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Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe

Looking for an easy to cook protein that you can get several meals from? Look no further than this easy slow cooker pulled pork recipe!

Even though I love cooking there are many nights after a long day of work where the last thing I want to do is put together a nice from-scratch meal. We do prefer to eat as many home-cooked real food meals as possible, so one of my tricks is to cook a protein that can be used multiple ways.

A lot of times you hear about doing this with roasted chicken. I love chicken, but I can only eat it so many ways before I get tired of it.

Pork, on the other hand, can also be a very budget-friendly protein that can be used several ways.

One of my favorite cuts is the pork shoulder/butt as you can cook it low and slow to tender deliciousness that's great by itself, but also in sandwiches, tacos, casseroles, omelets, and more.

So, today I'm sharing my favorite easy slow cooker pulled pork recipe.

Easy slow cooker pulled pork recipe finished and on a sesame hamburger bun with coleslaw and a side of potato chips on a round white plate sitting on a striped red and white towel on a dark wood tabletop.

I love this easy slow cooker pulled pork recipe because it is so quick and simple to put together.

There's no searing, marinating or dirtying of multiple dishes, and it only takes a handful of ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

Since the pork cooks in a slow cooker, you don't have to keep an eye on it constantly and the resulting pork is fall-off-the-bone tender and shreds into pulled pork very easily.

You can use a boneless cut if you like, but I really love the added flavor of bone-in pork, even it if takes a bit longer to cook.

The pork has good flavor on its own, but you can also add BBQ sauce for a sandwich (I love using my homemade yeast rolls recipe for slider buns or just shape them a bit larger for traditional hamburger rolls) or add it to your favorite pork dish.

Seasoned pork shoulder sitting in the slow cooker ready to be cooked.

Recommended Equipment

Here are some of the products I use to make this pulled pork recipe even easier.

  • A slow cooker - There are many slow cookers out there these days, but the ones I have are affordable without many extra features to break.
  • A food processor or mandoline - I hate slicing onions, so I love how quick and easy it is by using a food processor or mandoline.
  • Meat/turkey forks - I always cringed when trying to move large cuts of meat until I invested in a good pair of meat forks. These work well for roasts and turkey and are worth the few extra bucks since they are one piece so you don't have to worry about the handle falling off.
Cooked pulled pork and juices in a shallow white round bowl sitting on a red and white striped towel on a dark wood background.

What To Serve Pulled Pork With

When you're having pulled pork sandwiches or plates it's really common here to serve the pork with a variety of salads including:

pulled pork sitting open face on a hamburger bun on a round white plate on a dark wood background

How To Use Pulled Pork Leftovers

Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe | Easy crockpot recipes don’t get any better than this! This easy slow cooker pulled pork recipe is moist and tender and makes a ton so you have plenty of leftovers for sandwiches, casseroles, and to use in other dishes throughout the week.
Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe

Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe

Yield: 12+ servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes

This easy slow cooker pulled pork recipe is moist and tender and can be used in several dishes throughout the week.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium to large yellow onions
  • 1 cup chicken stock or broth, preferably low-sodium
  • 1 4 to 5 pound bone-in pork butt/shoulder (or larger as long as it fits in your slow cooker)
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt (or kosher salt)
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  1. Cut onions in half and then thinly slice them into half-moon shapes and place in the bottom of your slow cooker in an even layer. Pour the stock or broth over the sliced onions.
  2. Remove all of the packaging from the pork, rinse if desired, and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, chili powder, salt, black pepper, cumin, and garlic powder until thoroughly combined with no lumps. Sprinkle all sides of the pork with the rub you just made and lightly rub into pork. Place pork into the slow cooker on top of the onions, with the fat side facing up.
  4. Cover the slow cooker and cook 8 to 12 hours on low, or until pork is fork-tender and the bone can be cleanly removed (little to no meat on the bone when you try to pull it out).
  5. When tender, turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork onto a cutting board or large pan. Remove the bone and any large chunks of fat. I like to break any fat into smaller pieces and mix it into the shredded pork for extra flavor but you can skip this step if you prefer.
  6. Shred pork with your hands or fork to the desired consistency. I then like to mix all the sliced onion into the pork and add a few ladles of the leftover broth to make sure it's very moist. I save any leftover broth to reheat the pork with or make a gravy or sauce with as it's packed with flavor at this point.
  7. Season with additional salt and pepper and/or other seasonings as desired and serve immediately or use in other recipes. I usually like to add additional salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and garlic to taste.

Notes

Note that if using a boneless pork roast your cooking time may be half or less.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 537Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 733mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 45g

Nutrition information may not be accurate. Optional garnishes and toppings aren't included. Nutrition information is calculated automatically by and provided by Nutritionix. Exact nutrition information depends on the specific ingredients, brands, and amounts you use.

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