Looking for a simple yet flavorful way to cook pork? This slow cooker pulled pork combines a homemade rub with a cheap cut of pork, a pork butt, and cooks it slowly in the Crock-pot for the best pulled pork recipe you ever tasted.
Versatile and freezer-friendly, the pulled pork is delicious on its own, in BBQ sandwiches, or in tacos and burritos. It’s the perfect home cooked meal for busy nights or to deliver as a postpartum meal for friends.
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When you sit down to meal plan, do you crave fun food that is easy to make and prime for the season? Fun food is what we want when we go out to eat or invite folks over, right?
I’ve got you covered for fun as well as delicious frugality with the Best Pulled Pork Recipe you’ve ever made. Trust me!
Why Make This
It’s very make ahead. This slow cooker pork butt recipe can be made in advance so you can go play at the beach, park, or lake — or go to work on a regular day — and not worry about what’s for dinner. Come home to supper all ready to go.
It’s easy. Between being a fantastic filling for tacos or sandwiches and good for eating as a main dish, this pulled pork proves to be a perfect busy night or company dinner. Since the slow cooker does the cooking, you can take it easy either way!
It’s easy on the budget. It’s simple to make a very large batch of this pulled pork, depending on what size roast you buy. Pork butt or shoulder roasts are extremely affordable, so don’t hesitate to stock up when you see a sale.
It’s versatile. The custom spice blend is versatile so that it complements Mexican food (think tacos, burritos, enchiladas) just as well as it does classic barbecue sandwiches. It’s out of this world on Everything Hamburger Buns with this homemade BBQ sauce.
Leftovers can take a new identity the next day without tasting like they’re out of place. Bonus: This pork fits a variety of diets so all your meat eaters can enjoy it.
Ingredients
You don’t need much for this recipe except a pork butt roast and a handful of spices.
Using a blend of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, onion flakes, chile powder, ground cumin, cayenne, and cloves will give your pulled pork great flavor without a lot of work.
All the ingredients are gluten-free, making this a great addition to a Whole 30 meal plan, paleo, and other gf diets. Just be sure to check your chile powder package. Sometimes they add funky stuff to chile powder.
The roasts I buy are huge, making for two meals for our family of 8. I love cooking once and feeding my family multiple times. However, if your roast is significantly less than 8 pounds, use less of the spice mix. Store it in an airtight container in the pantry until you’re ready to make this again.
Trust me, you will want to!
Step-by-Step Instructions
This recipe is super simple.
- Measure out the spices and mix them together.
- Place the roast in the slow cooker and coat it generously with the spice mixture. Cover and cook for 6 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.
- When the meat is cooked, it will easily shred. You can shred the cooked pork in the slow cooker or remove it to a dish. Simply pull the meat apart with a fork or tongs. Moisten the meat with some of the drippings if you like.
- Serve chunks of meat as a main protein or in sandwiches or tacos.
Make-ahead instructions
This pulled pork will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days. Reheat in the microwave, oven, or stovetop before serving.
Freezing Instructions
For longer storage, stash this in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. Just be sure to chill the meat completely before placing in the freezer compartment. This helps it freeze quickly and prevents freezer burn.
I purposely developed the spice mix to go with BBQ as well as Mexican flavors, so the possibilities of how to serve the final product are truly endless. Make a big batch and divided it into meal-size packages to stash in the freezer.
Be sure to watch our video to see how easy it is to make this slow cooker pulled pork.
Serving Suggestions
Use the savory pulled pork in tacos, burritos, taquitos, chimichangas, lettuce wraps, salads, and sandwiches.
We love serving this piled high on a kaiser roll and you can drizzle on some of your favorite barbeque sauce. You can even add a scoop of this Simple Coleslaw Recipe. Or maybe some Homemade Dill Pickles!
Then don’t forget the sides! Macaroni Salad, Easy Mac &Cheese in the Instant Pot, or this Easy Homemade Deli Potato Salad would all make excellent side dishes.
FAQs
By nature, pulled pork needs to be made from a cut of pork that will become tender and basically fall apart after cooking. Pork butt and pork shoulder roasts fit the bill perfectly. These might also be labeled Boston butt or picnic shoulder.
Pork butt and pork shoulder roasts are perfect all year-round. Roasts cook up super well in the slow-cooker which is an ideal tool to use in the summer time as well as in the busy winter months. Not only do they save you from heating up the oven, but they can also sit for awhile cooking dinner while you finish your daily business.
Both cuts are from the shoulder of the pig, but pork butt is just higher up on the foreleg. Generally these are tough, fatty cuts which means they are cheaper in price.
They benefit from a slow cooking method like this recipe that utilizes your crockpot! The slow cooker will help to break down this tough, fatty meat into a juicy pulled pork you will want to pile high on a bun with barbecue sauce.
It is possible to overcook the pork on the high setting. If you are worried about overcooking the pork then I recommend using the low setting.
I don’t bother with browning the meat before putting it in the slow cooker. The long, slow cooking process will break down the meat and create a juicy, shredded pork.
However, that being said, you can by all means brown the meat on all sides before adding it to the slow cooker. Doing so, will just add a bit more flavor.
Surprisingly, no. You don’t need to add water to the roast and spices in the slow cooker. This cut of pork is naturally juicy, and yes, fatty. In just a few minutes it will juice up in the pot. At the end of the cooking time, you should have a decent ½ to 1 cup of drippings. You can use these to moisten the meat, make soup or chili, or discard.
Recipe Costs
Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.
- pork butt roast $1.99/lb x 8 pounds = $16
- spices $0.50
When you make an 8-pound pork butt, you should have enough for 24 servings of pulled pork for tacos or sandwich filling. At $16.50/batch, this works out to 69 cents a serving!
Save even more.
Pulled pork is already a very affordable dish, thanks to the fact that pork roast is a cheap cut of meat. However, there are a few other things you can do to lower your costs even more:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. When you see a good price on pork roasts, buy a few extra to stash in the freezer for later. You know you’ll use them — especially when you make this pulled pork. Stocking up can save you money.
- Buy spices in bulk. I regularly buy larger containers of spices I use frequently, like pepper, sea salt, garlic powder, and chile powder. I store excess dried herbs and ground spices in the freezer if I know it will be awhile before I go through the large container.
More Great Pork Recipes
Tell us what you think!
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Best Ever Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Equipment
- 7-qt slow cooker
- cooking tongs
- ziptop freezer bags
- redi-tainers
Ingredients
- 8 lb bone-in pork butt or shoulder roast
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dry onion flakes
- 1 tablespoon chile powder or ground chile
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or more to taste
Instructions
- Remove the roast from the packaging and place in the bottom of a large slow cooker.8 lb bone-in pork butt or shoulder roast
- In a small bowl combine the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, onion flakes, chile powder, black pepper, cumin, cloves, and cayenne pepper. Spread this all over the roast, turning the meat to coat all sides.1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon dry onion flakes, 1 tablespoon chile powder or ground chile, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- Cook in the slow cooker for 6 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low. The meat will be so tender that it will easily shred with tongs or two forks. Remove the bones and fat, and shred the meat.
- Serve the meat as a filling for tacos, sandwiches, lettuce wraps, burritos, salads, or taquitos.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on May 26, 2015. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Carol
This was so easy and so good! Everyone in my family liked it, especially my husband who grew up eating pork roast. We just used the meat for sandwiches, but I can’t wait to use it in some of your other recipes. Thank you for such an easy recipe!
Jessika Leonard
I served this in sandwiches at a luncheon and everyone loved it! It was so easy to prepare and the seasonings were spot on.
Terri Bunyard
I made this yesterday!!! It was so so good, I wasn’t for sure because of all the spices. I will make this over and over!!!
Yummy
Jessica Fisher
Yay! So glad to hear it was a hit!
Linda B
This is delicious! Made a 10 pound pork shoulder that BARELY fit in my crockpot. Was worried it might be too spicy for us, but it’s just really flavorful. Didn’t use clove in the spice mix because I was out of it. Wasn’t sure how long to cook 10#, but did on low for about 10 hours. Tested with meat thermometer and turned off when it was 197°-207° in different parts. America’s Test Kitchen recommends 195°-205° for maximum juiciness and it was fall apart delicious! Packaging up today into meal-sized portions for freezer and will enjoy this for the next several months. Usually just do pulled pork sandwiches, but am trying Jessica’s tacos with it tonight.
Deb Williams
For this recipe does it call for Chile Powder or Chili Powder? I’ve seen both listed.
Jessica Fisher
Thanks for checking. I’ve fixed the typos. It is chile powder that you want, aka ground chile. “Chili powder” has other ingredients added and can make the dish too salty.
kay
Made as directed with 7.2 pound boneless pork butt for 9 hours and it was delicious. I was apprehensive about the amount of chili powder and peppers because we are wimps but it was wonderful.
Jessica Fisher
Yay! So glad you liked it.
Christi Northam
Made this for a recent gathering. I wanted flavorful meat but not necessarily with a heavy or barbecue type sauce. This one was perfect. I put my crockpot on before bed and by mid morning, it was falling apart and super juicy and delicious. Excellent recipe. It’s definitely a keeper.
Jessica Fisher
Great to hear. Thanks for the review, Christi!
Erika Cole
You weren’t lying when you said it is the best! I love how simple this recipe is, not to mention affordable and completely delicious. Pulled pork has become my go-to for bringing to new moms, and I will definitely come back to this recipe many times!
Jessica Fisher
Yay! So glad you think so. 🙂
Dina
I’ve made this multiple times now. Once cooked, I usually freeze containers of it. Then I have them ready to go to the coast or when I have people over. I always hated pork until this recipe. There is no overly porky flavoring with all these spices. Thank you for sharing!
Jessica Fisher
Yay! So glad it’s so a winner for you. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
Kathy
Sounds great!
I’m going to use it for a wedding couples party!! I’m going to make a 2nd Butt with BBQ sauce and offer it as a meal with options of sandwiches or tacos. Sides offered, baked beans and potato salad. Black, refried beans and Mexican rice and coleslaw!! Salad all around!
Thanks for the shredded pork idea….. ?
Adrienne
OMG! Amazing!
Stephanie Friesen
This recipe is THE BEST!! I could literally drink the drippings that’s how good the spice combo is. And I always tell guests to try it before adding any BBQ sauce to their bun. It needs nothing in my opinion. And it turns out well no matter what cut i use. Just keep the meet in the drippings. Delicious!!
Jessica Fisher
Yay!
Nancy V
Soooo good and soooo easy. Thank you!
Jessica Fisher
Yay! So glad to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks for leaving a review, Nancy. I appreciate your feedback.
Brenda Miller
I’m making this Sunday for Kansas City Chiefs game. Go Chiefs! The spice blend you developed is beyond perfect! I divided it in half and add bbq sauce and the other half for taco! It’s a win win! Just wanted to say thank you!
Jessica Fisher
Yay! So glad to hear it!
Laura
How spicy is this considered? Trying to satisfy kids that don’t like too spicy but adults that do!
Jessica Fisher
It is really flavorful, but not what I would call “hot”.
Alexandra
We used a 5.22 lb bone-in pork butt, so I was a little unsure about how long to cook it on low. So first, I want to say this came out amazing, but secondly for people who weren’t sure about different sizes, 6 hours on low worked perfectly. Falling off the bone yumminess!
Jessica Fisher
Awesome! Thanks for providing that extra information, Alexandra. I appreciate recipe testers like you! 🙂
Sarah
Hi Jessica,
Thanks so much for your tips and amazing recipes! Quick question, do you think that if I put this on overnight 10-11 hours on low, and then left it in the slow cooker on warm until lunch (around 12 p.m.), that it would still be good? Worried about overcooking it, but would love to have the cooker do the work overnight!
Jessica Fisher
It would probably cook too long that way. I would likely cool and refrigerate as early in the am as I could and then reheat for lunch or dinner.
Charles Carson
Can I use this recipe on the smoker and how long for a 3.5 pounds to smoke
Jessica Fisher
I don’t have a smoker, so I can’t help with this. Sorry.
Desirae
Hey there, I’m making this right now. It smells so good and I can’t wait to try it. My question is about the serving size. It says 211 calories per serving, but exactly how big is 1 serving size. I didn’t see it anywhere.
Jessica Fisher
That figure is very approximate since we’re not going to be able to predict how much bone and fat comes in your roast. Our calculations are based on dividing an 8-lb bone-in roast (before cooking) into 16 portions. After fat and bone being removed, this is “probably” about 1/3 a pound, so I would say a pretty generous portion. Hope that helps!
Francis Compton
I was just wondering if this can be made with the shank or “picnic” portion of the roast.
Jessica Fisher
That should be fine.
Julia McMahon
Fantastic recipe. My husband and I like to fry up a portion in a tiny bit of oil and wrap in a tortilla. The crispness from frying brings out such a yummy flavor! Thanks for the recipe!
Melissa Mazurkiewicz
Soooooooo excited to try this recipe. Our local place only has 2lb ones though. What cook time would you recommend?
Jessica Fisher
It will likely be done in 4 hours on high and near 6ish on low. It really depends on the slow cooker. You could do a couple at one time if you’ve got an oval cooker. You can cut them to fit since you’re going to shred it anyway.