Learn how to cook pork shoulder in the slow cooker to make the best crockpot pulled pork EVER! It’s fall apart tender and so easy to make!
Â
Get ready for an easy and delicious protein for your dinners that is slow cooked and full of flavor!
This pulled pork recipe only takes 10 ingredients and about 5 minutes of prep time and 8-10 hours of cook time.
Set the crock pot in the morning and enjoy your tender pork for dinner.
Enjoy this easy to make crock pot pork with your favorite healthy, low sugar bbq sauce.
why we love Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
There is a lot to love about this shredded pork recipe. It’s one of our favorite proteins for a healthy dinner because it’s:
- Easy to make – Prep the marinade and meat in about 5 minutes and let the crock pot do the rest of the work for perfect fall apart pork!
- High Protein – This delicious pulled pork recipe has 21g of protein per serving!
- Great for meal prep – Pulled pork can last 4 days in the fridge and because it so goes so well with any side dishes, you won’t get bored with your lunches or dinners! Our favorite side dish recommendations are below.
Ingredients for Pork Shoulder in Slow Cooker
To make pulled pork you’ll need:
- pork shoulder roast
- onion
- bell pepper
- brown sugar
- tomato paste
- apple cider vinegar
- chili powder
- dry mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- smoked paprika
Substitutions
Pork Shoulder: Pork Shoulder and pork butt are the same thing. For pulled chicken, we recommend following this Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken. If you would like to use pork tenderloin, we recommend this Crock Pot Pulled Pork Tenderloin recipe. You can cook other meat in the crockpot too! Try our Slow Cooker Turkey Breast or Slow Cooker Whole Chicken!
Onion: You can substitute shallots in place of onion.
Peppers: You can skip the peppers or use a red pepper if you prefer.
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is really the best option for sweetener in this recipe. It helps make a delicious glaze on the pork. You can substitute coconut sugar, but it will not be as good. I don’t recommend using maple syrup or honey.
Tomato Paste: We don’t recommend substituting tomato paste.
Apple Cider Vinegar: If you don’t have ACV, you can use red wine or white wine vinegar or rice vinegar.
Dried Spices: You can use more or less dried spices.
Lower Fat: If you are looking for lighter shredded pork try our Healthy Pulled Pork.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder
- Mix marinade together.
- Place half of your mixture in the bottom of a 6-8 quart slow cooker. Place your pork roast over the mixture and put the remaining mixture over it.
- Set your slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours.
- Using 2 forks or a meat shredding tool, shred the pork into thin sections. Serve by itself or on a bun warm with barbecue sauce.
Can I set my slow cooker to high and cook it faster?
Yes, you can set your slow cooker on high and cook for 4-6 hours, however, pulled pork tends to be more tender and juicy when cooked low and slow.
There are 2 types of pork shoulder roast, which one do I choose?
The 2 most popular variations of pork roast are Boston butt and picnic. They are both delicious and appropriate for this juicy pulled pork recipe when cooked low and slow. Boston butt is a cut from the top of the pork shoulder and picnic is a cut from the bottom of the pork shoulder. Â
Liz’s Tips for Slow Cooker Pulled Pork:
Should I brown pork shoulder before slow cooking? You don’t have to, but if you would like a crust on your puller pork, you could sear it for a few minutes on each side. Don’t cook the pork for too long though since it will get fully cooked in the crockpot.
How long does pork shoulder take in slow cooker? It takes 8-10 hours on low. We don’t recommend cooking it on high as it will not be as tender.
Want more slow cooker recipes? Get our 40 best crock pot recipes in a printable ebook for less than $11!
Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder FAQ
It takes 8-10 hours on low. We don’t recommend cooking it on high as it will not be as tender.
You can trim some of the thick fat, but it will help to give flavor to your pork. If you are looking for lighter shredded pork try our Healthy Pulled Pork.
A 1.5 lb shoulder should cook for 8-10 hours on low.
If you cook the pork too long, it can get dry, but pulled pork is pretty forgiving and it shouldn’t dry out if you cook it for 8-10 hours.
Storage
Storing: This will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: Can I make this ahead of time and freeze it? Yes, you can make this pulled pork ahead of time and freeze it for up to 4 months. Make sure to thaw leftover pulled pork thoroughly before reheating.
Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave, toaster oven, oven or on the stove.
Serving Suggestions
We love to serve this pork recipe with Crispy Roasted Potatoes and Healthy Green Beans Almondine. You can also serve them on a slider with healthy vinegar coleslaw, as pulled pork tacos, or with some of our other veggie side dishes that we love.
If you’re looking for a lighter, cold side dish we like this Corn Tomato Avocado Salad or Broccoli Salad Recipe.
If you’re looking for warm side dish we love pulled pork with Healthy Mac and Cheese or Southern Baked Beans.
We usually also make a bunch of roasted veggies like Roasted Brussels Sprouts, but you can also check out these Healthy Side Dishes for more ideas!
Other healthy crockpot dinner recipes:
Looking for other easy meals? Check out these 40+ Healthy Crockpot Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy 30 minute dinners cookbook.
Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb pork shoulder roast
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 oz tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, chili powder, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and smoked paprika until well blended.
- Stir in onion and pepper.
- Place half of your mixture in the bottom of a 6-8 quart slow cooker.
- Place your pork shoulder roast over the mixture and pure the remaining mixture over it.
- Set your slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours.
- Using 2 forks or a meat shredding tool, shred the pork shoulder into thin sections.
- Serve by itself or on a bun warm with barbecue sauce.
Sharon from Vermont says
Just tried this recipe for the first time. I try to change very little when trying a recipe for the first time. I did use a slightly larger pork shoulder, didn’t have a green pepper or dry mustard. Used a bit less sugar only because of my own sensitivities.
Cut my 3lb roast in half and cooked on low for 8 hours. The flavor was outstanding and it was fall apart tender. Another excellent recipe from the Clean Eating Couple. Having left overs tonight with some mac and cheese.
Shaula says
So good, my teen boys and husband gobbled it up. One of my sons has dietary restrictions. This recipe was one he could enjoy and eat as left overs. I made a double batch. I’m not a huge bbq pork fan but I love this recipe.