• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Get our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide
freezer meal quick start guide

Get Our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide

Loading

 

About
Free Resources
Contact

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

YouTube

TikTok

Thriving Home

Food & Lifestyle

  • Recipe Index
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch & Dinner
      • Sides & Salads
      • Soups & Chilis
      • Appetizers
      • Snacks
      • Desserts
      • Baked Goods
      • Beverages
      • Condiments
    • Method
      • Freezer Meals
      • Stovetop
      • Oven
      • Slow Cooker
      • Instant Pot
      • Grill or Smoker
      • 6 Ingredients or Less
    • Diet
      • Gluten-Free
      • Dairy-Free
      • Vegetarian
    • Ingredients
      • Chicken & Turkey
      • Beef
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Pasta & Pizza
    • Holiday
      • Birthday
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine's Day
    • All Recipes
  • Freezer Cooking
    • Start Here
    • Freezer Meal Recipes
    • 1 Hour Freezer Prep
    • Cookbooks
  • Menu Plans
  • Shop
    • Cookbooks
    • 1 Hour Freezer Prep
    • Shop Our Favorites
    • Gift Guides
Search...
Home Recipe Index Freezer Meals Freezer Slow Cooker

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

★★★★★ 5 /5
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
Polly Conner
By: Polly ConnerPosted: 6/7/23Updated: 2/9/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

With only 5 ingredients, this Crock Pot Pulled Pork recipe will become a regular weeknight meal in your home. Not only does the Crock Pot cook the pork to perfection but it can be prepped in minutes or prepped as a Crockpot freezer meal.

BBQ Pulled Pork on a plate with asian slaw on the side and a small bowl of BBQ sauce next to the plate.

“Super easy and delicious recipe! It is a crowd pleaser. The homemade bbq sauce is amazing, simple and makes the pulled pork that much better.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Kat

Table of Contents
  • Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients Needed
  • How Long Do I Cook Pork Shoulder in the Slow Cooker?
  • Pro-Tip
  • Side Dish Ideas
  • Can I Freeze Pulled Pork?
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Crock Pot Pulled Pork

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

  • It’s EASY! Simply season the pork and cook it in the crock pot with Homemade BBQ Sauce (or whatever your favorite store-bought brand is).
  • It’s freezer-friendly. Slow cooker pulled pork is a great recipe to double and freeze. You can also fully cook it and freeze it in small portions.
  • It feeds a lot of people. When served on buns, this recipe can easily feed 10+ people. Here are 25+ Slow Cooker Recipes for a Crowd if you want more ideas.
  • It’s a Dump & Go Recipe. We know people love those!
  • It can also be made in the Instant Pot or Smoker!

Ingredients Needed

The ingredients for Crock Pot Pulled Pork 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)
  • BBQ sauce (Here is our homemade recipe.)
Pulled pork ingredients for the instant pot or slow cooker measured and labeled.

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.

Pro-Tip

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.

Cooked pulled pork on a wooden spoon coming out of the slow cooker.

Side Dish Ideas

Wondering what to serve with pulled pork? Try one of these winner side dishes.

Sweet potato biscuits on a plate. One is buttered.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Four ears of corn on the cob on a plate with a pat of butter on top.

Microwave Corn on the Cob

steak fries dipped in ketchup

Oven Baked Steak Fries

A bowl of coleslaw for pulled pork.

5-Ingredient Coleslaw

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:

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 round 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.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use bone-in pork butt?

Yes, a bone-in pork shoulder or pork butt will work fine.

Can I use a larger cut of pork for this recipe?

Yep! Just add additional cooking time.

Do I have to use your homemade BBQ sauce or can I use my own store-bought version?

Any BBQ sauce will work! That is the beauty of this recipe. You can customize it to your liking.

How do you recommend freezing and reheating pulled pork?

If it’s already cooked, divide it up into small portions and freeze in an airtight container. It’s easy to reheat in the microwave on the defrost setting. Add a little extra BBQ sauce and/or maybe a little water when you reheat to add some moisture if you want.

Can I put frozen pork in a slow cooker for pulled pork?

We recommend safely thawing the pork completely before cooking it in a slow cooker. Cooking frozen meat in a slow cooker can lead to uneven cooking and may result in food safety concerns.

How do I know when pulled pork is done?

The pulled pork is done when it easily shreds apart with a fork. The meat should be tender and moist. You can also use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature, which should reach around 195-205°F (90-96°C) for pulled pork.

Dump and go freezer meal email cta.

Make 6 Dump-and-Go Freezer Meals in 1 Hour!

Try a 1 Hour Freezer Prep Session ($6.99 value) for FREE!
Includes:
  1. Shopping & equipment lists
  2. Step-by-Step instructions & video tutorial
  3. Serving suggestions & dietary substitutions & more

Loading

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Two pulled pork sandwiches on a plate with a small bowl of BBQ sauce.
★★★★★ 5 from 5 reviews

Crock Pot 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!

Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 8 hoursTotal: 8 hours 10 minutes
Print Recipe Rate Pin for Later
  • Email
Units:
Scale:

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

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

Make It Now:

  1. In a small bowl, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
  2. Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels and rub it with the seasoning mix to coat all sides. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
  3. Place the seasoned pork in the slow cooker and top with 1 cup of the BBQ sauce.
  4. Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 9 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours, until the meat easily shreds.
  5. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and shred the meat. Return the meat to the slow cooker and stir it into the sauce.
  6. 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.


Notes/Tips

  • 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.

  • Storage Tip: A great way to store this freezer meal or leftovers is in our favorite reusable freezer bags.
  • Where We Get Our Pork: We get our meat from ButcherBox. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like pork, uncured bacon, organic chicken, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves.
© Author: Polly Conner
Cuisine: American Method: Slow Cooker

Did you make this?

Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Rate Recipe

Tag Us on Instagram

1.7K shares
  • Share
  • Email
Polly Conner

Polly Conner

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Polly’s passionate about helping busy parents get dinner on the table. With a house full of kids, dogs, and (usually) a DIY project in the works, she knows firsthand how every minute (and every dollar) counts. As a business owner, she enjoys wearing multiple hats and serves best as a project manager for Thriving Home.

Read more...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe rating ★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. AvatarCorinne Crockett says

    Posted on 8/4/23 at 2:28 pm

    Such a easy and yummy recipe! I’ve been making this a lot during the summer and I love being able to feed my family a delicious meal without heating up the whole house.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 8/7/23 at 9:15 am

      Thanks Corinne!

      Reply
  2. Avatartessa ellis says

    Posted on 8/1/23 at 2:04 pm

    fantastic! thank you

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 8/1/23 at 2:11 pm

      You are welcome Tessa! Thank you for leaving a review.

      Reply
Older Comments

sidebar

polly and rachel

Welcome

We’re moms, cookbook authors, and freezer cooking evangelists. Our mission is to help your home thrive, one delicious meal at a time. Let’s make the most of your time in the kitchen! Read more.

Follow Us On Instagram!

freezer cooking

Order On:

Amazon • Target

Autographed Copy

Learn More

freezer to table

Order On:

Amazon • Target

Autographed Copy

Learn More
Dump and go freezer meal email cta.

Make 6 Dump-and-Go Freezer Meals in 1 Hour

  1. Shopping & equipment lists
  2. Step-by-Step instructions & video tutorial
  3. Serving suggestions & dietary substitutions & more

Try Session 18 (a $6.99 value) for free!

Loading

Fall Recipes

Autumn Salad tossed with apple cider vinaigrette in a white bowl on a wooden cutting board.

Autumn Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

pumpkin chili in a dutch oven

Pumpkin Chili

Hearty Baked Penne Pasta

pumpkin spice latte.

Crock Pot Pumpkin Spice Latte

Fast Weeknight Meals

chicken parmesan casserole in a glass baking dish with a spoon

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Taco bar with all the toppings lined up

Totally Tasty Taco Bar

Overhead portrait photo of tomato bisque soup

Tomato Bisque

Pork tenderloin sliced and on a plate with salad.

Oven Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Popular Round-Ups

20+ Easy Crock Pot Recipes

freezer meal

100+ Best Freezer Meals on the Planet

Collage of 6 mason jars with various overnight oats prepared in them.

7 Overnight Oats Recipes

7 Chicken marinades side by side - 1

7 BEST Chicken Marinades

freezer meal update
New to freezer cooking?

Grab Our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide!

5 days of recipes & tips from freezer meal experts.

Loading

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

YouTube

TikTok

About
About Us
Work With Us
Press
Recipes
All Recipes
Freezer Meals
Menu Plans
Shop
Cookbooks
1 Hour Prep Sessions
Gift Guides
Explore
Free Resources
Shop Our Favorites
Facebook Group
Privacy Policy
Accessibility
Disclaimers
Contact
© 2023 Thriving Home
Site Credits
Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
1.7K shares