This easy slow cooker pulled pork recipe creates smoky, juicy and tender pulled pork with just 5 simple ingredients! Set it, forget it, and come back to the juiciest, fall-apart tender pulled pork.
“I used a 4 lb boneless pork shoulder and added the liquid smoke, as we like our crock pot pulled pork to have that classic smoky flavor. I shredded it up and served it for our guests for Father’s Day and we had almost no leftovers! Some of the guys even went back for thirds!” — Brittany, busy mom, chicken wrangler, and homesteader.
What To Know: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- No Searing Needed: Only 5 minutes of prep time!
- Tender and Juicy: Fall-apart-tender and so easy to shred.
- Feeds a Crowd: Perfect for parties, potlucks, or family dinners.
- Only 5 Ingredients: But still packed with flavor!
- Hands-Off Cooking: The slow cooker does all the work.
- Great for Meal Prep: Freezes great with lots of serving options.
When I first moved to Florida over 20 years ago, pulled pork was a brand new discovery. Thankfully our neighbor shared her amazing crock pot pulled pork recipe with us, and we’ve been making it this way ever since. The tender, juicy meat, coated in sweet and smoky bbq sauce, is always a crowd favorite. You will find us making this pulled pork, alongside a batch of crispy pork belly burnt ends and this bbq shotgun shells recipe, all summer long.
Key Ingredient Notes
Below you will find helpful notes and substitutions for key ingredients used to make this easy slow cooker pulled pork recipe. Visit the printable recipe card below for ingredient amounts.
- 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!
- 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!
- Seasonings: I like to keep it simple, but flavorful, by using a combination of garlic salt and chili powder. However, you can substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons of your favorite pork, rib, or barbecue rub instead.
What Is The Best Cut Of Pork To Use?
A pork shoulder or pork butt (also called a “Boston butt”) are the best choices for juicy and tender pulled pork. You can even use a pork loin or pork roast, but these are a leaner cut of meat, so the end results will be less juicy. If your pork is on the bone, leave it in! The bone is very easy to remove after cooking and adds extra flavor to the meat as it cooks.
How to Make Pulled Pork in Slow Cooker
This is one of the tastiest, no-fail crock pot pulled pork recipes around. All of the cook time is hands off! If your cut of pork has a thick fat cap on one side, you can carefully remove the excess fat with a knife OR leave it on to moisten and flavor the pork. If keeping the fat cap, place pork in the slow cooker with the fat layer facing up, with the leaner side facing down.
Once the pork is fully cooked, easily remove the fat layer with tongs and discard it before shredding. *Tip* Use a slow cooker liner to make clean up extra effortless! Below is a quick recipe overview — visit the printable recipe card below for full directions.
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My favorite way to enjoy pulled pork is on a warm and toasted bun with sliced red onions and refrigerator pickles! You can also dress them up with mango slaw or corn salsa on top.
What To Serve With Pulled Pork?
For sides, you can’t go wrong classic bbq sides like baked beans, coleslaw, mac and cheese casserole, and grilled corn on the cob. For something more simple, potato chips or fries are always a good choice. For heartier sides if feeding a crowd, try my cheesy potato casserole.
How Much Pulled Pork Per Person?
A good rule of thumb is to plan for about 1/3 to 1/2 lb of cooked pulled pork per adult. Keep in mind that pork loses about 40% of its weight during cooking (mostly moisture and fat). To get 2.5 lbs of cooked pork, you’ll need around 4 lbs of raw pork to start, which will feed 5 to 7 people.
What To Do With Leftover Pulled Pork?
Try it stuffed inside a baked potato for a hearty dinner, or my personal favorite — a pulled pork stuffed sweet potato. For a Tex-Mex style twist, go with these pulled pork quesadillas or pulled pork tacos. For a party or game day, serve these pulled pork sliders or a pulled pork crescent ring for an easy to grab appetizer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Using Coke in pulled pork helps tenderize the meat thanks to its acidity, while the sugars add a rich, caramelized sweetness.
No, pulled pork doesn’t need to be fully submerged. I add the liquid around the sides of the pork butt to prevent washing the seasoning off the meat. You just need enough liquid (at least 1 cup) to keep it moist and prevent burning.
Yes, but make sure to use a large 8+ quart crockpot and cut your pork into 2 to 3 inch cubes. This should ensure it will all fit! I personally prefer to use two crockpots to save me the hassle of cutting up the pork.
Yes, pulled pork can overcook and become mushy or dry, even in a slow cooker. For best results, cook until it shreds easily but still holds texture — about 7 to 9 hours on low.
Absolutely — it freezes great! Freeze portions in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 3 months.
Reheat in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in the oven until warmed through. Adding a splash of leftover cooking broth or extra bbq sauce if needed to keep the meat moist.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pound pork butt, or pork shoulder
- 3 tablespoons garlic salt
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 2 liter coke, or any dark soda
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke, optional, for a light smoky flavor
- 1 to 1 ½ cups BBQ sauce, I recommend Sweet Baby Ray’s Original
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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. Add the liquid smoke to the coke, if using.
- 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.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
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More Easy Pork Recipes To Try
- Sweet, smoky, and satisfying — this pork and beans recipe is a delicious upgrade to the canned classic.
- Set it and forget it: these 5-ingredient slow cooker carnitas (or instant pot carnitas!) deliver bold, authentic flavors with minimal effort.
- Bold, brothy, and packed with flavor, you can’t go wrong with a rich pozole rojo and or zesty pozole verde.
- Take your taste buds on a tour with Puerto Rican pernil, Mexican carne adovada, and Cuban lechon asado — each one a must-make!
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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. 🙂