This recipe was posted in 2016 and has been updated with a printable recipe card and new details in 2021.
Jump to Recipe
Backyard BBQ Food
Summer is just around the corner and that means backyard BBQ season is about to come into full swing! You know what I’m talking about – friends gathering at each others houses, ogling each others new patio furniture while sipping on hand crafted Moscow mules they made at the DIY station set up at the new outdoor bar – yea right….
If you’re anything like me, that will mean – hey neighbors, hey friends, wanna come over and sit on folding chairs and eat awesome pulled pork and drink beer while our kids play in the sprinklers in my backyard? Yea? Cool! See ya at 6 o’clock!
Pulled pork is a hands down must have for summer back yard hang outs – well, at least those you have semi planned. No matter how you like yours – slider, sammich, quesadilla, over slaw, or plain Jane – my pulled pork is sweet yet tangy and delicious in a make your mouth water kind of a way.
Let’s Make Pulled Pork
The night before you are going to cook your pork shoulder you need to cure it with a dry rub spice blend. Trust me on this – it really does taste so much better if you put the rub on and leave it to sit overnight in the refrigerator. Bonus – it is super easy!
Dry Rub
In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the dry rub – brown sugar, adobo, paprika, cayenne, chili powder, and salt. Next place your pork shoulder in a large Ziploc bag and dump in the dry rub. Zip close the bag and massage the rub into the meat, making sure to get in all the nooks and crannies. I always put my Ziploc into another bag and then pop it in the refrigerator overnight.
The next morning – you will open your fridge and see that the “dry rub” has turned into a “wet sauce.” If so, congrats! Your pork is headed in the right direction.
To the bottom of a crock pot add in the roughly chopped onions and garlic and then slide the pork shoulder right on top – making sure to squeeze out all of that “sauce” from the bag. Cover and set on low for 8 hours and walk away, my friends, just walk away.
8 hours later and your pork should be full of love and your house should smell pretty delish.
Remove cooked pork to a large plate and strain the cooked down onions from the liquid that remains in the bottom of the crock pot. Save those onions – they are full of flavor!!! I always pop the liquid in the freezer while I shred the pork so that the fat will begin to rise to the top so that I can easily pour it off. After the pork has been shredded add back to the empty crock pot and retrieve the liquid pan drippings from the freezer. I always try to pour/scoop off as much fat as possible and then measure 1 cup of the “juice” and add it to the cooked down onions that you reserved earlier. Blend the onions and 1 cup of liquid and you will get a nice thick deep golden sauce. Pour that directly over the shredded pork along with 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce. I use 1/2 cup Stubb’s Original and 1/2 cup of Stubb’s Sweet Heat – seriously try it – that combo is the absolute best (in my humble opinion). Mix and allow the flavors to come together for 30 minutes on low and then enjoy!
Growing up we always had pulled pork served on sweet Hawaiian rolls with coleslaw, still a super winning combination! But a dear mom friend of mine, Melissa, introduced me to pulled pork and pickles! I’m not sure if she picked that up in Texas or her home state of Wisconsin, but wherever she came up with it – it is a winning combination as well.
I love it so much, I even made some pulled pork and pickle quesadillas. If you’re a pickle lover and you’ve never tried it, I highly recommend it! It is pretty straightforward – flour tortillas, sharp cheddar, chopped pickles and piles of my pulled pork……ooey, gooey, lick your fingers good.
I hope you try out my pulled pork perfection for your next backyard BBQ! Stop back in and let me know how you and your friends & family like to eat it. If you enjoyed this recipe you will also love my Slow Cooker Mojo Pork.
Cheers and happy cooking!
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Course: Crock Pot Recipes, slow cooker, Dinner, picnic10
servings20
minutes8
hoursMouthwatering slow cooker pulled pork recipe perfect for summer.
Ingredients
4 pound boneless pork shoulder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Adobo seasoning (if unavailable substitute garlic salt)
1 Tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt (if unavailable substitute 1/2 teaspoon table salt)
2 cups yellow onion roughly chopped
3-4 large garlic cloves minced (or 2 Tablespoons jarred chopped garlic)
1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
Directions
- In a small bowl, mix together the dry rub ingredients – brown sugar, adobo, paprika, cayenne, chili powder, and salt.
- Next place your pork shoulder in a large Ziploc bag and add the dry rub mixture.
- Close the bag and massage the rub into the meat, making sure to get in all the nooks and crannies. Place in the refrigerator overnight.
- The next morning add the roughly chopped onions and garlic to the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Slide the pork shoulder right on top of the onions and garlic and make sure to squeeze out all of the sauce/liquid from the bag.
- Cover and set on low for 8 hours
- After 8 hours remove cooked pork to a large plate.
- Strain and save the cooked down onions from the liquid.
- Place liquid in a large bowl or measuring cup and place in freezer.
- Shred pork using 2 forks and place back into empty slow cooker.
- Retrieve cooking liquid from the freezer and scoop off as much fat as possible and add 1 cup of the remining liquid to the reserved onions.
- Blend the liquid and onions with an immersion blender or countertop blender.
- Pour the golden onion sauce over the pork and add 1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce.
- Mix well and set on low for 30 minutes to allow flavors to combine.
One thought on “Slow Cooker Pulled Pork”