The Best Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
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.
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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:
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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:
Make sure to save the leftovers for Easy Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese.
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
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 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)
Hi!
I tried this recipe for the first time last night. I pulled it out of the slow cooker this morning and the meat was really quite tough and didn’t pull apart super easy – is that normal? I’ve left it to marinate in BBQ sauce to try and tenderise it a bit, but I was wondering what I might have done wrong? I thought i followed the recipe to a T – but maybe it was a misshapen T…
Send help! Pulled pork is on the line!
Hi Zeina! What cut of pork did you use? Bone in or boneless and what size? I’m wondering if it just needed to cook a little longer?
Hi. I’m making this today and wondering, rather hoping, it will be done in 4hrs on high in the crockpot. Any idea?
Thanks!
Hi Julie! Sorry for not getting back to you sooner! What did you end up doing? I find that larger cuts of meat like this do much better on low. If high is the only choice, sometimes cutting it into smaller pieces helps.
I made this recipe yesterday for dinner and my family LOVED it! My husband especially. I always thought I needed to smoked pork for it to be worth eating but this was a delicious alternative to smoking. I live in North Carolina and love a good bbq sandwich. I made a vinegar based bbq sauce as well and I will be making this recipe again!!
Thank you sharing your recipe!!
Anyone made this in the Instant Pot/pressure cooker?
If so, which setting and for how long?
I did in the Instant Pot last a few days ago. I used Manual, High pressure, 90 min + natural release.
I opened, shredded, took out a lot of the sauce and put back to 10 more minutes of high pressure + natural release.
Since the pressure cooking method don’t let the water escape that much, you will end up with a lot more sauce than if do you the slow cooking method, so I just took out part of the sauce.
I followed the recipe as it is, just changed the cooking method and it’s delicious!!
The Instant Pot can be awesome for making pulled pork and quick! Thanks for all the tips!!
Went with this for a 3 lb. pork loin. Cut it in half a rubbed the two chunks on all sides. Amount of rub here was just right. It pulled perfectly at 205 degrees after 5 hrs side by side in the oval crock pot with one flip after 3 hrs. Drained juice, pulled and added the juice back in. Left that on warm for 30 min. before serving on good rolls with peppers and provolone.
(My mods were a tiny drizzle of honey and 1/4 cup of white vinegar to the rest.)
I wouldn’t find a shoulder under 8 pounds. Any suggestions on cooking time and if I should increase the amount of spice rub?
As long as you have a large enough slow cooker, I would cut this into 3-4 smaller pieces and then it will cook more evenly. I would suggest doubling the spice rub.
Would a pork loin work with this recipe?
Some people have success with pork loin as pulled pork and prefer it because it doesn’t have as much fat, but I find that it’s much more difficult to shred and doesn’t have as much flavor.
Hi There,
I was just wondering how spicy it is with the cayenne pepper? My children are not that great with spicy food. Can I leave it out without altering the flavour too much, or is there an alternative I could use instead? Thanks
It’s really not spicy at all, but you could leave it out too.
I have a 7lb pork shoulder. How long do I cook it and do I need to adjust the other ingredients?
Hi Karen! I’d probably double the rest of the ingredients, make sure you use at least a 6 quart slow cooker, cut the pork into 3 or 4 pieces before cooking and then it should probably take around the same amount of time but possible account for 8-10 hours just to be sure.
Hi! Your recipe calls for a 4lb pork shoulder. I got one that is 2.5lbs. Do I need to reduce the amount of liquid (vinegar and water) to the recipe? Trying to make it in the morning and it’s only on second time using the crockpot! Thanks!
Hi Krista! Yes, I’d go about 1/2 on the rest, give or take. The beauty of slow cooking is how flexible it is, most recipes don’t require you to be too exact! Let me know how it turns out!