedback is invaluable and helps us grow. Thank you for your support!
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Trim excess surface fat, leaving a thin, ¼-inch layer for moisture.
- In a small bowl, combine the kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Rub the mixture over every side of the pork.
- Pour the chicken broth (or apple cider vinegar or light beer) into the bottom of the slow cooker. Set the seasoned pork on top, fat-side up.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the pork pulls apart easily with a fork (internal temperature around 200°F/93°C).
- Transfer the pork to a large bowl or cutting board. Remove any bones or gristle, then shred with two forks.
- Toss the shredded pork with a few tablespoons of the warm cooking liquid. Stir in BBQ sauce, lime juice, or serve as is with the reserved pan juices.
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