If you love my #1 post, The Best Slow Cooker Pulled Pork, then you'll love this BBQ pulled pork version too! With simple seasoning, this recipe takes only minutes to prepare and cooks all day for fall apart tender, juicy pork oozing with tangy sweet sauce.
For all of you lovers of BBQ I've got a recipe for you! Perfect for a family dinner that you know your kids will devour and equally as perfect for taking along to a pot luck, this Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork is quick and easy and comes out perfectly every time.
You only need 5 ingredients and less than 10 minutes to assemble this meal in your slow cooker. So much easier than smoking a grill all day and the results are just as amazing.
Cook on low for at least 8 hours until the pork becomes fall apart tender.
You can serve this up as sandwiches, wraps, salads and more for a versatile meal your family and friends will love.
Ingredients Needed
- pork shoulder, also known as pork butt - can be bone-in or boneless
- herb and garlic seasoning (check the ingredients, if yours does not contain salt, add ½ teaspoon to recipe)
- chicken broth or stock
- apple cider vinegar
- your favorite BBQ sauce (I love Sweet Baby Ray's because it has great flavor and is nice and thick)
How to Make Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker
- remove packaging and any netting from the pork - if there is a large amount of fat you can trim a little off if desired
- season well with herb and garlic seasoning
- Place in slow cooker
- Whisk together sauce ingredients
- Pour half of sauce over pork, cover and cook
Cooking Notes
This will produce a lot of liquid as it cooks, no need to add any extra other than the sauce
If you are cooking a very large piece of pork and need it to cook more quickly, you can cut it into 2-4 smaller chunks
If using a pork shoulder with bone, carefully remove all bone pieces before shredding
What temperature to cook pulled pork?
- pulled pork, whether made in the oven, on the grill, or in the slow cooker, is best cooked on a low and slow temperature
- somewhere in the range of 190 to 250 degrees F depending on the method used
- another important temperature to note is the internal temp of the pork shoulder
- to shred easily pork should reach an internal temperature of 205 degrees F (I use an Instant Read Thermometer)
How to Shred a Pork Shoulder
How to Shred a Pork ShoulderWhen the pork is done it should almost be falling apart. Use tongs to remove it to a separate bowl.
Use forks or meat claws to shred by starting in the middle and pulling apart until fully shredded.
Use a ladle to add back a little of the juice left over from cooking, but not too much or it will become soggy.
If the pork does not shred easily, it likely is not cooked enough. Return to slow cooker until it reaches an internal temp of 205 degrees F.
What can you make with pulled pork?
What can you make with pulled pork?So many things!!
- regular sandwiches like these (I love to top them with coleslaw!)
- Mac & Cheese
- tacos
- nachos
There are so many possibilities!
Do you let pork rest before pulling?
yes! It's really best to let it rest for 15-20 minutes to let the juices redistribute before cutting or pulling the meat. You can cover loosely with butcher paper or foil.
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 3 pound boneless pork shoulder
- 2 tablespoons herb and garlic seasoning
- ½ cup BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Rub pork shoulder with seasoning and place in slow cooker
- Mix together bbq sauce, vinegar and broth and add to slow cooker
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 until pork reaches internal temperature of 205 degrees
- Remove pork and shred
- Add about ¼ - ½ cup of the juices back to pork and discard the rest
- Add additional BBQ sauce if desired
Notes
- you can use bone-in or boneless pork shoulder (pork butt)
- if the herb and garlic seasoning you use does not contain salt, add ½ teaspoon to recipe
- cook pork to an internal temp of 205 degrees F
- pork should shred easily when fully cooked
- remove all bones (if applicable) before shredding
I just bought a new grill - super pumped! Appreciate the post - trying to learn as much as I can before the Spring is in full swing.
Hi can you use a counter top roaster instead of a crock pot?
Yes, but I'm not sure on the exact adjustments you will need to make to the cooking time.
I ended up doing around 7lbs of pork, so I just doubled the recipe. With that being said, still turned out really amazing. It was super tender and juicy, day of and day after. This recipe is a keep.
At the begaining of the article before you start the rescipe. It says to use half of the sauce, but at the part where the actual recipe starts it reads.... add Bbq sauce, vinegar, and broth and add to cooker. It doesn't say anything about using just half. So,do we use half or the whole thing? Or maybe Im just not reading it right.
****Wrong
The question is.. what is the best way to reheat this majestic masterpiece?
You could reheat on low or warm in the slow cooker with a bit of extra liquid. Or reheat individual portions in the microwave.
This sounds great
It says pour half of the sauce mixture over the pork, what do you do with the other half? Read it over and over can’t find what to do with it
It's for serving.
I’ve slow cooked the shoulder or butt portion of pork many times over the years. Some of my family can’t use barbecue sauce so I do not cook it in with the roast, just serve it on the side. My exact steps are: remove any netting/poke holes down through the roast and insert fresh cut pieces of garlic/rub all outsides of roast with olive oil/then rub all outsides of roast with liquid smoke/sprinkle all outsides generously with salt and pepper/place in slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-7 hours. I do not trim the fat nor do I add any liquid. When the roast is done, I shred it and check the flavor, adding additional salt if needed. Terrific as sandwich or just as is...great served with a side of good sauerkraut!
Sounds delicious!
This was the bomb! After I cooked it in a slow cooker I put it in the smoker for 30 minutes(smoke only) then put it in the oven on boil to get some burnt ends......Holy Hell!!! Just my 2 cents. Thanks for the recipe, great flavor!
I love the idea of using rub. Just wonder do I need to adjust the salt?
Hello , do you trim off the layer of fat before slow cooking ?
Thanks
It's up to you, I prefer leaving it for the added flavor and then skimming off any excess after cooking.
I have made this 3 times already and I cannot thank you enough for such an easy and perfect recipe!! It is simply the very best!!