Pork recipes from slow roasted to quick skillet dinners are some of my favorites! Don’t miss kalua pork, lechon asado (Mojo marinated pork), pork carnitas, garlic butter pork tenderloin, grilled pork tenderloin, brown sugar pork chops, Pork Loin with Sweet and Spicy Apricot Sauce and the best pork chop marinade.
HOW TO MAKE PulLed Pork Recipe VIDEo
What you will need for this Pulled Pork Recipe
Rub for this Pulled Pork Crock Pot Recipe
The Pulled Pork Rub is earthy, smoky, salty with a ginger, garlic zing. It manages to be flavorful but not overpowering, so you can still smother the Pulled Pork with barbecue sauce. You will need:
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Braising Liquid
Braising the pork in a few inches of seasoned liquid helps to transform the tough pork shoulder into a tender, succulent, fall-apart masterpiece. The moist environment gently cooks the pork while the liquid continuously infuses the pork with moisture and flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:
This Homemade Barbecue Sauce will take your Pulled Pork to the next level
My homemade BBQ Sauce recipe is an intoxicating blend of sweet, tangy, spicy, smoky and ready in less than 20 minutes – 15 of those minutes are hands-off simmering! You can whip it up weeks in advance so it doesn’t require any extra time when making the Pulled Pork and I promise it is worthy every second of the 15 minutes! The homemade barbecue sauce is made by simmering simple pantry staples of ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, liquid smoke, seasonings and my secret ingredient of blackberry preserves to create the best barbecue sauce you ever tasted! So, while it’s easier and more convenient to squeeze a bunch of store-bought barbecue sauce, I promise the homemade BBQ Sauce will make your BBQ Pulled Pork recipe 1000X better!
BARBECUE SAUCE INGREDIENTS
This homemade BBQ Sauce recipe comes together very quickly with just a handful of ingredients. You will need (measurements included in the full recipe below):
Barbecue sauce substitutions
How to make Crock Pot Pulled Pork
BBQ Pulled Pork is the epitome of a minimal prep and maximum flavor recipe! Once you’ve gathered the ingredients, it’s a simple season, sear and cook until fall-apart tender. While the pork is cooking, I whip up an easy batch of barbecue sauce. Here’s how:
Step 1: Braising liquid. Combine the Coke, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, orange zest and green chilies in a lightly greased slow cooker; set aside. You want to prep these ingredients first so you can transfer the pork directly to the crockpot after searing.
Step 2: Spice rub the pork. Whisk all the seasonings together in a small bowl. Lightly drizzle the pork with vegetable oil, then rub it on the top and sides of the pork, then coat all over with seasonings, pressing to adhere. Flip the pork over, drizzle oil over the top and finish rubbing in the spices.
Step 3: Sear the pork. Wait until the vegetable oil is smoking hot before you add the pork. I find two forks the easiest to rotate the pork to sear it on all sides.
Step 4: Cook the pork until fall apart tender. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours or on LOW for 8 to 12 hours OR until the pork easily shreds with a fork. Make sure to check the pork at the early part of the cooking window and continue to cook if needed.
Step 5: Shred and braise. You can either shred the pork directly in the crockpot or it’s a little easier to remove any excess fat by shredding it on a cutting board. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and allow to cook for 20 minutes on LOW to soak up the juices.
Step 6: Add barbecue sauce. Add the pork to a colander over a large bowl and strain all but about ½ cup broth from the pork. Return the pork to the slow cooker/pot and stir in the desired amount of barbecue sauce. Serve on sandwiches, pizza, sandwiches, etc. See lots of ideas below!
Make it sweeter: add more brown sugar. I suggest you simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, taste and add additional sugar at this time if desired (and not right off the bat); continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Make it tangier: add additional apple cider vinegar at the end of simmering. Make it smokier: add additional liquid smoke, ½ teaspoon at a time. Make it spicier: add additional chipotle chili powder for smoky heat or cayenne pepper for penetrating heat. Make the seasonings your own. Like more garlic? Use more garlic. Like more mustard? Use more mustard. You can adjust all of the seasonings to suit your tastes and even add additional seasonings such as oregano or parsley. Make it thicker: simmer the sauce for upwards of 15 minutes until it reaches your desired consistency, however, it is already gorgeously thick after 15 minutes so I don’t think you’ll find this necessary. Make it gluten-free: double check your ingredients to ensure they are gluten free. Homemade Maple BBQ Sauce: substitute half of the brown sugar for pure maple syrup – not the breakfast imitation kind! Homemade Honey BBQ Sauce: substitute the brown sugar for honey.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches: Stuff brioche buns with pulled pork, coleslaw and optional toppings such as fried onions, pickles, etc. Pulled Pork Pizza: Use my barbecue chicken pizza recipe as a guide. Top homemade or store-bought uncooked pizza dough with ⅓ cup barbecue sauce, followed with desired amount of Pulled Pork, 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese (low moisture), 1 cup shredded smoked Gouda and ¼ thinly sliced red onion. Bake at 475 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese: Stir leftover Pulled Pork into your favorite Stovetop Mac and Cheese or Baked Mac and Cheese. Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese: Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on each side of each slice of bread, then top half of the bread with cheese, then Pulled Pork and then another layer of cheese. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add 2 sandwiches, cover, and grill until the bottom of the bread is toasted, about 5-7 minutes and the cheese starts to melt, checking often to see that the bread is cooking nicely and doesn’t burn. Flip and continue to cook, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and the bottom bread is toasted. Pulled Pork Hash: Use this recipe as a guide and swap in the Pulled Pork. Pulled Pork Baked Potatoes: Poke holes in washed, dried potatoes. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and lightly brush with oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender and the skin is crispy. Slice open the potatoes, top with BBQ Pulled Pork and cheddar then place back in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Top with sour cream, green onions, etc. Pulled Pork Baked Tacos: Line stand-up taco shells in a 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle some cheese on the bottom of each taco shell and bake at 350 degrees F for 8 minutes (baking crisps up the shells and the cheese prevents the shell from becoming soggy). Add the BBQ Pulled Pork, top with more cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until cheese is completely melted. Top with your favorite toppings such as lettuce, pico de gallo, black bean corn salsa, avocado corn salsa, etc. Pulled Pork Nachos: Pile thick restaurant style tortilla chips with cheese and beans and bake until the cheese is melted or use homemade queso. Top with BBQ Pulled Pork and toppings such as jalapenos, pineapple salsa and guacamole. Pulled Pork Fries: Similar to pork nachos but with French Fries! Pile French fries with cheese and bake or smother in queso or store-bought nacho sauce. Top with BBQ Pulled Pork and toppings such as jalapenos and guacamole. Pulled Pork Taquitos: Combine 3 cups pork with 2 ounces softened cream cheese, ¼ cup sour cream and 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese. Add a heaping ¼ cup pork mixture to each flour tortilla and roll up tightly. Place filled tortillas seam side down on a baking sheet. Lightly brush each tortilla with olive oil and bake at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until golden or pan fry until crispy. Pulled Pork Burrito Bowls: Pile cilantro lime rice with shredded pork, black beans, corn, cabbage, chopped pineapple or pineapple salsa etc. and your favorite creamy topping such as sour cream/Greek yogurt or I highly recommend either Tomatillo Avocado Ranch or Cilantro Lime Dressing. Pulled Pork Quesadillas: Sandwich pork, cheese and optional black beans in between two flour tortillas and toast in a skillet to golden, cheesy perfection. Serve with pineapple salsa, mango salsa, guacamole, pico de gallo and/or avocada crema. Pulled Pork Burritos: Layer a burrito size tortilla with cilantro lime rice, black beans, pork, cheese, guacamole, pineapple salsa and lettuce.
Carlsbad Cravings original inspired by my mother-in-law, Marcia Tag @CarlsbadCravings and Use #CarlsbadCravngs Leave a Review, I Always Love Hearing From You!
