Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Slow cooker pulled pork is easy to make and lives up to its name with perfectly seasoned pull-apart tender pork that melts right in your mouth.

Why this recipe works

Slow cooker pulled pork makes for juicy, tender, and easily shreddable pork that tastes great on buns or stuffed inside tortillas. Coated in a tangy seasoned barbecue sauce and piled on top of a toasted bun, it’s up there with some of my favorite crockpot recipes for a reason!

Making pulled pork in the crockpot leaves room for other prep in the kitchen because the crockpot does all the work for you. If you’re looking for a quicker method of making pulled pork, but still want the hands-off experience, I highly suggest you check out my instant pot pulled pork recipe.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

PORK – Pork shoulder is the best cut of meat for crockpot pulled pork, though you can certainly use pork butt as well. Pork butt and pork shoulder come from the shoulder of the pig. You may also find these listed as Boston butt, Boston roast, and picnic roast at the grocery store. Boneless or bone-in can both be used.

VINEGAR – I used rice vinegar, but you can substitute with apple cider vinegar if desired. Rice vinegar is more mellow in flavor compared to other vinegars that can sometimes be pretty harsh.

How to Make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

Pour the vegetable oil into the bottom of a 5-6 quart crockpot. Place the pork roast into the slow cooker.
Combine the barbecue sauce, rice vinegar, and chicken broth and whisk together. Add the brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion, garlic, and thyme. Whisk everything together and pour over the pork roast.
Cover and cook on high for 5 hours. Let roast sit in crockpot on warm for up to an hour, then shred the meat with 2 forks.
Strain the sauce and discard solids. Mix a teaspoon of cornstarch with a small amount of water to make a paste. Continue adding water, a little at a time, to make the cornstarch mixture thinner.
Add cornstarch mixture and strained sauce to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer ten minutes or until slightly thickened.
Pour half of the sauce into the shredded meat and combine. Add more if needed, serve the remainder on the side.
Optional: Spread the inside of both halves of hamburger buns with butter. Toast the buns, butter side down, in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Spoon pork into the toasted buns.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

How do I store leftovers?

Store leftover pulled pork in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 2 months.

Can I cook it on low?

Yes, you can cook the pork on low for 8-9 hours, checking periodically at the last few hours for doneness. The meat should be pull apart tender when done.

Can I make it in the instant pot?

Yes, we have a separate post for instant pot pulled pork, however, the recipe is slightly different. You can use this post as the basic instructions for cooking pulled pork in the instant pot if you’d like to keep the same ingredients from the slow cooker version.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork sandwich on plate with fries

Serving Suggestions

Serve slow cooker pulled pork on a bun as is or top it with coleslaw or pickle chips sandwiched in between. This is the recipe I reach for when I’m looking for something to feed a crowd at parties or potlucks as you can also serve it on Hawaiian rolls as sliders.

For sides, we like to pair it with french fries, mashed potatoes, chips, coleslaw, or sweet potato fries, and because this recipe is super popular for parties it always goes great with potato salad, macaroni salad, or pasta salads!

More Slow Cooker Recipes

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This post originally appeared here on September 11, 2010 and has since been updated with new photos and expert tips.

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Amanda Davis

President at Amanda's Creative Studio, Inc.

Amanda Davis is the entrepreneurial mom of four grown children and four step children. She and her husband, Chef Antoine, love to cook together creating recipes for this blog. Amanda also make kid's crafts and creates decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years. She is also a craft book author five times over and product developer as well as the owner of FunFamilyCrafts.com. You can find her on social media by using the buttons to the left!