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    Home » Recipes » Pork Recipes

    Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork

    Published: Nov 4, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley

    148 shares
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    • Yummly
    5 from 49 votes
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    white pot with bbq pulled pork

    One bite of my Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork and you’ll wonder what took you so long to make this barbecued taste of heaven. The secret to cooking amazing pulled pork is letting it cook low and slow. The good news is that using a slow cooker will take all the work out of making my deliciously tender perfect pulled pork.

    pulled pork bbq sandwich with cole slaw on a white plate

    My slow cooker Texas Pulled Pork only takes about 10 minutes of prep work. Once you’re ready, all you need to do is set the slow cooker and get on with your day. After slow cooking in that delicious barbecue sauce, you’re rewarded with flavorful, tender pulled pork.

    You’re going to love my pulled pork recipe! It’s perfect for pulled pork sandwiches, tacos, nachos, and be still my heart…. bbq pulled pork mac and cheese. It’s a hearty game-day treat that can easily feed a crowd of hungry friends or family.

    two pork sandwiches next to white pot with barbecue pulled pork

    This is one of my favorite slow cooker recipes. I mean, who doesn’t love an easy recipe especially one that produces some of the best pulled pork you’ll ever make?

    And the best part is there’s no need for a grill or a smoker. In fact, you don’t even have to turn on the oven to make amazing, tender, juicy pulled pork!

    But if you’re not a slow cooker fan, I’ve got a recipe for Oven Cooked Pulled Pork that will rock your world!

    Ingredients for Texas Pulled Pork

    ingredients to make recipe

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.

    Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    This recipe is made with simple pantry ingredients:

    • Boston butt aka pork butt
    • your favorite barbecue sauce
    • chicken broth
    • brown sugar
    • onions
    • garlic
    • prepared yellow mustard
    • apple cider vinegar
    • Worcestershire sauce
    • black pepper
    • chili powder

    What cut of pork is best for pulled pork?

    When it comes to making pulled pork, the best cut of pork is a pork shoulder, also known as a pork butt or Boston butt. You can use a bone-in pork roast and honestly a bone equals more flavor. But I prefer the boneless version, simply because it’s easier to work with and I can fit more meat in the slow cooker without the bone.

    When choosing a pork shoulder, you want to find one that’s well-marbled (fat = flavor). That being said, you don’t want too much fat covering the pork roast, and it’s best to trim off any excess far from the outside of the roast.

    How to make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

    collage of steps to slow cook pork
    • Add the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, chicken broth, brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, black pepper and chili powder into the slow cooker.
    • Mix the ingredients together.
    • Add the pork roast to the slow cooker and roll the roast in the mixture to coat it with the seasonings
    • Cover and cook on High until the roast shreds easily with a fork, 5 to 6 hours.

    This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    When it comes to choosing a slow cooker, the two that I recommend are the All-Clad and Ninja Slow Cookers. They are both dependable and do a great job meeting your slow-cooking needs.

    cooked pork roast in white bowl

    Allow the pork to cool for a few minutes, so it’s easier to handle.

    collage of steps finishing pork
    • While the pork is cooking transfer the cooking liquids to a small saucepan. Make sure to pull off any excess fat that is on top of the sauce. *make sure to loosen any of the tasty bits stuck to the bottom of the slow cooker.
    • Reduce the barbecue sauce over medium heat until it thickens and reseason the barbecue sauce as needed.
    • Using two forks, pull the pork from the roast into small shreds. Don’t let the pork cool too much or it won’t shred as easily. *There is a fine line between allowing the pork to rest and pulling the pork. You want to give the pork roast 20-30 minutes to rest, so the juices flow back into the meat. But waiting too long will make it more difficult to shred.
    • Add the barbecue sauce to the Pulled Pork.
    white pot with bbq pulled pork

    This delightfully delicious Texas pulled pork freezes well (if there’s any leftover). Just place it in a freezer bag with or without sauce, and it’s ready when you’ve got a pulled pork craving!

    Texas pulled pork on a brioche bun with cole slaw and pickles.

    Who’s ready to join me for this delicious Pulled Pork Sandwich? Serve it with potato salad, macaroni salad or any of your favorite sides for a true taste of Texas.

    Recipe FAQ’s

    Do I need to add liquids to the slow cooker?

    Actually, you don’t need much in the way of juices or liquids. Some add flavor, like apple juice, chicken broth or beer. But the pork will render the fat, turning it into liquid during the cooking process, but you still need some liquids in the slow cooker.
    If you opt for a small amount of liquid, you can simply add your favorite barbecue sauce to the pork, making the process even easier.

    What is the best liquid to cook the pulled pork in?

    That is a question you’ll find many thoughts on. Personally, I like using chicken broth or a hearty dark beer like Guinness. But other liquids like apple juice, or root beer are often used to create delicious slow cooker pulled pork.

    Can you overcook pork in the slow cooker?

    While it is difficult to overcook pork in a slow cooker, it can happen. This is why you need to have some liquid in the slow cooker for the entire cooking process. And going any longer than 6 hours can start to turn the pork into mush, but again that will take a bit longer, not just minutes.

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    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    white pot with bbq pulled pork
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    5 from 49 votes

    Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork

    One bite of my Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork and you'll what took you so long to make this barbecued taste of heaven. The secret to cooking amazing pulled pork is letting it cook low and slow and the good news is that using a slow cooker will take all the work out of making my deliciously tender perfect pulled pork.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time6 hrs
    Total Time6 hrs 15 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 350kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Equipment

    • slow cooker

    Ingredients

    • 4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast
    • 1 ½ cups barbeque sauce
    • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
    • ½ cup chicken broth
    • ¼ cup brown sugar light or dark
    • 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 tablespoon chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 2 cups onion chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
    US Customary – Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, chicken broth, brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, black pepper and chili powder into the slow cooker and mix them together.
    • Add the pork roast to the slow cooker and roll the roast in the mixture to coat it with the seasonings
    • Cover and cook on High until the roast shreds easily with a fork, 5 to 6 hours.
    • Allow the pork to cool for a few minutes so it's easier to handle.
    • While the pork is cooking transfer the cooking liquids to a small saucepan. Make sure to pull off any excessive fat that is on top of the sauce.
    • Reduce the barbecue sauce over medium heat until it thickens and reseason the barbecue sauce as needed.
    • Using two forks, pull the pork from the roast into small shreds. Don't let the pork cool too much or it won't shred as easily.
      There is a fine line between allowing the pork to rest and pulling the pork. You want to give the pork roast 20-30 minutes to rest so the juices flow back into the meat. But waiting too long will make it more difficult to shred.
    • Add the barbecue sauce to the pork and serve it topped with cole slaw and kosher pickle chips on a toasted brioche bun.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 781mg | Potassium: 721mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 430IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

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    1. Hayley Dhanecha

      January 09, 2023 at 5:39 am

      5 stars
      This recipe looks fantastic, Last week I shared this recipe with my friend and shae made it over the weekend. She loved it.

      Reply
    2. Min

      January 08, 2023 at 11:30 pm

      5 stars
      Such an easy tasty recipe. Makes the best dinners on busy days.

      Reply
    3. Amy Liu Dong

      January 07, 2023 at 12:27 pm

      5 stars
      This is one of the amazing recipes that I made today.
      It’s easy and delicious! It is so perfect!

      Reply
    4. Tammy

      January 06, 2023 at 5:03 pm

      5 stars
      This was such a delicious treat for the whole family. They loved your pulled pork, it’s one of my favorites, and your recipe did not disappoint!

      Reply
    5. Natalia

      January 06, 2023 at 2:02 pm

      This slow cooker pulled pork looks fantastic. I was looking for slow cooker recipes and this is just perfect. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    6. Kathryn

      January 06, 2023 at 10:26 am

      5 stars
      This slow cooker pulled pork was amazing! One of the best I’ve had and we enjoyed ours for a few days in sandwiches. Made delicious dinners and lunches. Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
    7. Veronika

      January 05, 2023 at 12:08 am

      5 stars
      This pulled pork took a while to cook but it was definitely worth the wait! So delicious. We added it to sandwiches and really enjoyed it.

      Reply
    8. Colleen

      January 04, 2023 at 12:31 pm

      5 stars
      This pulled pork turned out perfectly! A stress free, and absolutely delicious meal. Thank you!

      Reply
    9. Ann

      January 03, 2023 at 9:19 am

      5 stars
      This was my kind of pulled pork sandwich! Adding coleslaw and pickles gave it such a unique flavor! Always a good pick to make! Thank you!

      Reply
    10. Claire

      January 02, 2023 at 11:51 pm

      5 stars
      I made this on NYE as we had so many people coming and I wanted something stress free. Boy was it delicious!! And so easy to make!
      Once done I left it on warm in the slow cooker and everyone just helped themselves as they got hungry. Definitely stress free and oh so yummy!!
      Thank you

      Reply
    11. Cathleen

      January 02, 2023 at 9:35 pm

      5 stars
      I love making things in the slow cooker, so this one came out perfectly!! I am obsessed with this! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂

      Reply
    12. Aung San Win

      November 05, 2022 at 9:32 am

      That’s Awesome

      Reply

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    My name is Dennis Littley or "Chef Dennis" as I'm known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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