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Tender, juicy, and seasoned with a flavorful dry rub, this Crock Pot pulled pork recipe is one of the easiest and most delicious slow cooker dinners you’ll make!
Table of Contents
Excellent, spices provide plenty of flavor, pork works well for carnitas, does not need bbq sauce!
– Dawn
A Few Notes Before You Get Started
- The best cut of meat for pulled pork is called a “pork butt” or a “Boston butt.” Some grocery stores often label this as a “pork shoulder” or “picnic ham.” It has a lot of juicy, marbled fat, which lends itself well to juicy, slow-cooked meat. Bone-in or boneless pork are both fine!
- Pork tenderloin is very lean. For the best results, cook it quickly at a higher temperature (like this grilled pork tenderloin with bbq rub). It doesn’t lend itself as well to the low-and-slow cooking process, and instead has a tendency to become dry or tough when it’s cooked for too long.
- You may need to adjust the cooking time, depending on how hot your slow cooker runs (and how big your pork is). The pork will be fall-apart tender when it reaches an internal temperature of 205°F on an instant-read meat thermometer.
Directions
You’ll find detailed instructions for this Crock Pot pulled pork in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Place the onion, garlic, and broth in a slow cooker.
- Stir together the bbq rub.
- Rub the seasoning blend all over the meat.
- Place the pork in the slow cooker, cover with a lid, and cook until the meat is fall-apart tender. If your pulled pork is tough, it’s probably because you haven’t cooked it long enough. The collagen in the meat is what keeps it tough, so you need to allow plenty of time for those fibers to break down.
- Shred the meat with two forks, discarding any fatty pieces. Before shredding, allow the pork to cool enough so that you can easily touch it without burning your hands. Shred the meat on a rimmed baking sheet to prevent the juices from running all over the counter. Since the meat is tender, it should basically just fall apart when you shred it with two forks.
- Return the meat to the juices. Serve with barbecue sauce, if desired. For pulled pork sandwiches, pile the meat on rolls and top with coleslaw.
Serving Suggestions
Crockpot pulled pork is delicious alongside traditional coleslaw, old-fashioned corn sticks or a skillet of Southern cornbread, Southern-style green beans, Southern collard greens, homemade baked beans with bacon, and creamy baked mac and cheese.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- How to Store: Leftover pulled pork will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To extend the life of your leftovers, you can freeze the cooked meat in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- How to Use the Leftovers: Take advantage of extra pulled pork on sandwich rolls, in salads, in casseroles, in tacos, stuffed in baked potatoes, on nachos, in quesadillas, in sliders, and on pizza!
- How to Reheat: Warm the meat and juices in a covered saucepan over low heat. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for about 1 minute.
- How to Reheat in the Slow Cooker: Place the cooked pork (and all of the reserved juices) in the slow cooker on the “WARM” setting for 2-4 hours. This is a great option if you need to prep a meal in advance!
Blair, I never leave comments, but, this was SO delicious, I had to comment. It’s tender, moist, fall off the bone, easy to shred, and easy to make…The family loved it…It was a hit. I have added it to my “go to” recipes…
– Renée
More Pulled Pork Recipes to Try
Apple Cider Braised Pork Shoulder
4 hours hrs 40 minutes mins
Mississippi Pulled Pork {Oven or Crock Pot}
4 hours hrs 55 minutes mins
Crock Pot Beer Pulled Pork with Maple BBQ Sauce
12 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 12 hours
Total: 12 hours 10 minutes
The easiest and most delicious pulled pork in crockpot recipe you'll ever try!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (about 4 large cloves)
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or sub with other cooking liquid such as apple cider, beer, Dr. Pepper, or Coca Cola)
- 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt (plus more as needed)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 (6-7 lb.) bone-in Boston Butt or pork shoulder
- Optional, for serving: bbq sauce; sandwich buns; coleslaw; pickles
Instructions
- Place the onion and garlic in the bottom of a large slow cooker. Pour chicken broth over top.
- In a small bowl, make a rub by whisking together brown sugar, chili powder, salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and onion powder.
- Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork.
- Place the meat on top of the onions and garlic. Cover and cook for 10-12 hours on LOW or for about 5-6 hours on HIGH. When the pork reaches an internal temperature of 205°F it will be fall-apart tender! Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat, discarding any large pieces of fat.
- Add juices from the pot to moisten the meat, as desired. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve on sandwich rolls with bbq sauce, if desired.
Notes
- Nutrition information is an automatically calculated estimate only. Facts will vary greatly depending on the size, cut, and amount of meat on your Boston Butt.
- You may need to adjust the cooking time, depending on how hot your slow cooker runs (and how big your pork is). The pork will be fall-apart tender when it reaches an internal temperature of 205°F.
- If your pulled pork is tough, it’s probably because you haven’t cooked it long enough. The collagen in the meat is what keeps it tough, so you need to allow plenty of time for those fibers to break down. Just extend the cooking time and make sure that there’s enough liquid to keep the pork moist as it simmers.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/10 of the recipeCalories: 438kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 60gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 191mgSodium: 926mgPotassium: 1141mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 335IUVitamin C: 1.2mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 4.2mg
Pulled Pork in Crockpot Recipe Variations
- Use a boneless pork shoulder or pork roast in lieu of the bone-in pork butt. The boneless roasts tend to cook slightly faster, so adjust your cooking time accordingly.
- Try a different braising liquid instead of the chicken broth. Good options include beer, apple cider, root beer, Dr. Pepper, or Coca Cola.
- We love Stubbs sauce for a tangy, less-sweet store-bought option. If you prefer homemade sauce, try this maple bbq sauce or this Alabama white BBQ sauce.
- Spicy pulled pork: add some cayenne to the dry rub, and serve the pork with crushed red pepper flakes, sliced jalapeños, or hot sauce.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with the chicken broth for a bright, acidic component.
- To make this recipe in the oven, follow all of the same instructions, but place the ingredients in a large Dutch oven with a lid. Roast the pork at 325°F for about 5-6 hours.
This recipe was originally published in July, 2019. It was updated in September, 2024.
Excellent, spices provide plenty of flavor, pork works well for carnitas, does not need bbq sauce!
Thank you, Dawn! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Blair, I’m cooking this tonight for dinner and the freezer.
I made your apricot preserves slow cooker pork, froze it and when my boys, their girlfriends and best mate came to stay for Easter, I pulled it out of the freezer and made Mexican “help yourself“ meals.
They all loved it!
Thank you for your simple & yummy recipes!
Cheers, Lizz.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Lizz! We’re so glad the recipe was a hit.
Blair, I never leave comments, but, this was SO delicious, I had to comment. It’s tender, moist, fall off the bone, easy to shred, and easy to make. I made it for Memorial Day and used the apple cider vinegar. Because I didn’t have three of the ingredients, I omitted the chili powder and cumin; substituted regular paprika for the smoked paprika and it still turned out fabulous. The family loved it. I used my own home-made BBQ sauce. It was a hit. I have added it to my “go to” recipes. Thank you for sharing. I’ll be back to try some other recipes.
Hi Renée,
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! We truly appreciate it and are so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I just made this recipe yesterday and we loved it! The spices worked really well with it and it was very easy to make. The only change I made was 1/2 cup of water with 1 teaspoon of chicken flavored soup base and 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar. I had a 6 lb. pork shoulder butt, my husband loved it. We added bbq sauce to each of our individual taste. I also froze some for future meals. This recipe is a definite keeper!
Thank you, Linda! We’re so happy you were able to adjust the recipe to suit your needs and that you and your husband enjoyed it.
2 Tablespoons of salt made it almost inedible! I made it for some friends and was so embarrassed at the taste!
We’re sorry to hear this but appreciate the feedback, Cyndy. We hope you give some of our other recipes a try!
Lost my recipe and looked for one on the internet to try, there are all kinds. So, after looking forever, I decided to try this one. I am so glad I did! This was delicious! I will not look for my old recipe again, this one has taken its’ place.
Thank you, Wanda! We’re so glad you found it and that it was a hit!
Made this today and the aroma was amazing. An excellent recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for trying it out, Cindy. We’re so glad you enjoyed it!