Best 7 Slow Cooked Pulled Pork Shoulder Recipes

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Indulge in the smoky, tender, and flavorful experience of slow-cooked pulled pork shoulder, a culinary delight that promises to tantalize your taste buds. This versatile dish, prepared with love and patience, can be enjoyed in a myriad of ways. Whether you prefer classic pulled pork sandwiches, succulent tacos, or savory salads, this recipe has you covered. Embark on a culinary journey as we guide you through the art of creating this mouthwatering masterpiece.

From selecting the perfect pork shoulder to mastering the slow-cooking technique, we'll unveil the secrets to achieving fall-off-the-bone tenderness. Discover the aromatic blend of herbs and spices that infuse the pork with irresistible flavor. Learn how to create a rich and tangy barbecue sauce that complements the smoky goodness of the pulled pork.

But that's not all! This article also includes a collection of delectable recipes that showcase the versatility of slow-cooked pulled pork shoulder. From classic pulled pork sandwiches dressed with coleslaw and pickles to tantalizing tacos topped with fresh salsa and guacamole, each recipe offers a unique culinary experience.

Whether you're a seasoned barbecue enthusiast or a home cook seeking a crowd-pleasing dish, this article has everything you need to create a memorable pulled pork feast. So gather your ingredients, fire up your slow cooker, and prepare to embark on a culinary adventure that will leave you craving more.

Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!

BEST SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK RECIPE



BEST Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe image

Slow cooker pulled pork is the tastiest recipe for your slow cooker! Pork shoulder that's slow roasted is so tender and juicy it literally falls apart on its own.

Provided by Lisa Bryan

Categories     Main Course

Time 8h5m

Number Of Ingredients 9

4 1/2 pounds pork shoulder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 yellow onion (diced)
4 garlic cloves (chopped)
1 orange (juiced)

Steps:

  • Place the diced onion, garlic and orange juice in your slow cooker.
  • In a small bowl, mix all of the spices together.
  • Trim all excess fat from the pork shoulder, then rub the spice mixture generously around the entire pork shoulder and place in the slow cooker.
  • Turn your slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours.
  • Once your pork is fully cooked, remove it from the slow cooker to a plate or cutting board and use two forks to shred the pork.

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 serving, Calories 251 kcal, Carbohydrate 4 g, Protein 31 g, Fat 11 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Cholesterol 104 mg, Sodium 411 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 2 g

ULTIMATE SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK



Ultimate Slow Cooker Pulled Pork image

Pulled pork is perfect for the slow cooker. Cooking the pork low and very slow is the secret to the juiciest and most tender pulled pork. Serve the pork as is or feel free to stir in your favorite barbecue or other sauces at the end of cooking.

Provided by Adam and Joanne Gallagher

Categories     Dinner

Time 8h30m

Yield Makes approximately 3 1/2 pounds, 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 (4 1/2 to 5 pound) boneless or bone-in pork shoulder (also known as pork butt), twine or netting removed
2 teaspoons salt, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons neutral flavored oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped small
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon ancho or mild chili powder, see our homemade chili powder recipe
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup water
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce or 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Bread rolls
Coleslaw, see our mayonnaise based coleslaw recipe or our mayo-free coleslaw
Pickles
Barbecue sauce, see our bacon bourbon barbecue sauce recipe
Hot Sauce

Steps:

  • Rub the pork with salt and pepper, and then set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. (See notes below if you plan to sear the pork first).
  • Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic then cook, occasionally stirring, until they are sweet and browned around the edges. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring until the tomato paste turns from bright red to orange in color; about 3 minutes. Add the water, apple cider vinegar, and fish sauce and cook for about 1 minute, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
  • Rest the seasoned pork in the bottom of a slow cooker then pour the onion and spice mixture on top. Wiggle the pork around the bottom of the slow cooker so that some of the onion and spice mixture slides underneath. Cover with lid and cook until the pork can be easily shredded; LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 6.
  • Turn off the slow cooker and transfer the pork to a cutting board. If the pork has a bone in it, remove and discard it. Use two forks to shred the meat, discarding any connective tissue, and large clumps of fat.
  • Remove the cooking liquid and skim most of the fat from its surface. Discard the fat then set the cooking liquid aside.
  • If using barbecue sauce, add it to the slow cooker and stir in the shredded pork. For even more flavor, add back some of the reserved cooking liquid. If you're not using barbecue sauce, add the shredded pork and the cooking liquid back to the slow cooker. Taste and season with salt, additional vinegar, or hot sauce as needed.

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1/10 of the recipe (assumes 10 servings), Calories 404, Protein 28 g, Carbohydrate 2 g, Fiber 0 g, Sugar 1 g, Fat 31 g, SaturatedFat 11 g, Cholesterol 109 mg

SLOW-COOKED PULLED PORK SHOULDER



Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork Shoulder image

Very tasty, very easy pork shoulder recipe. It practically pulls itself. Great for sandwiches, burritos, or with rice. Serve in sandwich buns with your favorite barbecue sauce, if you're so-inclined.

Provided by Dan

Categories     Main Dish Recipes     Pork     100+ Pulled Pork Recipes

Time 20h10m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 (3 pound) pork shoulder
4 cups water, or as needed
8 cups white vinegar, or as needed
¼ cup kosher salt
1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon chili powder
½ cup brown sugar

Steps:

  • Place the pork shoulder into the ceramic bowl of a slow cooker. Pour enough water and white vinegar into the slow cooker to assure the pork is completely covered, maintaining a 2-to-1 ratio of vinegar to water. Add the salt. Put the ceramic bowl in the refrigerator and allow the pork to marinate at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
  • Drain enough of the liquid from the ceramic bowl until about 1/2-inch of pork is left exposed. Add the onion to the remaining liquid. Season the exposed surface of the pork with the cumin, mustard, chili powder, and brown sugar. Place the bowl into the base of the slow cooker and cook on High until the pork is tender and falls apart easily, 8 to 10 hours.
  • Carefully remove the pork to a cutting board; shred the meat into strands using a pair of forks. Remove and discard any excess fat.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 235.3 calories, Carbohydrate 13.1 g, Cholesterol 53.6 mg, Fat 13.4 g, Fiber 0.6 g, Protein 14.5 g, SaturatedFat 4.7 g, Sodium 2333.4 mg, Sugar 11.4 g

SLOW COOKER TEXAS PULLED PORK



Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork image

Slow cooked, Texas-style pulled pork that is served on a buttered and toasted roll. My family's favorite.

Provided by cmccreight

Categories     Main Dish Recipes     Pork     100+ Pulled Pork Recipes

Time 5h15m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 (4 pound) pork shoulder roast
1 cup barbeque sauce
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 extra large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
8 hamburger buns, split
2 tablespoons butter, or as needed

Steps:

  • Pour the vegetable oil into the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the pork roast into the slow cooker; pour in the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth. Stir in the brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion, garlic, and thyme. Cover and cook on High until the roast shreds easily with a fork, 5 to 6 hours.
  • Remove the roast from the slow cooker, and shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir the meat into the juices.
  • Spread the inside of both halves of hamburger buns with butter. Toast the buns, butter side down, in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Spoon pork into the toasted buns.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 527.7 calories, Carbohydrate 45.5 g, Cholesterol 98.4 mg, Fat 23.2 g, Fiber 2.6 g, Protein 31.9 g, SaturatedFat 8.7 g, Sodium 802.7 mg, Sugar 17.1 g

SLOW COOKER BBQ PULLED PORK



Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork image

If you've spent any time on Pinterest or food blogs, you've likely come across a recipe for three-ingredient barbecue pulled pork that can be made in the slow cooker. Methods and ingredients vary, but the recipe almost always calls for boneless pork shoulder, some sort of dark cola (usually Dr Pepper or root beer) and barbecue sauce. Dubious? We were too, so we asked the members of our NYT Cooking Community Facebook page if anyone had ever made it and if they liked it. We received more than 150 very opinionated responses. Many readers have come up with their own clever twists, like using coffee or beer in place of cola, adding onions or chipotles, rubbing the meat with a spice blend and searing the meat before cooking. We tried cooking it a few different ways and found we liked this adaptation best. It calls for a few more ingredients and an extra step or two, but it's got layers of flavor and it's still mostly fuss-free. (You can find the pressure-cooker version of this recipe here.)

Provided by Margaux Laskey

Categories     meat, sandwiches, main course

Time 10h

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons hot or sweet smoked paprika
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
3 to 4 pound boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, trimmed of most of its excess fat
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus additional for greasing
1 yellow onion, chopped (optional)
1 (12-ounce) can dark soda, like Dr Pepper, root beer, cola or birch beer
1/2 to 1 1/2 cups homemade or store-bought barbecue sauce
Hot sauce (optional)

Steps:

  • In a small bowl, combine the garlic and onion powders, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork. If you have time, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight. If you don't, no worries; proceed to Step 2.
  • Lightly grease the crock of a slow cooker. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sear the pork until golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes each side. Add onion, if using, to the slow cooker. Add the pork on top of the onion. Pour soda over the pork and set the slow cooker to low for 6 to 8 hours, until the meat has collapsed and shreds easily.
  • Drain most of the liquid from the slow cooker and shred the meat directly in the pot. Add about 1/2 cup of the barbecue sauce and stir to combine. (At this point, if you like crisp bits in your pulled pork, you can spread the shredded pork on a sheet pan and place under a broiler for a couple minutes then return to the slow cooker.) Taste and add more barbecue sauce, hot sauce, salt or pepper, if desired. Serve with soft rolls and extra sauce on the side.

SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK



Slow cooker pulled pork image

Succulent pulled pork spiced with paprika and cinnamon is oh-so simple when you make it in the slow cooker. Serve with fennel and apple slices in bread rolls

Provided by Miriam Nice

Categories     Dinner, Main course

Time 8h10m

Number Of Ingredients 18

2kg pork shoulder, skin removed
1 onion, sliced
2 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp flour
2 tsp oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
160ml cloudy apple juice
1 tbsp black treacle
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
50g onion marmalade
1 fennel bulb, sliced thinly
1 apple, sliced thinly
juice 1 lemon
8 - 10 bread rolls
English mustard
mayonnaise (optional)

Steps:

  • Put the onion slices at the bottom of the slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together 1 tbsp salt with 1 tsp ground black pepper, the smoked paprika and cinnamon. Put the flour onto a plate then rub the spice mixture over the pork.
  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan and roll the spiced pork in the flour before putting it into the pan to sear it on all sides. Once the meat is starting to pick up a golden colour pop it on top of the onion slices in the slow cooker.
  • In a large jug combine all the ingredients for slow cooking the pork then pour over the meat. Pop the lid on and cook on the low setting for 8 hours.
  • When you're ready to serve, take the meat out of the slow cooker leaving the cooking liquor behind. Put the cooked meat on a roasting tray or large shallow bowl and pull it into bite-size chunks and shred with 2 forks. Ladle a little of the cooking juices over the pork and mix together.
  • Toss the fennel and apple slices in the lemon juice and season well then serve along with the pulled pork in bread rolls. Spread the rolls with a little English mustard and mayonnaise if you like.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 325 calories, Fat 21 grams fat, SaturatedFat 7 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 7 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 5 grams sugar, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 27 grams protein, Sodium 1.7 milligram of sodium

SLOW COOKER PORK SHOULDER



Slow cooker pork shoulder image

Slow cooking delivers lovely tender meat. Cook this shoulder of pork until it falls apart, shred it, then pile into baguettes or serve alongside veg or salad

Provided by Barney Desmazery

Categories     Dinner, Main course

Time 8h25m

Yield Serves 6-8

Number Of Ingredients 8

2 tbsp olive oil
1.5kg piece pork shoulder
250ml white wine
250ml chicken stock
4 bay leaves
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 garlic bulb

Steps:

  • Remove the fat from the pork shoulder (you can get your butcher to do this bit for you). Season the pork with salt and pepper then heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium to high heat. Brown the pork shoulder on all sides then transfer to a slow cooker. Add all the other ingredients, then cook on low for 6-8 hours until the meat pulls apart when pressed with two forks.
  • Remove the meat, place on a plate and shred it with two forks. Remove the herbs from the sauce and squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins back into the pot. Put the meat back into its sauce for wonderfully tender and moist slow cooker pork. Serve as an alternative to your Sunday roast with roasted new potatoes, or with a big green salad, mustard and warmed baguettes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 245 calories, Fat 9 grams fat, SaturatedFat 3 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 1 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 1 grams sugar, Fiber 0.3 grams fiber, Protein 34 grams protein, Sodium 0.4 milligram of sodium

Tips:

  • Select the Right Cut of Pork: Choose a pork shoulder (also known as pork butt) with a good amount of marbling for a juicy and tender pulled pork.
  • Season Generously: Don't be shy with the seasonings. A flavorful rub or marinade will enhance the taste of the pork.
  • Cook Low and Slow: Slow cooking allows the pork to break down and become fall-apart tender. Aim for an internal temperature of 205°F (96°C) for perfectly cooked pulled pork.
  • Add Liquid for Moisture: A little bit of liquid, such as broth, apple cider, or beer, will help keep the pork moist during cooking.
  • Let It Rest Before Shredding: Allow the pork to rest for at least 15 minutes before shredding. This will make it easier to handle and will prevent it from falling apart too much.
  • Serve with Your Favorite Sides: Pulled pork is delicious on its own, but it's even better when served with classic sides like coleslaw, baked beans, and cornbread.

Conclusion:

Slow-cooked pulled pork is a versatile and crowd-pleasing dish that's perfect for any occasion. With its flavorful rub, tender and juicy texture, and endless serving options, it's sure to be a hit. So next time you're looking for a delicious and easy meal, give this slow-cooked pulled pork recipe a try!

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