Seriously, can someone grab a stack of napkins? Because I’m up to my elbows in fall-apart tender Pulled Pork Barbecue in Crockpot! It is everything you want: Tangy/sweet/meaty, dripping with sauce and creamy coleslaw. And did I mention easy?
Do you remember the first time you tried that Classic American Pulled Pork Barbecue Sandwich? Because depending upon where you were geographically, it could’ve been a somewhat different sandwich than the kind your friend or neighbor makes. That’s because the process of the barbecue (smoked, grilled, roasted), the spice rub (or lack thereof), the sauce (if used), and toppings vary depending upon where area of the country you are from. It’s all somewhat complicated.
Different regions of the country, different states, different cities – all have their own versions of barbecue and of barbecue sauce – whether it’s vinegar-based sauce (North Carolina), mustard-based (South Carolina), mayonnaise-based (Alabama – don’t knock it ’til you try it!), sweet and tangy tomato-based (Kansas City), or dark, spicy and tangy (Texas), and even the proteins used all are different. But, truly, all are delicious!
Now, my Pulled Pork Barbecue made in a Crockpot is as simple as it gets! I make mine with both a dry rub, so all that flavor is infused into every morsel while it cooks, and I top it with a sweet/tangy/spicy sauce on top, because who doesn’t like a sauce? (I’ll sauce anything!) Then I add some simple, tangy coleslaw and bread-and-butter pickles. Put it on a toasted brioche bun, and it’s about the best bite of flavor I can think of.
All this may sound time-consuming and difficult, but it’s one of the easiest dishes to make. I just mix together the spice rub, rub it onto cubes of pork shoulder, drop it into my Slow Cooker, and about 7 or 8 hours later, it is so tender it practically falls apart by itself. It’s a great meal to just toss into the CrockPot before work, and when you come home, shred it, sauce it, serve it!
So, do you have a favorite Barbecue Sauce? I truly love them all and cannot pick a favorite. For me, a Kansas City Style is always popular in my house, but really, any will do!
Enjoy!
Looking for other sandwiches? Don’t miss these:
My Popular Turkey Burgers with Special Sauce
Grilled Lamb Stuffed Pita Burgers with Yogurt Sauce
Homemade Döner Kebab with Lamb and Pita
PIN Slow Cooker Pork BBQ ->
Recipe Details for Pulled Pork Barbecue ->
You can make Pulled Pork Barbecue using so many different methods. If you have a smoker, a Slow-Cooker, an Instant Pot, a Dutch oven – any of these will work. I’ve used all of the devices, with the exception of a smoker. When I’m short on time, I use my Instant Pot, because it can make a nice pulled pork in about an hour and a half, start to finish. A Dutch Oven is an enameled, covered, Cast-iron pot. It is excellent for stews and soups, but can also be used for meats cooked low and slow in the oven.
How and Why to use the Slow Cooker?
But, some days, when I just want to set-it-and-forget-it, I love using the slow cooker. I use one I’ve had for 20 years, but if you’re in the market for a newer one, check out this review from Good Housekeeping that makes it easy to find a good one that will work for your purposes.
I like the CrockPot because it creates some darker, crispy edges on the pork that are hard to come by in an Instant Pot, and it’s easier to keep an eye on than the Dutch oven. That’s why the Slow Cooker is my favorite method for this dish.
Anyway, I start by slicing the meat into smaller pieces. If you have 10-12 hours, you may not want or need to cut it up into smaller pieces, but I often don’t have that much time. And, the idea behind the smaller pieces is that I like to have more surface area to spread the sweet and spicy rub! And, with smaller pieces, it can be ready to shred and eat in 7-8 hours when cooked at the low setting.
Can I use my InstantPot?
If you want to use InstantPot, just set it on the Manual setting for about 50 minutes, and release the pressure 10 minutes after the 50 minutes end. You don’t need to cut up the pork shoulder, but if you want to increase the surface area for the spice rub, go ahead and cut the shoulder into 3 or 4 smaller pieces.
Topping the Sandwich
Either way, top with some barbecue sauce – no need to decide whether to have dry rub or a wet sauce, because you really can have both! Add some simple, tangy slaw and sweet pickles and you have one tasty CrockPot Pulled Pork Barbecue sandwich! And, leftovers!
Pork Shoulder Slice Cut into smaller sections Brn sugar, salt, cumin, paprika, cayenne, pepper Spice-rubbed sections Water + 1 T Cider Vinegar Ready to slow cook! Pull with forks!
Pulled Pork Barbecue in Crockpot
Tangy, Sweet, Savory. This barbecued pulled pork will become a go-to meal for your slow cooker. Just set it and forget it. 8 hours later, you’ll have one of the tastiest sandwiches of your life! Just add your favorite barbecue sauce if you like, top with some creamy coleslaw and bread and butter pickles and grab some napkins!
Prep and cook times for Pork only. Nutrition information is for dry-rubbed pork only, 4 oz, cooked.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 14 servings 1x
- Category: Meats
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Pulled Pork
- 3 1/2 – 4 1/2 lb Boneless Pork Shoulder, Pork Butt, or Country Ribs
- 3 T Brown Sugar (Dark or Light is ok)
- 2 T Kosher salt
- 2 T Smoked Paprika
- 1 T Ground Cumin
- 1/2 t Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 t Black Pepper
- 1 T Apple Cider Vinegar
For Coleslaw: (see Note 1)
- 8 c Shredded Cabbage (from 1 small cabbage)
- 3 T Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 T Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 t Salt
- 1/4 t Pepper
- 1/3 c Mayonnaise
- 2–4 T Buttermilk or Milk
For Sandwiches:
- Buns
- Your favorite Barbecue Sauce
- Bread and Butter Pickles
Instructions
Make the Dry Rub:
- Mix together all of the dry rub ingredients. Set aside
- Cut pork shoulder or butt into 2 – inch thick sections, and then cut each of those sections into 1-2″-wide strips, simmer to country ribs.
- Rub each piece with dry rub until all rub is used. Place rubbed pieces into Slow cooker.
- Mix 1/2 cup water with 1 T Cider Vinegar. Gently pour over the pork.
- Set Slow cooker to Low, and cook until it easily shreds with 2 forks. For a 4 1/2 lb pork shoulder, this should take 7 1/2 – 8 hours. Once done, remove pork pieces from the liquid and shred by pulling pieces of meat in separate directions with 2 forks. Discard liquid, or feel free to mix a bit (1/3 cup for each cup of BBQ Sauce) of it with your barbecue sauce for even more flavor!
- Serve on buns with coleslaw, pickles and barbecue sauce, if desired.
Make the Coleslaw
- Place the shredded cabbage in a medium bowl.
- In a 1-cup measure, or small bowl, mix together the sugar and cider vinegar. Add the salt and pepper. Whisk in the mayonnaise and add enough milk to make the sauce a bit thinner – up to 3 or 4 tablespoons. Pour over cabbage. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir.
Notes
- It’s best to make the coleslaw while your pork is cooking. Like the meat, it gets better as the day goes on.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4oz, cooked
Keywords: Pulled Pork Barbecue, Crockpot, easy BBQ, BBQ, Pork Shoulder, Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich, Slow Cooker, how to make pulled pork, Pork Barbecue,
I have to confess that I’m usually skeptical about pulled pork, but your version sounds really different. Bread and butter pickles, I love!
I get your skepticism! But I’m glad you’re coming over to the dark side, because this pork does have all the flavors and textures. But I can’t eat it without Bread’n’Butter pickles! ha!
This looks so delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!
★★★
Thanks so much!
Ohhh yum, Laura! This pulled pork looks so ridiculously good and the way you serve it offers so many delicious flavours and textures – I bet it’s the most delicious meal! Thank you so much for sharing – this would be so popular around here!
★★★★★
Thanks, Katerina! I love using pulled pork not only for barbecues, but for tacos and pasta dishes as well!
I’m a huge fan of pulled pork in the slow cooker! So delicious! Yours looks wonderful Laura.
★★★★★
Thanks, Katherine! Pulled pork is one of the best and easiest meals, isn’t it?
There’s my confession. I am not sure if I ever tried a Classic American Pulled Pork Barbecue Sandwich. Probably not (cause I’ve only had pulled pork for a bunch of times.) But this sandwich looks impeccable to me; succulent meat, coleslaw, and nicely toasted bun… I’m certainly in!
★★★★★
Thanks, Ben, so much! I hope you get the chance to try it out! This recipe has made many converts over the years, and I’d love to have you on that list!
Ah, I love a good pulled pork sandwich! This is definitely heading into crock pot season, and recipes like this are perfect for easy dinners! We actually always keep bags of pulled pork in the freezer for easy meals. It’s hard to beat a good saucy sammich on a cold night! And as far as types, I like them all, although I am partial to the Texas style.
★★★★★
Ooh, yes! Texas-style is awesome! and they way they make it there? So so good! Love the spice and that tender beef!
I do pulled chicken in my crockpot (slow cooker) because unfortunately Lynne isn’t a pork fan. Its a shame as I love pork and it’s definately amazing when done as pulled pork. Your recipe looks amazing Laura. Drooling here!
★★★★★
I get it, Neil! I’ve used chicken thighs successfully in this recipe, too. It goes a little faster than the pork but still delicious!
This looks so delicious Laura. Loved all the spices in it. Perfect for family dinner
★★★★★
Thanks, Rahul! I love it for dinner, then using the pork, I make tacos the next day! Yummy!
Goes with pretty much any season and that tangy-sweet sauce sounds amazing!
★★★★★
Thanks, Kim! Totally agree – this is a year-round in my house!
Pulled pork is a favorite in our house! I love all the seasonings you used in it. Plus that coleslaw!! Yum!
Thanks, Kelly! Yes, I love coleslaw with BBQ, it adds the perfect crunch and complements the spice of the barbecue with its creamy, tangy sweetness!
This is our kind of sandwich Laura. So perfect for game day festivities! And so easy and tender when whipped up in the slow cooker. Love the added coleslaw topping too.
★★★★★
Thanks, Mary Ann! I can’t eat BBQ without coleslaw! I think I learned that in North Carolina!