Get the most tender, melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork with almost no effort from your slow cooker with this BEST pulled pork recipe. It’s an incredibly simple recipe that yields amazing results, and you can serve a large group an impressive dinner in no time at all. Also, check out my recipe for smoked pulled pork, which I’ve included oven roasting instructions for. And don’t forget the BBQ Sauce!.
Let me share with you the most terrifying aspect of moving to a new home. Not the new commute, not the new neighbors, not the new grocery store where I have to learn the layout all over again (although that is also pretty high on my list of annoyances, I won’t lie). I’ve looked in 17 aisles of this dreadful store, but where is the barbecue sauce? ).
The worst part of moving into a new home is that you can count exactly how many times something has occurred since “the move.” Some things are pleasant, such as the first dinner we’re having in our new dining room or the second time we’re inviting friends over to swim in the pool.
But then it gets dark. I’ll tell you how many times I’ve wiped my kitchen counters from corner to corner since moving in: not once. How many times have I vacuumed? Not a single room. To prevent you from giving me a Judgy McJudgerson stare, I won’t tell you exactly how long we’ve been here.
But even I am beginning to feel uneasy over here. You mean I haven’t even once bathed my two-year-old in our new home? (In my defense, we swim in the pool every day. That’s basically the same as giving a toddler a bath, right?)
Okay, fine. You can judge me all you want for the poor hygiene over here. At least we’re not starving. Even if I don’t have time to bathe my kids, I can always make time for quick summer dinners. Bust out the slow cooker.
Why I don’t sear the meat
In short: because I don’t think it’s worth the trouble. I’ve tried searing, but I don’t believe it significantly alters the flavor in this dish. Because interior meat doesn’t get seared, the majority of the meat you’ll eat later is interior. It’s nice that I’ve come to the conclusion that the effort is not worth it because, let’s face it, searing a 4 pound piece of meat is a hassle.
How to Make the Best Pulled Pork Using a Slow Cooker
Pulled pork is perfect for the slow cooker. It’s easy to do and is the ultimate make-ahead meal. Our recipe yields juicy, flavorful, and tender pork. It tastes great either by itself or with a little of your favorite barbecue sauce. The slow cooker shines in this recipe. We begin with a pork shoulder, also known as a Boston butt or pork butt.
It’s a fairly tough cut that cooks well when cooked for a long time. Additionally, the pork is well marbled with fat, preventing drying out while cooking. The fat melts and sort of self-bastes while the pork cooks.
While preparing pulled pork in a slow cooker or crockpot is simple, we still have some advice for you to ensure the best results. [If you enjoy using a slow cooker, try our delicious Ultimate Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken. ].
How long does pulled pork take to cook in the slow cooker?
Depending on whether you divided the meat in half or left the pork butt whole, the slow cooking time will be between 6 and 8 hours.
We want all the collagen and connective tissues to break down and give us that tender, delicious texture, so the secret to good pulled pork is cooking it low and slow.
At the very end, make sure to check the temperature of the meat to ensure it doesn’t rise above 200 degrees F. Over that, the meat becomes stringy and dries out. (Please excuse the terrible blur in this photo; I was very eager to eat this for lunch!)
Pull the pork out of the slow cooker and let it rest for a few minutes.
Here is my rested, shredded slow cooker pulled pork. You can see how tender it is because there is no resistance as I lift the bone out. The meat just falls right off.
Dinner is ready when you add the pork back into the slow cooker’s juices; see serving ideas below. I’ll now demonstrate how to do this in the oven for you.