This delicious barbecued pulled pork is made in your crockpot, not on the grill. Slow cook a pork roast until it's pull apart tender and then add your favorite barbecue sauce.
Just 5 minutes of prep in the morning and then an easy assembly at dinnertime means pulled pork is perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Easy and delicious
Delicious pulled pork with barbecue sauce makes a tasty dinner.
There's something so wonderful about a crockpot. I love throwing something in the crockpot in the morning and coming home in the evening to a house full of delicious smells and dinner almost ready.
This pulled pork is delicious year-round and is perfect for weeknight dinners for your family or for times when you need to serve a crowd.
Almost any type of pork roast will work, although a boneless pork shoulder roast is the standard. We raise, butcher and process our own pork and we often end up with some odd sized pork roasts from various cuts. They all work great for this recipe.
Another great recipe to try is this Crockpot BBQ Chicken!
Key ingredients
Ingredients
This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.
- Pork Roast - Boneless or bone-in works fine. Choose a pork shoulder or pork butt roast. However, any cut will work. Select a roast approximately 4 pounds in weight. You can have a larger roast as long it fits in your slow cooker.
- Liquid - Beer, apple juice or water. I always add a bit of liquid in my slow cooker.
- BBQ sauce - make your own or use store bought
- Hamburger buns - Select your favorite type of bun. Use buns with or without sesame seeds or select a pretzel bun.
Step by step directions
How to make it
In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.
- Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper
- Place liquid in the bottom of crockpot
- Add roast and place cover on cooker
- Turn on high and cook for 4-5 hours or low and cook for 7-8 hours
- Remove roast and place on a plate. Allow roast to cool slightly
- Remove any fat and bone (if you used a bone-in roast)
- Shred meat with two forks, tongs or your hands
- Remove any liquid from cooking from the crockpot
- Place meat back in crockpot and add BBQ sauce
- Cover and heat for 20-30 minutes until hot
- Serve on hamburger buns
Recipe tips
- Pork is done when it falls apart. If you try lifting the roast, it will break apart. Or insert a fork and twist. The meat should break apart.
- If the meat doesn't shred easily, it needs to cook longer
- Try not to open the lid of the crockpot too often. You lose a lot of heat each time it's opened.
- Cut the roast into smaller chunks for a quicker cooking time
Recipe Faqs
The meat is done when it is fork-tender. If it's not falling apart, it needs to cook longer. If you've selected a bone-in roast, the meat should fall off the bone.
Yes, you can freeze pulled pork. You can freeze the pork before you've added the sauce or after the sauce has been added. Just make certain it is fully cooled prior to freezing.
Add the sauce after the meat is fully cooked and shredded. Once the sauce is added, just reheat until sauce is fully heated and then serve.
Serving suggestions
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my delicious recipes!
Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pound pork roast
- 1 cup of liquid (beer, apple juice or water)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2-3 cups BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper4 pound pork roast, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Pour liquid into pot and then add pork roast1 cup of liquid
- Put lid on and turn on crock pot to low. Cook for 6-8 hours,
- Pork is done when a you can insert a fork and the meat pulls apart easily.
- Remove pork from crock pot onto a large baking sheet.
- Allow to cool slightly so you can handle it. Use two forks to pull meat apart into long strands.
- Remove any fat or bone
- Remove all liquid from crockpot.
- Add pulled pork back into pot.
- Add BBQ sauce and stir.2-3 cups BBQ sauce
- Turn crockpot to high for 20 minutes until pork and sauce are hot.
- Serve on a hamburger bun.
Notes
- Pork is done when it falls apart. If you try lifting the roast, it will break apart. Or insert a fork and twist. The meat should break apart.
- If the meat doesn't shred easily, it needs to cook longer
- Try not to open the lid of the crockpot too often. You lose a lot of heat each time it's opened.
- Cut the roast into smaller chunks for a quicker cooking time
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Jodi says
Could I use ginger beer?
Kathy says
Hi Jodi,
I've never tried it with ginger beer, but I don't see why not. I've used other liquids like apple cider and it works beautifully.
Let me know how it turns out.
Kathy 🙂
Natalie says
Simple, easy and tasty dinner.
Kathy says
Thank you!
Katie says
One of my favorite go=to meals. The crockpot does all the work, and I have a delicious dinner. I keep coming back to this recipe again and again!
Ashley says
I love my crockpot too! I always feel so accomplished when I get dinner going in the crock first thing! This pulled pork sounds wonderful!
Kathy says
I agree! You get it started and out of the way first thing in the morning.