Perfect for a quick and versatile dinner.
Tender, melt in your mouth Crockpot Pulled Pork. Use it for BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, top nachos, add it tacos & it feeds a crowd!
Crockpot Pulled Pork Ingredients
You may have many of these ingredients at home already. I always see sales on Boston butts, and when I snag them, I know exactly what I’m making! If you freeze the roast before cooking, it takes about 36-48 hours to fully defrost in your fridge so definitely keep that in mind.
Pork & More
- Boston Butt Roast – sometimes called butt roast or shoulder roast. I buy the bone-in, not only is it typically cheaper, but the meat next to the bone contains the best melt in your mouth pieces. After cooking low and slow, the meat falls right off the bone. If you don’t want to deal with it, you can also use a boneless Boston butt
- apple cider vinegar or white vinegar if it’s all you have – I don’t recommend balsamic or red wine vinegar
- Dr. Pepper – or Coke, Dr. Thunder, you get the gist! I buy the mini cans. I have tested the roast with more vinegar and no soda but the crowd favorite always contains some type of soda. My 4th and 5th tests were with apple juice and that was a close second, so if you are not opt to buying soda, use apple juice in its place.
Seasonings
- smoked paprika
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- ground mustard
- kosher salt
- brown sugar
- cayenne pepper
What To Do with Pulled Pork
This crockpot pulled pork is incredibly versatile and to keep it that way, I avoid making it BBQ forward from the start. Yes, the seasonings lean towards that smokier flavor, but you don’t only have to turn it into a BBQ meal.
With that said – yes, it is great for BBQ! Some of our favorites are Pulled Pork Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls, traditional BBQ Pulled Pork sandwiches with slaw, and Loaded BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos (perfect for football season)!
It’s also great for Mexican-inspired dishes like tacos, quesadillas, and burritos. I also love to use leftovers for burrito bowls! You can refresh the meat in a pot on the stove with additional seasonings and chicken broth to give the meat additional flavor depending on what you’re making.
A 3 pound Boston butt can feed at least 6 people. I am able to load up a pack of Hawaiian rolls, make a sheet tray of nachos, and still have leftovers for burrito bowls for lunch throughout the week.
How to Make Pulled Pork in the Crockpot
I always expect crockpot meals to be pretty simple and straightforward, and this crockpot pulled pork is no exception!
Mix up your seasonings and press them into all sides of your pork. Keep any fat caps to allow it to naturally add extra flavor. When you shred the pork after cooking, the fat just falls away and you can easily remove it. If you have leftover seasoning, throw it in the bottom of the crockpot with the liquids!
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
The roast cooks all day low and slow in the crockpot, so you can easily set it and forget it until when you need it.
3 pounds makes a great deal of pork, I like to use it within 3 days amongst various recipes. With the ability to change up the flavor profile, I don’t find we get tired of it.
Store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Heat it up on the stove top with chicken broth and taco seasoning, throw it on a sheet tray with nacho chips, or easily heat it up in the microwave and mix it with BBQ sauce!
This fresh and Creamy Cucumber Salad goes great alongside pulled pork sandwiches!
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Crockpot Pulled Pork
- Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Tender and flavorful crockpot pulled pork.
Ingredients
- 3 pound bone-in pork Boston butt roast
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup Dr. Pepper, Coca-Cola, or apple juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Remove the pork roast from the packaging and pat dry.
- Combine your spices: 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons ground mustard, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper.
- Cover all sides of your roast with the spice mixture, patting it in to help it stick.
- Add the roast to your crockpot.
- Pour ½ cup Dr. Pepper (or the liquid you are using) and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar into the crockpot along with any remaining seasoning mixture.
- Turn on the crockpot to low and cook for 8-10 hours.
- When cool enough to handle, place the roast on a cutting board. It should be falling off the bone. Shred the meat with two forks and discard the bones and fat.
- The meat will be very soft and tender. If you like crispy tips on your pulled pork, drizzle with the juices from the crockpot and bake in the oven at 350°F for several minutes until it reaches the crispiness you desire.
- Serve with barbecue sauce on buns, use it in tacos and quesadillas, top nachos, and more!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Mains
- Method: Crockpot
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to cook it in the crockpot on low?
I highly recommend cooking on low for at least 8 hours. A 3-pound roast is quite large, to get it tender and falling off the bone, low and slow is ideal.
Can I remove some fat before cooking?
Yes, you can remove fat before cooking, but after cooking low and slow a lot of the fat renders and it adds great flavor to the roast. A lot of the fat will be in the liquid which we are not using anyways. When shredding with two forks, any remaining fat is very obvious and easy to separate.
Creamy Cucumber Salad
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