Pulled Pork (Crockpot)
I put this in the crockpot at 8am and my house smells like heaven by noon. By the time dinner rolls around, the pork is so tender it literally falls apart when you look at it. If you’ve never made pulled pork at home, this is your sign. It’s the easiest impressive dinner you’ll ever make — and by “make,” I mean dump ingredients into a pot and walk away.
Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds bone-in pork shoulder 2kg; pork butt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne adjust to taste
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth or apple cider
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup BBQ sauce your favourite — I use a smoky, slightly sweet one
Method
Season the Pork
-
Mix all the dry spices together — brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chilli powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Rub this mixture all over the pork shoulder, covering every surface. If you have time, do this the night before and let it sit uncovered in the fridge. The rub penetrates deeper overnight and the surface dries out slightly, which means better bark later. If you’re doing it morning-of, that’s fine too. This is a crockpot recipe, not a competition.
Crockpot Time
-
Place the seasoned pork in the crockpot, fat-side up. Pour the broth (or apple cider — apple cider adds a subtle sweetness that’s beautiful with pork) and apple cider vinegar around the meat, not over it — you don’t want to wash off the rub. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, or HIGH for 5-6 hours. Low and slow is better. The connective tissue needs time to break down, and patience gives you the most tender result.
Shred
-
When it’s done, the meat should be fall-apart tender — you should be able to pull it apart with two forks with almost no resistance. Remove the pork from the crockpot. Discard the bone (if bone-in) and any large pieces of fat. Shred the meat with two forks. It’s satisfying work. Therapeutic, almost.
Sauce
-
Return the shredded pork to the crockpot. Add your BBQ sauce and stir. Let it sit on warm for 15-20 minutes so the sauce absorbs into the meat. Taste and adjust — more salt, more sauce, a squeeze of lime if you’re using it for tacos. The pork is your canvas.
Crockpot Pulled Pork — Set It, Forget It, Feed Everyone
I put this in the crockpot at 8am and my house smells like heaven by noon. By the time dinner rolls around, the pork is so tender it literally falls apart when you look at it. If you’ve never made pulled pork at home, this is your sign. It’s the easiest impressive dinner you’ll ever make — and by “make,” I mean dump ingredients into a pot and walk away.
Crockpot pulled pork is the ultimate set-and-forget dinner. You season a pork shoulder (also called pork butt — yes, it’s the shoulder, don’t ask), put it in the slow cooker with some liquid, and come back 8-10 hours later to meat that shreds with two forks and zero effort. The slow cooking breaks down all the connective tissue into silky gelatin, which is why pulled pork is so moist and tender. Science is delicious.
My Polish twist: I use this pulled pork for about five different meals throughout the week. Sandwiches on Monday. Tacos on Tuesday. Topped on kopytka on Wednesday (seriously — pulled pork on potato dumplings with a drizzle of BBQ sauce is a Polish-American fusion moment I’m extremely proud of). Nachos on Thursday. And Friday, if there’s any left, it goes into a quesadilla. One crockpot session, five dinners. That’s efficiency. That’s Polish Mom planning.
Ingredients
- • 4-5 pounds (2kg) bone-in pork shoulder (pork butt)
- • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- • 1 tablespoon onion powder
- • 1 teaspoon cumin
- • 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (adjust to taste)
- • Salt and pepper
- • 1 cup chicken broth or apple cider
- • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- • 1 cup BBQ sauce (your favourite — I use a smoky, slightly sweet one)
How to Make It
Season the Pork
Mix all the dry spices together — brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chilli powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Rub this mixture all over the pork shoulder, covering every surface. If you have time, do this the night before and let it sit uncovered in the fridge. The rub penetrates deeper overnight and the surface dries out slightly, which means better bark later. If you’re doing it morning-of, that’s fine too. This is a crockpot recipe, not a competition.
Crockpot Time
Place the seasoned pork in the crockpot, fat-side up. Pour the broth (or apple cider — apple cider adds a subtle sweetness that’s beautiful with pork) and apple cider vinegar around the meat, not over it — you don’t want to wash off the rub. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, or HIGH for 5-6 hours. Low and slow is better. The connective tissue needs time to break down, and patience gives you the most tender result.
Shred
When it’s done, the meat should be fall-apart tender — you should be able to pull it apart with two forks with almost no resistance. Remove the pork from the crockpot. Discard the bone (if bone-in) and any large pieces of fat. Shred the meat with two forks. It’s satisfying work. Therapeutic, almost.
Sauce
Return the shredded pork to the crockpot. Add your BBQ sauce and stir. Let it sit on warm for 15-20 minutes so the sauce absorbs into the meat. Taste and adjust — more salt, more sauce, a squeeze of lime if you’re using it for tacos. The pork is your canvas.
Five Meals from One Crockpot
This makes about 10-12 servings, which for a family of six means at least two full meals with leftovers for more. Here’s how I stretch one batch:
• Classic pulled pork sandwiches: On soft brioche buns with coleslaw and pickles. Monday dinner handled.
• Pulled pork tacos: In corn tortillas with pickled onions, cilantro, and lime. The Polish-Mexican crossover my blog was born for.
• On kopytka: Polish potato dumplings topped with BBQ pulled pork and a dollop of sour cream. Fusion that makes no sense on paper and every sense on the plate.
• Loaded nachos: Tortilla chips, pulled pork, cheese, jalapenos, sour cream. Game day food on a Wednesday because we deserve it.
• Quesadillas: Pulled pork and cheese in a tortilla, crisped in a skillet. My kids’ favourite lunch.
Tips
💡 Pro Tips
✓ Fat-side up. The fat cap bastes the meat as it renders. Don’t trim it before cooking.
✓ Low and slow is better than high and fast. 8-10 hours on low produces more tender results than 5-6 on high. If you have the time, go low.
✓ Don’t skip the vinegar. Apple cider vinegar adds brightness and balances the sweetness of the BBQ sauce. Without it, pulled pork can taste one-dimensionally sweet.
✓ Overnight rub is best. If you can plan ahead, rubbing the night before and refrigerating uncovered gives deeper flavour and better texture.
Variations
• Carolina-style: Skip the BBQ sauce and dress with a vinegar-based sauce: cider vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, salt. Tangier, less sweet.
• Asian-style: Use a glaze of soy sauce, hoisin, ginger, and sesame oil. Serve in bao buns or over rice. My newest obsession.
• With sauerkraut: Layer pulled pork and sauerkraut on rye bread with Swiss cheese and mustard. A Polish-American Reuben that’s insanely good.
How to Store
Keeps 5 days in the fridge. Freezes beautifully for up to 3 months — freeze in portions so you can thaw only what you need. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth to keep it moist. The fact that it freezes so well is what makes the one-crockpot-five-meals strategy work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cut should I buy?
Pork shoulder (also labelled pork butt or Boston butt). It’s a fatty, well-marbled cut that becomes incredibly tender with slow cooking. Don’t use a lean cut like pork loin — it’ll dry out.
Can I make this in the oven?
Yes — season the same way, place in a Dutch oven with the liquid, cover tightly with foil, and cook at 150C / 300F for 4-5 hours until fork-tender. Same result, different appliance.
How do I know when it’s done?
When a fork slides into the meat with zero resistance and the pork falls apart when you try to lift it. The internal temperature should be at least 195F / 90C — at that point, the collagen has fully broken down and the meat is pull-apart tender.
More From Polish Mom
Bigos (Hunter’s Stew) · Lasagna Soup (Crockpot) · Chicken Sausage Kale Soup · Chicken and Dumplings (From Scratch)