Today’s easy Pulled Pork Recipe is one we make AT LEAST once a month to enjoy with barbecue sauce in sandwiches, or to use in quesadillas, tacos or burritos. It’s tender, juicy, and packed with smoky flavor, all made easily in the slow cooker.
With just pork butt, salt, and liquid smoke, the meat cooks low and slow until it shreds effortlessly, making it perfect for all of your favorite recipes.
We love to serve this crockpot pulled pork along with our favorite side dishes, like Easy Coleslaw and Potato Salad.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- So simple! This takes less than 5 minutes to prep, uses only a few simple ingredients, and the crock pot does all of the work!
- Budget-friendly feast. It is a relatively inexpensive cut of meat that stretches a long way, and usually has leftovers for other meals.
- Effortless entertaining. Throw everything in the pot and come home to a ready-made main course that feeds a crowd and smells amazing.
Easy Pulled Pork Ingredients
- Pork butt (3-4 pounds): Becomes tender and juicy when cooked low and slow. The most common cuts of pork to use are pork shoulder (also known as pork butt or Boston butt) and pork loin. Both are great options, but we think pork butt is the best cut of meat.
- Kosher salt (2 tablespoons): Seasons the meat deeply. Add other spices such as black pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, mustard powder, or a pulled pork rub.
- Liquid smoke (⅓ cup): Adds smoky flavor without a grill. Instead of liquid smoke, many people like to use apple cider vinegar or chicken broth to help tenderize and flavor the meat.
- Barbecue sauce (optional): Adds sweetness and bold BBQ flavor when mixed in. Enjoy pulled pork without sauce, but I love using Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce or homemade BBQ Sauce.
- Hamburger buns (8): Holds the shredded pork for easy serving.
- Optional toppings: Like coleslaw, pickles, and onion rings add texture and flavor contrast.
How to Make Pulled Pork
PREP. Rub coarse salt all over the pork.
COOK. Place in a slow cooker, cover in liquid smoke, and cook for 8-10 hours on LOW.
SHRED. The pork should be shredded into pieces. Serve on its own or add BBQ Sauce to taste – perfect for our pulled pork sandwiches!
Oven Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rub liquid smoke and salt over the pork butt and wrap in foil. Place in a roasting pan and cook for 5 hours, or until the internal temperature is 145°F. Shred and serve as directed above.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- We love the added flavor, but you can easily trim the excess fat, if desired, before cooking.
- Cook on low for the most tender results. It’s best to start it in the morning.
- Shred the meat directly in the slow cooker to soak up juices and make it even more tender.
- Add barbecue sauce gradually to control the sweetness. We love Baby Ray’s or our homemade sauce!
- We love doing pulled pork for meal prep. It also freezes well for easy future meals like Empanadas, Pork Tacos, Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, Loaded Nachos, or Chimichangas.
Crockpot Pulled Pork Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds pork butt
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- ⅓ cup liquid smoke
- barbecue sauce, optional
- 8 hamburger buns
- coleslaw, pickles, onion rings, optional
Instructions
- Rub pork butt generously with salt.
- Place pork in your slow cooker and pour liquid smoke over it.
- Cook on low for 8–10 hours or until pork shreds easily.
- Shred pork with a fork, then add barbecue sauce and stir to mix. Serve on hamburger buns with additional sauce and any desired toppings.
Notes
- We love the added flavor, but you can easily trim the excess fat, if desired, before cooking.
- Cook on low for the most tender results. It’s best to start it in the morning.
- Shred the meat directly in the slow cooker to soak up juices and make it even more tender.
- We love doing pulled pork for meal prep. It also freezes well for easy future meals like Empanadas, Loaded Pulled Pork Cups, Pork Tacos, Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, Loaded Nachos, or Chimichangas.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Keep BBQ pulled pork in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Store individual servings in freezer-safe bags for 2-3 months in the freezer. Seal the bags tightly so none of it will leak out. Pull it out for a quick and easy meal when you don’t have time to make dinner! Let it thaw and heat it over the stove or in the microwave.
More Like This
Shredded Pork Recipes
Kalua Pork
9 hrs 5 mins
Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Recipe
6 hrs 5 mins
Carnitas Recipe
9 hrs 10 mins
Crock Pot Pork Roast
8 hrs 5 mins
Sides
Easy Coleslaw
10 mins
Baked Beans Recipe
4 hrs 5 mins
Best Potato Salad Recipe
55 mins
Sweet Cornbread
40 mins
Desserts
Homemade Brownies
45 mins
Easy Peach Cobbler
45 mins
Apple Pie Recipe
3 hrs 45 mins
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
4 hrs 45 mins
Collections
This recipe was first shared May, 2014.
Not everyone has crockpot or slow cooker …maybe give alternative methods live oven or stovetop
I can’t believe no commenter has said this is kalua, except it’s using kosher salt instead of Hawaiian sea salt. 😄
Pulled Pork is one of my go to meals. I always have a bottle of Carolina sauce on the side.
This turned out way better than I imagined. It is now the recipe I’m using for all the party BBQ’s. It did not last and I’m glad that there is a double and triple choice. Thank you for a great recipe.
Pulled pork is a favorite for BBQ and this recipe is no exception. The flavors of the pork with a tangy BBQ sauce is perfect for a summer picnic. Pull up to the picnic table and enjoy a sandwich or two.
Pulled pork is one of my all time favorite meals. I am originally from North Carolina which uses a vinegar based recipe and I haven’t tasted a better sandwich anywhere else in the country. Do you have a North Carolina based recipe?