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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

    Published: Jan 31, 2020 · Modified: Nov 6, 2021 by Alyssa · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    A pulled pork sandwich drizzled with BBQ sauce.

    Slow cooker pulled pork is a versatile main dish recipe perfect for sandwiches, nachos, tacos, and more. With easy prep and lots of hands-off time, you'll love the flavor of this slightly smoky and spiced up seasoning rub.

    A pulled pork sandwich drizzled with BBQ sauce.

    It's a new year and I'm already crossing off a resolution from my list: share my slow cooker pulled pork recipe on the blog.

    Not that that's a great big achievement or anything. I've been meaning to for years, actually, so if anything it's a sign of how successfully I can procrastinate.

    But still, let's round out the first month of the year with an easy win.

    P.S. If you're looking for something quicker, this coffee-rubbed (!) Instant Pot pulled pork will be more your speed.

    Reasons to Love This Recipe

    • The recipe prep is just about as simple as can be. Rub the meat, add everything to the slow cooker, and come back later to shred and eat. No searing in a separate pan.
    • The dry rub is made with pantry staples and flavors the pork so well, you don't even need to add sauce!
    • The cook time isn't finicky, and this recipe is pretty forgiving. There's no worry here of cooking it a bit too long and drying out the meat.
    • This recipe makes enough pulled pork to serve a crowd, and leftovers freeze very well.

    Recipe Ingredients

    Recipe ingredients with text labels on a marble board.
    • Onions: Two sliced onions cook underneath the pork and provide both moisture and flavor. No pre-cooking is needed, just slice them and place them raw in the slow cooker.
    • Broth: Either reduced-sodium chicken or beef broth will work (chicken is my preference).
    • Seasoning: Your favorite store-bought rub will work, but I've included the recipe for an easy, smoky, and perfectly seasoned rub made with pantry staples in the recipe card below.
    • Pork: You want a fattier cut of pork for pulled pork. Now is not the time for super lean pork tenderloin, a loin roast, or pork cutlets. Boston butt is my preference.

    Meat: The Best Cut For Pulled Pork

    Ideally use the Boston butt cut to make slow cooker pulled pork, also known as pork butt. This cut is from the thick shoulder region (not the rear!) and has lots of great fat marbling. More marbling means more flavor.

    If you're unable to get Boston/pork butt, pork shoulder is another good option. While it has a bit less marbling than a Boston butt, it's from the same region and will cook to be nice and shreddable. Either cut is best intended for low and slow methods like crock pot cooking.

    Pulled Pork Seasoning

    All of the spices for the seasoning rub in a ceramic bowl

    While your favorite pre-made spice rub would definitely work, I'm partial to this blend of herbs and spices, made with all (or nearly all) pantry staples. This pulled pork spice blend includes:

    • brown sugar
    • kosher salt
    • chili powder
    • black pepper
    • paprika
    • garlic powder
    • cumin
    • cayenne pepper, and
    • cinnamon

    It's spiced, smoky, and warm, from the tiniest bit of cinnamon. It might seem out of place adding cinnamon to a savory meat recipe, but it really ties the flavors together and adds warmth and something special.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    1. First stir together all of the rub ingredients in a small bowl.
    All of the spices stirred together in a small bowl with a spoon
    1. Next trim the fat cap aiming to leave about ⅛" to ¼" on the pork butt. What is the fat cap? More on that below.

    Trimming the Fat Cap

    I know I just said that we want the fat in our pork shoulder or Boston butt to make pulled pork, but my preference is to trim away SOME of the fat cap, which is the very thick, hard, and solid white layer of fat along one side of the meat.

    Reason being is that we want the spice rub to get a chance to get in there with the meat, and this super thick layer can get in the way. There's plenty of fat marbled throughout the meat that I've never found pulled pork made with a somewhat trimmed fat cap dry or lacking in flavor.

    It also doesn't break down entirely as the meat cooks, and will have to be sliced into small pieces in order to mix into the pulled pork at the end. When doing that with a full cap-on cut of meat, I usually end up discarding a portion of the fat cap when slicing because it's just too fatty. 

    Disclaimer: I know there are multiple schools of thought here, making do-you-or-do-you-not-trim-the-fat-cap a controversial subject. Some say leaving it on and placing it cap-side up helps baste the meat as it cooks.

    Curious if I have been in the wrong for years by trimming the fat cap, I found this interesting Amazing Ribs article that digs into the science behind all things fat cap. They advocate for trimming the cap in most circumstances to between one-eighth and one-quarter of an inch. (Since the slow cooker most certainly does not produce a crisp exterior on anything, I say we're exempt from the situation where leaving it on would be beneficial.)

    Setting Up the Crock Pot

    1. Slice the onions and place them in the bottom of the slow cooker.
    2. Pour the broth into the slow cooker.
    3. Rub the combined spices on all sides of the pork butt and place it in the slow cooker.
    A seasoned Boston butt on a bed of sliced onion in the crock pot before being cooked
    1. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 8-10 hours or HIGH heat for 7-8 hours, or until the butt reaches a temperature between 195-200°F and it's tender enough that a fork can easily be inserted to break it up into shreds. The size of the meat and the quirks of your particular slow cooker will determine precisely how long it takes.
    Cooked Boston butt in the slow cooker before being shredded into pulled pork
    1. Transfer the cooked pork butt to a cutting board (some pieces may separate out as it's fall-apart tender!). Using two forks, shred the pork into bite-sized pieces, discarding excess fatty bits and the bone, if using a bone-in cut.
    Shredded pulled pork on a wooden cutting board.
    1. Pour the cooking liquid through a strainer (reserving it), then add the onions back to the slow cooker.
    2. Add the shredded pulled pork back to the slow cooker. Skim some of the fat off of the cooking liquid before pouring some of the cooking liquid back into the slow cooker. Toss with the onion and pulled pork, then serve as-is, or with your favorite BBQ sauce.
    Shredded pulled pork in the slow cooker ready to serve

    Expert Tips

    • If you're looking for a quicker way to shred slow cooker pulled pork, place the cooked meat in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and "mix" on the lowest speed until the pork is broken up into small shreds. Cover the stand mixer with a pouring shield or clean kitchen towel so you don't burn yourself on the hot shreds if they fly out.
    • If your slow cooker is on the smaller side (4 - 4.5 quart) you may want to choose a boneless Boston butt as it will be smaller than the bone-in varieties and will be easier to fit in the slow cooker.
    • While low heat is generally recommended for cooking crock pot pulled pork, I have made it on both low and high heat numerous times and honestly don't find it dry or lacking in any way using high. This is a long cooking recipe even on high heat, so shaving off 2-3 hours can make things easier.
    An overhead picture of a pulled pork sandwich on an onion roll on a plate with a side of southern greens

    Recipe FAQs

    What temperature should pulled pork be?

    Just like with grilled chicken drumsticks, we want to go beyond the minimum food safety temperature here for ideal texture. While the minimum temperature for fresh pork is 145°F (per foodsafety.gov), we want to aim for the pork roast to register in the 195-200°F range so that the connective tissues have broken down sufficiently and the pork can easily be shreddable.

    How much pulled pork per person to serve?

    This amount will vary depending upon how you're serving it. Count on one-third cup of cooked pulled pork per person (think a nice scoop for a slider). Keep in mind that a raw pork butt will shed fat and liquid during the trimming/cooking process, so it's not a straight "every one pound of raw pork will feed three people" calculation. A 4 ½ pound pork roast will yield roughly 8-10 cooked pulled pork servings.

    What to do with leftover pulled pork?

    Eating the same pulled pork sandwich over and over again can get a little boring. Adding pulled pork to nachos (like in these loaded BBQ pulled pork nachos) is one of my favorite things to do with leftovers. I'll eat these for dinner with a side salad. Adding pulled pork to quesadillas is also an easy meal, but if you want something more unconventional, check out this pulled pork breakfast bowl. Perfect for savory breakfast lovers.

    What to Serve with Pulled Pork

    • Southern Instant Pot Collard Greens - a classic Southern staple.
    • Easy Skillet Roasted Corn - something different! These can be spiced up so many different ways.
    • Garlic Sauteed Green Beans - no blanching needed.
    • Instant Pot Mac and Cheese - if you don't mind dueling appliances, this recipe is done in a flash.

    More Slow Cooker Recipes

    • Slow Cooker Beef Shoulder Roast
    • Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Mushroom Sauce
    • Slow Cooker Cocktail Meatballs
    • Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

    If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating in the recipe card and/or a comment review below!

    A pulled pork sandwich drizzled with BBQ sauce.

    Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

    Slow cooker pulled pork is a versatile main dish recipe perfect for sandwiches, nachos, tacos, and more. With easy prep and a slightly smoky and spiced up seasoning rub, this crock pot pulled pork has such a great flavor!
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 8 hours
    Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
    Servings: 10 (estimated)
    Calories: 392kcal
    Author: Alyssa

    Ingredients

    • 2 onions, thinly sliced
    • 1 cup reduced-sodium beef or chicken broth
    • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
    • 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 4 - 4 ½ lb Boston butt (pork butt) or pork shoulder, bone-in or boneless
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Thinly slice onions and place them in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour in broth over the onions.
    • Add brown sugar, kosher salt, chili powder, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon to a small bowl and stir to combine evenly.
    • Trim some excess fat from the fat cap (the thick solid white layer of fat along one side of the Boston butt), aiming to leave an ⅛"-¼" layer on the pork. Rub all sides of the Boston butt well with the spice mix, then place it into the slow cooker on top of the onions.
    • Set the slow cooker on HIGH heat for 7-8 hours, or LOW heat for 8-10 hours, or until it reaches 195-200°F and a fork can easily pierce the meat to pull off into shreds.
    • Remove cooked Boston butt to a cutting board and shred using two forks. Discard any excess fatty bits and the bone if you have a bone-in cut.
    • Strain the liquid in the slow cooker, then add the onions back to the slow cooker. Add the shredded pork back to the slow cooker, too.
    • At this time you can toss the pulled pork with your favorite BBQ sauce, or use some of the reserved liquid. If using the liquid, skim off the fat that rises to the top before adding a little bit to the slow cooker and tossing, until it's moist to your liking.

    Notes

    Pork: A Boston butt (also known as pork butt) is preferred for this recipe for its fat marbling. While a pork shoulder has less marbling, it can also work here to make tasty crock pot pulled pork.
    Slow cooker size: The slow cooker you see in these photos is round and has a 4.5-quart capacity. It fits a 4 to 4 ½-lb pork shoulder/Boston butt comfortably. A larger slow cooker would be just fine to use, though I would caution against using one smaller than 4.5 quarts. If your slow cooker is on the smaller side, I recommend a boneless pork butt as it will be smaller than bone-in.
    Storage Instructions: Store leftover pulled pork along with the skimmed cooking liquid in air-tight containers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
    Freezer Instructions: Once cooled, place pulled pork in batches in air-tight containers or sealable plastic bags (with the excess air pressed out) with the skimmed cooking liquid. This makes it easier to just pull out what you need for a meal. Freeze for 3-4 months, reheating the pulled pork in a pot on the stove over low heat.
    Nutrition: Nutritional information is an estimate for the meat only/cooking liquid and additional BBQ sauce, sandwich buns or whatever else you might serve it with.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 392kcal
    Tried this Recipe?Tag @mysequinedlife - I love to see what you're making!

    Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.

    Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer

    Method with slicing the onions/base spice rub adapted from chowhound. 

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