Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

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 our 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. 

Cooking Times For Pulled Pork

Cook the pork and sauce in a slow cooker on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours. Pull apart the pork with 2 forks (it should be tender and fat apart easily) and then allow to cook for a further 20 minutes – this helps the pork to soak up the sauce. 

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 Italian Beef Ragu Pasta
• Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup
• Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff 
• Slow Cooker Roast Beef
• Slow Cooker Roast Chicken

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. 

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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

A step by step guide to making deliciously sweet and juicy slow cooker pulled pork that's perfect for burgers, tacos and salads. 

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Slow Cooker Recipe

Keyword: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes

Servings: 8 serves

Calories: 180kcal

Author: Lucy - Bake Play Smile

Ingredients

• 500 g pork fillet see notes
• 1 brown onion chopped
• 1 garlic clove or 1 tsp minced garlic, minced
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbs mustard American
• 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 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.

Notes

RECIPE TIPS

Cut of pork - I recommend using a pork tenderloin/pork fillet for this recipe. You can also use a pork shoulder (which is a fattier cut of meat), but you may need to increase the cooking time depending on the weight as it's a much thicker cut of pork. 

Cooking time - Cook the pork and sauce in a slow cooker on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours.

Shredding the meat - By the end of the cooking time, the meat will be so tender that it will be easy to pull apart with 2 forks. 

Thickening the sauce (optional) - If you find that your sauce is still a little too 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.

Storing 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. 

Nutrition

Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 466mg | Potassium: 401mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1.1mg

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