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Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe

Name: Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 500 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 2.5 pounds pork tenderloin or boneless pork shoulder/pork butt; 1 cup BBQ sauce; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

October 23, 2018 4 Comments »

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The best slow cooker BBQ pulled pork recipe! Tender and flavorful pulled pork is so easy to make in your crockpot. Perfect for busy days or for feeding a crowd.

This Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork recipe is so good and so easy! I make it all the time on busy days. My kids love it!

It takes just five minutes to throw everything for this pulled pork in your slow cooker in the morning. It can cook all day if you are going to be at work or otherwise out of the house.

This pulled pork recipe is a crockpot dump recipe, meaning you put everything in your crock pot, turn it on, and that’s it. The pulled pork cooks low and slow all day and you come home to a flavorful home-cooked meal.

I like to make a batch of pulled pork at the beginning of the week because I can serve it a couple of different ways during the week. Our favorite are classic BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, with extra BBQ sauce and my homemade coleslaw recipe. This pulled pork recipe also makes great tacos, nachos, quesadillas and lettuce wraps. If you’re craving pulled pork and forget to plan ahead for your slow cooker, try my faster Instant Pot Pulled Pork.

This slow cooker pulled pork is a simple, 5-ingredient recipe. Here’s how you make it.

What cut of meat to use for pulled pork

You can make this pulled pork recipe with pork tenderloin, pork shoulder or Boston butt. Most pulled pork recipes call for pork shoulder or pork butt, but I prefer to use pork tenderloin because it is leaner. Pork shoulder/Boston butt creates a slightly more flavorful pulled pork because it is a fattier cut of meat. Pork tenderloin makes a healthier pulled pork because pork loin is a leaner cut of meat.

If you are making this pulled pork recipe for a large group of people, I recommend using Pork shoulder/Boston butt because they are usually a larger cut of meat and more budget-friendly.

How to make Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

Ingredients for slow cooker pulled pork

Just a few ingredients are all you need to make tender, flavorful BBQ pulled pork:

Pork tenderloin or pork shoulder/Boston butt – see my notes above about which cut of meat to use for this pulled pork recipe
BBQ sauce – use your favorite BBQ sauce as the flavor will create the flavor of the final dish. I like to look for a BBQ sauce with lower sugar and a short ingredient list. If you have 5 extra minutes I highly recommend making my healthy homemade BBQ sauce. You can just dump all of the ingredients in your slow cooker (no need to simmer on the stove).
Apple cider vinegar – this helps to tenderize the meat and adds a kick of flavor
Spice rub – for this recipe, I keep the spice rub simple with chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

This slow cooker pulled pork recipe is so simple to make! You don’t need to sear or brown the meat before adding it to your slow cooker. You won’t notice much difference in the flavor of the pulled pork if you do brown the meat, so save yourself a step and some time.

To prep this recipe, put all of the ingredients in your slow cooker. You can either cook it for 8-9 hours on the low setting or for 5-6 hours on the high setting. I recommend the low setting if you have the time because the slower cooking process allows the meat to turn out more tender.

The pulled pork is done when it shreds easily with a fork. Before shredding, let the meat rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes. This will help the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, for juicier shredded pork.

How to make pulled pork for the freezer

You can make this slow cooker BBQ pulled pork recipe as a freezer to crockpot meal. Place all of the ingredients in a heavy duty zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook the pork, thaw it for 24 hours in the refrigerator and then cook in your slow cooker as directed in the recipe.

You can also freeze cooked pulled pork for 2-3 months. Cool completely and then freeze the shredded pork with the cooking sauce in an airtight container.

Tips for making this slow cooker bbq pulled pork recipe

For healthier pulled pork, choose a BBQ sauce that has lower sugar and a short ingredient list.
Cook your pork for pulled pork using your slow cooker’s low setting if you have time because the slow cooking process leads to more tender meat. If you don’t have 8 hours, you can use the high setting.
Pulled pork freezes well. Cool the shredded pork completely, seal it in an airtight container with the cooking sauce, and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw, heat and serve.
You can reheat pulled pork in the microwave, but I get the best results reheating it on the stove. Place your pulled pork in a small saucepan and add a little BBQ sauce, water or broth. Cover the pot and heat over low until warmed through, stirring occasionally.

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