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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 142 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

110 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I have made this several time now– it always comes out incredibly tasty + it freezes well which comes in Handy. Highly recommend!

  2. I wish you would have given an alternate to the Herb and Garlic Seasoning. For instance, “If you don’t feel like ordering this on Amazon and waiting 3-5 days to get it since you already have the meat, then you can substitute the seasoning blend by adding….” So in other words, I won’t be making your version of the recipe since I don’t know what seasonings to add.

    1. I don’t know why you’d even comment…just simply don’t make it? For the future, Italian seasoning usually is comprised of oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil. You could even just add some salt and pepper if you’re not exactly sure what seasonings to add… a simple Google search would have told you all of this instead of coming off snippy on a recipe that a person shared to help give people ideas.

    2. I did not own this exact seasoning blend, so I looked at the ingredients (all very basic) and made my own. Very simple! It’s just the seasoning blend, your comment makes it seem like you can’t find the actual pork haha

  3. Hi is the sauce suppose to be thick or watery. Mine is just watery but it tastes amazing. Just wondering did I do.thisnwrong should it be thicker

    1. The juices that are in the slow cooker will be watery. You’ll only want to add just enough back along with some extra BBQ sauce to get the consistency you want and discard remaining juices after cooking.

  4. Looking to make this recipe but my pork shoulder is 4.7 pounds which is in between the 3 pound ingredients and the 6 pounds ingredient measurements. What measurements for the ingredients shouldi use for a 4.7 pound pork shoulder

  5. I am using this recipe tomorrow however it is a little confusing about the sauce. After mixing the ingredients for sauce is all the sauce poured over the pork in the sliw cooket? Or only halg? It isn’t clear.

    Thank you.

  6. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious, going to be using this recipe for our house warming party in the next few weeks 🤤

  7. You say make mix the sauce and pour half of it over the pork. I don’t see the other half getting used anywhere == ?

        1. No need to be rude! Have you ever cooked before?! Do whatever you want with it! Put it out in a separate dish for dipping, throw it away, drink it! Duh!

        2. Fu – how rude. Try actually reading her instructions. It explains it very clearly. Maybe a bit too advanced for you. Move on!

          1. So angry and rude over a simple pulled pork recipe. What about using a little common sense. The questions are ridiculous.

  8. So do you put the sauce in with the pork or just put the pork in alone then use the sauce when serving? 🤔

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