A step by step guide to making deliciously sweet and juicy slow cooker pulled pork that's perfect for burgers, tacos and salads.
When it comes to easy (and lazy!) weekend dinners, this Slow Cooker Pulled Pork is right up there.... along with everyone's favourite Italian Pork Pizza, Cheesy Chicken Parma Balls, Chorizo & Chicken Empanadas and Leftover Chicken Fried Rice.
Choosing The Best Cut Of Pork
Cooking pork in a slow cooker or crock pot is such a forgiving way to cook meat... you really can't go wrong!
This recipe can be made with the following cuts of pork:
- pork tenderloin/ pork fillet
- pork shoulder
The photos in this recipe post are of pulled pork made using a pork tenderloin/pork fillet (which is what I almost always use for this recipe). You can also use a pork shoulder which is a fattier cut of meat.
Homemade Sweet BBQ Sauce With Apple Cider Vinegar
The secret to the sweet sauce that my pulled pork is cooked in comes down to the combination of a few ingredients:
- BBQ sauce
- garlic
- apple cider vinegar
- chicken stock
- brown sugar
- American mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
... all of these ingredients together make the most INSANELY delicious rich, sweet and tangy sauce.
And when you pull the pork apart at the end of the cooking time, the BBQ style sauce coats the fall-apart meat making it taste absolutely AMAZING!
Cooking Times For Pulled Pork
Cook the pork and sauce in a slow cooker (crock pot) on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours.
Pull apart the pork with two forks (it should be super tender and fall apart very easily).
Allow it to cook for a further 20 minutes which helps the pork to soak up the sauce.
Recipes For Using Pulled Pork
Once you've got a slow cooker filled with the most amazingly tender fall-apart pork, it's time to serve it up!
You can keep things simple and serve the pulled pork on burgers with slaw, or mix it up with one of these yummy pulled pork recipes:
Bring on the Friday night 'fakeaway'!
Recipe Tips & FAQ
Can I thicken the sauce at the end of the cooking time?
Of course! Depending on the cut of pork you've used, you might find that your sauce is still a little liquidy at the end of the cooking time. Simply dissolve 1 tbs of cornflour in a small amount of cold water and then stir it through the sauce in the slow cooker. Please note that the sauce will continue to thicken on cooling (with or without the cornflour being added in).
Can you overcook pulled pork?
The slow cooker is a very forgiving way to cook pork. It won't make too much of a difference is you cook it an hour or so longer than specified.
Can you taste the apple cider vinegar?
You can't really taste the apple cider vinegar in this recipe - it gives the sauce a delicious tangy flavour. However, you can always substitute it with apple juice if you prefer.
Serving pulled pork
Pulled pork is delicious on burgers, sandwiches, in tacos or fajitas, on top of a pizza or simply in a salad.
How do I store pulled pork?
Allow the cooked pork to cool before placing into the fridge. Use within 1-2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
More Slow Cooker Recipes
Nothing beats an easy slow cooker meal that you can prep in the morning and have it waiting for you by dinnertime. These recipes are all family-friendly, simple and delicious:
- Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
- Slow Cooker Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Slow Cooker Italian Beef Ragu Pasta
- Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
- Slow Cooker Roast Beef
- Slow Cooker Roast Chicken
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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 500 g pork fillet see notes
- 1 brown onion chopped
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 225 g (1 cup) BBQ sauce
- 125 g (½ cup) apple cider vinegar
- 125 g (½ cup) chicken stock
- 50 g (¼ cup) brown sugar
- 1 tbs American mustard
- 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Place the pork fillet into the base of a slow cooker (or crock pot).
- Sprinkle the chopped onion over the top.
- In a bowl, whisk together the minced garlic, BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, chicken stock, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
- Pour over the pork fillet.
- Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW for 7-8 hours.
- Use two forks to shred the pork fillet (it should come apart very easily).
- Stir the pork through the sauce and allow to cook for a further 20 minutes.
- Serve with burger rolls and coleslaw, in tacos or salads.
Eve
Hello there. What is the point of slow cooking a pork fillet? Is that the same cut as a tenderloin? People usually slow cook tough pieces of meat that soften up after cooking a long time, like the shoulder/Boston butt.
Lucy
Hi Eve, a pork fillet makes excellent pulled pork when slow cooked which is why I use it in this recipe 🙂