Slow Cooker Pulled Pork (Sandwich-Ready)
Tender pulled pork in a tangy BBQ base — stack it on brioche.
Method · 9 steps
- 1
Combine brown sugar, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, mustard, and oregano in a small bowl. Rub all over the pork shoulder, pressing it in.
- 2
Scatter sliced onion across the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Place pork shoulder on top, fat cap UP.
- 3
Pour apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire around (not on top of) the pork so you don't wash off the rub.
- 4
Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours or HIGH for 6 hours. Pork is done when it pulls apart with zero resistance from a fork.
- 5
Transfer pork to a large bowl. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid; discard the rest (it's mostly rendered fat).
- 6
Shred pork with two forks, discarding any hard pieces of fat. Pour reserved cooking liquid over the shredded pork.
- 7
Return shredded pork to the slow cooker. Stir in BBQ sauce. Cover and cook on HIGH 20 minutes so the sauce tightens and coats the meat.
- 8
Taste and adjust — more BBQ if it needs sweetness, a splash of vinegar if it needs brightness.
- 9
Pile on toasted brioche buns. Top with coleslaw, pickles, and extra BBQ sauce.
Chef's notes
- →Fat cap UP in the slow cooker. Gravity bastes the shoulder as the fat renders downward.
- →Reserve only 1 cup of liquid — the rest is rendered fat and will make the pork greasy.
- →Buy pork butt (shoulder) not pork loin. Loin is too lean and will shred into dry sawdust.
Storage
Fridge 4 days. Freezer 3 months in freezer bags with the sauce. Reheat with a splash of BBQ sauce.
