Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Slow cooker pulled pork is my favorite way to serve a crowd! This pork is coated in a homemade spice rub, then simmered in the crockpot until tender. Shred the meat, then dinner is ready to serve! Crockpot pulled pork is easy, tender, delicious and everyone always loves it!
With just about 10 minutes of prep, this recipe is perfect to add to the slow cooker before heading out for the day. You’ll come home to a crockpot full of tender, juicy pulled pork, perfect for sandwiches.
On busy days when I know I won’t have much time to prepare dinner, I love to use my slow cooker. My family absolutely loves this simple, yet satisfying pulled pork. It’s so delicious, I personally think it’s the best slow cooker pulled pork. And it makes for such an easy and versatile dinner option – it can be used in so many different ways. It’s a great option for a huge family dinner, for game day or even parties. I make this recipe at least once a month!
Let the slow cooker do all of the work, and then pile this pulled pork on toasted buns and top with some fresh homemade coleslaw for a meal that’s always a hit! We also love this slow cooker pulled pork piled on baked potatoes or served with Cauliflower Au Gratin or Mac and Cheese.
How To Make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork?
- Rub the pork with a homemade seasoning blend.
- To give the pork even more flavor, brown the outside of the meat in a pan with some oil.
- Add the pork to the slow cooker and cook it until tender.
- Once cooked, shred with 2 forks and stir back into the juices.
- If you’d like, you can add BBQ sauce to the meat. Serve on buns or rolls!
What Cut Of Meat Is Best For Pulled Pork?
For juicy, tender pulled pork, you want a cut of meat with some marbling for flavor and to keep the pork from drying out. The best cut of meat for pulled pork is pork shoulder. Pork butt and pork shoulder both come from the shoulder of the hog and either will work great. Either part of the pork shoulder will result in a wonderful taste and texture. However, if you have a choice between the top of the pork shoulder (the Boston butt) or the bottom of the pork shoulder (the picnic roast), choose the Boston butt. It will be the most juicy, tender, and super flavorful!
Tips For Crockpot Pulled Pork
- Browning the meat before adding it to the slow cooker is optional. If I have the extra time, I like to brown it because it brings out a lot of extra flavor to the pulled pork.
- The spice rub listed in the recipe card, below, is very tasty and so easy. However, you can use a store bought spice mix, if preferred.
- You can use bone in or boneless pork shoulder. If you use bone in pork shoulder, simply remove the meat from the bone before you shred it.
- For the best results and most tender meat, I recommend slow cooking the pork on low for 8 hours. I would NOT turn the setting to high and only cook the pork for 4-6 hours.
- If you prefer saucy pulled pork, simply add about 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce to the meat once it is shredded.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Serving Suggestions
- My favorite way to serve pulled pork is piled high on a toasted bun and topped with fresh, creamy, crisp coleslaw! Use my easy homemade coleslaw recipe that is absolutely delicious. I give instructions for shredding your own cabbage or using a bag mix.
- Pulled pork is also wonderful spooned over baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes or even baked macaroni and cheese.
- Use pulled pork in tortillas topped with avocado, sour cream and cheese for taco night.
- To use up leftover pulled pork use it as a pizza topping, for nachos or add it to soup or salad.
Slow cooker pulled pork is honestly one of my favorite meals. It always comes out so tender, flavorful and delicious. It’s amazing in a sandwich, on pizza, for tacos, or to simply eat as-is with some chips and potato salad. Using a crockpot makes it such an easy meal too! This one is definitely a crowd pleaser!
More Slow Cooker Recipes You’ll Love
Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup
If you try this slow cooker pulled pork recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. It’s so fun to see what you’re cooking! Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds pork shoulder, bone in or boneless, can also use country style pork ribs
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 onion, chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, salt and brown sugar. Rub this all over the pork shoulder.
- Heat a large pot with about 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Brown the pork shoulder on all sides about 3-4 minutes per side. on the stove.
- Place pork shoulder in the slow cooker with the onions and cook on the low setting for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred the pork with two forks and mix it all up with the "pan sauce" that's inside the slow cooker.
- Serve on toasted buns with coleslaw.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I made this and it was delicious!! I made pulled pork tacos topped with cilantro and guacamole. This is a good idea for a quick dinner meal since it’s in the crock pot. I used the leftovers to make breakfast tacos with a fried egg on top! So good!!
This pulled pork recipe was so delicious! Loved the flavor!
Just made this for dinner tonight. So easy and super yummy. The family loved it. Will be adding this to our family menu =)
Thank you, Kim, for this delicious recipe! Made it for Sunday dinner and my entire family loved it! The pork was so tender and flavorful.
is this recipe very spicy or not because i do not like a lot of spice
No, it isn’t.
Excellent recipe. Super easy and tasty! It’s an instant hit with my family. So versatile too! Can make tacos, salads, sandwiches. Thank you Kim! Super yummy go-to recipe!
I made this recipe yesterday for dinner and my family LOVED it! My husband especially!
Hello! The pork came out delicious but I did add 1 c of beef broth to the recipe. Also, do you know how much pulled pork makes up one serving?
Glad you enjoyed! I only divided the recipe into 8 equal servings for calculating nutrition but I’m not sure how many grams or cups each serving is.
Looks like a great recipe and I’m going to try it. I need to know how many pounds of boston butt should I buy for 12 servings?
Thanks
Hi Karen! I would buy at least 6 pounds. Enjoy!
Hello, would you change the cooking time for a 10 lb shoulder? Should I cook it all in one slow cooker, or cut in half and cook in 2 separate slow cookers? Thank you so much!
I haven’t tried cooking one that large, so I can’t say for sure, but I’m thinking it would need a little more cooking time. If you have the availability and it’s not too much hassle, I would cut it in half and cook in two separate slow cookers. Hope you enjoy!
Asking this tonight. I’ll let you know how it comes out. I have chosen it because there is no tomato in the recipe. I can’t eat tomato anymore.
Can you use thick boneless loin pork chops ? I have a bunch in the freezer.
I haven’t tried that, but as long as the weight is about the same as specified in the recipe, I think it would work. Let us know how it turns out if you give it a try.
Hi. Was hoping to make today, but I’ll only have 5-6 hours to cook it in crock pot….you don’t specify whether it’s 8 hours on high or low so I’m wondering if you meant low, then may it will take less time on high and I can get it done on time?
Yes, I would do high for 5-6 hours. I think that will be just fine. Enjoy!
Do you think if I cut a 15lb pork in half that the cook times would be the same?
I think that would work fine.
Dont you need to add some fluid for the crockpot? Or should I just follow this recipe as it says?
No, you don’t. The pork will release a lot of juices as it cooks.
Okay, thanks for the fast reply!
Thank you for the recipe. Can’t wait to see how it turns out. The smallest roast I could find was 7 lbs. You said in your comments not to cook on high but I’m not sure it will be done in time given it’s size. Is it am absolute no no to cook on high?
I think you’ll be fine to cook on high. Let me know how it turns out.
I have a 7 1/2 lb bone in Boston butt. How much time do you think I will need in slow cooker? Thank you.
It will depend on your slow cooker, but I think cooked on low for 12 hours would be good. Hope it turns out great!
Turned out sooo good. First time making pulled pork and this will be my go to recipe. I also did add a little beef broth. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
So happy to hear that you enjoyed, Lisa! Thanks so much for your comment!
This was amazing!Great flavor! I put the rub on the roast and let it sit for 30 minutes at room temp. Then browned each side. Definitely making again!
Oh that makes me so happy! Thanks so much for taking time to comment!
I just put in an 8 pound roast, if I have it on high do you think it will be cooked through and tender in 6 hours?
I’m pretty sure it will be. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much for the quick feedback! We just finished dinner tonight and it was a hit. We cooked the 8 lb roast on high for 6 hours and it was so tender it was falling apart! The spice rub gave it a lovely flavor, I seared it on all sides before putting it in the cooker as well.
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking time to come back and leave a comment. 🙂
This was the best-pulled pork. Very flavorful and just fell apart. Absolutely loved this recipe!! No need to search for other recipes.
Yay! So glad that you enjoyed and thanks so much for your comment!
Hi Kim… I want to make this but have a few questions.
My pork butt has a fat cap. Do you recommend trimming it or removing it?
If I do not remove the fat cap, should I slow cook with the fat cap on the bottom or top?
Your time seems to vary in your responses above. Can you please provide your recommended cook time for a 5 to 7 lb. pork butt on the “low” setting?
Kind regards,
Nick
Hi Nick, I would check the internal temp after 8 hours and it’s done when it reaches 190 degrees. It will be very tender, falling off the bone. As for the fat cap, here is an article that might be helpful. https://www.foodfirefriends.com/pork-butt-fat-side-up-or-down/ Let me know how it turns out!
Hi Kim… thank you for your reply and the link regarding the fat cap. When I smoke pork butt I have the fat cap down but wasn’t sure with a slow cooker.
I have the pork butt going now and it’s smelling really.
Thanks again,
Nick
Made this last night, and we could not stop eating it! Absolutely delicious!! Followed the instructions as written (doubled spices since I had a 7.5lb pork shoulder, still cooked low for 8 hrs)
So happy to hear!! Thanks so much for your feedback because several people have asked about cook time for larger pieces of meat. Super helpful!
Do I still use the same rub if I’m adding bbq sauce? Will it alter the taste of the bbq sauce?
It’s totally a personal decision, but I personally when. I also looked up some other popular recipes that use bbq sauce and they also use a rub. Enjoy!
Hi, I read the article linked above about the fat cap up/down. It suggests trimming the fat cap.
Do you recommend trimming any of the fat before rub and searing?
Any harm in cooking it on low in the slow cooker for more than 8 hours (say 10 hours)?
Hi Steve,
I typically don’t trim any of the fat other than the fat cap. I think 10 hours on low would be fine, depending on size of pork. Enjoy!
Hello! I have a bunch of pork tenderloin I need to use up. Will tenderloin work ok??? Thanks
That should work fine. For about 2 pounds, I would cook 6-8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Let us know how it turns out.
Soooo good and incredibly easy! If you have leftovers do you keep all the juice with it or do you drain some of it out? I made this amount for just my boyfriend and I and we’re planning on using some of it for carnitas and more sandwiches. The coleslaw was great as well!
This recipe was so good! The pork was tender and had great flavor!
That’s awesome! So glad you enjoyed and thanks for taking time to comment!
I used this with pheasant breast. I added dry mustard , celery seed (1/2 t each) & 2-3 T of Worcestershire sauce. I used smoke paprika instead of reg paprika. After 6 hours in crock pot I shredded meat & added some Baby Rays BBQ sauce. The best pulled pheasant bbq that I have made thus far! Thanks for this recipe!
I also used less cumin & no salt but added 2 t of weber pub chicken seasoning with additional ingredients as listed in previous comment.
Thanks so much for all of your feedback! All of your modifications sound fabulous. So happy you enjoyed!
Could the leftovers be frozen? I will be making those for just my husband and I. I know we won’t go through that much even eating leftovers. Thank you!
Yes, allow the pulled pork to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe bag or container. It will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. Hope you enjoy!
This freezes well, especially if you really fill your ziploc bags full and squeeze the air out of the tips of the bag corners…There isn’t any space between the pork and the bag when I seal it. I then roll it up. For about 2 months in the freezer it will be good.
Thanks so much for the update! That’s great to know!
I made this today for Super Bowl Sunday. It was so good! My family loved it. Thank you!!
I forgot to say that I made it with a pork loin and it came out great!! So good!!
Awesome! So happy to hear and thanks so much for taking time to comment.
If I cook a 9 lb roast I assume if I double the spices it’s all good or will that be too salty?
I’m sure doubling the spices would be fine.
So easy to experiment with for variations in taste. Tried cooking 4# pork loin 8hrs low in 10oz of beer but still using all spices. Drain before shredding. Flavor was AMAZING. Get creative!
Yum! I love that idea. Thanks so much for taking time to leave feedback!
So I have looked all the way through your site and have tried a bunch of recipes and I love them all!! I have yet to find a recipe of yours that I don’t like! 😃 The pulled pork is definitely one of my favorites. The kids ate it right up!
I was wondering, I can’t find a chicken enchilada recipe. Do you have one?
I love hearing this SO much! Thanks so much for taking time to leave a comment. Yes, I have this chicken enchilada recipe that we love https://www.kimscravings.com/easy-chicken-enchiladas/ we also love this beef enchilada recipe https://www.kimscravings.com/beef-enchiladas/ and I have a few vegetarian enchilada recipes. You can always use the search bar and typically find what you’re looking for. 🙂
Made this recipe for the first time for supper tonight. I used about a 3.5 lb pork shoulder/pork butt & followed directions exactly. The flavor was delicious but there was a large amount of liquid when it was done cooking. I was able to take out at least 1 cup of liquid but even then it was really liquidy. Any idea what I did wrong/how to prevent this in the future? I thought maybe next time I could take the meat out of the crockpot before shredding to get it out of all the liquid/juices & see if that helps. We prefer our pulled pork without much juice but also not dry either. Thanks for any thoughts you might have.
Hi Kristin, I have no idea why you had so much liquid. Was your pork frozen before cooking? That’s the only thing I can think that may have made it so liquidy. Sorry I’m not more help.
Do you not have to add any liquid
Nope!