Crock Pot Pulled Pork is one of the easiest and most affordable slow cooker dinners you'll ever make! With just a few minutes of prep, you can have a big batch of tender, juicy meat to use in tacos, sandwiches, wraps or salads all week long.
This quick Crock Pot pulled pork recipe requires a handful of basic ingredients that you probably already have stashed in your kitchen. Best of all, after a few minutes of hands-on prep time, it's an all-day slow cooker meal that cooks low-and-slow while you go about the rest of your business!
How to make Crock Pot Pulled Pork:
First, start by placing sliced onion, minced garlic and chicken broth in the bottom of a slow cooker.
Next, prepare a seasoning rub by whisking together:
- Brown sugar
- Chili powder
- Salt
- Smoked paprika
- Garlic powder
- Ground cumin
- Onion powder
Pat the pork dry and then rub the seasoning blend all over the meat. Place the pork in the slow cooker, cover with a lid, and cook on LOW for 10-12 hours or on HIGH for 6-7 hours. You may need to adjust the cooking time, depending on how hot your Crock Pot runs (and how big your pork is). The pork will be fall-apart tender when it reaches an internal temperature of 190-195 degrees F.
When the pork is done, it can be a bit overwhelming to try to shred the entire piece of meat on one cutting board. It's juicy, hot and messy, so I prefer to cut or pull off smaller sections at a time. Shred a small amount of pork on the cutting board with two forks, and then move on to the next section.
How to serve your slow cooker pulled pork:
This versatile meat can be served in a variety of ways! We prefer pulled pork sandwiches with a drizzle of barbecue sauce, but you can also serve the pork on top of a salad, in a wrap, stuffed into baked potatoes with barbecue sauce and cheese, as Pulled Pork Sliders, or as Crock Pot Pulled Pork Tacos!
On the side, try pairing the pulled pork with:
- Dump-and-Bake Macaroni and Cheese
- Classic Southern Macaroni Salad
- Southern Potato Salad
- Classic Pasta Salad
- Cowboy Baked Beans
- Secret Ingredient Jiffy Cornbread
- Southern Collard Greens
- Healthy and Easy Summer Corn Salad (shown here)
Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:
- What is the best cut of meat for pulled pork? This recipe calls for a Boston Butt, which is a cut located above the shoulder blade on a hog. It has a lot of juicy, marbled fat, which lends itself well to juicy, slow-cooked meat! You can also use a Pork Shoulder for this recipe, if that's how your store labels the meat available to you.
- Do you put water in a Crock Pot when cooking pulled pork? You will want to use at least a little bit of liquid when slow cooking the pork. This recipe calls for chicken broth, which adds a little bit of mild flavor that doesn't overpower the rub or the taste of the meat. If you prefer a sweet pulled pork recipe, you can swap out the chicken broth and substitute with an equal amount of another liquid. For instance, try Crock Pot Pulled Pork with Coke, ginger ale, root beer, or Dr. Pepper soda. For a tangy option, try using vinegar. For an adult audience, try Crock Pot Pulled Pork with beer!
- You may need to adjust the cooking time, depending on how hot your Crock Pot runs (and how big your pork is). The pork will be fall-apart tender when it reaches an internal temperature of 190-195 degrees F.
- To make this pulled pork 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 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes per pound, so a 7-lb. Boston Butt would require about 5 hours and 15 minutes.
- Leftover pulled pork will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To keep the pork longer, you can freeze the cooked meat in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- If you want to reheat your cooked pulled pork in the Crock Pot, 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!
- When the pork is done, it can be a bit overwhelming to try to shred the entire piece of meat on one cutting board. It's juicy, hot and messy, so I prefer to cut or pull off smaller sections at a time. Shred a small amount of pork on the cutting board with two forks, and then move on to the next section.
More easy Crock Pot pork recipes that you might enjoy:
- Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Vegetables and Gravy
- Crock Pot Pork Roast with Apricot Sauce
- Crock Pot Smothered Pork Chops
- 5-Ingredient Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas
Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 (7 lb.) bone-in Boston Butt or pork shoulder
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 6-7 hours on HIGH. When the pork reaches an internal temperature of 190-195 degrees 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. Discard the onion and garlic from the bottom of the pot.
Notes
- What is the best cut of meat for pulled pork? This recipe calls for a Boston Butt, which is a cut located above the shoulder blade on a hog. It has a lot of juicy, marbled fat, which lends itself well to juicy, slow-cooked meat! You can also use a Pork Shoulder for this recipe, if that's how your store labels the meat available to you.
- Do you put water in a Crock Pot when cooking pulled pork? You will want to use at least a little bit of liquid when slow cooking the pork. This recipe calls for chicken broth, which adds a little bit of mild flavor that doesn't overpower the rub or the taste of the meat. If you prefer a sweet pulled pork recipe, you can swap out the chicken broth and substitute with an equal amount of another liquid. For instance, try Crock Pot Pulled Pork with Coke, ginger ale, root beer, or Dr. Pepper soda. For a tangy option, try using vinegar. For an adult audience, try Crock Pot Pulled Pork with beer!
- You may need to adjust the cooking time, depending on how hot your Crock Pot runs (and how big your pork is). The pork will be fall-apart tender when it reaches an internal temperature of 190-195 degrees F.
- To make this pulled pork 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 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes per pound, so a 7-lb. Boston Butt would require about 5 hours and 15 minutes.
- Leftover pulled pork will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To keep the pork longer, you can freeze the cooked meat in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- If you want to reheat your cooked pulled pork in the Crock Pot, 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!
- When the pork is done, it can be a bit overwhelming to try to shred the entire piece of meat on one cutting board. It's juicy, hot and messy, so I prefer to cut or pull off smaller sections at a time. Shred a small amount of pork on the cutting board with two forks, and then move on to the next section.
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