How to make The Best Slow Cooker Pulled Pork! Everyone is sure to love this amazing slow cooker pulled pork. The perfect blend of spices make it tender and so flavorful.
How to make The Best Slow Cooker Pulled Pork is a big claim but I can tell you I've tried a lot of pulled pork recipes and this one is at the top of my list! So simple yet plenty of flavor! This has been enjoyed as sandwiches, as tacos, as nachos and even just on it's own. Short of going through a major process of slow smoking the meat, this slow cooker version will be your new favorite and the best go-to option for slow cooker pulled pork without all the work! And it's perfect for busy days when you need to have a meal for entertaining. I've made this many times for many crowds, and it's always gone by the end of the night.
This recipe has also been converted for those of you that love pressure cookers and it's pretty amazing if I do say so myself!
What makes this the best slow cooker pulled pork?
Just the right blend of spices (most you should have on hand) rubbed into a pork shoulder roast make for a flavorful meat that has a tiny bit of kick but is generally mild enough for even picky eaters. Want some bold flavor? Up the spices to your liking... if you like spicy you can up the cayenne!! And I love setting out several different types of BBQ sauce so that everyone can make their own flavor combos.
Check out my video showing you just how easy it is to make this slow cooker pulled pork recipe:
What is the best cut of meat for pulled pork?
- pulled pork is generally made using pork shoulder
- there are two pieces to the shoulder usually available at the store - the butt and the picnic shoulder
- the first generally works the best, but I've had great results with the picnic shoulder too
What is also love is that.....
There is no need to brown anything up ahead of time which makes this a quick start meal.
How long do you cook pulled pork in a slow cooker?
Throw it in early in the day and let it slow cook for at least 8 hours (or even longer) for best results.
For meat like this to properly shred, it needs to reach an internal temperature of 205 degrees F. It will seriously fall apart. If your meat is hard to shred, it's not done yet.
A little bit of apple cider vinegar goes in here too and it really does the trick to break down the meat to make it more tender plus gives it just the right zip of extra flavor. I haven't tested it another way, but I'm guessing apple juice would work well also.
A few of my favorite sides to serve up alongside this pulled pork are:
The Best Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 4 pound pork shoulder
- 2 tablespoons paprika (try smoked paprika for more of that smoked flavor)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup water
Instructions
- Mix together all of the dried spices and rub into all sides of the pork
- Place vinegar and water in bottom of slow cooker
- Carefully add pork (so you don't wash off spices)
- Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours
- Remove pork and shred (remove any large fatty pieces and discard)
- Add juices from slow cooker as desired
Notes
- Add extra kick: save a bit (don't overdo it) of seasoning and toss it with cooked pulled pork.
- For brown, crispy ends, put shredded meat on foil lined baking sheet and broil for a couple of minutes in the oven (watch carefully!)
- Shred meat with 2 forks, potato masher, shredder claws, or electric mixer.
- If meat is difficult to shred, it's not done yet. Put it back in the slow cooker for a bit longer.
Nutrition
Click here to convert to Instant Pot. Amazing Instant Pot Pulled Pork is everything it claims to be! Amazing!
Useful tools for making this pulled pork include:
- pulled pork shredder claws
- meat thermometer (a great investment if you cook any types of meat, I use mine almost every day)
This is the best pulled pork! I love it just the way it is, but could this be done in an instant pot?
yep! Here is the IP version.
Do the left overs freeze well?
Yes they do!! Double wrap to protect from freezer burn.
We absolutely love this recipe. Makes great tacos too! I will never use any other recipe for pulled pork.
I do this recipe every year for a work party and the guys love it! Most of them have said it’s the best pulled pork they have ever had!
Yay!
How long would you cook on high if you are in a time crunch?
I don't really recommend it for this recipe, but you could start it on high for the first 2 hours then switch to low and that might cut off a little time.
Hi, looking forward to trying this recipe for the first time tomorrow night. I have a 7lb pork shoulder. How much longer do I have to cook it in the crockpot?
Hi Monique! I would try to cut it into smaller pieces, otherwise it might cook unevenly. How long it will take will depend on several things, but I'd start it on high for a couple of hours then switch to low. It's don't when it reaches an internal temp of 205 degrees F.
This is a great recipe! Thank you for sharing. If my pork shoulder is double the size, do I double all the ingredients? Thank you!
yep I would double
Does the vinegar taste through the recipe my grandson's friend made a pulled pork recipe and all I could taste was the vinegar
I've never noticed a vinegar flavor and have never gotten any feedback that it's been an issue.
Hello, do you leave the pork rind on the roast when you make this recipe or do you take it off?
Do you mean like the netting? I took it off.
The rind is the skin. From the images it appears the rind has been removed, is that correct?
Jennifer, if I cut the ingredients to half for the 2.38 pound pork shoulder do I keep the apple cider vinegar and water the same amount or cut that in half also? The cooker I have is a large one not sure what size but I'm worried about the liquid content and the cook temperature and time. Sorry not an very experienced cooker.
This has been my go to recipe for Pulled Pork for years. Every time I take it to share, I get asked for the recipe. I do not use any of the brown sugar though as I do not care to add sugar unless it's necessary for the recipe, and this one is fine without it.
Thank you so much for sharing Sue! I'm so glad you love it and it's good to know it works well without the sugar!
Will regular vinegar work?
If you use regular vinegar I suggest reducing by half as it's much stronger with a different flavor profile.