Name: Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h 35 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 - 4 lb Pork Butt, bone in; 1 cup Barbecue Sauce*; 1 cup Water; ⅓ cup Brown Sugar, packed; 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar; 2 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar; 2 Tablespoons Molasses; 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce; 4 cloves Garlic, minced; 2 teaspoons Mustard Powder; 2 teaspoons Green Tabasco Sauce; 1 teaspoon Paprika; ½ teaspoon White Pepper**; ¼ teaspoon Cumin; 2 Tablespoons Water; 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch; 6-8 Kaiser Rolls or Hamburger Buns, for serving

Jump to Recipe

Everyone loves a good slow cooker recipe, right?! Well Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork is a family favourite and the most delicious recipe for summer. It is super easy to throw in the slow cooker on your way out the door, and 6 hours later you’ll come back to a slow cooker full of tender and juicy pulled pork that everyone will love!

two Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork sandwiches, ready to be served

So, let’s get started!

There are affiliate links in this post. Please see my disclosure policy to learn more.

The cut of pork

A pork butt and a pork shoulder are actually from the same part of the animal. The pork butt is the upper half, and the pork shoulder is the lower half. So either of these cuts will work for this pulled pork recipe!

The differences in these cuts are the pork shoulder, being lower down, can actually be a little tougher. Whereas the pork butt is a more tender cut.

Making the BBQ Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker

Using a slow cooker to cook the pork is key to this recipe. It cooks the pork slow enough that the fat in the meat breaks down and dissolves, making the cooked meat quite literally “fall off the bone” and so wonderfully tender.

This is the slow cooker that I use and LOVE! It is nothing fancy or special, but it is super affordable and an absolute powerhouse, I have had it for YEARRRS. Also, the "little dipper" crockpot that comes with it is perfect for keeping appetizers and sauces warm (actually when I bought it, I honestly thought I would never use the little crockpot... well now I own two, sooo...)

The sauce

In a large mixing bowl combine the barbecue sauce, 1 cup of water, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, molasses, worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, mustard powder, green tabasco sauce, paprika, white pepper, and cumin. Whisk all of this together, until it is fully combined.

Use any barbecue sauce that you have on hand. I used Bulls-Eye Original, but any barbecue sauce will work. Also, if you don’t have white pepper, you can just use regular black pepper. White pepper has a sharper, spicier flavour, but it isn't essential.

pouring the sauce over top of the pork butt, in a slow cooker

Place the pork butt or shoulder in a slow cooker and pour the prepared sauce overtop. Cover with the lid and cook on high for 5 ½ - 6 hours.

Shredding the pork

Once it is cooked, use a couple of forks and transfer the pork to a large dish and set aside to slightly cool. The pork might fall apart as you lift it, so for this part make sure that the plate is right next to the slow cooker.

pork butt after it has cooked, removed from the slow cooker and ready to be shredded

Now, place a strainer in a large bowl and strain the drippings/sauce from the slow cooker. Discard the strained bits and pour the sauce into a medium sized saucepan.

In a small dish combine 2 tablespoons of water with the cornstarch and mix until all of the cornstarch is dissolved. Pour into the sauce in the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.

While the sauce is boiling, remove the bone and using two forks, shred the pork. Place the shredded pork in a large serving bowl and set aside until the sauce is done.

When the sauce is done boiling, pour the sauce over the shredded pork and mix the pork to fully coat it in the sauce. The hot sauce will reheat the shredded pork and it will be the perfect temperature for serving.

pouring the hot, prepared sauce over top of the shredded pork in the serving bowl

To serve; pile a large amount of the pulled pork onto the buns and enjoy!

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich on a white plate

Storing the Leftovers

Store the leftover pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To reheat, place the desired amount of pork into a frying pan and heat over medium heat until fully heated through.

We put a lot of work into our recipes, we would love to know if you tried this recipe and how it turned out for you!

If you have any questions about this recipe, I would be happy to answer them in the comments down below! To get a hold of us, you can shoot us an email or leave a comment down below! We can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.