This is, hands down, the best slow cooker pulled pork we’ve made. Our recipe gives you incredibly juicy and tender pork, along with a rich, flavorful broth. It’s unbelievably delicious and truly easy!
I’m a bit picky when it comes to pulled pork, so we tested many variations of this recipe. I am happy to report that this slow cooker version with a flavorful broth of tomato paste, spices, and garlic truly delivers!
The secret is cooking the pork low and slow, which makes it incredibly melt-in-your-mouth tender. Because it simmers in our simple spiced tomato broth, the pork stays perfectly juicy. I love piling this pork high on sandwiches with creamy coleslaw! If you don’t have a slow cooker, my oven pulled pork recipe is just as good.
Key Ingredients
- Pork: Use boneless or bone-in pork shoulder for pulled pork (sometimes called Boston butt or pork butt). It’s a tough cut and does well when cooked at a lower temperature over an extended period. It’s also well-marbled with fat, which prevents the pork from drying out while cooking. As the pork cooks, the fat melts and sort of self-bastes during cooking. I use the same cut when making pork carnitas.
- Onion, Garlic, and Tomato Paste: These make the base for our umami-rich cooking liquid. Opt for sweet or yellow onions, fresh garlic, and double-concentrate tomato paste for the best flavor.
- Chili Powder and Cumin: I don’t like the pork to be overly spiced, so I’m careful with how much we add. That said, a bit of chili powder (I love homemade chili powder or ancho chili powder) and smoky ground cumin make the pork extra delicious.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This is a little secret for the best pulled pork. Add a bit of vinegar to the cooking liquid. It adds a little tanginess and helps to tenderize the pork. Without it, the pork tastes flat. Adding the vinegar wakes everything up.
- Fish Sauce or Worcestershire: I know, fish sauce in pulled pork sounds unusual, but trust me on this one. It delivers an incredible burst of savory umami that truly makes everything better. Worcestershire sauce makes an excellent substitute. I use this trick a lot, even when making chicken noodle soup!
How to Make the Best Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
The secret to my favorite pulled pork lies in cooking it low and slow in a flavorful liquid. While your pork rests with a simple seasoning of salt and pepper, quickly prepare the rich cooking liquid. Then, nestle your seasoned pork into the slow cooker and generously cover it with that flavorful liquid.
I cook the pork in a slow cooker on LOW for about 8 hours. You will be rewarded with pork so tender a spoon can cut through it. As a side note, I have included Instant Pot directions in the recipe tips if you would prefer to use a pressure cooker.
Don’t discard the liquid left in the cooker – it’s pure gold! Once the pork is fork-tender, you can easily pull it into shreds. But keep the broth (it’s delicious)! I skim off most of the fat, then after pulling the pork, put the meat and the skimmed liquid back into the slow cooker to keep it extra moist and flavorful. It’s amazing!
From here, the serving possibilities are endless! My absolute favorite way to enjoy this is piled high on sandwiches with a generous helping of slaw – either my creamy coleslaw or our tangy vinegar slaw. A scoop of homemade red potato salad makes the perfect side. (Find even more serving suggestions below the recipe!)
Perfect Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
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- COOK
- TOTAL
This slow cooker pulled pork recipe guarantees juicy and tender pork cooked in a delicious, savory cooking liquid. Serve the pork as is with some of the cooking liquid (delicious), or feel free to stir in your favorite barbecue or other sauces at the end of cooking. I especially love this homemade BBQ sauce.
I enjoy it most on brioche buns with a scoop of homemade coleslaw! More serving suggestions are in the notes below.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
4 ½ to 5 pounds boneless or bone-in pork shoulder (pork butt), twine or netting removed
2 teaspoons fine sea 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, try homemade chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup water
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce or 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Directions
1Season the pork: Rub the pork with salt and pepper, then place it into your slow cooker.
2Make the cooking liquid: 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.
3Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring, until the tomato paste turns from bright red to orange, 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.
4Add the cooking liquid to the pork: Pour the onion and spice mixture over the pork, then move the pork around the bottom of the slow cooker so that some of the onion and spice mixture slides underneath.
5Slow cook the pork: Seal the slow cooker with its lid and cook until very tender, LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 6 hours.
6Pull the pork: 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.
7Save the cooking liquid: Remove the cooking liquid and skim most of the fat from its surface. Discard the fat, and then set aside the cooking liquid.
8To finish: If using barbecue sauce, add it to the slow cooker and stir in the shredded pork. For even more flavor, add some of the reserved cooking liquid back. If you’re not using barbecue sauce, add the shredded pork and the cooking liquid to the slow cooker. Then, taste and season with salt, vinegar, or hot sauce as needed.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Serving suggestions: Pulled pork pairs wonderfully with cold salads, such as potato salad, pasta salad, or bean salad. For warm sides, consider classic sides such as mashed potatoes, creamy mac and cheese, or roasted potatoes. Homemade cornbread or easy beer bread are perfect for soaking up the juices. And you can always add a drizzle of our homemade BBQ sauce or, for an unexpected twist, a side of homemade hoisin sauce (trust me, it’s surprisingly delicious!).
- Storing: Pulled pork lasts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Freeze your pulled pork in airtight containers or freezer-safe bags. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: To reheat pulled pork in the slow cooker, place it in the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 2 to 3 hours. Or reheat on the stove in a pan over medium-low heat until heated through. If it seems dry, add a splash of water to the pan.
- Instant Pot pulled pork: Using the saute function of your Instant Pot, cook the onions, garlic, spices, tomato paste, water, vinegar, and fish sauce as shared in the recipe above. Add the seasoned pork and onion mixture to the Instant Pot, seal the lid, and cook on high pressure for 1 hour. Quick release based on the manufacturer’s instructions: shred the pork, and then skim and discard the excess fat from the cooking liquid. To serve, combine the skimmed cooking liquid and shredded pork.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
I loved the recipe. Easy to understand, little Xtra reading, and DELICIOUS RESULTS. My only problem was I could never get tomato paste to turn orange. Please let me know what I’m doing wrong. Thank you for your wonderful recipe. Carrie
I haven’t made this yet but I am definitely making it tonight. A matter of fact everything is in the crock pot now. I’ll leave a review on the taste at a later time.
Absolutely amazing! added cooking liquid back in with the shredded pork plus about 1 cup of bbq sauce…served it on buttered/toasted ciabatta buns with coleslaw on top just like in the picture. The best pulled pork we have ever had!
This is absolutely the most flavorful and moist pulled pork we have ever eaten, at home or barbecue joints! We followed the recipe to a tee. Excellent job!
I have not cooked this yet but look forward to trying. I am trying to find a pork chop recipe for dinner tonight.
We use butt rub for the Boston butt and cook it 24 hours. Can add small amount of cauanne. If you want add a little vinegar before cooking
This has been my go-to pulled pork recipe for a few years, so I thought I should finally leave a review! It’s so flavorful and tender, and no heating up the kitchen!
Hi, I really loved this recipe. It was quick and easy to prepare, and absolutely delicious.
Thanks for coming back to let us know, Angela!
I cooked this for my grandsons 18th birthday party the kids loved it. It was so easy I now use this receipe when we have friends over. I’m elderly, I love to entertain so this recipe is just the thing.
Hi! I’ve made this before and it was amazing! I’m hoping to make double the servings this time for a party. Should I just double the quantities of everything? Also, how long should I slow cook for? Thank you!
Hi Hannah, As long as everything fits in your slow cooker, you should just need to double everything. No additional modifications should be required.