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A sandwich with the top off revealing pulled pork with BBQ sauce on top of it and another sandwich in the background.
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Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork BBQ

Just 3 ingredients and barely any work make this easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork BBQ recipe one of my favorite easy dinners. Dump everything in the slow cooker, set it, and come back to a hot meal. You will not be able to stop eating this fall-apart-tender meat!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free, Low Salt
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 5 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 214kcal
Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 6 pound pork shoulder
  • 12 ounces ginger ale
  • 1 large onion, cut into chunks

Optional extras

  • BBQ sauce
  • Rolls
  • Kosher Salt
  • ground black pepper,

Instructions

Slow Cooker instructions

  • Place onions into the slow cooker pot.
  • Place pork butt onto onions.
  • Pour ginger ale onto pork butt.
  • Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low.
  • Remove pork butt and shred using 2 forks (remove the bone and nerve and don't over shred).
  • Pour a small amount of the juices from the slow cooker onto the pork to moisten it and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
  • Drizzle with a small amount of BBQ sauce and gently mix to combine. Serve immediately with extra sauce on the side.

Instant Pot instructions

  • Place onions into the Instant Pot.
  • Place pork butt onto onions.
  • Pour ginger ale onto pork butt.
  • Cover and cook on high pressure for 1 hour and then do a 25 minute natural release.
  • Remove pork butt and shred using 2 forks (remove the bone and nerve and don't over shred).
  • Pour a small amount of the juices from the Instant Pot onto the pork to moisten it and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
  • Drizzle with a small amount of BBQ sauce and gently mix to combine. Serve immediately with extra sauce on the side.

Video

Notes

  • If you're planning on making this in the instant pot, you want to use no more than a 3-pound pork butt (so really, half of a pork butt) and then cut it in half so it fits better and for optimal results.
  • You'll know the pork is done because the meat will be super tender and falling apart.
  • Don't forget to remove the bone and nerve. Pork butts usually have one large bone and one single nerve ending that is no larger than an inch or two. The bone should be very loose and easy to wiggle and pull out.
  • Remove as much of the fat as possible when shredding the pork, plus that nerve ending if you can locate it (usually near the bone). If you can't find it, don't worry!
  • Do not over-pull your pork! If you overwork it and shred it down to nothing, the texture can get kind of mushy. A rough shred is a great starting point. Remember, when you mix in the sauce, it'll naturally shred up a bit more anyway.
  • Go easy with the sauce. Too much will also give the pork that mushy, undesirable texture — and in some cases can get a little soupy. I like to lightly coat it with a little bit of barbecue sauce and serve plenty of extra sauce on the side for drizzling.
  • Ingredients to prep ahead- Because BBQ pulled pork in the crock pot is a dump and go recipe, there isn't much to prep besides chopping up the onion!
  • Leftovers and storage- Pulled pork will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge. Save some of that cooking liquid in a separate container to add moisture when reheating leftovers.
  • How to reheat pulled pork: You can microwave pulled pork or crisp up larger batches in the oven. It also reheats well in a pan over medium heat on your stove.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 472mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 2mg