Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

If you're looking for good Meal Prep ideas, add Slow Cooker Pulled Pork to your weekly arsenal. It's a game changer. Recipe on Shutterbean.com!

MEAT.  It’s not pretty, but dang…. IT’S TASTY. Look at this Slow Cooker Pulled Pork!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork // shutterbean

One of my current Meal Prep staples is pulled pork! And I’m going to show you how to make it and give you some ideas how to use it. The best part is that we let our crock pot do all the work. You can come home from work and make BBQ pulled pork sandwiches in no time! Carnitas tacos too! No need to turn the oven on. We’re keeping things cool in the kitchen this Summer.

And we’re off!

Morning light! We’re starting our day with prep.

Really….not much effort for maximum reward.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork // shutterbean

First we make a rub.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork // shutterbean

Then we rub it on our pork shoulder….

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork // shutterbean

Chopped garlic & onions.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork // shutterbean

They go in the crock pot and we place the pork shoulder on top.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork // shutterbean

In go the tomatoes followed by the chicken broth.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork // shutterbean

Let’s put the lid on and 8 hours later…

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork // shutterbean

This beauty….

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork // shutterbean

Is ready to shred!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork // shutterbean

It’s tender. It’s well flavored. It’s ready for you to do anything you want to it.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork // shutterbean

Oh! But wait! We can use the leftover cooking liquid as soup!

If you want a dryer pulled pork, use less chicken broth. I like ours on the moist/tender side because I plan on reheating the leftovers and I want them to remain tender.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork // shutterbean

Jar it up. Make a pulled pork tortilla soup for the next day.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork // shutterbean

We’re so productive! We have tons of stuff to cook from now.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork // shutterbean

One of my favorite applications for the pulled pork is to make sandwiches:

I portion some of the pulled pork and place it on a baking sheet. I toss a little bit of bbq sauce on top, mix it around and BROIL IT.

I added sesame seeds and cilantro to the BBQ pulled pork here…

BBQ Pulled Pork // shutterbean

Then I made us BBQ pulled pork sandwiches for dinner with an asian slaw!

BBQ Pulled Pork // shutterbean

Here I broiled the pork with a little bit of soy sauce, brown sugar & sriracha.

Pork Spring Rolls // shutterbean

Then I wrapped the meat up in rice paper for some spring roll action. 

Pork Spring Rolls // shutterbean

Why don’t you add some to a hash??!

Pulled Pork & Potato Hash // shutterbean

Here I chopped some up…sauteed it and then added it to rice smothered in cilantro oil for a burrito bowl situation.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork // shutterbean

And our most used application of pulled pork? TACOS!

Pulled Pork Tacos // shutterbean

All I do is take some of the pulled pork and fry it up in a skillet. There’s enough fat in the pulled pork to make it crisp up nicely. No oil added to the skillet!

Pulled Pork Tacos // shutterbean

Put it in burritos, taco salad, top with nachos, or make BBQ pizza with it! You can also add it to polenta with roasted tomatoes. There are so many options. Don’t worry, I’m going to figure them alllllllllll out now that I know how I like to slow cook my pulled pork.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

makes about 4 lbs.

  • 4  lbs. pork shoulder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 1  14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 32 oz. chicken broth

Mix salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, ground cumin, smoked paprika and garlic powder in a small bowl. Rub the pork shoulder with the spice rub on all sides.

Line the bottom of the crock pop with the chopped garlic and onions. Place the seasoned pork shoulder on top. Pour the tomatoes into the crock pot, making sure to evenly distribute. Follow with the chicken broth. Place the lid on the pork and set crock pot on HIGH heat for 8 hours, turning half way through to ensure even cooking.  Pull out cooked pork shoulder from crock pot and shred with two forks. Reserved braising liquid will make a great base for soups, be sure to jar some up.

  • Jena

    No, you’re right, it’s NOT pretty…but what do you expect- it’s a murdered animal’s corpse. Eww!!!
    That said, I love all your veggie recipes!

    • Demi

      Well, go ahead and enjoy all of your veggies to your heart’s content! I’m gonna have me some pulled pork for days. Yum yum!

    • casey

      If you don’t like a certain type of food, don’t click on the link and look at photos in order to torture yourself and be the martyr. People eat meat. Not all people eat meat, but some do. There’s no reason to get on a high horse about your diet. You’re not special. I promise.

  • Ashlyn @ Pedantic Foodie

    This is so great! I love all the great applications you mentioned! I didn’t realize how versatile pulled pork could be! Thanks for sharing!

  • Allyn

    As a fellow meal prepare, I seriously love this. Been drooling over all your pork IG photos. Love the broiler options too!
    Gah…. I obviously will be making a batch this weekend.

  • Mary Frances

    Wow, you’re an incredible photographer. And cook! Fantastic pork ideas–thanks for sharing!

  • shelly

    pulled pork is the reason i could never be a vegetarian. so damn good.

  • Rachel Taylor

    Ahh! This is why you’re my hero, Tracy! Can’t wait to make this.

  • Linda | A La Place Clichy

    This summer I am going to bite the bullet and make some pulled pork! For some reason it was always very intimidating for me. Love your use of typography in your photos!

  • Beverlily

    Can you make this without a slow cooker?

    • Tracy

      You could definitely make it in a dutch oven- in the oven!

      • Karen from France

        Hi Tracy, a quick question as I don’t have a slow cooker either! Dutch oven in the oven, great! but what temp for how long? Any idea??
        Love reading you and love your pictures, have a great day!

  • sharon / theprincipledtype.blogspot.com

    the red pepper flakes may be the secret ingredient? my other recipes don’t use that. these are so the bomb for summer meals ~ pulled pork.

  • Erin @ The Speckled Palate

    As someone who has been a life-long lover of pulled pork (I AM from Memphis, after all…), this recipe looks dreamy. And I’m particularly impressed with all the things you use it in! I’ve never had pulled pork tacos, but you’d better believe that’s happening now. Thanks, Tracy!

  • Leslie Rossi

    This is great! I’ve just started meal prepping again and cannot believe I wasn’t doing it before. Plus it’s getting too hot out to use the oven, so this is a great option when I don’t want to BBQ either 🙂

    Leslie
    http://alifewellconsumed.com

  • Morgan

    Very cool and delicious! I also placed some pork in a crock pot this morning before work. Looking forward to some delicious pulled pork sandwiches when I get home!!! 🙂

  • Abby

    Ooh, this looks delicious! I love that so many different meals can be created from one simple recipe… amazingness. <3

  • Blair

    I love to cook pork in the slow cooker (I embrace my lazy side), but I have never thought of all these awesome ways to use it up in different meals. So cool! Thanks!

  • Shawna H.

    If you make the soup from the leftover slow cooker broth, can you please please please share? I’m super intrigued…. thanks!

    Shawna

  • Victoria

    I love all the different ways you found to use this!!!! Also…I’m wondering if the reason my crock pot roasts aren’t very tender is because of the lack of moisture!?!?! I’ve always used about 3/4 cup of liquid.

    Tell me more about the soup that you make with the broth you saved! Do you render of the fat? Does it taste porkish? I’m all about using every last thing!!!!

    • Victoria

      Okay…So I have a 2 1/2lb pork roast…What does this mean for the cooking time?

      • Tracy

        Try 6 hours and if it’s not tender go longer.

        • Victoria

          I didn’t see your answer in time, so I ended up cooking it for 8 hours on low. It could have cooked a little less, but it wasn’t dried out by any means! We loved it!!!!

  • Meghan

    It’s so useful to see how you stretch one recipe and food into so many different types of food. You, Ms. Shutterbean, are an efficient genius.

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    […] Slow Cooker Pulled Pork – Shutterbean. MEAT. It's not pretty, but dang…. IT'S TASTY. One of my current Meal Prep staples is pulled pork! And I'm going to show you how to make it and give you some ideas how to use it. The best part is that we let our crock pot do all the work. […]

  • Caitlin

    posts like this are genius! love the different variations. I tend to be wasteful with all the extra cooking liquid from the crock pot, but you make a good point about how it can be saved for another use, and how having a lot to start with makes the meat more tender when you reheat later. we were without power all week from a stupid thunderstorm, but it’s back on now and my guy at home fired up the crock pot this morning with some pork for dinner, thank goodness! we’ll be trying some of your variations for sure. thanks for sharing!

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  • Victoria

    I made it again on Sunday and we’re LOVING it!!! Tonight, I’m repurposing the leftovers as Pork Fried Rice! 🙂

    I’m still too chicken to use the leftover juices for a soup, but I froze them! Have you used them yet?

    • Tracy

      I have! It’s great. And if you want to baby step it— freeze the stock in ice cube molds and then add a few to rice!

  • jackie

    what a fantastic post!!! love these where you show different things you can make with one prep. SO helpful. i just made this today and excited to put tacos together tonight. i second the request for pork tortilla soup recipe! 🙂

  • shauna

    I LOVE this post!! So helpful when meal planning. Thank you!

  • Natalia (basmatilime.blogspot.com)

    I made the pulled pork tonight and it’s beyond amazing!!! Followed the recipe to a T and made the tacos. Absolutely delicious!!! I saved the stock to make soup tomorrow and some left over meat for the asian soy/brown sugar/siracha idea… Great recipe!!!

  • Sara

    Tracy, this pork is AMAZING and my oldest son loved it, too (a miracle, I tell ya)! I took your advice and jarred up some of the leftover liquid. Do you have a good soup recipe to use it in? Thanks in advance! xo

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  • Katie

    I’ve made this pork several times and it’s so so good! We just had it last night. I’ve saved the Leftover liquid and have made tortilla soup a few times but none have been great :(. Do you have a good tortilla soup recipe for using the leftover liquid?!?

  • Amanda

    Have you ever tried freezing any of the pork leftovers?

  • Megan

    I pinned this forever ago, and was so happy to find it again because I need someone to think for me. This coupled with the slab of pork in the freezer is going to propel me to success — I know it! 😉

  • Vanessa

    Hi there – just checking that this cooks on high for 8 hrs? I have never seen a recipe cook for so long on high…Want to double check before I cook it tomorrow!

  • Nicole D

    Made this last night. So so good! We used it for pulled pork yesterday and will have burrito bowls tonight. Thank you so much!!

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