Best Ever Pulled Pork Crock Pot Recipe
This quick & easy pulled pork crock pot recipe is perfect for bbq pulled pork sandwiches. It’s an easy weeknight dinner idea or great for guests. With simple ingredients, it can be prepped in minutes. We love it for Sunday lunch after church, too!
I love the ease of “fix it and forget about it” crock pot recipes, and this one is one of my favorites!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
After trying out all kinds of pulled pork recipes, I reached for this one out of my trusty wooden recipe file. It comes from a friend of mine, and I love how it is made with simple ingredients that I always have on hand!
Pulled pork sandwiches are one of my favorite recipes to make when we want to have guests over for lunch after church on Sunday. I can put it all together the night before and let it cook on low in the crock pot while we sleep. Then, before I go to church, I pull it apart and put it back in the crock pot to stay warm while I’m away.When we all head into the door for lunch, it’s all ready for us. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
Ingredients
See the printable recipe card at the end of this post for all the ingredients and instructions.
- 3-4 pound pork shoulder roast
- 1 1/2 cups ketchup
- 1 package onion soup mix
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 3 Tablespoons vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons worchestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- salt & pepper
- Barbecue sauce, optional
Instructions for this Best Ever Pulled Pork Crock Pot Recipe
- Place the pork roast in the crock pot and salt and pepper it generously. Flip it over and salt and pepper the other side as well.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ketchup, onion soup mix, chili powder, vinegar, worchestershire sauce, mustard, and garlic.
- Pour the sauce over the roast in the crock pot.
- Cook on low for 8-12 hours.
- Using 2 forks, remove the roast in chunks and shred into bite-sized pieces.
- Return shredded pork to the sauce in the crock pot and let simmer on low for at least another 30 minutes to get the flavors to cook into the meat.
- Serve pulled pork on sandwich buns.
What type of pork should I use for pulled pork sandwiches?
- You want to use a pork roast that has a good marbling of fat in it. You should see white “stripes” running through the meat. This will yeild a tender meat that will fall apart when it is slow cooked.
- Pork shoulder roasts also have other names depending on where they are packaged and purchased. Look for names like Boston butt roast, pork butt, or picnic roast.
- And, here’s my little secret – I use this same recipe for pulled beef sandwiches, too! It tastes just as great with a beef roast.
What sides go with pulled pork sandwiches?
Pulled pork sandwiches are one of those recipes that many sides go with.
Here are some ideas:
- Potato chips
- Potato salad
- Macaroni salad
- Baked sweet potatoes or sweet potato fries
- French fries
- Macaroni and cheese
- Baked beans
- Spinach salad
- Coleslaw
You can also be creative with yummy toppings, too. Some topping ideas include:
- Barbecue sauce
- Coleslaw
- Pickles
- Cheese slices or grated cheese
Equipment
Disclosure: the links below are affiliate links and provided for your shopping convenience.
For this recipe, I used my trusty crock pot I received as a wedding gift (32 years ago). The exact one I use is no longer available, but here is one that is highly rated on Amazon. I don’t have a lot of gadgets and appliances in my kitchen, but my Crock Pot is one I can’t live without.
(Don’t forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite kitchen tools!)
How to store leftover pulled pork
Pulled pork can be stored safely in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Store the meat in a covered container or sealed ziploc bag. If needing to store the leftovers for longer, it is recommended to store it in the freezer.
To freeze leftover pulled pork, portion it into portions that make sense to your family and place it in ziploc bags – squeezing out as much air as possible before sealing it shut. If you have a vacuum sealer system, that is a good option, too. When stored properly, frozen pulled pork can last up to 6 months. Here is a super helpful article on how to freeze pulled pork.
Time saving tip: Use your mixer for pulled pork!
Yes, you read that right! If you are pressed for time and you don’t want to pull apart the pork with 2 forks, put it in your electic mixer bowl and use the regular paddle on the meat. It will pull it apart in seconds!
More Dinner Sandwich Recipes:
- Tuna Melt Bunstead Sandwiches
- Best Turkey Burgers
- Turkey Sloppy Joes
More Crock Pot Recipes
More Pork Recipes
Here is an amazing oven roasted pork tenderloin recipe from Ang at the Juggling Act Mama!
And if you have an air fryer, you might want to try out this easy air fryer pork belly recipe.
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Crock Pot Pulled Pork
This quick & easy pulled pork crock pot recipe is perfect for bbq pulled pork sandwiches. It’s an easy weeknight dinner idea or great for guests. With simple ingredients for a homemade bbq sauce to simmer in, it can be prepped in minutes.
Ingredients
- 3-4 pound pork shoulder roast
- 1 1/2 cups ketchup
- 1 package onion soup mix
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 3 Tablespoons vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons worchestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- salt & pepper
- Barbecue sauce, optional
Instructions
- Place the pork roast in the crock pot and salt and pepper it generously. Flip it over and salt and pepper the other side as well.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ketchup, onion soup mix, chili powder, vinegar, worchestershire sauce, mustard, and garlic.
- Pour the sauce over the roast in the crock pot.
- Cook on low for 8-12 hours.
- Using 2 forks, remove the roast in chunks and shred into bite-sized pieces. Discard string that was around the roast if one was on it.
- Return shredded pork to the sauce in the crock pot and let simmer on low for at least another 30 minutes to get the flavors to cook into the meat.
- Serve pulled pork on sandwich buns. Top with a drizzle of your favorite bbq sauce it you'd like.
Notes
The serving size for this pulled pork recipe is caluclated the following way:
On average, 1 pound of pulled BBQ pork serves 3 people. However, the weight of the raw roast is cut in half when the pork is cooked and shredded. So, for instance, a 4 pound roast will yeild 2 pounds cooked pulled pork - serving 6 people at 1/3 pound pulled pork per person. If you serve smaller portions, it will serve more people.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 969Total Fat: 65gSaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 35gCholesterol: 272mgSodium: 1041mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 72g
This crock pot pulled pork looks so good! My husband likes his with a little bit of liquid smoke but I prefer a less smokey flavor. I’ve never tried making it with mustard before – pinning for later!!
Thanks, Angela! I totally get the liquid smoke conundrum. I don’t care for it myself, but I know lots of people love it! Thanks for pinning it for later.