Crock Pot Pork Shoulder for Pulled-Pork Sandwiches

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Diana Rattray
Updated 07/20/20
Crockpot pork shoulder recipe

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 hrs
Total: 10 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 8 to 12 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
678 Calories
39g Fat
9g Carbs
69g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 678
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g 50%
Saturated Fat 14g 71%
Cholesterol 251mg 84%
Sodium 459mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Protein 69g
Calcium 70mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

For this crowd-pleasing recipe, pork shoulder is cooked to perfection in the crock pot with your favorite barbecue sauce for a fabulous main dish or pulled pork sandwiches. It's incredibly easy and almost entirely hands-off, making it perfect for family dinners, game day gatherings, and potlucks. You can shred it in the pot and keep it warm while serving.

This is a basic recipe for pulled pork shoulder using a boneless or bone-in shoulder (also known as a Boston butt), but be sure your pork shoulder will fit in the slow cooker and will allow you to put the cover on tightly before starting. If needed, you can cut the pork into pieces so that it will fit in the cooker. You'll only need a couple of other ingredients to make this tasty dish.

If you have extra crock pot pulled pork, you can freeze it in an airtight container for up to three months. Or get creative with your leftover pulled pork and use it to make tamales, egg rolls, and more.

1:12

Click Play to See This Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork Sandwiches Recipe Come Together

Ingredients

  • 1 (4- to 7-pound) pork shoulder (or Boston butt, bone-in or boneless)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 dash Kosher salt
  • 1 dash freshly ground black pepper
  • Optional: 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 1/2 to 1 cup barbecue sauce (plus more for serving)
  • For serving: sandwich buns, coleslaw

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for crock pot pork shoulder
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Add the water and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If desired, add chopped onions.

    Onion and pork
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Turn to LOW and cook 7 to 9 hours longer, until very tender.

    Pork in crockpot
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Remove roast and discard the fat and juices. Chop or shred the pork and then return the meat to the slow cooker.

    Remove roast
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Mix some barbecue sauce into the meat for flavor—about 1/2 to 1 cup of sauce. Cover and cook on LOW for about 30 minutes to 1 hour longer, until hot.

    Mix barbecue sauce
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Serve as-is or on warm split sandwich buns with coleslaw and extra barbecue sauce on the side.

    Pork on buns
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations

  • You can change up the flavors of this pulled pork recipe greatly depending on what kind of barbecue sauce you select. From a South Carolina mustard-based sauce to a ketchup-based Memphis barbecue sauce, there are endless variations.
  • Try something a little ifferent with a Korean or Thai barbecue sauce.

Tips

  • If the roast is too large to fit in one piece, cut it into large chunks or trim it to fit in your slow cooker crockery insert.
  • Low and slow is the best method for cooking pork shoulder. You'll know it's done when the meat is so tender you can easily pull it apart with a fork.
  • While it's hard to overcook pork shoulder when it's on low in a slow cooker, it will eventually become dry as more liquid evaporates.

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