Slow Cooker Pulled Pork – my fool-proof slow cooker method for preparing southern style pulled pork shoulder.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We certainly did. It was pretty amazing and I’m going to write a little more on that later this week.
But today, since everybody is really tired of turkey, I’m going to share my method of cooking pulled pork.
You know what pulled pork is, right? Yep, it’s just a slow-cooked pork roast that has been pulled into shreds and mixed with barbecue sauce. If it sounds really simple, that’s because it is!
And if you have a slow cooker, it’s almost child’s play. Just pop that big old roast in the cooker, set it and forget it.
You could start this before you leave for work and have dinner nearly ready when you walk back in the door. It’s also great on a busy Saturday when you have lots of errands to run. It’s great for no special reason at all…just because you want some pulled pork :-)
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork - use my fool-proof slow cooker method for preparing southern style pulled pork shoulder Click To Tweet
How to Make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
You’ll want a three to four-pound pork shoulder (or Boston Butt) roast for this. The bottom side of the roast will have a cap of fat all over it – don’t remove that, it gives the pork some great flavor and keeps it from drying out while you cook it.
Put the pork roast into the slow cooker with the fatty side up then as it cooks the fat will drip down basting the roast all during the cooking.
Sprinkle the roast liberally with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add just 1/4 cup of water around the roast. Cover and cook for about 7 hours.
Remove the roast from the cooker and discard the visible pieces of fat.
Pour the cooking juices into a fat separator cup and set it aside while you pull the pork.
Using two forks, “pull” the pork into shreds.
Return the pulled meat to the cooker along with the de-fatted cooking juices and barbecue sauce. Cook for an additional hour.
Serve on toasted buns and enjoy!
More Slow Cooker Recipes on Never Enough Thyme:
- Slow Cooker Bread Pudding
- Shredded Beef Tacos in the Slow Cooker
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Potatoes and Ham
Pulled Pork Recipes from Other Bloggers:
- Perfect Pulled Pork from Kevin and Amanda
- An explanation of Pulled Pork from The Spruce Eats
- Carolina Style Pulled Pork from use real butter
- Pulled Pork for Dummies from Shared Appetite
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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
A fool-proof slow cooker method of preparing southern style pulled pork.
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb. pork shoulder roast (Boston Butt)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Put the pork roast into the slow cooker with the fatty side up.
- Sprinkle the roast liberally with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add just 1/4 cup of water around the roast. Cover and cook for 7 hours.
- Remove the roast from the cooker and discard the visible pieces of fat.
- Pour the cooking juices into a fat separator cup and set it aside while you pull the pork.
- Using two forks, “pull” the pork into shreds.
- Return the pulled meat to the cooker along with the de-fatted cooking juices and barbecue sauce. Cook for an additional hour.
- Serve on toasted buns.
Notes
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1025Total Fat: 73gSaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 39gCholesterol: 306mgSodium: 449mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 79g
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Lana Stuart is the author, photographer, cook, and occasional traveler at Never Enough Thyme. A former IT professional, she enjoys time in the kitchen and the art studio.
Karra T says
So excited !! Today is my fiances bday, and he LOVES pulled pork. My but roast is in slow cooker now :) cant wait until dinner time . thank you for this awesome recipe, my fiance will LOVE it :)
Lana Stuart says
You’re welcome, Karra! I hope you both enjoy it.
Tammt says
Simply delicious!! And super easy!!! Loved it.
Ginger says
This is the best pulled pork recipe out there! I took it to work an everyone loved it!
Lana Stuart says
I’m so glad you liked it! It’s our favorite, too.
Rock says
Hi Lana. I did a pulled pork thing a couple years ago for the Fire Dept – got rave reviews. Well, Sunday we have last part of a 27 hour training program and I never miss a chance to cook for my guys (and gals) so I had to find a quick and easy recipe. This looks like it! We have our final written test, then a lot of practicals testing on ladder training, so I’m guessing all will have worked up an appetite. We’re in the worst winter in years, and this is NY ski country, so that says a lot, but hot food will mix well with hungry firefighters and the minus double digits in the forecasts. Thanks for the help. Rock at EOFD
Lana Stuart says
Hi Rock! It sounds like the firefighters have a hard day of training coming and they’ll need a good meal after that! This one will definitely fill them up and warm them, too, after all that work. I do hope you and they enjoy it.
Jeanne says
Meat is sitting on the counter ready to pot in the crock pot before I go to bed…Going to try just a low setting…Can hardly wait but will try to refrain until dinner, ok maybe lunch…..I love that I don’t have to add lots of ingredients….Thanks, will let you know tomorrow how it turned out…
Lana says
Please do! Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
christine says
Hi. Looks yummy! Do you cook it on low or high for 7 hours? Thanks!
Lana says
Christine – it really depends on your slow cooker. Some have lots of settings and some just have high and low. The cooking temps really vary from brand to brand. I’d start it out on high and check after about three hours or so. If you feel it’s cooking too quickly, turn it on down some. It’s just one of those things you have to use your own judgment and knowledge of your slow cooker.
christine says
Thanks!
Azgrannie3 says
Wonderful, Fast, and Easy recipe!!!
I just bought the new 1 1/2 qt slow cooker from Proctor Silex and had to try this recipe. I live alone so the mini slow cooker is perfect for me and this new one is wonderful. It has 3 heat selections and has everything the large 6 qt cooker has. Actually, it’s better than my large cooker. Anyway, I had a pork roast in the freezer that I had cut in half before I froze it and wanted to try this recipe so I thawed a piece of the pork roast and seasoned it (without the garlic) and put it in the cooker with the 1/4 c. water. Checked it after about 5 hrs and the thermometer said was Med/Rare so I left it in about 4 more hours. It was wonderful. It tasted so good I didn’t add the BBQ sauce to the shredded pork. I did add it to the meat that I made the sandwich with. I cooked it on low the whole time. I love this recipe, it is so easy to make. Most recipes have 42 ingredients and forever on prep time. The only time spent here was waiting for the roast to thaw. I didn’t do the fat separator thing either, but my roast was so small it hardly had any fat on it.
Doula says
This really looks fabulous! I’m gonna see if I can adapt it for the pressure cooker as my Doula work can be pretty irregular and it can be a quick fix for a healthy and delicious meal! :)
Amanda says
Sounds marvelous! I make mine in the slow cooker too :)
Miss P says
Okay, here’s a hint, I need one of those fat separator cups for Christmas. Of course, if you could manage a way to separate fat from my thighs, that would be better…….
Miss P
Lana says
If I could work out how to keep the fat off our thighs, I’d be a wealthy woman.
Tien says
Hi,
Do you have a favorite BBQ sauce? The sandwich looks delicious. :) -Tien
Lana says
Hi Tien. I use only my homemade barbecue sauce. Most of the commercial ones are just too sweet for me.
SMITH BITES says
it’s not lunchtime yet Lana but boy howdy, do i want one of those!!!
Lana says
Wish I could wrap one up and transport it right over to you, Debra! Did you want chips and a pickle with that?
Mary at Deep South Dish says
One of my favorites too for sure!
Lana says
It’s a favorite at our house, too! Thanks for stopping by, Mary.
Suzanne says
My favorite BBQ meal is pulled pork. This looks delicious! And I love the ease and peace of mind using my slow cooker. Excellent!!
Jennifer @ Jane Deere says
This looks delicious…and so simple! I love slow cooker recipes!
Chris says
looks pretty darn tasty! I would loke to sink my teeth into some of that right this instant. Can you make that happen, please?
Lana says
Meet you halfway between here and there with a couple of sandwiches :-)
Drick says
pulled pork is a southern tradition and anyone with a drawl in their gabble ought to have a handful of great recipes just like this one….
Lana says
Well, well. Proof that great minds really do think alike :-) Had no idea you’d just posted pulled pork yesterday! Love your combination of spices.
Big Boys Oven says
lovely and awesome, I love the way the pork being pulled gorgeous! :)
Liz @ Blog is the New Black says
Love the simplicity of this recipe. This is a favorite in my household- need to make it soon!
Lana says
Hi Liz – Hope you will make it and your family enjoys it as much as ours!
Barbara @ Modern Comfort Food says
Pulled pork is one of my all-time favorite main courses, but I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never actually cooked it. Rather, I always buy it as take-out from my favorite local smokehouse. You’ve really inspired me here to get with the program, finally buy a crock pot, and make it myself. Many thanks for this excellent recipe, Lana!
Lana says
You’re quite welcome, Barbara. Hope you’ll give it a try!
HoneyB says
This looks delish! I will have to make something similar (Grumpy has stopped eating pork!) I love your recipe!
Lana says
Thanks, Shelby! You could also use this same recipe with boneless, skinless chicken to make pulled bbq chicken.
Cookin' Canuck says
There is nothing better than knowing that there is a pork roast cooking in the crockpot, ready to full apart and eat by dinner time. Perfect recipe for these cold evenings.
Lana says
Isn’t it nice to come home to something ready in the slow cooker after a long, cold day?
Happier Than A Pig in Mud says
Looks great! That’s how I like it too, maybe just a splash of vinegar-dinner is served:@)
Lana says
What’s great about this kind of recipe is that you can add spices and seasonings to suit your personal tastes. Add a little vinegar, use a different sauce…whatever you like!
Cheri says
Thanx for this recipe … Got my shoulder roast in the crock pot as we speak.
Lana Stuart says
I really hope you enjoy it, Cheri!
carrie says
it doesnt say cook on high or cook on low? any one?
Lana Stuart says
It depends somewhat on your brand of slow cooker, but I cook it on low for 7 hours with one additional hour in the slow cooker after pulling.