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Home Recipe Index 6 Ingredients or Less

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

5 /5
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Polly Conner
By: Polly ConnerPosted: 6/17/24Updated: 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 a great weeknight meal (that will leave you with leftovers) or an easy meal for a large group. It just takes minutes to throw in the slow cooker and then hours later yields a flavorful, fall-apart-tender shredded pork.

You may want to try our Instant Pot Pulled Pork or Smoked Pork Shoulder instead.

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


 

This post is created in partnership with Hy-Vee Columbia.

“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
  • Order Groceries from Hy-Vee
  • How to Make Crock Pot Pulled Pork
  • Pro Tip: How to Know When Crock Pot Pork Is Done
  • Side Dish Ideas
  • Can I Freeze Pulled Pork?
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More BBQ Recipes You’ll Love
  • 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. A great recipe to double and freeze before cooking. 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. Check out more Easy Meals for a Large Group for ideas.
  • It’s a dump-and-go recipe. Practically hands-free except for shredding the pork at the end.
  • This recipe can also be made as Instant Pot Pulled Pork or Smoked Pulled Pork Shoulder!

Ingredients Needed

You’ll find all 5 main ingredients at your local Hy-Vee (Columbia). Their helpful butcher counter team can help you select the right cut of pork. They also have a wide selection of BBQ sauces, including some local brands.

Pulled pork ingredients for the instant pot or slow cooker measured and labeled.

Ingredient Notes:

  • Pork shoulder – Also known as Boston butt. You can use bone-in or boneless.
  • BBQ sauce – Whip up our delicious, easy Homemade BBQ Sauce or use one of the store. I like Stubb’s BBQ Sauce–great flavor and pretty clean ingredients.
Polly picking up a Hy-Vee order.

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How to Make Crock Pot Pulled Pork

  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.
  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, or 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. I personally like to top mine with 5-Ingredient Coleslaw too.
Cooked pulled pork on a wooden spoon coming out of the slow cooker.

Pro Tip: How to Know When Crock Pot Pork Is Done

Oftentimes, people take the pork shoulder 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 shoulder in the slow cooker should be tender and juicy.

Side Dish Ideas

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

A bowl of coleslaw for pulled pork.

5-Ingredient Coleslaw

Sweet potato biscuits on a plate with one buttered.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Oven-roasted honey balsamic Brussels sprouts with balsamic drizzle.

Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Baked sweet potato corn bread in a round metal dish with a slice missing.

Sweet Potato Cornbread

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

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.

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 slow cooker until it shreds easily.

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 according to the USDA.

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.

More BBQ Recipes You’ll Love

BBQ shredded beef on a bun with corn on the cob and coleslaw on a plate.

Crock Pot BBQ Beef Sandwiches

bbq chicken sliders on a cutting board.

BBQ Chicken Sliders

BBQ chicken drumsticks served with crinkle cut celery and carrots.

Crockpot BBQ Chicken Drumsticks

BBQ shredded beef sandwich on a plate with corn on the cob and grapes.

Instant Pot BBQ Shredded Beef

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Two pulled pork sandwiches on a plate with a small bowl of BBQ sauce.
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 10 reviews

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

This 5-ingredient pulled pork recipe is a cinch to make when you whip it up in the slow cooker. Add some BBQ sauce and your dinner is done!

Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 8 hoursTotal: 8 hours 10 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 (3- to 4-pound) boneless 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

  • Bone-in pork shoulder will work fine, too. 
  • 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

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shredded pulled pork in a crock pot and bbq pulled pork on a bun with bbq sauce.
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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.

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  1. Linda says

    Posted on 12/10/24 at 2:45 pm

    Made the recipe exactly as listed and it came out delicious . I cooked it on high ( in a slow cooker) for 6 hours. Used extra sauce on slider buns and everyone loved it! A keeper!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 12/11/24 at 8:37 am

      Yay! Always fun to find a keeper! Thanks for leaving a review Linda, we’re so glad everyone enjoyed it.

      Reply
  2. Jennifer P says

    Posted on 10/20/24 at 12:58 pm

    This was delicious! My whole family enjoyed it!

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 10/20/24 at 8:31 pm

      Glad you found a homerun for your family Jennifer! Thank you for leaving a review.

      Reply
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