Slow Cooker Pulled Pork (6 ingredients)

This Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork is made from scratch with my homemade BBQ sauce – it smells amazing and is tender and delicious.

Pulled pork from the slow cooker

BBQ pulled pork is one of those dishes that can be served all year round. It’s perfect for entertaining a crowd at potlucks or large gatherings and doesn’t require a lot of time in the kitchen. I created this leaner pulled pork recipe using boneless pork tenderloin homemade BBQ sauce, giving me complete control over what was added. Try these Pork Carnitas for Mexican pulled pork, and check out mine Slow Cooker Recipes for more easy dinner ideas.

Ingredients for pulled pork

• Pork meat: The best cuts of meat are usually the fattier cuts, but I like to use a leaner, center-cut, boneless pork loin that’s lower in saturated fat and tastes great. Pork or Boston butt will also work. If bone-in, add an additional hour to the cooking time.
• Fluid: Two teaspoons each of red wine vinegar and hickory liquid smoke
• seasoning spice: garlic powder and salt, optional black pepper to taste
• Barbecue sauce: I love making Kansas City BBQ sauce from scratch, but if you want to buy a favorite BBQ sauce, you can use this instead.

How to prepare pulled pork in the slow cooker

1. Season pork: Place the meat in the slow cooker and season with vinegar, liquid smoke, salt and garlic powder.
2. Cover and cook Cook the pork on low for 8 to 12 hours until tender.
3. scraps: Take out the pork, place it in a large bowl and pour all the liquid into a mug. Shred the pork with 2 forks and return to the slow cooker with ¾ cup of the reserved liquid and the BBQ sauce.
4. finish cooking: Cook the pork on the highest setting for another hour.

What to serve with pulled pork

• Pulled Pork Sandwiches: Place the meat between a bun and make a quick coleslaw with shredded cabbage, carrots, some vinegar, salt and a touch of olive oil.
• Traditional BBQ Dinner: If you’re throwing a party, serve up a BBQ with all the classic side dishes like coleslaw, mashed potatoes, Macaroni and Cheesegreen beans, potato salad and baked beans.
• BBQ Baked Potato: Stuff a baked potato or baked sweet potato with pork and add your favorite toppings like cheese, sour cream, and scallions.
• Taco: Wrap the meat in flour or corn tortillas and top with shredded cheddar cheese and diced onions.
• With supplements: Serve with slow cooker pulled pork Grilled corn on the cob, Lamb’s lettuceor rice pilaf.

variations

• Vinegar: Substitute apple cider vinegar for white wine vinegar.
• Smokiness: If you don’t have liquid smoke, season the pork with smoked paprika to give it a smoky flavor.
• Pork swap: You can also use pork shoulder if you like.
• BBQ Chicken: If you want to try this recipe with chicken, use boneless thighs and cook on low for four hours.
• BBQ sauce: If you don’t have time to make the pulled pork sauce, buy a BBQ sauce from the store — just make sure it doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup.
• Instant Pot Pulled Pork: Follow the same directions but cut the meat into four pieces and using the Meat/Stew feature in the Instant Pot, add 1 cup chicken broth and cook on high pressure until the pork is tender, about 40 minutes easily broken up with a fork.

frequently asked Questions

Which pork is best for pulled pork?

Pulled pork is usually made with pork shoulder, but I’ve used pork loin for a leaner cut of meat. If you want to use shoulder meat, then do it!

Should pulled pork be covered in liquid in a slow cooker?

You don’t need a lot of liquid to slow cook pork because cooking on a low setting will ooze juice. I use just enough to flavor the pork along with the pork’s reserved juice and serve the extra BBQ sauce as a side. If you want to add liquid, you can add 1 cup of chicken broth.

Do you put BBQ sauce on pulled pork before cooking?

For my recipe, I end up adding the BBQ sauce to the shredded pork. The size of your pork loin will determine how much sauce you add. Here are two things to note:

• Pork shrinks after cooking, Therefore, you should weigh the cooked meat. I added 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce for every three ounces of cooked pork, along with some leftover pork juice.
• If your kids don’t like BBQ sauce, Set aside some of the pork before returning it to the casserole with the gravy.

What is the secret of pulled pork?

The secret to tender pulled pork is cooking it on low and slow. That’s why the slow cooker is the perfect way to prepare it. How long you cook it depends on the size of your pork. I used the smallest roast I could find as I made it for my family. So it took about eight hours, but it could also take up to twelve hours. Here are a few tips:

• If your slow cooker is running too hot, You may need to add half a cup of water or broth, or possibly replace the device.
• Your BBQ pork may only need five to six hours. I recommend checking it after five hours – if it shreds easily, it’s done.

Which slow cooker do you use?

I have 6 Quart Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker. I love it because you can set the time you want the casserole to cook and it automatically heats up when it’s done. It also features a meat probe that automatically shuts off when it’s done. This slow cooker is so amazing I own several!

How to freeze pulled pork

You can eat leftover pulled pork up to four days after cooking. Just heat it in the microwave until warm. For the freezer, pack in airtight containers and freeze for up to three months. You can store it in one large container or several smaller, single-serving containers. Thaw it in the fridge the day before you plan to eat it.

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