You just need 15 minutes to prep Slow Cooker Carolina Pulled Pork in the morning, then let it cook all day! It's juicy and tender with sweet heat and a vinegar kick from the North Carolina barbecue sauce.
This Slow Cooker Carolina Pulled Pork seems miraculous.
You'll spend just 15 minutes getting it ready, and there's no need to sear the meat. You'll let it cook for eight hours in the Crock-Pot. Then you'll be greeted with one of the most delicious meals ever!
Think tender, juicy pulled pork with a vinegar kick, a little sweetness and spicy heat that you can adjust to your liking. Yum!
This is the best pulled pork recipe, and I've been making this at least once a month for years! My family loves it! Once you try it, I know you'll add it to your dinner rotation too.
And don't miss this Super Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs recipe!
What is Carolina BBQ?
Instead of a tomato base, this Carolina barbeque recipe includes a spicy-hot vinegar sauce. It's actually an Eastern North Carolina BBQ sauce, which doesn't contain any ketchup.
With a sweet-and-savory dry rub for the pork, this will be one of the most flavorful meals of your life!
Recipe ingredients
Pork: The best cut of meat for pulled pork is a fatty one, since it will cook all day. Use a bone-in pork shoulder roast or a Boston butt (half the shoulder). The meat will become tender after at least eight hours of cooking on low.
Don't try this with pork tenderloin, or it will be too dry, since the meat is very lean. I also don't recommend a pork loin roast here.
Onions: I prefer yellow onions here for their strong flavor, which works really well in a dish that cooks all day. But feel free to use white onions, which are milder, or red onions, which are sweeter.
Leave the onions quartered for more subtle flavor (and ease), or chop them up for deeper, richer flavor. I recently tried that and absolutely loved the result!
Brown Sugar: This adds a wonderful, sweet flavor to the pulled pork dry rub. Feel free to substitute golden monk fruit for a keto-friendly option. (You'd also need to substitute monk fruit for the granulated sugar in the vinegar BBQ sauce.)
Liquid Smoke: You don't need to smoke pulled pork to get a smoky flavor! A tablespoon of Liquid Smoke (affiliate link), works wonders here.
Worcestershire Sauce: This adds wonderful, umami flavor to the Crock-Pot pulled pork. Use the Lea & Perrins brand (affiliate link) for the best taste. It also happens to be gluten-free, unlike some other brands.
Red Pepper Flakes: These add a kick of heat to Carolina barbecue's signature vinegar sauce. Keep in mind, you'll just be adding half of the sauce to the slow cooker, then reserving the rest for optional use as needed when serving the shredded pork. This allows you to adjust the spicy heat according to each person's tastes.
Making slow cooker Carolina pulled pork
- Add the onions to the bottom of the Crock-Pot (affiliate link).
- Rub the dry seasoning mixture all over the pork.
- Place the pork on top of the onions. Pour a bit of Liquid Smoke on top, then add half of the Carolina vinegar BBQ sauce.
- Cook on low for 8 hours, then shred.
Add some reserved sauce as needed!
Recipe tips
- It's best to cook this pulled pork in the Crock-Pot on low for 8-10 hours for tender, juicy results. If you want this to be ready sooner, you can cook it on high, but it will take at least six hours. Otherwise, the meat will be tough.
- You can let this cook overnight, then refrigerate the pulled pork until dinner time.
- You can reduce the fat in this meal by refrigerating the cooked pulled pork in its juices, then scooping out the solidified fat before you reheat the leftovers.
What to serve with it
I usually serve this easy slow cooker pulled pork over rice the first day, then we eat the leftovers in sandwiches or a wrap the second day. Try it on these Quick Hamburger Buns or in a grilled cheese sandwich - you'll swoon!
Of course, many people enjoy a Carolina pulled pork sandwich with vinegar coleslaw. I've also been meaning to try it with this creamy KFC coleslaw.
This pulled pork also is delicious over salad, and for a total comfort-food experience, try it atop Italian Mac and Cheese!
Great side dishes with pulled pork include Italian Bean Salad, The Best Corn on the Cob and Italian Potato Salad with Green Beans. Add all of these to your 4th of July menu!
Frequently asked questions
We've had excellent results reheating this Carolina pulled pork in the microwave! The key is to scoop up some of the congealed juices you'll find when you pull out the container of leftovers from the refrigerator. Add some on top of each portion of shredded pork before reheating.
Yes, you can freeze this pulled pork with good results. Make sure to stir in some of the juices and/or vinegar sauce to the meat before sealing it in a zip-top freezer bag.
More recipes like this
- Roasted Pork Loin with Rosemary and Garlic
- Baked Pork Tenderloin with Glaze
- Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Cream Cheese & Jalapeños
- Shredded Buffalo Chicken Nacho Salad
- Slow Cooker Cauliflower-Cheese Soup
Enjoy!
If you try this Slow Cooker Carolina Pulled Pork, be sure to leave a comment and a rating!
Slow Cooker Carolina Pulled Pork
Video
Ingredients
Dry Rub
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or use golden monk fruit sweetener for a keto option)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Pork
- 2 onions (yellow, white or red)
- 4-6 pounds bone-in pork shoulder roast (or Boston Butt) (If there's a thick layer of fat, trim it off.)
- 1 tablespoon Liquid Smoke
Carolina BBQ Sauce
- 1 cup cider vinegar
- â…“ cup Worcestershire sauce (preferably Lea & Perrins for best taste, and it's gluten free)
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar (or use monk fruit sweetener for a keto option)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- For the rub, in a tiny bowl stir together the brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper. Set it aside.
- Peel the onions and quarter them (cut each in half, then cut those pieces in half). You can leave them in quarters for subtle flavor or chop them for bolder onion flavor. Place the onions on the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Place the pork on top of the onions. Rub the brown sugar mixture all over the pork, making sure to cover all sides. Wash your hands well afterward.
- Pour Liquid Smoke on top of the roast. Prepare the vinegar dressing in a liquid measuring cup. Add the vinegar, the Worcestershire sauce, then the remaining ingredients, and whisk to blend. Pour half of this mixture over the meat and cover and refrigerate the rest for later.
- Cook the meat on low for 8-10 hours. Transfer the pork, onions and juices to a platter, add some of the reserved vinegar mixture, and shred the pork with two forks. (The vinegar dressing is spicy, so add it according to your taste.) You can have the remaining dressing at the table for each person to add more if they wish.
- Serve the pork in sandwiches, burritos, enchiladas or over rice. Refrigerate leftovers for up to four days. To reheat, scoop some of the congealed juices over the meat, cover with wax paper, and heat in the microwave. The pulled pork also can be frozen with the juices.
Notes
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Adapted from The Domestic Front. Originally published on January 31, 2015 and updated over the years with additional photos and information.)
Cassie says
My family of 7 just loved this recipe! Well except for my picky 3 year old but she'll hopefully like it another time I make this. My husband asked me for something different and this just hit the spot! Thank you so much!
Mamma C says
I'm so glad to hear that, Cassie! Maybe your 3-year-old will like it better without any vinegar mixture added at the end.
Wendy says
I like your recipes
Mamma C says
I'm glad, Wendy! 🙂
sunshine says
i have a one pd to a two pd roast. how much seasons and how long in the slower cooker?
Mamma C says
Is it pork shoulder or pork loin?
Chelsea says
Most of the time when I cook pork in a crockpot, I end up pouring off all my good seasonings because the meat cooks down and gets too greasy. How can I avoid this? Can I cook the meat down some and THEN add the ingredients?
Thank you!
Mamma C says
Chelsea, it should help if you trim off any visible fat before cooking the meat. The pork shoulder is a fattier cut, and that's why it works well to cook all day in the Crockpot. Leaner cuts of pork will dry out. In this recipe, half of the vinegar dressing is reserved for pouring on top after the meat is cooked, so you won't lose the flavors there. If you want, you can add some seasoning to that reserved dressing. I wouldn't skip the rub at the beginning though, and I wouldn't open the slow cooker while it's doing its thing, because that will add on 15-20 minutes of cooking time.
Claire says
This looks amazing!! If you have time, I would love to hear your thoughts on two questions. Can you just pull it apart inside the slow cooker instead of transferring it to another platter? Also, do you take out any of the onions or leave them in and mix them in with the pork? I'm going to make this soon!!
Mamma C says
Claire, you can definitely pull the pork inside the slow cooker, but you'll have to watch for bones. I transfer mine to a platter so that I can leave behind any bone fragments and excess fat, plus control how much liquid will be in the meat. I add back some of the liquid, and I absolutely keep the onions. I hope you enjoy this!
Claire says
Oh, yes! That makes a lot of sense. I have used pork tenderloin before and pulled it apart inside the slow cooker, but obviously, don't want the bone in! Thanks for explaining!
Mamma C says
No problem! 🙂
Savita @ ChefDeHome says
Love the ease of slow cooker! I want to cook more in slow-cooker..... but, somehow, I end up using pressure cooker more than slow cooker. Thanks for a delicious reminder, Andrea!
Mamma C says
You know, I don't own a pressure cooker. Do I need one? 🙂
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
I agree. Slow cooking should take all day. I love pulled pork. This looks and sounds great!
Mamma C says
I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so! Thanks, Kathy.
Annie @ ciaochowbambina says
You have inspired me to pull out my slow cooker! Recipe will be up later this week. I love this pulled pork recipe, Andrea. I can imagine the flavors especially a day or two later as a nice savory sandwich! Yum!
Mamma C says
I'm glad to hear that, Annie! I always welcome good slow cooker recipes. This one hasn't let me down, and we love it so much that I make it even when I'm home all day.
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
I am with you on the 8-10 hour slow cooker recipes, in fact I am on a mission to create a whole bunch of them, and just made pulled pork! As much as I like chicken, it's tricky in the slow cooker and definitely can't stay on for a full day's work! This pulled pork looks delicious, so tender! Thanks for sharing!
Mamma C says
Denise, I look forward to your recipes! As for chicken, it needs to be a whole one to stay in the slow cooker all day. I did that several times when I was working full time. You basically stuff the chicken with lemon, onion and garlic, rub on some seasonings, and pour a bit of soy sauce on it. I usually put another onion or two in the pot as well.
Cheryl "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser says
Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Ready for the Party 100+ people to converge upon my domain-Yikes! Appetizers made, food almost ready, etc. So on to this recipe: Is this the Tar Heel State of North Carolina claim to the best Pork BBQ? Because Texas (everything is bigger in Texas) claims this already? Slow cookers/crock pots are marvels I use all the time-love them. My family loves pulled pork sandwiches topped with cole slaw (I know weird combo)!!! Very Nice Recipe Andrea!
Oh TK finally posted the infamous (Meatloaf per your husband and son) Ha! Mediterranean Stuffed Meatloaf. Have a great Super Bowl Sunday! Your Florida Bud. Cheryl
Mamma C says
Cheryl, you are brave! That's a lot of people! I'm no expert on BBQ but will happily taste every state's version. 🙂 I bet this pulled pork would be really good with cole slaw, and I must check out your meatloaf after I get through our own (small) Super Bowl gathering. Enjoy your party!