Often when you think of the slow cooker, you think of hearty winter meals. But I love to use my slow cooker all year round. There is nothing better than coming home to a prepared dinner after a busy summer day at the beach or hiking! In fact, this Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe is one that always makes it on to my summer vacation menu.
Every summer we head to a lake in NH and this meal always satisfies my hungry, tired family after a day on lake boating, swimming and water skiing! This recipe makes a ton which is nice because it can stretch to make at least two meals. And it only gets better each time you eat it so it’s perfect for leftovers.
We serve it on rolls…big Kaiser rolls, hamburger buns or even slider buns work great. Top with some coleslaw, add some sweet potato fries and call it an amazing meal!
Making Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
First combine all the spices in a mixing bowl: 3 tablespoons of paprika, 1 tablespoon salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
Next, add a 1/2 cup of honey, a 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and 3 tablespoons of oil and stir to combine.
Halve an onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the roast on top. I get a 3-4 lb. pork shoulder roast. Sometimes this will be called a picnic roast or pork butt. It’s a great cut for the slow cooker; it’s a less expensive cut of meat and becomes so tender after being cooked all day.
Finally, pour the spice mixture all over the roast allowing it to coat meat and run down the sides.
Cook on low for 7 – 8 hours, until meat is tender and falling apart. Remove from slow cooker to a wide shallow bowl or a baking dish and using two forks, shred the pork. Need a slow cooker? Check out my favorite one here!
A Tip!
I think the flavor of the meat is amazing as is, but my kids prefer when I mix theirs with a little bottled bbq sauce before serving. Try it both ways and see which you prefer!
That’s it! Couldn’t be easier. I love to serve this on fresh rolls and top the meat with my favorite Sweet Vinegar Coleslaw. A great alternative is to pile the pulled pork and coleslaw on top of a baked sweet potato. It is a seriously delicious and healthy meal! Get my Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potato recipe here!
- 3 – 4 lb. pork shoulder
- 3 T. paprika
- 1 T. salt
- 2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 c. honey
- 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
- 3 T. olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled & halved
- Combine all the spices in a mixing bowl.
- Add the honey, vinegar and oil and stir to combine.
- Take the halved onion place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the roast on top.
- Pour the spice mixture all over the roast allowing it to coat meat and run down the sides.
- Cook on low for 7 – 8 hours, until meat is tender. Remove from slow cooker and using two forks, shred the pork.
Thank you! Not only have I been wanting to use my slow cooker more but I’ve been looking for a pulled pork recipe. This looks yummy. I’m like your kids except instead of bbq I like to add ketchup.
I hope you try it soon, and then let me know what you think!!! Thanks for stopping by!
I love pulled pork. My husband likes to make them on the smoker. I would like to try something where we don’t have to be home all day watching the smoker lol
Yes my mom used to do things on the smoker, and though delicious, it was definitley labor intensive! Give this one a try and let me know what you thinK!
I love pulled pork and in the crockpot sounds even easier to do. This recipe is right up my alley!
Yum!! I love slow cooker pulled pork! I will have to try this recipe next time I make it! I’ve never though to use apple cider vinegar! I bought some but never know what to use it for lol.
A big YES to everything made in a crockpot! I love just dumping ingredients in and letting it get to work while I do anything and everything else! And I think the addition of the honey is genius. Great recipe, Stacy!
Sounds (and looks) fabulous! Love your suggestion to pour on some BBQ sauce for the kiddos before serving.
Yum! These looks delicious. This is certainly one of my favorite recipes. Perfect for football season!
This looks good! I love slow cooker recipes!
This looks delicious and easy! Pulled Pork is one of my favorites!
Pulled pork and bbq chicken is one of my fave summer time dishes! This looks delicious and I love the ease of a slow cooker!
Your posts always make me so hungry!! I love anything that gets made in a slow cooker and this sounds delish!
Anything slow cooker is a win in my book!!!
Slow cookers are lifesavers. I absolutely love pulled pork sandwiches.
I love pulled pork sandwiches year round. These look so good!
Yum! I’m adding this to my recipe book 🙂
This sounds fabulous! I wish I had one of those sandwiches in front of me right now.
Slow cookers are Mama’s best friend! I am saving this to make this weekend. I’ve never done pulled pork in apple cider vinegar – sounds amazing ❤︎
Looks delicious! Thanks for an easy recipe–I printed it to make next week!
Let me know what you think once you try it, Stacey!
This recipe looks amazing! And I use my slow cooker all year long! It’s so much easier to toss stuff in and forget about it than it is to turn on the oven and make the whole house hot.
I totally agree! I hate cooking in the heat…crockpot or grill for the win all summer!
Yummy, pulled pork is my favourite!! I will have to check this recipe out.
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OH my gosh I just text my hubby & said OH I know what we are having for dinner! LOVED doing this and totally forget.. it is the heat Ha.. .YAY for slow cookers 🙂
I love slow cooker pulled pork! I love that you added cayenne – we love a little spice!
This looks like such a great recipe!
Love this so much I pinned to two boards!
Thanks Linda! We eat it at least twice a month!!!
Looks so yummy! Can’t wait to try it! My slow cooker is in constant use in the summer!
Ohhhh!!!!! I have been wanting this for like a week! I’m tagging my husband! He’s the cook! But, I think you gave great instruction and even I (very basic beginner) could try this. I have always wanted to surprise him by cooking him a meal, I might try this one!
Oh Robin, do it! You’ll be a hero with this surprise!!! And if you run into any problems, just message me, lol
Saved to my yummly. Sounds good!
Thanks Amber!
I use my slow cooker winter and summer. Summer so I don’t have to hat up the kitchen when it is 100 degrees out. Your pork would be a winner served at my house.
Isn’t the slow cooker a life saver?