Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 03/23/22
Crock pot pulled pork recipe

​The Spruce / Nita West

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 9 hrs
Total: 9 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings

This easy slow cooker pulled pork is made with just four ingredients. A pork shoulder roast (or Boston butt) is slow-cooked to perfection with onions. The pork is shredded and then it's finished with commercial or homemade barbecue sauce. This is excellent party fare. Just keep the shredded pork hot in the slow cooker for serving, and let your friends and family assemble their own sandwiches.

Shred the tender, juicy pork and put it back in the slow cooker for serving. Have split buns ready for guests, along with coleslaw, dill pickle slices, and baked beans.

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Ingredients

  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced, divided

  • 1 (4-pound) pork shoulder roast

  • 1 1/2 cups water

  • 1 (16-ounce) bottle barbecue sauce, or 2 cups homemade sauce​

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped onion

  • 8 to 10 hamburger buns, for serving

  • 2 cups coleslaw, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for crock pot pulled pork

    ​The Spruce / Nita West

  2. Place half of the thinly sliced onions in the bottom of the slow cooker.

    Sliced onions in slow cooker

    ​The Spruce / Nita West

  3. Add pork and water, along with remaining onion slices.

    Pouring water into the slow cooker

    ​The Spruce / Nita West

  4. Cover and cook the pork on low for 7 to 9 hours or 4 to 5 hours on the high heat setting.

    Browned pork in slow cooker

    ​The Spruce / Nita West 

  5. Drain liquid from slow cooker.

  6. Then shred or chop the meat coarsely, and discard excess fat.

    Chopped meat, onions, barbecue sauce, and discarded fat

    ​The Spruce / Nita West

  7. Put the pork back in the slow cooker. Add barbecue sauce and chopped onion.

    Pork in slow cooker

    ​The Spruce / Nita West

  8. Cover and cook on low for 2 to 4 hours longer. Stir occasionally.

    Pulled pork with sauce in slow cooker

    ​The Spruce / Nita West

  9. Serve with warm split buns and coleslaw.

    Crock pot pulled pork on buns

    ​The Spruce / Nita West

Tips

  • Pulled pork is traditionally served with coleslaw as a topping or on the side, along with dill pickles, extra barbecue sauce, and baked beans.
  • Add a potato salad for a big meal or skip tradition and serve the sandwiches with french fries or roasted potatoes.

How to Store and Freeze Pulled Pork

  • Pulled pork will last in the refrigerator for up to four days in an airtight container.
  • You can freeze pulled pork for two to three months.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
836 Calories
46g Fat
53g Carbs
49g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 836
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 46g 59%
Saturated Fat 16g 78%
Cholesterol 167mg 56%
Sodium 942mg 41%
Total Carbohydrate 53g 19%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 24g
Protein 49g
Vitamin C 10mg 50%
Calcium 171mg 13%
Iron 5mg 26%
Potassium 902mg 19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)