Slow Cooker Pulled Pork starts with a dry rub, then gets basted in a Carolina style vinegar sauce. Fall off the bone tender, juicy, and delicious.
This is my favorite crockpot recipe of all time- and I’ve been making it for almost 20 years now (20? gah!) I still remember my first bite into this flavorful, buttery-tender meat. My friend Christine had served it up and I immediately demanded asked for the recipe. Since then, every member of my family, immediate and extended, has been served this Slow Cooked Pulled Pork at one time or another because it’s one of those recipes that’s incredibly easy (set-it-and-forget-it). It’s also one that ensures people will be asking for more.
Today the blue recipe card that features my much-younger, much-neater, pre just-snap-a-picture-on-my-phone handwriting is blotted with stains and crinkled a bit from being pulled out and used so many times. Slow Cooker Pulled Pork was and still is “the” recipe to ensure that “wow!” factor for a successful meal but without a lot of effort. Plus it feeds a ton of people so it’s the perfect party recipe.
Right out of the slow cooker, the roast is ready for shredding. The onions are as soft as butter.
Success is achieved in two quick steps. First a dry rub of brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper is patted all over the meat which is then placed over onions in the pot. And since this is a Carolina-style pulled pork, a quick wet sauce is made featuring cider vinegar, Worchestershire, crushed red pepper flakes, dry mustard, garlic, and a tiny bit of cayenne. Truly incredible.
Then low and slow is the key to absolute perfection for success. I can’t stress enough that low temperature is the way to go with this roast. I’ve made the mistake of trying to cook it on high before and it just doesn’t quite get as tender as when it’s cooked on low for 8 to 10 (or even more) hours.The roast in these pictures was a 6-pounder and I actually cooked it overnight for 10 1/2 hours.
Before I leave you all so you can add the pork shoulder to your next grocery list (I’ll bet you have most all the other ingredients already in your pantry), I want to give a quick personal “thank you!” to my friend Chris- This recipe always reminds me of when you served it on sandwiches and wow’d us all. 😉 And to all you other awesome friends- Why not serve this up for some of your friends… they’ll never forget you and they’ll be sure to thank you.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 2 large onions, quartered
- 2 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon paprika, regular or smoked
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4-6 pounds pork butt or shoulder roast, boneless or bone-in
- ¾ cup cider vinegar
- 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
Accompaniment Options:
- Hamburger buns, favorite bbq sauce, cole slaw, garlic mashed potatoes
Cook's Note:
- If your roast is on the larger size, feel free to double the rub ingredients (brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper)
Instructions
- Place 2 quartered onions in slow cooker. Combine 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon paprika, 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper; rub over roast. Place roast over onions.
- Combine ¾ cup vinegar, 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes, 1 ½ teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon mustard, ½ teaspoon garlic salt, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne. Stir to mix well.
- Drizzle about ⅓ of the vinegar mixture carefully over the roast, ensuring the rub stays intact on the meat. Cover and refrigerate the remaining vinegar mixture.
- Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low 8 to 10 hours (I have tried cooking this recipe on high in the past and the meat never comes out as tender as when cooked on low, but if you must cook it on high, cook it for 6 hours)
- Drizzle another ⅓ of reserved vinegar mixture over roast during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Remove meat and onions from slow cooker. Shred meat. If desired, add some of your favorite barbecue sauce to the shredded meat with extra to pour over top. Serve pork with onions on buns, passing around remaining vinegar mixture to drizzle over sandwiches. Another serving method (our favorite) is to serve as a main dish with garlic mashed potatoes on the side, drizzled with the vinegar mixture.
Recipe from long-time friend, Chris Calder Coombs.
Delicious and easy to make! I used Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet and Spicy…gives it a nice kick!
This looks SO GOOD! We have a family reunion coming up this summer and this pork would be perfect to have for that. We could have the option of buns or no buns and different sauces… yum! I cant wait! So glad you shared this recipe Sally Thank you!!
Just made this the other day for dinner and I have to admit, I pretty much inhaled it! The flavors are so good together and with Cole slaw-even better! Thanks Sally, another favorite from GDM 🙂
Wow, I cannot wait to make this! Those onions look so good too. What a great idea to quarter them and have big chunks for us onion lovers.
This recipe is fantastic! If you want to make a great meal that everybody will enjoy- without a lot of dishes or strange ingredients then this is the recipe for you. This is a keeper!! I served mine with slaw and baked beans. So easy, so delicious!
Excellent recipe! I made this for a pot luck at work and it was a huge hit! I followed the recipe exactly and drizzled a little sugar free BBQ sauce before serving.
This is amazingly good!! The roast I had was 8 pounds and this recipe easily doubled in my large oval crock pot!! We had lots of leftovers which we froze….and it was just as good after freezing!! Thank you Sally for the wonderful recipe 🙂
Hi Joe, Wow, that’s a wonderful amount of pulled pork! Thanks for taking the time to comment and I’m glad you liked it!
I love this recipe! So easy, sooo goood!
Thank you, Carol! Glad you liked it and appreciate you taking the time to comment. Thank you!
Can I cook for 12-14 hours? I have a 9lb roast
Hello, I think it would do well after 12-14 hours.
So easy and so flavorful! I made it yesterday and people just loced it so much I’m gonna have to make it again next week.