Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
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Who doesn’t love a simple BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich with moist shredded meat? After a day in the slow cooker, this shredded pork is a total crowd pleaser. Not only is it an easy dump and go meal for the Crockpot but it also makes a great make-ahead freezer meal!
Make this in the Instant Pot using this recipe.
Make smoked pulled pork using this recipe.
Why We Love Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
This BBQ Pulled Pork has been a regular around our house. It’s SUPER easy, freezes beautifully, and makes a lot of servings. Since we used rolls to turn the last batch into pulled pork sandwiches, it was enough to feed 10+ people!
A butcher will tell you to plan for 1/2 pound per person but I find that to be pretty generous. I guess it just depends on the appetites of those you are feeding.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork (A short video tutorial)
This slow cooker pulled pork recipe is hard to screw up. Watch and see how easy it comes together!
What Ingredients do I need to make Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork?
The ingredients are SO simple! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt & pepper
- 1, 3-4 lb. pork shoulder (also known as Boston butt)
- 1 cup BBQ sauce (Here is our homemade recipe.)
How Long Do I Cook Pork Shoulder in the Slow Cooker?
After testing hundreds of recipes for our slow cooker cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker, we found that cooking a 3-4 pound pork shoulder should take 7-9 hours depending on your slow cooker.
Oftentimes, people take the pork out too early because it appears to be tough and dry. However, the pork needs lots of time to break down the fibers holding the meat together. When cooked correctly, pork in the slow cooker should be tender and juicy.
After years of testing slow cooker recipes for our website and cookbooks, we’ve developed a reliable cooking times chart for all different types of recipes. Never overcook or undercook a recipe in the slow cooker again!
How to serve Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
My favorite way to eat it is as a sandwich. If you want to go gluten-free, eat it without a bun. I serve it with more Killer Homemade BBQ Sauce on the side. Some side dishes that go well with Slow Cooker Pulled Pork are:
- Strawberry Avocado Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Coleslaw for Pulled Pork or Asian Slaw
- Easy Hash Brown Casserole
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
Can I freeze pulled pork?
YES! Like so many of our freezer meal recipes, BBQ Pulled Pork works great as a make-ahead freezer meal. To make this recipe into a freezer meal, follow these instructions:
TO FREEZE FOR LATER: Follow steps 1 and 2. Place the seasoned pork and 1 cup of the BBQ sauce in a gallon-size freezer bag or container. Seal and freeze. Place the remaining 1 ⁄2 cup BBQ sauce in a small freezer bag or container and the buns in a separate freezer bag. Seal and freeze them alongside the pork.
PREPARE FROM FROZEN: Thaw. Place the pork in the slow cooker. Follow steps 4 through 6.
WANT MORE DUMP AND GO SLOW COOKER RECIPES?
We’ve rounded up 15+ amazing dump and go slow cooker recipes. Bonus: You can make them ahead and freeze these meals for later, too. Freezing instructions included!
Want more freezer-friendly Crockpot meals?
We have SO many to choose from in this roundup of 20+ Crockpot Freezer Meals. Make sure to hop over and browse around.
This is a great pulled pork recipe to stock up on when pork goes on sale! Such an easy freezer meal and a great meal to take to others.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
This pulled pork recipe is a cinch to make when you whip it up in the crockpot. Add some BBQ sauce and your dinner is done!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (3- to 4-pound) pork shoulder (also known as Boston butt), trimmed
- 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce, homemade or your favorite all-natural store-bought BBQ sauce
- 8–10 whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted on the insides under the broiler
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Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels and rub it with the seasoning mix to coat all sides. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Place the seasoned pork in the slow cooker and top with 1 cup of the BBQ sauce.
- Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 9 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat easily shreds.
- Transfer the pork to a cutting board and shred the meat. Return the meat to the slow cooker and stir it into the sauce.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to the toasted buns and top with the remaining BBQ sauce as desired. Serve.
FREEZE FOR LATER:
Follow steps 1 and 2. Place the seasoned pork and 1 cup of the BBQ sauce in a gallon-size freezer bag or container. Seal and freeze. Place the remaining 1 ⁄2 cup BBQ sauce in a small freezer bag or container and the buns in a separate freezer bag. Seal and freeze them alongside the pork.
PREPARE FROM FROZEN:
Thaw. Place the pork in the slow cooker. Follow steps 4 through 6.
Equipment
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Notes/Tips
Make this in the Instant Pot using this recipe.
Making this for a group of people? Here are more recipe ideas for large groups if you need some! You can also check out our 25+ Slow Cooker Recipes for a Crowd if you want more ideas.
Yes Yes Yes on all fronts. If you need to feed a large crowd then this is the go to. Trust me, use the BBQ sauce from this recipe… whole different level. Thank you great recipe
Thanks for the feedback! We’re so glad you like this recipe, and we agree that the BBQ sauce is a game changer. 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to leave some feedback. Yep, great one for a crowd and our BBQ sauce is the way to go (but I’m partial, lol).
Just made this. Pork butt roast, nearly 5 pounds. The smallest they had. I used 1.5 cups of BBQ sauce and cut the roast into 5 pieces. Cooked it on low for 9 hours, stirring occasionally to get all the pieces under the liquid. It was done perfectly and just fell apart. This was the easiest “recipe” I’ve ever followed. This is going in my rotation from now on! Delicious AND easy! win win!!
★★★★★
Awesome! Love that it worked out so well for you, even with the super large roast. Pork butt works get in the slow cooker. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review.
I read a lot of people saying to not put in any liquid as it makes it’s own… thoughts?
From my experience, you will have to put some liquid in there because the heat from the heating element will make the bottom really hot and burn the meat and make it stick.
★★★★★
I’m looking for a freezer make head recipe for pulled pork. Could I make this as stated and then freeze? Then heat the thawed casserole dish in the oven for about 30 minutes and serve on rolls? I’m thinking if I add water to the dish before heating in oven it will not dry out. Any suggestions?
Yep! We reheat it all the time. I’d just reheat it at a low temp like 300-350 and let it take its time. Never had a problem with it drying out!
How long will it take to cook a 5 1/2 lb. roast
Please post cooking times for a larger roast.
Also, did you a whole bone-in pork roast?
I cooked a larger roast (3.5lb) and 5 hours on low was not long enough FYI. It didn’t pull apart when I went to do that part. Leaving it in longer now to see how it goes.
Thanks for the feedback, Jen. I agree, 5 hours probably isn’t enough for a roast that large. We’ll adjust the recipe to reflect varying roast sizes. Sorry it didn’t work as planned for you today!
How do you recommend freezing and reheating this dish? We love pulled pork, but unfortunately a good bit goes to waste because my husband and I can’t eat it all.
Oh yes, be sure to freeze what is left. Just wrap it up tight in some foil and stick in a freezer bag and label it with the name and date. It’s easy to reheat in the microwave on the defrost setting or in the fridge overnight and then on the stove top over low. Add a little extra BBQ sauce and/or maybe a little water when you reheat to add in some moisture, though.