There’s a reason pulled pork dishes are popular at summer barbecues, and that’s because they make the perfect summer time fare! Something about it is so…summery. Sunshine, lemonade, lazy summer days, county fairs, and pulled pork. Pulled pork is to summer what pumpkins are to Fall. One simply doesn’t happen without the other – at least not in my life! This simple recipe for slow cooker pulled pork is sweet and tangy, but not overwhelming. When topped with homemade coleslaw, you’ve got a blue ribbon winning meal!

Slow cooker pulled pork with homemade coleslaw is one of those meals that I make on the weekend and enjoy all week. It’s also crazy easy to make so I can do it half asleep. The hardest part is remembering to turn on the slow cooker! 

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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 3 ½- 4 pound boneless pork shoulder roast
• 1 10 -½ ounce can Condensed French Onion Soup
• 1 cup ketchup
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Directions for Pulled Pork:

Drizzle the vegetable oil in the pan (I use Gotham Steel nonstick pans and skip the oil) and sear the pork on all sides. I do mine a little bit on the lighter side, but if you like a more charred taste, feel free to darken it up! This is a messy process, however, and the oil tends to spatter, so be careful.

While that’s going, I mix the “sauce” ingredients in the crockpot. Trust me – the recipe doesn’t end up tasting like ketchup, even though it looks like it will at this point.

Then I add the pork to the Crock Pot and coat it with the mixture. 

Cover it, set for 8 hours on low or 5 on high, and go!

Generally, I make homemade coleslaw at this point to go on top. You can make your own or buy some – either way it’s sure to be delicious!

Fast Forward to the end of the day; Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. I am not a fan of huge globs of fat in my meat, so I generally cut off the super fatty parts before I shred it. If you like them, feel free to leave them in! Put the pork back into the slow cooker and combine with the sauce.

Toast your buns or tortillas, top with coleslaw, and serve!

Seriously the pictures don’t do it justice. (Side note: Pulled pork is TOUGH to photograph! These are stock photos just to make the post pretty.)

These were so good! Bonus: Because this recipe is made in the slow cooker, you can make it year round.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Do you use smoked pork for slow cooker pulled pork?

You can, but I don't recommend it if you are going to use this recipe for the sauce. It might come out funny tasting.

How much pork do you need for a pulled pork sandwich?

That really depends on how much pulled pork you like on your sandwich. If you are just having pork, you can use more than if you were making a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw or pulled pork tacos.

What other ways can I eat pulled pork?

Pulled pork works in so many recipes! Some suggestions are pulled pork sandwiches, pulled pork tacos, pulled pork burritos, pulled pork salad, pulled pork nachos, and barbecue pulled pork garbage bread.

Does this recipe work in the Instant Pot?

It does! First, use the Instant Pot on the Saute setting to brown your meat. Next, dump all of the ingredients in and pressure cook for 90 minutes on high. Natural release. Voila! Instant Pot Pulled Pork!