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Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork spends the day slow cooking in a tangy cider vinegar sauce for pulled pork that is not only tender and flavorful, it’s as easy as can be.
So here’s the thing: if you invite me to a Super Bowl party, I’ll probably show up. But I’m not there for the football.
I’m 100% there for the snacks, okay?
Most of the time I am not even completely sure what teams are playing. I may or may not be aware of who is performing at the halftime show. But the snacks?
Those I will have planned for well in advance.
At my house, it’s all about the Sausage Cheese Balls, Sweet & Spicy Snack Mix, French Onion Dip, and Cinnamon Sugar Soft Pretzel Bites. You gotta get that perfect mix of sweet, spicy and cheesy.
And Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork is always the star of the show. Or perhaps in this case, the quarterback of the game.
EASY PULLED PORK: SLOW COOKER RECIPE
I have been making this easy pulled pork recipe for years. Randomly, I found the recipe on a makeup (yes, as in blushes and eyeshadows) related message board that I used to frequent.
Little known fact: I’m not just a baking addict, I also have a serious thing for makeup. I’ve got enough eyeshadows and blushes in my arsenal to paint up my face for the next 30 years.
It’s a sickness, I tell ya.
Anyway, this Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork circulated through this message board like wildfire. Everyone was making it and raving about its results, although no one was really sure where it originated.
It really is the best simple pulled pork recipe I have ever found.
The pork gets a glorious rub-down of brown sugar, paprika and other spices before being cooked in a tangy cider vinegar sauce.
Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork is simple, delicious, and most importantly can be slow cooked all day in the crock pot, which requires very little effort.
HOW TO MAKE PULLED PORK IN A CROCK POT
This Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork requires almost no hands-on time, meaning you can throw it into the slow cooker in the morning and forget about it until it’s almost time to eat.
Start by adding sliced Vidalia onions to the bottom of the slow cooker. The onions will cook down into the pork, and the sweetness of the Vidalias is the perfect match for the tangy vinegar sauce.
The pork goes in next after getting a rub of brown sugar and spices, followed by a drizzle of a quick vinegar sauce.
Because you are mixing together your own sauce, you can easily make your Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork as mild or spicy as you like by adjusting the amount of crushed red pepper flakes and cayenne in the sauce.
After about 10 hours in the crock pot, you’re left with incredibly tender, succulent, and flavorful pork. I typically shred it up and serve on slider buns with a side of homemade coleslaw or vinegar slaw.
If you want to get really fancy, you could serve it on homemade Pretzel Rolls.
Honestly, it doesn’t get much easier than Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork and it feeds a crowd, so there’s always leftovers – which, by the way, are incredible!
Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large Vidalia onion sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4-6 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder
- ¾ cup cider vinegar
- 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoons dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Rinse pork roast under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place onions in crock-pot. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, paprika, kosher salt and pepper; mix thoroughly. Rub mixture all over roast and place the roast on top of the onions.
- In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, Worcestershire, red pepper flakes, sugar, mustard, garlic salt and cayenne pepper; whisk to combine. Drizzle about 1/3 of vinegar mixture over roast. Cover and refrigerate remaining vinegar mixture.
- Cover crockpot; cook on low for 10-12 hours. Drizzle about 1/3 of reserved vinegar mixture over roast during last ½ hour of cooking.
- Remove meat and onions; drain. Chop or shred meat and onions. Serve with remaining vinegar mixture or your favorite barbeque sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I wanted to add that I did not use the liquid that was left in the crockpot. I pulled out the loin, shredded it and added a North Carolina vinegar based BBQ sauce to the meat. Tasted just like the pig pickins we used to go to in NC, but without the smoky flavor.
I made this last week and it was delicious. I did substitute a pork loin that I cut in half. Everytime I go to the store and look at pork shoulder, I cringe at the amount of fat in it. I know fat means flavor, but the recipe still comes out very tasty using the pork loin, only leaner.
I am in the process of making this. I have never made pulled pork or used a crock pot. I assumed there would be a lot more liquid that the meat would cook in. The one I bought was just under 6 lbs. I even poured in half, rather than a third of the liquid mixture. Did I miss something, or do you actually cook this with about a third cup of liquid (vinegar, worc. sauce)?
A speedy reply, though not expected, would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!!
I just tried this recipe this week!
Just like another reviewer said, it’s light with a kick. It’s just spicy enough and doesn’t require any additional sauces for serving. I enjoyed mine on a roll topped with a serving of a broccoli slaw.
So good. This is going to become a standard for me.
I made the recipe as written, except I did use an extra TBSP of brown sugar and thought it was fabulous! It is light but has a kick! I added some store bought BBQ sauce to my sandwich. My family loved it too :)
Thank you for the recipe:) My husband takes it to deer camp with him and the other guys love it. This has been the second year he took it.
Jennifer-
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for stopping by and providing your feedback – have a great day!
-Jamie
I made this last week and it was fantastic, making it again right now. Thank you for such a great recipe!! <3
Chantelle-
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for stopping by and providing your feedback – have a great day!
-Jamie
WOW! My first time making pulled pork (Im in New Zealand and it hasnt caught on here yet). This recipe went down sooooo well! Definately a hit with the men in the house. Thanks!!
Sarah-
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for stopping by and giving us your feedback – have a great day!
-Jamie
Made this and it was delicious! I grilled some pineapple and put them on the sliders along with a little BBQ sauce.
Kristin,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for stopping by and providing your feedback – have a great day!
-Jamie
I made this to bring to my friend who just had a baby and it was awesome! So tender and juicy. I, too, wanted a recipe that didn’t call for the sugary bottled BBQ sauce, and this fit the bill. Thank you!
Erica-
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for stopping by and providing your feedback – have a great day!
-Jamie