This crockpot pulled pork recipe makes the BEST tender pulled pork that’s packed with flavor. This easy recipe uses only 5 simple ingredients and can also be made in the Instant Pot!
Why You’ll Love Crockpot Pulled Pork Recipe
A foolproof recipe like this slow cooker pulled pork is sure to become a family favorite. Here are a few reasons why:
- Juicy and Tender: Allowing the pork to slow cook all day in the crockpot leaves you with juicy and flavorful pork that is so tender it falls apart!
- Budget Friendly: I can usually find pork roasts on sale for as little as $2 per pound. The other basic ingredients are pantry staples you likely already have on hand!
- Great for Potluck: Crock pot pulled pork travels great and is a delicious and economic solution to the age-old question: What can I bring? A 3 to 5 pound pork butt or roast will easily feed 8 to 12 people with leftovers!
- Enjoy it Lots of Ways: Enjoy it just as it is or stuffed inside potatoes, tacos or quesadillas. It also makes the best pulled pork sandwiches!
Looking for more slow cooker recipes? Check out my slow cooker ropa vieja, crockpot ham, and this crockpot pot roast!
What You’ll Need
One of the reasons I love this recipe so much is that it only uses FIVE ingredients. That’s it! Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Pork: You can also use pork shoulder, Boston butt or pork roast. If it’s on the bone, leave it! The bone is very easy to remove after cooking, and adds extra flavor.
- Coke: A regular cola product produces great results, but diet, zero sugar or any dark soda will work, too. Try Dr. Pepper or a cherry soda for a slight flavor twist!
- Garlic Salt: Or use 2 tablespoons garlic powder and add 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Chili Powder
- BBQ Sauce: I recommend using your favorite bbq sauce. I like Sweet Baby Ray’s original, but you can also use spicy, if you like a little heat!
How to Make Pulled Pork in Crockpot
This is one of the tastiest, no-fail slow cooker recipes around. All of the cook time is hands off! Deceptively simple, but always melt-in-your-mouth delicious, this will become one of your favorites. Scroll down to the recipe card for full detailed instructions.
- Season: Place your pork in the slow cooker and season with garlic salt and chili powder.
- Pour: Add the cola around the sides of the roast to prevent washing the seasoning off your meat. (The pork does not have to be fully submerged.)
- Cook: Set the crockpot to low and cook for 8 hours, until meat is tender.
- Shred: Remove the pork from the crock pot and discard most of the liquid, saving some to help keep the pork moist. Shred the pork with two forks.
- Finish: Add the barbecue sauce and stir to combine. Switch the heat to warm and place the lid on top until ready to serve!
Cooks’ Notes
A few tips and tricks to ensure your crockpot pulled pork recipe turns out perfect!
- The Cut: You can use a pork butt, pork roast, Boston butt, or even a pork loin. Pork loin is a much leaner cut of meat for pulled pork, so it will be less moist, but still very tasty!
- Fat Cap: If your pork cut has a thick fat cap on one side, you can carefully remove the excess fat with a knife OR leave it to moisten and flavor the pork. If keeping the fat cap, place pork in the slow cooker with the fat layer facing up, leaner side facing down. When pork is fully cooked, easily remove the fat layer with tongs and discard it before shredding.
- Seasoning: Substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons of your favorite pork, rib, or barbecue rub for the garlic and chili powder.
- Instant Pot: This crockpot pulled pork is Instant Pot friendly and just as easy! See step #7 in the recipe card below to convert this recipe.
- Easy Cleaning: Use a slow cooker liner to make clean up as effortless as the hands-off cooking for this crock pot pulled pork!
- Double the Recipe: If you want to double the recipe, use a large 8+ quart crockpot and cut your pork into 2 to 3 inch cubes. This should ensure it will all fit!
What to Serve with Crockpot Pulled Pork
My favorite way to enjoy this juicy pulled pork is in a toasted bun! I always use the leftovers to make this pulled pork crescent ring. It’s my families favorite weekend lunch.
- Sandwiches: Serve as pulled pork sandwiches on toasted buns. You can dress them up with sliced red onions, pickles, mango slaw and extra bbq sauce! This pork is also great for pulled pork sliders for a party.
- Stuffed Potatoes: Pulled pork is perfect stuffed inside a baked potato for a hearty dinner, but I personally love pulled pork stuffed sweet potatoes the best!
- Mexican Twist: Use the leftovers to make a whole new dinner with these easy pulled pork quesadillas. You may also enjoy these pulled pork tacos.
Storage and Freezing
Pulled pork stores wonderfully for another easy meal a few days, or even months, later! Here’s how to save your leftovers:
- Fridge: Transfer cooled pulled pork to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: If reheating a large amount of pulled pork, you can add it right back to the crockpot on high for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. To reheat an individual portion, microwave for about a minute, until heated through.
- Freezer: Place cooled pulled pork in an airtight freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, transfer to the fridge to thaw overnight before reheating.
Yield: 8 servings
Crockpot Pulled Pork
This Crockpot Pulled Pork recipe is my favorite easy recipe for sweet, tender and juicy pulled pork. Made in a slow cooker or instant pot, this easy recipe only needs five simple ingredients!
Ingredients
- 3 pound pork butt, or pork shoulder
- 2 liter coke, or any dark soda
- 3 tablespoons garlic salt
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 1 to 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce, I recommend Sweet Baby Ray’s Original
Instructions
- Place pork into a 7 quart crockpot (line crockpot with a liner for even easier cleanup!) and season with garlic salt and chili powder.
- Pour the coke in around the edge of the crockpot, adding just enough coke to almost cover pork. You do not need to cover the pork completely.
- Cook on low for 8 hours. It can cook longer, no worries if it has to sit a little longer. (You can try cooking the pork on high for 4 to 6 hours, but it may still be a little tough. The lower and slower cooking time leads to the most tender meat.)
- Remove pork from crockpot and discard 95% of the coke mixture…leaving just a little behind to help moisten the pork.
- Place the pork back into the crockpot (or in a large bowl) and then use two large forks to shred the meat. Add BBQ sauce and combine. (Above it says 1 to 1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce, which just means add as much, or as little, bbq sauce as you like.)
- Leave slow cooker on low, or warm, to keep things hot until you are ready to serve.
- INSTANT POT: Cook on manual, high pressure, for 75 minutes. Do a natural pressure release. Then follow directions from #4 down.
Video
Notes
Store Leftovers: Transfer cooled pulled pork to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat: If reheating a large amount of pulled pork, you can add it right back to the crockpot on high for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. To reheat an individual portion, microwave for about a minute, until heated through.
Freeze: Place cooled pulled pork in an airtight freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, transfer to the fridge to thaw overnight before reheating.
The Cut: You can use a pork butt, pork roast, Boston butt, or even a pork loin. Pork loin is a much leaner cut of meat for pulled pork, so it will be less moist, but still very tasty!
Fat Cap: If your pork cut has a thick fat cap on one side, you can carefully remove the excess fat with a knife OR leave it to moisten and flavor the pork. If keeping the fat cap, place pork in the slow cooker with the fat layer facing up, leaner side facing down. When pork is fully cooked, easily remove the fat layer with tongs and discard it before shredding.
Seasoning: Substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons of your favorite pork, rib, or barbecue rub for the garlic and chili powder.
Double the Recipe: If you want to double the recipe, use a large 8+ quart crockpot and cut your pork into 2 to 3 inch cubes. This should ensure it will all fit!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 330kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 102mg, Sodium: 3219mg, Potassium: 806mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 2272IU, Vitamin C: 0.3mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 4mg
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The sugar in the Coke is what helps break down and tenderize the meat. For additional flavor and tenderizer action… use a large can of condensed frozen orange juice combined with the Coke. Also, be sure to give the shoulder or butt a healthy rub and then braise the meat in a cast iron skillet before slow cooking.
Made this for my family tonight. I was so nervous about using the coke, but I figured worst case we can just make something else. This recipe was so delicious I was calling people in from different rooms to try it while I was still dishing it up.
This looks delish! I moved to Florida a little over 10 years ago from Chicago. Since moving here I’ve found that Florida doesn’t have the best food scene. I’m use to some of the most delicious food and amazing restaurants being in my backyard. It’s not the same here. There are good restaurants here, but they are definitely harder to come by. Luckily, I go back to Chicago a couple times a year to see my Dad and stepmom so I get as many of my fave restaurants in as possible. Since the food is hit or miss here in Florida I’m always looking for amazing recipes online. I’ve found so many great ones here on your blog. Thank you for the delish recipes and great inspiration.
OH my gosh! I made this last night and it was AMAZING!!! Your recipes are amazing and great for people who don’t cook a lot (like me). Thank You and I will definitely be trying many more!!!
I made this today and it was super easy! Popped into the crock pot this morning before work, came home 10 hours later and took it out. Was super tender and easy to shred, put BBQ sauce on it and let it heat up a little more while I made some corn to go with it. Didn’t taste any coke at all, but it was still delicious! TFTR!
So glad you liked it! It’s one of my all time favorite tailgate dinners! And no, the coke is to help cook and tenderize the meat…not as much for flavor. :-)
Made this tonight, delicious! Sweet Baby Rays was definitely a great choice. I now have a very satisfied (and stuffed!) husband!
I am so making this soon! I have a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s in the pantry just begging to be used up. I love love love barbecue (yes, pulled pork is barbecue to me, I’m from Florida!) and this sandwich looks fabulous!
Almost forgot – Your crock pot pulled pork looks delicious! I’m with you on the Sweet Baby Ray’s sauce. I prefer to mix the sweet brown sugar and the spicy one together.
Not sure where you are in Florida but if you are anywhere near my area head over to Goldrush BBQ in Venice – they serve a delicious BBQ beef brisket! :-)
all hail the mighty brisket….I’m Texan so I know brisket, and Sweet Baby Rays we buy this sauce all the time, great recipe…we also love a good brisket taco…
sweetlife
that looks so good!
Oh man, I have got to make this!!
I love brisket and have eaten it several times – once even in Texas!! I do love pulled pork, though, and this recipe sounds wonderful!
NOBODY knows brisket/BBQ the way TX does. Sad fact!
I love the idea of using Coke with this! I’m sure it really helps out the flavor and the breakdown to get it nice and tender!
How funny, I’m making this as well this weekend for my little cousin’s graduation party. I’m using good ole root beer or BEER as my soaking solution. hehe
This looks pretty tasty!
I always wanted to make this! My Dad would love it. This looks delicious! Nice and tender and flavorful.
This looks so yum and awesome!
pulled pork is something near and dear to my heart, and i’m OH-so-picky about it. i like lots and lots of sauce (sweet baby ray’s is a favorite of mine, too!), some crisp, cool slaw on top, and a beefy kaiser roll to hold everything together. gadzooks–is 7 am too early for barbecue? :)
lovely photo…with professional touch…superb
This sandwich looks so good! I love the potato bun :) When my neighbor graduated from high school, her uncle came up from Texas and made brisket for her graduation party. Best. thing. ever. :)
I must admit Massachusetts, where I live, is probably way worse with our knowledge of good barbecue. That is why I am thrilled to see your recipe. It sounds so good. Love that it is in the crockpot! Thanks for recommending the barbecue sauce too. I can never find one I like. I would love to go to Texas someday just to try real authentic barbecue:)
you had me at slow cooked!
xo Alison
I’ve finally come around to enjoying different kinds of bbq sauces. And, I love the magic of Coke when slow cooking.
This post cracked me up. We are from North Carolina and think you Texans and Floridians don’t know how to do BBQ ;)
We are military so we’ve actually lived in both Texas and Florida so we’ve got to sample all the different variations. I think it’s all about what you are brought up on. Love the post girl :)
Mmmmm, great photo ;) !!!
Hey Jessica, my Cauldron Boy just came back from Dallas complaining about how there is no good BBQ or any type of good food at all here. So I’m sure he’d love your proper Texas brisket in tangy sauce.
p.s. We live in St. Pete and are possibly moving to Texas soon…
Looks good! I like the sound of using the coke in this recipe!
I loooove brisket; so much! I have never made it myself before and I must say I am surprised to see Coke in there. But you are from Texas where BBQ is king; so I trust you!
I was reading this late last night and was really excited. I have never made my own pulled pork dish, I think my hubbie will love the fact that you use coke! You think it would taste funny if I used diet coke instead?
This looks crazy delicious! Pulled pork is one of my favorite meals…perfectly summer =)
Oh my gosh!! That looks absolutely delicious! You are an awesome photographer too! I will definitely be trying this!
Jessica, what a beautiful blog and what tasty looking food! I must admit, however, that BBQ has never been something I could wholeheartedly love. I think it’s actually my aversion to BBQ sauce that does it – in my opinion when the meat is so wonderfully slow-cooked and beautiful sloshing it in thick, gloppy BBQ sauce ruins it… but then maybe that’s because I’ve only ever had thick & gloppy BBQ sauce! Who knows what the BBQ world would hold for me were I to try your variation…
Also, I regularly make Coca-Cola ham, so this doesn’t sound mad to me at all! It gives it a beautifully smokey and caramelised flavour – love it, so good call!
Jax x
I do love pulled pork, but nothing can beat a good brisket! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Cheers
Dennis
When I lived in Florida I used to make a recipe that is very similar to this. Looking at it makes me want to make it again, only problem is I don’t have a crockpot here…
This looks like the perfect thing for a 4th of July get-together! My fiance loves pulled pork sandwiches – and I have to say, me too!:)
This is what I miss from my life in the States. i just love this type of food. This brisket looks delicious.
Wow! this look seriously good! I am drooling!
wow Jessica, this pulled pork only has only 5 ingredients, very simple and delicious!
Thanks for passing from my blog. Never had anything like this before but it certainly sounds delicious.
Thanks for visiting my blog today! I love brisket and never thought of using coke, but it looks and sounds like a delicious way to cook a brisket!
I also love your popsicle recipe below, definitely a great low calorie sweet option. I loved how you have it labeled as “ass friendly” – LOL!
Ohhh, I know what you mean about the brisket! I moved to Oklahoma and discovered it for the first time, then moved to California and they’d never heard of it!! What loss! This pulled pork looks fantastic – so juicy and flavorful. :-)
I like that you added coke to this pulled pork. It truly does help tenderize the meat. This sandwich looks so good! Btw, there’s a giveaway for an All-Clad pan on my blog, if you’re interested in entering.
I guess now that I live in Virginia, almost the Carolinas I should learn how to make pulled pork. Really a 1 bottle of coke… yummy
Jessica, that sandwich is enough to make even one who has just finished eating hungry. It is a really nice and almost effortless recipe. I love your blog and your recipes. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings…Mary
I’ve lived in Texas and Tennessee, and I love BBQ! Pulled pork is my favorite. I’ve made it in my slow cooker, but I haven’t included Coke. I will have to try this. Yours looks so much more juicy than mine.
Looks great…I love BBQ…I prefer pork to beef.
I do miss a good’ol pulled pork sandwich!
Oh yum. I love pulled pork. Especially easy pulled pork that doesn’t sit in my oven for 13 hours!!!
If you’re missing good brisket you have to come visit me in Orlando. We have a fairly new BBQ place – Four Rivers – which is AMAZING and known for their delicious brisket. They serve it sliced and also chopped on a sandwich. SOOO GOOD.
You’re a gal after my own heart. Pulled pork ranks up there as one of my most favorite meals ever. I have never tried it with Coke!! Will definitely be trying your recipe very soon!
I do love my pulled pork but I have a fine appreciation for brisket and chicken, too. Where I grew up, up here in NC, barbecue is… pulled pork. :) I also like it on potato rolls, but we serve it with slaw. Not coleslaw, just “slaw.” ;)
I’ve had “Coca-cola ham” before, but will definitely have to give this a try next time I do pork butt in the crock pot! OH, and you have to watch this…
http://rhettandlink.com/videos/index.php?key=bbq-song#
I make pulled pork quite often, never thought to use coke. I can see it being quite tasty though. The picture certainly looks it!
Mmmmm!! Pulled pork is one of those things I love if it’s done well but can’t stand if it’s not. I’ve never made it at home but since I’m so picky with restaurant pork I’ll have to try this out. Time to make use out of that dusty crock pot!
Oh my gosh, this looks mouthwatering! I have a very similar recipe on my blog, too. I love how you used Coke though – I’ve never heard of that before! I could eat this every single day, mmmm.
Oh yum, and great photo!