Crock Pot Beer Pulled Pork with Maple BBQ Sauce

Tender and juicy beer pulled pork is tossed with a sweet and tangy homemade maple barbecue sauce!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword beer pulled pork, crock pot pulled pork, homemade bbq sauce, maple bbq sauce, pulled pork with beer, Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Total Time 12 10

Servings people

Calories 384kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (about 4 large cloves)
1 (12 ounce) bottle pale ale beer
2 tablespoons packed 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: maple bbq sauce (see recipe below, or use store-bought bbq sauce of choice); sandwich buns; coleslaw; pickles

Place the onion and garlic in the bottom of a large slow cooker. Pour the beer 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. Toss with bbq sauce or drizzle sauce over top.

In a small saucepan, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Let the sauce cool, and then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 weeks. Spoon over the pulled pork or toss with the shredded meat before serving.

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.

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.

Cooking for a smaller family? This meat freezes really well! I like to package leftovers in individual containers, label them, and stash them in the freezer for later meals. The pulled pork is delicious served on sandwich rolls, but it also works well on salads, in tacos, stuffed in baked potatoes, on top of nachos, in quesadillas, or on pizza! Get creative and enjoy the leftovers in a variety of ways.