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Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

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.

bbq pulled pork on bun topped with coleslaw on gray plate

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 1/2 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)

3 step collage of pork, sauce and adding to slow cooker

How to Make Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker

  1. remove packaging and any netting from the pork – if there is a large amount of fat you can trim a little off if desired
  2. season well with herb and garlic seasoning
  3. Place in slow cooker
  4. Whisk together sauce ingredients
  5. Pour all of sauce over pork, cover and cook

cooked pork shoulder with juices in round slow cooker

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

shredded pork with tongs in round slow cooker

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)

slow cooker with shredded pork and drizzle of bbq sauceHow to Shred a Pork Shoulder

When 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.

side view of bun filled with pulled pork and coleslawWhat can you make with pulled pork?

So many things!!

There are so many possibilities!

overhead view of bbq pork sandwich with coleslaw on a gray plate

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.

bbq pulled pork on bun topped with coleslaw on gray plate

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

Jennifer Draper
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.
4.98 from 135 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 172 kcal

Ingredients
  

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 1/4 - 1/2 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 1/2 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

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 25gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 185mgPotassium: 495mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 70IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @slowcookergourmet or tag #slowcookergourmet!
Important nutritional disclaimer

104 Comments

  1. 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.

  2. 5 stars
    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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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

  5. 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!

      1. 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!

  6. 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!!

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