Made from scratch with my own homemade BBQ sauce, this simple slow cooker pulled pork turns out tender and tasty. It smells amazing too.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
One of those foods you can offer year-round is BBQ pulled pork. It takes little time in the kitchen and is ideal for serving a big audience at potlucks or other large occasions. I used a boneless pork loin roast and my own homemade BBQ sauce to produce this leaner pulled pork dish, giving me total control over the ingredients.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Ingredients
- Pork: Generally speaking, the fattier pieces of meat are the tastiest, but I like to use a leaner, boneless, center-cut roast that tastes fantastic and has less saturated fat. Boston or pork butt will also function. If it’s bone-in, extend the cooking time by one hour.
- Liquid: Hickory liquid smoke and two tablespoons each of red wine vinegar
- Spices for seasoning: salt, garlic powder, and optional black pepper
- Barbecue Sauce: You can use your favorite store-bought barbecue sauce in place of my homemade Kansas City barbecue sauce.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Season the Pork: Put the pork in the slow cooker and add salt, garlic powder, vinegar, and liquid smoke.
- Once the pork is soft, simmer it on low for eight to twelve hours with a cover on.
- Shred the pork by taking it out, putting it in a big plate, and then pouring the liquid into a cup. Using two forks, shred the pork and add it back to the slow cooker along with ¾ cup of the liquid that was set aside and the BBQ sauce.
- Finish Cooking: Cook the pork for a further hour over high heat to finish cooking it.
Variations in Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Vinegar: Replace white wine vinegar with apple cider vinegar.
- Smokiness: To add a smokey taste to pork without liquid smoke, sprinkle it with smoked paprika.
- Pork Swap: If you’d like, you may substitute pork shoulder.
- Barbecued Chicken: To make this dish using chicken, simmer it on low for four hours using boneless thighs.
- BBQ Sauce: Purchase a barbecue sauce from the supermarket if you don’t have time to prepare the pulled pork sauce; just be sure it doesn’t include high fructose corn syrup.
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork: Prepare as directed, slicing the meat into four pieces. Then, use the Instant Pot’s “Meat/Stew” mode, add one cup of chicken stock, and cook on high pressure for approximately 40 minutes, or until the pork is readily fork-tender.
FAQS
What pork is best for pulled pork?
Traditionally, pulled pork is made using pork shoulder, but because pork loin is a thinner cut of meat, I used it instead. Feel free to use shoulder meat if desired!
Should pulled pork be covered in liquid in a slow cooker?
Since pig releases liquids when cooked on low, you don’t need a lot of liquid to slow cook it. I use just enough to season the pork and the juices that I’ve set aside, and I serve the additional barbecue sauce on the side. One cup of chicken broth can be added if you would like to add more liquid.
Do you put BBQ sauce on pulled pork before cooking?
In my version, I toss the shredded pork with the BBQ sauce right before serving. The amount of sauce you add depends depend on the size of the pork loin. Two things to remember are as follows:
- You should weigh the cooked meat since pork shrinks after cooking. I added some saved pig juices and two tablespoons of BBQ sauce for every three ounces of grilled pork.
- Before placing the pork back in the crock pot with the sauce, save some aside for your children if they don’t enjoy barbecue sauce.
What is the secret to pulled pork?
Cooking pulled pork low and slow is the key to tender results. The slow cooker is the ideal method for making it because of this. The size of your pork will determine how long it takes to cook. It took around eight hours, but it might take up to twelve because I used the smallest roast I could find because I was cooking it for my family. Here are a few pointers:
- You might need to add a half cup of water or broth to your slower cooker if it runs too hot, or you could need to replace the device.
- Perhaps five or six hours would do for your BBQ pork. When five hours have passed, I suggest testing it; if it shreds easily, it’s ready.
What slow cooker do you use?
The Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker is what I own. I like that you can customize how long you want the crock pot to cook for and that it will switch to warm mode automatically when it’s finished. Moreover, it features a meat probe that turns off on its own when the meat is done. I have many of them because they are so wonderful!
How to Freeze Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
After it is prepared, leftover pulled pork can be eaten for up to four days. Simply warm it up in the microwave. It may be frozen for up to three months if you put it in sealed freezer containers. It can be kept in several smaller, single-serving containers or one large one. The day before you want to consume it, let it thaw in the fridge.
More Slow Cooker Recipes You Might Like
- Slow Cooker Short Ribs
- Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers
- Slow Cooker Beer Onion Brisket
- Slow Cooker Shredded Beef
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs boneless pork loin roast center cut, trimmed of all fat
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp Hickory liquid smoke
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup Homemade Kansas City BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- Put the pork in the slow cooker and add liquid smoke, vinegar, salt, and garlic powder for seasoning.
- Once soft, cook on low for 8 to 12 hours with a cover on.
- Take out the pork and place it on a big plate; put all the liquid in a cup and keep it away.
- Using two forks, shred the pork and return it to the slow cooker. Add the BBQ sauce and around 3/4 cup of the saved liquid (I used 2 tbsp of BBQ sauce for every 3 oz of cooked pork).
- Cook for one more hour on high.
Notes