Description
This Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork recipe delivers tender, flavorful pork shoulder slow-cooked to perfection with a smoky, spicy, and slightly sweet rub. Ideal for casual meals, sliders, or bowls, this dish uses simple pantry staples and your slow cooker to create melt-in-your-mouth meat with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Spice Rub
- 1 ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- â…“ cup brown sugar (packed)
Main Ingredients
- 7 pound pork shoulder (cut into large chunks)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (for rubbing on meat)
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Make the spice rub: In a small bowl, combine kosher salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, and brown sugar. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- Prepare the pork: Drizzle olive oil over the pork shoulder chunks and rub to coat evenly. Generously apply the spice rub all over the meat pieces, ensuring every surface is covered.
- Place pork in slow cooker: Transfer the seasoned pork into the crockpot. You can cut it into 4-6 pieces for faster cooking or leave whole for longer, low-and-slow cooking.
- Add liquids: Gently pour the chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, and liquid smoke around the edges of the pork, avoiding washing off the rub.
- Cook the pork: Cover with lid and cook on high for about 4 hours if the pork is cut up. If left whole, cook on low for 6-8 hours until the internal temperature reaches 200°F and the meat is tender enough to shred.
- Rest the meat: Remove pork to a cutting board, cover with foil, and let it rest—20 minutes if cut pieces, up to 1 hour if whole—allowing juices to redistribute.
- Shred the pork: Use two forks to pull the pork apart until it’s falling apart. Remove any gristle but retain some fat to maintain flavor and moisture.
- Strain cooking liquid: Pour the leftover liquid through a strainer to remove solids. For less fat, chill the liquid in an ice bath in the fridge for 30 minutes until fat solidifies, then discard fat and return the liquid to the meat.
- Combine and serve: Toss shredded pork with some of the strained liquid and your favorite BBQ sauce (1 ½ to 2 cups). Serve on sliders, buns, over rice, mac and cheese, or with coleslaw for a delicious meal.
Notes
- Cutting the pork into smaller chunks reduces cooking time significantly.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the pork reaches 200°F for perfect shredding texture.
- Retaining some fat with the shredded pork enhances flavor and moisture.
- Chilling the cooking liquid before using prevents overly greasy pulled pork.
- Adjust BBQ sauce quantity depending on taste preference and serving style.
