This Texas Slow Cooker Pulled Pork is the best crockpot pulled pork recipe that is fall-apart tender, easy to make and family friendly. The pork slow cooks in a tangy barbecue sauce, and then it’s shredded and added to buttered and toasted sandwich buns. Doesn’t that sound amazing?
You may wish to also check out my recipe for Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches. And I also have a great recipe for Slow Cooker Pork Burritos!
This is the easiest recipe for the best Texas pulled pork! It’s a dump-and-go kind of recipe, so it will take you just a few minutes to put all of the simple pantry ingredients into your slow cooker. Then you can walk away for 8 hours, and the slow cooker does the work for you. This recipe has plenty of smoky flavor without the need for a grill or a smoker. And the pork will turn out as tender as can be.
Ingredients Needed to make the Best Pulled Pork:
- Pork: The best cut of pork to use for making the best pulled pork is pork shoulder (also known at Boston Butt or Pork Butt). This is a cut of pork that lends itself well to slow cooking. Look for light marbling in the pork shoulder but not a lot of excess fat. A little fat on the roast will ensure that your pulled pork is tender and moist. Bone-in pork roast will lend the most flavor to the pulled pork, but I like to use boneless because it fits in the crockpot more easily!
- Barbecue Sauce: Controversial, but I like to add a bit of my favorite barbecue sauce to the rest of the sauce. We love Sweet Baby Rays.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Tangy vinegar is the perfect liquid to use in slow cooking your pulled pork.
- Light Brown Sugar: This will add a bit of sweetness to the sauce for the pulled pork.
- Onion: I like to use a sweet onion for this recipe. Just chop it into chunks to add to the slow cooker.
- Flavorings: Chili powder, garlic, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and mustard.
How to make Texas Slow Cooker Pulled Pork:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
Mix together the sauce ingredients. Place the pork roast in your slow cooker, and pour the sauce over the roast. Top with chopped onion. Cover and cook the pork for 8 to 10 hours on low.
Remove the pork roast to a cutting board, and use two forks or bear paw shredders to pull the pork. then add the pulled pork back to the sauce in the slow cooker.
Recipe Tips:
- If you’re looking to feed a certain number of people, a good rule of thumb is to plan for 1/3 to 1/2 pound of pork per person (before cooking). The pork will shrink while cooking.
- Add a splash of bourbon for some more flavor. If you like a very smoky flavor, add a few drops of liquid smoke or some smoked paprika.
- I don’t recommend cooking pulled pork on high in your slow cooker. The secret to making the best pulled pork is to cook it low and slow.
- Use this Texas slow cooker pulled pork for piling onto buns for sandwiches or sliders. Sometimes I add cole slaw to the sandwiches too. It can also be used to fill tacos, burritos, quesadillas or lettuce wraps. Pulled pork is also great to use for topping nachos or baked potatoes. And it’s an excellent pairing with macaroni and cheese or Texas potato salad.
- Serve with Texas sheet cake for dessert!
Can you overcook pulled pork?
Yes! If you let pulled pork cook too long in your crockpot, it can get a bit mushy. 8 to 10 hours on low is perfect. If you’re at work, and you have a crock pot that can switch to a “warm” setting after it’s done cooking then that’s perfect. I use this slow cooker for that reason!
What You’ll Love About This Recipe:
- It can feed a crowd, or you can serve it up as an easy weeknight dinner with leftovers to follow.
- It’s an easy recipe to make ahead. And it’s a great recipe to make for Game Day or a party.
- Freezing leftovers is easy. Just place individual servings of pulled pork in quart-sized zip baggies, and take them out to defrost when the mood for eating pulled pork strikes!
Texas Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork shoulder roast
- 1 cup barbecue sauce (we love Sweet Baby Rays)
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 8 whole sandwich buns, buttered and toasted
- more barbecue sauce, as desired
Instructions
- Place the pork roast in your slow cooker.
- In a bowl, whisk together the BBQ sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, garlic and thyme. Pour over the pork roast in the slow cooker. Top with the chopped onion. Cover and cook 8 to 10 hours on low.
- Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred the meat using two forks. Return the pork to the slow cooker and stir to combine the juices (if super juicy, it's okay to get rid of some of the juice).
- Serve, piled on the toasted buns, with more sauce (as desired).
Notes
- Nutritional information does not include buns… only the pulled pork.