This Slow Cooker Pulled Pork is melt-in-your-mouth tender pork shoulder butt seasoned with a dry spice rub and slow-cooked to perfection. Pork cuts are inexpensive, and a slow-cooked pork shoulder is good for several meals.
This is a great year-round recipe. This Dr. Pepper pulled pork is ideal for game day, movie night, Father’s Day, and cookouts. It tastes delicious in soft tacos, quesadillas, pizza, soup, sandwiches, sweet potatoes, and nachos. I love to serve it with creamy coleslaw, red potato salad, and easy baked beans.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Brown sugar: light or dark brown sugar
- Smoked paprika: Not to be confused with regular or sweet paprika. Smoked paprika is made from peppers that are smoked over an oak fire.
- Pork: Use a boneless pork shoulder, pork butt, or Boston Butt for this recipe. Choose a well-marbled piece of pork, but trim any thick layers of excess fat.
- Onions: Sweet yellow or Vidalia onions are best.
- Dr. Pepper soda: You can substitute Coca-Cola.
How to make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
Mix the brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, dry mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Then rub it all over the pork butt. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Slice a large onion and place it on the bottom of the crock pot. Now put the pork butt on top of the onions. Pour the Dr. Pepper down on the sides of the butt. Add the Worcestershire sauce and cover. Cook on low for 8 hours or until very tender. Using 2 forks, shred the pork, discarding any fat, cartilage, or gristle. Serve on toasted buns with homemade BBQ sauce.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- You can cook on high for 4-5 hours, but for best results, cook on low for 7-8 hours. Low and slow is the name of the game here.
- The pulled pork is done when you can easily shred the cooked pork with 2 forks. If using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature will be between 195-205 degrees F.
- If not serving for a while, add the shredded pork back to the crock pot on warm with about half the liquid and a pair of tongs to remove the pork from the juices.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
Ways to Use Leftover Pulled Pork
Substitute the pulled chicken in these crockpot chicken tacos or chicken nachos for pulled pork. Serve over mac and cheese or microwave scrambled eggs. Stuff in burritos, quesadillas, and chimchangas.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you do not, but you can if you wish. I have never found it to make much difference when it comes to this recipe, and it is a large piece of meat to sear.
A fair estimate is 1/3 to 1/2 pound per person. If you have heavy eaters, I would count on 1/2 pound per person. There is a 30-40% loss from shrinkage and fat, so a 6-7 lb pork butt will produce 4-5 lbs of meat or serve 8-12 people.
First, cool completely. You can freeze it as whole cooked pieces. Cut it into sections and add it to a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, then shred the meat using two forks, removing fat, cartilage, and gristle.
You can also freeze it shredded. This is best to do it sauce-free. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Then reheat with your desired sauce on the stovetop on low or in the microwave at reduced power.
More pork recipes
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe
Ingredients
Dry Rub for Pulled Pork
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pulled Pork
- 6-7 lbs pork butt
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 12 ounces Dr. Pepper soda
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, dry mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Rub it all over the pork butt. Let the pork shoulder sit for 30-40 minutes at room temperature, or cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours up to overnight with the rub on it.
- Place the sliced onion in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the pork butt on top of the onions. Pour the Coke or Dr. Pepper on the sides of the pork butt. Add the Worcestershire sauce and cover.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or until very tender. Using 2 forks, shred the pork discarding any fat, cartilage, or gristle.
Notes
- You can cook on high for 4-5 hours, but for best results, cook on low for 7-8 hours. Low and slow is the name of the game here.
- The pulled pork is done when you can easily shred the cooked pork with 2 forks. If using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature will be between 195-205 degrees F.
- If not serving for a while, add the shredded pork back to the crock pot on warm with about half the liquid and a pair of tongs to remove the pork from the juices.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
Nutrition
On the hunt for more delicious recipes? Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Dennis Parisi Jr
I have been working in a kitchen for over 40 years starting as a dishwasher at the age of 12. And at the start of my delicious adventure in the kitchen i felt myself gravitate towards how certain items were made and different ways to tinker with different flavors and recipes to not only make a dish better but also different. The place i started was a small steakhouse consisting of 3 main entree items as wel as burgers and fries, onion rings (homemade using a recipe i came up with at 15 years of age). Now, in such a specific situation where the menu items were a choice of 3, one may think, ” what could a newbie just becoming interested in cooking, learn here?” Well, actually, i used to watch the original owner, upwards of 70 years, who opened the place as a starting point for hunters and fishermen alike, getting together there and enjoying a truly delicious steak meal and some beers before heading either upstate where bear and deer hunting were great adventures or to the marinas of Sheepshead Bay where a group would board a privately owned fishing boat and head out to the open sea for fishing that was not for the fainthearted. On one wall of the steakhouse hangs only the head of a an award winning tuna that weighed in at 790 + pounds caught in the early 80’s. So, Steve Sr. knew how to cook and he would constantly show me step by step how to make delicious recipes, some handed down to him by his mother and grandmother. All pure bread Italian descendants. Its by learning from him and after becoming his main cook/kitchen manager at the ripe age of 16(and one of the youngest chefs/kitchen managers on record in Bergen county, New Jersey, constantly trying different ways of doing things, that made me as creative as i am, especially when it comes to baking or using different sauces that others would stear away from just because it is untraditional or never tried. In 1996 i was working as a kitchen manager for a diner in New York, spending most of my overnight hours making my sauces and soups for the week as well as my specials. Whe a police officer who loved my cooking came in and explained to me that 2 retired officers with a restaurant called Goodfellas (not associated with the franchise) had their chef walk out on them because he knew they had no knowledge of running a kitchen especially cooking) and even though they were paying him an incredible amount of $1300 a week cash, unprecedented back then AND even today, and he asked for $200 more a week as well as other benefits. Obviously, they knew that it was crazy so they let him go. Now, very upset that their beloved little place was going to go under asked the Officer who knew me if i could maybe find someone to take over the kitchen or even keep it afloat until they did. My first afternoon fhere i was sitting at the counter going over the menu to get an idea of the type of Italian food they made there, and come up with specials for the next few days. So, when the regular customers heard i was cooking lunch at Goodfellas (they already knew i was an incredible Italian cook by comments in the local newspaper. So, with only one assistant cook to help me, and me winging it for the most part, making dishes my way and making dishes that were made up there, by reading the menu to see what was in it and putting it together my way. Which is how I was one of very few people who started making pizza using vodka sauce as well as strictly white pizza. And, came up with a VEGAN SECTION of the menu which was extremely hard to do making vegan items in an Italian restaurant. Such as Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken or Cheese and meat Raviolis. I have not yet made 2 items Extraordinarily exceptional. Ive made them, but not “OUT OF THIS WORLD!”,exceptional. One is TIRAMISU, WHICH i make well but not keep coming back, EXCEPTIONAL. The other is pulled pork i can make as an entree with my incredible Paprika/mozzarella mashed potatoes and Asparagus sauteed in garlic and oil. My pulled pork, is close, very very close!! BUUUUT not where I want, every time my girlfriend and her family has it, i want her mother to be telling others in the family about the wonderful night that we all had with Started off with an incredible dinner that Dennis made,(and hearing how good the pulled pork was for 45minutes before she continued the story. This recipe comes EXTREMELY EXTREMELY CLOSE… THANK YOU!! BUT…….WHY THE COKE OR DR. PEPPER??? WHY IS IT USED AND WHAT CAN I SUBSTITUTE IT WITH??????
Beth Pierce
It adds a little sweetness and acts as a tenderizer. You can use rootbeer or beer. Sounds like you really love to cook. Cooking is so therapeutic.
Jupiter Hadley
I always use my crock pot to make pulled pork! It’s so easy and so much more affordable then getting pre-made pulled pork.
karen
Pulled pork yessssss…Perfect for crock pot. I can’t wait to make your recipe, it is mouthwatering.
Monica
In your recipe for crock pot pulled pork, you’ve provided a mouthwatering and easy-to-follow guide for preparing this classic dish. The step-by-step instructions, accompanied by enticing photos, make it simple for readers to recreate the flavors and tender texture of pulled pork at home. The use of a crock pot allows for slow cooking, resulting in juicy and flavorful meat. The inclusion of tips for selecting the right cut of pork and suggestions for serving options adds extra value to the recipe. Overall, it’s a fantastic resource for anyone looking to enjoy delicious pulled pork with minimal effort.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Monica! Enjoy the recipe. It is delicious!
Sandra
Everyone at my house enjoyed this! It is amazing! Thank you!
Claudia
This is my family’s favorite! This recipe is actually easier to make than you think.
Rhian Scammell
We’ve not made pulled pork in such a long time, this is just the reminder I needed. A good burger or taco with it sounds yummy x
Catalina
This is my type of dinner! Easy and delicious! Everyone loved it.
Erin
This is a great pulled pork recipe. I served it with your creamy cole slaw recipe and it was a huge family hit.
Amanda
My new favorite way to make pulled pork. This came out perfect!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Amanda!