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For pulled pork that is not only flavorful, but impossibly tender, try our Crock Pot Pulled Pork recipe. Just a few minutes of prep!
Featured with this recipe
Perfectly tender and dripping with flavor, make pulled pork in your Crock Pot that rivals your favorite BBQ place! With a flavor explosion of ingredients and a few minutes of prep, you can create your own pulled pork sandwich, pork nachos, enchiladas, and so much more. Leftovers are great the next day and can make an entirely different meal. Enjoy your new favorite dinner!
Ingredients in Crock Pot Pulled Pork
- Pork Shoulder
- BBQ Rub – brown sugar, paprika, ground mustard, dried minced garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, and black pepper
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Your Favorite BBQ Sauce – we use Sweet Baby Rays, but you can use any bbq sauce you like! Or try our Homemade BBQ Sauce recipe.
Perfect Temperature for Pulled Pork
The best temperature for pulling pork is between 200-205 degrees Fahrenheit. Although you can eat pork at a lower temperature, this temperature range is best for shredding the pork apart. Cooking to this temperature allows the connective tissues to break apart, creating the perfectly shred-able pork.
Remove from the Crock Pot and let the meat rest to retain more of the juices inside of it. Use a fork to shred the tender pork apart, but return it in the juices of the Crock Pot when you are done. This will give more flavor and preserve some of the tenderness.
What to Serve with Pulled Pork
How to enjoy pulled pork:
- Pulled pork sandwich
- On top of salad
- Pulled pork enchiladas
- Inside a burrito or on top of a burrito bowl
- Tacos
- On top of mac and cheese
- In soup
- Pulled pork quesadillas
- Loaded fries
- On top of pizza
What to enjoy with pulled pork:
- Fresh ciabatta buns
- Coleslaw
- Beans- refried beans or baked beans
- Potato salad
- Baked sweet potato or sweet potato fries
- Baked potato (great inside of a baked potato)
- Corn
- Applesauce
Recipe Tip
Use this pulled pork recipe to make our BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos!
Frequently Asked Questions about Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Cooking pork slowly and for a long time is essential to creating the most tender, juicy meat. However, you can overcook it, which will lead to a tough and dry piece of pork. Use a meat thermometer, looking for the temperature range of 200-205 to achieve best results and remove guesswork.
Not necessarily. Because the pork will create its own liquid as it cooks, this eliminates the need to add any liquid in the beginning.
If you would like to add a liquid, you can add chicken broth, orange juice, or white or red wine.
As far as fully submerging it, this isn’t necessary. You can add an inch or two of the liquid because the pork will create its own juice and add to it.
Yes! But if your meat is frozen, be sure to thaw it first. Cooking FROZEN pork in a Crock Pot could make you sick because it will be sitting at room temperature for so long.
Read Next: 35+ Easy Family Dinner Ideas
More Pork Recipes
How to Make Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Equipment
- Crock Pot
Ingredients
Rub Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 2 teaspoon granulated garlic (dried garlic flakes or garlic powder work great too)
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Pulled Pork
- 4 pound pork shoulder
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Mix rub ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Place pork on a cutting board and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle half the rub over one side of the meat and rub it in. Flip the meat and repeat with the rest of the rub.
- Place the pork in the crock pot and pour the Worcestershire sauce over it.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. The internal temperature should reach between 195-205℉ for perfect shredding.
- Remove the pork from the crock pot and shred it with two forks. Place the meat back in the pot and add the barbecue sauce. Stir until the sauce is mixed in and the meat is coated.
- Serve immediately or keep in the crock pot on warm.
Notes
- Store leftover pulled pork in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Add extra cayenne pepper to the rub for extra heat.
- Always check the meat for doneness with a meat thermometer as crock pot cooking times can vary.
