Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork

Nicole and I love mixing up our meals with this slow-cooker pulled pork recipe. We have always enjoyed pulled pork when out at restaurants or made by my father, but we always figured it was hard to make and didn’t know where to start. Finally one day I took the time to learn how to make pulled pork from my dad and never imagined just how easy it was! It turns out all you need is a slow cooker. 

Since learning to make pulled pork, Nicole and I have started using it for some of our favorite recipes:

• BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza
• BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
• As a protein add-in for our Udon Noodle Vegetable Stir Fry 
• Or with our favorite condiments for a great work lunch sandwich!

We like to make this recipe with just a dash of liquid smoke to give it a true barbecued flavor, however there are many ways you can spice it up to fit the flavor profile you desire. 

Now that you know just how easy it is to make your own pulled pork, we hope you’ll use it to discover some new recipes like we did!

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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

You can make your own juicy pulled pork right at home with this super easy slow cooker method!

Servings 3.5 lbs

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 hours hrs

Total Time 10 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

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Equipment

• Slow cooker
• Meat thermometer

Ingredients

• ¼ cup water or beer
• 4 lb boneless pork shoulder*
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 dash liquid smoke

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Fill a 5-quart slow cooker with just enough water or beer to cover the bottom, about 1/4 cup.
• Place pork shoulder in the slow cooker and sprinkle evenly with garlic and onion powder. Add just a dash of liquid smoke. Then rub the seasonings into the pork for an even coating.
• Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 155-165 degrees.*
• Once fully cooked, transfer pork to a cutting board and let sit for 1 hour.
• Pull the pork by hand, picking out and discarding excess fat.*
• Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce or on a sandwich, or store away to use in some of the recipes mentioned in our post above!*

Notes

Pork shoulder: We tend to use boneless, but a bone-in pork shoulder works great too! For an equivalent amount of meat, use a 6-lb bone-in pork shoulder.

Cooking the pork: Pork cooks best low and slow, so we like to do this overnight! All it takes is a few minutes before bed to throw everything in the slow cooker and turn it on. When you wake up, the whole house will smell of delicious pork and it’ll nearly be done!

Pulling the pork: Hand-pulling pork can get messy, so we wear disposable gloves for this step.

Heating up leftovers: We’ve found the best way to enjoy this pork over and over again is to heat it up in a skillet before serving. Toss it with your favorite sauces or spices and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until heated through.

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Author: Alex

Calories: 670kcal

Course: Dinner, Ingredients, Lunch, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crockpot, pork shoulder, slow cooker

Nutrition

Calories: 670kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 117g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 311mg | Sodium: 282mg | Potassium: 1980mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 5mg

If you have any questions regarding the information presented in this post, please refer to our Nutrition Disclaimer here.

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