Tender & Juicy Crock Pot Pulled Pork Recipe

Name: Tender & Juicy Crock Pot Pulled Pork Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 720 min
Total time: 735 min
Ingredients: 1 pork roast (5 pounds); 1 tablespoon salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 1 tablespoon hot sauce; 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Most traditional recipes require standing over a hot smoker for hours, but this easy Crock Pot pulled pork recipe takes just 15 minutes of hands-on prep to deliver incredibly tender, melt-in-your-mouth shredded meat. We skip the complicated rubs and heavy, sugary bottled sauces, opting instead for a traditional, vinegar-heavy soak that does all the tough tenderizing work while you sleep!

Close-up of crock pot pulled pork on burger.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: Tender & Juicy Crock Pot Pulled Pork Recipe
Ready In: 735 minutes
Serves: 8 Sandwiches
Main Ingredients: Pork roast, Salt, Black pepper, Cider, Vinegar, Brown sugar, Hot sauce, Red pepper flakes
Why You'll Love It: You’ll love this pork recipe because the slow cooker handles the hard work overnight in a simple, tangy vinegar bath, so you get perfectly tender, juicy pork that avoids the greasy, heavy feel of typical store-bought barbecue.

Pulled Pork That Isn’t Dry or Greasy

Today I’m going to show you how to make the juicy kind of pulled pork we get in barbecue places around my home, but instead of smoking it (because I can think of a few things I’d rather do than stand over a fire in this heat), we’re gonna cook it overnight in our slow cooker!

This crock pot pulled pork recipe, made Southern-style, is pretty much heaven on a bun as far as I’m concerned, and it seems every region has its own way of doing it. I also wouldn’t turn it down if a little bit of clear, mild vinegar sauce were added, or perhaps some of our sensational Alabama white barbecue sauce!

This is the best pulled pork sandwich recipe and the perfect dish to make in advance for a busy weekend, potluck, or game day (psst: if you’re vegetarian, or cooking for one, my smoky Jackfruit BBQ recipe is just as good!). Let it cook overnight, make the sauce, and then keep the pork in the slow cooker on warm until you’re ready to serve the main dish.

Now get out those crockpots and let’s make the best slow cooker pulled pork!

Labeled ingredients for crock pot pulled pork recipe.

Ingredients You’ll Need For This Crock Pot Pulled Pork Recipe

Pork roast
Salt
Black pepper
Cider vinegar
Brown sugar
Hot sauce
Red pepper flakes

Expert Tips from My Kitchen

Patience Is The Main Ingredient: I make this for my family all the time, and every single time, the step I prioritize is cooking it on the stove for a full 12 hours. Do not try to rush this process on high heat to save time. A slow cook is what allows the fat to render completely, giving you that juicy texture.
Fat Side Up: When you place your pork roast into the bottom of the slow cooker, always position it with the thick fat cap facing up. As the meat cooks, that fat will melt downward, naturally basting the roast in its own juices and keeping it from drying out.
The Skim and Save Trick: When you drain the extra liquid, let it sit in a glass measuring cup for a few minutes. The grease will float to the top so you can easily skim it off, leaving you with pure, flavorful pork broth to mix with your brown sugar and spices.
Ditch the Pork Loin: If you see a pork loin on sale at the grocery store, save it for a slow-cooked pork roast. Lean cuts don’t have enough fat or connective tissue to survive a 12-hour cook cycle and will turn out incredibly dry. Stick to the traditional, most common cut, the shoulder.

“Y’all…I am SALIVATING!”

“I rarely comment on things like this, but y’all are MY PEOPLE! – Emma”

How to Make Crock Pot Pulled Pork

1. Season the Meat

Take your pork roast out of its packaging and pat it dry with a paper towel. Place it fat-side up directly into your slow cooker. Season the top and sides generously with your salt and black pepper.

Place pork roast and salt and pepper in slow cooker.

2. The Long, Slow Simmer

Pour the apple cider vinegar around the sides of the pork roast (not right on top, so you don’t wash off your salt and pepper). Place the lid tightly on the crock pot and set it to low for 12 hours. I highly recommend letting it run overnight so you wake up to a house smelling like a backyard barbecue!

3. Shred and Separate

Once the timer is up, carefully lift the pork out of the cooker and place it onto a large baking sheet or cutting board. Using two forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Because it was cooked for so long, it will practically fall apart on its own.

4. Build the Glaze

Carefully pour all the remaining cooking liquids out of the slow cooker. Reserve 2 cups of that liquid and discard the rest. In a medium bowl, mix those 2 cups of liquid with the brown sugar, hot sauce, and crushed red pepper flakes, stirring well until the sugar completely dissolves.

Add hot sauce to slow cooker juices in mixing bowl.

5. Toss and Serve

Return your beautiful shredded pork to the empty slow cooker. Pour your spiced glaze evenly over the meat and toss it all together so every piece gets coated. Turn the pot to the “warm” setting until you’re ready to assemble your pork sandwiches on soft rolls or those extra cheeseburger slider buns!

Pour sauce over pulled pork in slow cooker.

Crock Pot Pulled Pork FAQs

What is the best liquid to cook pulled pork in?

While a lot of folks default to apple juice, chicken broth, or even a splash of dark beer, apple cider vinegar is the absolute best choice for a slow-cooked roast. The natural acidity does something magical over a twelve-hour cook cycle since it gently breaks down the tough fibers in the shoulder.

Do you need to sear pulled pork before slow cooking?

Save yourself the extra pan to wash! While searing raw pork in a large skillet is great for building a crust on a quick-cooking meal, a long, twelve-hour soak in the crock pot gives the meat all the time it needs to develop a rich, deep flavor on its own.

What spice brings out the flavor of pork?

Simple sea salt and black pepper bring out the pork’s natural richness, but garlic powder and onion powder add much-welcomed savory depth. If you want a hint of backyard barbecue without a smoker, adding a little smoked paprika or chili powder to your spice blend will give the meat a wood-fired profile. These flavors are just as bold as the ones you’ll find in my baked beans with ground beef recipe.

Do you cook pork shoulder fat side up or down in a slow cooker?

Always cook it with the fat side facing up. As the roast heats up on the bottom of the slow cooker, that top layer of fat will slowly melt and render, dripping right back down through the meat. This acts as a natural basting machine, keeping the pork incredibly juicy and preventing the top from drying out during the long cooking process.

Similar Recipes

My favorite thing about this recipe is just how tender the pork is. If you’re dyin’ for more juicy recipes, you might also like this roasted pork tenderloin, or if you want a mini version of these sandwiches, check out my pulled pork sliders!

If you loved this tender crock pot pulled pork recipe, please leave a review, let me know in the comments how y’all fared!