Crock pot pulled pork is so easy, tender and mouthwatering – it’s one of life’s simple pleasures. Cook it low and slow in the slow cooker with the best pulled pork rub and tangy BBQ sauce. The results are truly amazing fall-apart pork shoulder that will make everyone need seconds.
Jump to:
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ingredients
- The best pork to use
- How many pounds of pulled pork per person?
- Best BBQ sauce
- Why add the sauce before cooking?
- Instructions
- How long to cook pulled pork in the slow cooker
- How to shred
- Adding reserved juices
- Variations
- Instant Pot pulled pork variation
- How to store
- What to serve with pulled pork
- FAQ
- Other recipes you might like
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
This is one of my favorite slow cooker pork shoulder recipes. It also just happens to be one of my favorite low-FODMAP slow cooker recipes. However, you don’t need to follow a special diet to enjoy this pork roast cooked until it's fall-apart tender.
If you love the flavor of succulent pork, try my Carnitas recipe that can be cooked in the Instant Pot, slow cooker or stove. And, who can say no to topping the best pulled pork sliders or tacos with Cilantro Lime Coleslaw?
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This is an easy weeknight dinner recipe that makes the best leftovers
- If you need to feed a crowd or are looking for a great potluck main dish, this is a winner
- Slow cooker pork butt (or shoulder) is budget-friendly and allows for easy clean-up
- It’s a low-FODMAP crock pot recipe that is also paleo and keto-friendly. To make this a FODMAP-friendly no garlic no onion recipe, simply eliminate those ingredients.
- Slow cooker meals make low-carb and low-FODMAP dinner meal prep a breeze
- The crock pot does all the work without heating up the kitchen like using an oven
Ingredients
This easy recipe calls for simple ingredients you probably have as regular pantry staples. I include instructions for how to put together a dynamite rub for pulled pork as well as a quick and easy no-cook BBQ sauce recipe to make the perfect, mouthwatering pork shoulder. All you need is:
- Pork shoulder (pork picnic) or pork butt - see the section below for the best cuts of meat to use
- Rub - I use my own Best Rub for Pulled Pork recipe that makes the most flavorful pulled pork ever. See below for the rub ingredients.
- BBQ sauce - I make my own quick and easy no-cook sauce. Find ingredients for the sauce below, and, for complete details, see my full post on this Homemade no-cook barbecue sauce.
- Olive oil - for browning the meat. Omit if you skip the searing step, but I highly recommend searing the meat with the rub before cooking in the slow cooker.
For the rub
See my complete post on making the best Rub for Pulled Pork. The recipe is included here also.
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Fennel seed or powder – if using seeds, grind into a powder before using
- Sage
- Onion powder – omit for low-FODMAP
- Garlic powder – omit for low-FODMAP
- Red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper – for more information on Aleppo pepper, read all about it in my Aleppo Pepper Ingredient Spotlight
- Black pepper
- Sea salt
- Cinnamon
- Clove
- Smoked paprika
For the sauce
- Ketchup – for a low-FODMAP ketchup, I like Fody Foods or a low-carb Classic Keto Ketchup
- Mustard – I like to use Dijon, but yellow mustard is also a good option
- Red wine vinegar
- Molasses
- Smoked paprika
- Onion powder – omit for low-FODMAP
- Garlic powder – omit for low-FODMAP
- Worcestershire sauce
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Sweetener of choice – I like to use stevia
The best pork to use
The most common cuts to use come from the shoulder region of the pig. Usually, you'll see them labeled as “pork shoulder”, “pork picnic”, “pork butt” or “Boston butt”. The shoulder cuts tend to have a perfect balance of protein and fat to create tender, succulent shreds of meat. I prefer to use a boneless roast, but a bone-in roast is fine, too.
You can use pork loin for pulled pork, but it won’t be as tender as using shoulder cuts. Loin is a much leaner cut of meat, but will still pull apart just fine.
How many pounds of pulled pork per person?
Generally, ⅓ pound of cooked pulled pork per person is a good guideline. Keep in mind, the roast will lose about half of its original weight after cooking. For example, a 6 pound shoulder roast will yield about 3 pounds of cooked meat.
Here's a simple pulled pork calculator example:
(Number of people x ⅓ lb cooked pork) x 2 = pounds of raw roast to buy
If you're expecting to feed 6 people:
6 people x ⅓ lbs per person = 2 lbs of cooked meat. Now double that (X 2) to determine the size roast to buy - in this case, buy a 4 pound raw roast.
Best BBQ sauce
You can use your favorite BBQ sauce or make this super simple, tangy, no-cook BBQ sauce from scratch. Full ingredients and instructions are found in the recipe card.
For other great homemade barbecue sauces, try this low-FODMAP BBQ Sauce recipe or this Sugar-free Backyard BBQ sauce that is low-carb, keto-friendly and does include onion and garlic.
Why add the sauce before cooking?
I feel kind of like a rebel here, but adding the sauce before cooking creates something really special – a rich and delicious ‘bark’. Bark is typically associated with grilling and smoking, but the combination of browning the meat with the rub and adding the sauce before cooking makes this recipe stand out from the others.
The sauce slowly cooks, developing a rich flavor. And, that deep rich flavor really penetrates into the meat, making tender, extremely flavorful pork that doesn’t need any additional sauce – it’s that good. This recipe rivals smoked Traeger pork butt that I smoke low and slow. You get great flavor and bark without a grill.
However, adding sauce at the beginning is totally up to you. Add it after the meat is pulled or not at all.
Instructions
Mix all of the rub ingredients in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly.
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly.
Rub the entire surface of the roast with the dry rub. Be sure to cover all of the surfaces and get all of the nooks and crannies.
- Grease a large skillet with olive oil
- Place the rubbed roast in the skillet over medium-high heat. While this searing step is optional, I highly recommend it for optimal flavor.
Brown on all sides. If the roast is too large and heavy to easily handle for searing, it can be cut into smaller pieces.
- Add a few tablespoons of the sauce to the bottom of the crock pot and smear around just to cover the bottom
- Add the browned shoulder and cover the surface with 1 cup of sauce
- If you have leftover rub, sprinkle the top with an additional 2 tablespoons
- Cover and let cook on low for 7-8 hours or until it pulls apart easily with a fork
- Turn off the pot and let the roast rest until the pot has cooled slightly, about 20 minutes
- Pull the pork. See below for shredding methods.
- You can shred in the pot with the juices or place the roast on a cutting board or platter to pull. It will be very tender and likely to fall apart when removing from the pot.
Expert Tip: The roast will not shred if it cools too long, so resting about 20 minutes is good. When cooled, the proteins contract and it doesn't pull apart easily.
How long to cook pulled pork in the slow cooker
Cooking time varies with the weight of the roast. For a 4-6 pound roast, cooking on the low setting will take 7-8 hours. Larger roasts will take about an additional hour or cooking and smaller roasts will take a little less time. If you choose to cook on the high setting (which I don’t recommend), it will take about 4 hours. Cooking on high tends to make the meat tougher.
The internal temperature for pulled pork should be between 195F and 205F. Having a good meat thermometer makes life so much easier. I have this ThermoPro Instant Read that is waterproof. It's inexpensive and I love it. For a fancy wireless thermometer, I recommend the Meater Plus Wireless meat thermometer.
How to shred
Pulling (or shredding) is a very simple process that can be done in a few different ways.
When the meat is finished cooking, there will be plenty of juices in the bottom of the slow cooker. Reserve these for use later. You can shred in the slow cooker with the juices and simply stir the liquid into the shredded meat. Or, remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred on a cutting board or platter using one of the following methods, adding the reserved juices after shredding.
Use forks
The most simple and basic way to pull meat into shreds is using two forks, This is referred to as the double fork method.
Place the forks about an inch apart on the top of the meat, insert and then pull apart in opposite directions. I find this gives the best results with the most attractive, thin strips of pork.
Meat claws
These tend to make quick work of shredding. Place the meat claws on either side of the roast and pull apart the meat while slowing twisting. This can take a little finesse and will produce thicker shreds of meat.
By hand
Wearing cooking gloves or disposable gloves, pull the meat apart with your hands into pieces.
Adding reserved juices
After shredding, I highly recommend stirring in the reserved juices for incredible flavor and moisture. If you don’t want to consume all of the fat that’s in the liquid, pour the juices into a cup or bowl and refrigerate. The fat will rise to the top and solidify. It can then be scooped off and discarded.
Variations
- Add liquid smoke – if you want that smoky flavor without the smoker, add a small amount of liquid smoke to the BBQ sauce
- Sweet and fruity – add 6-8 ounces of pineapple, orange or apple juice to the pot. Fruity flavors and citrus pair well with pork. Keep in mind that adding fruit juice will increase the amount of liquid left over, so some may need to be removed when adding it back into the meat. It will also increase the carb content just a little bit.
- Add powdered orange peel – is a great low-carb option to add a slight citrus flavor. Add a tablespoon of powdered orange peel to the rub, to the sauce or simply sprinkle over the roast before cooking.
Instant Pot pulled pork variation
Prepare the roast the same as for the slow cooker version. A 6 pound roast should cook for 90 minutes on the high setting. Guidelines to cook pork in a pressure cooker are 15 minutes per pound on the high setting.
I prefer to cut the roast into 4 large chunks for my Instant Pot.
How to store
Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. If it won’t be consumed in that amount of time, consider freezing it.
To freeze, store in freezer bags or a sealed container for up to 6 months.
What to serve with pulled pork
- Buns! – create the best sandwich with your favorite BBQ sauce and top with coleslaw. My favorite keto buns for pulled pork are these low-carb Sola buns. They also have phenomenally good bread.
- Maple Rosemary Brussels Sprouts – are a perfect side dish
- Shredded Kale BLT Salad – top this salad with some pulled pork for a truly delightful meal
- Serve with soup – have some amazing Broccoli Almond Soup as an appetizer
- Add to Blueberry Gorgonzola Flatbread – top this amazing flatbread/pizza recipe with pork and sauce for a phenomenally good meal
- Cauliflower rice – make an amazing keto pulled pork bowl by adding your favorite ingredients, such as avocado, tomatoes and radishes. Serve this up with a drizzle of Creamy Cilantro Dressing. For low-FODMAP, keep in mind that cauliflower is high in mannitol and is not recommended in the elimination phase of the diet.
- Make quesadillas, burritos or a grilled cheese – top your favorite FODMAP-friendly bread, Low-Carb Sandwich Thins or tortillas with shredded pork and cheese. The best low-carb bread for pulled pork grilled cheese is this Sola bread.
- Low-FODMAP tacos with pulled pork – top with some coleslaw or shredded fennel and carrot for a special taco experience
- Make a pulled pork burrito bowl – Add your favorite burrito bowl ingredients, such as lettuce, shirataki rice, avocado and cheese for a quick meal. This makes for easy meal prep for the week because burrito bowls are the best for grab-n-go make-ahead lunches!
FAQ
Yes, absolutely. You do not have to sear the meat before adding it to the slow cooker, but I highly recommend it. I like to sear the roast after applying the rub because it tends to lock in the juices and helps create a ‘bark’ similar to cooking pork butt on a smoker. It adds a phenomenal flavor and an extra bit of texture that’s just so, so good. The choice of whether to sear or not is up to you. Try it both ways and see how you like it.
Yes, it is definitely possible for it to get overcooked, but that would take a very long time in the slow cooker. When it cooks, it goes from tough to fall-apart tender, back to tough. The sweet spot for fall-apart pork is just after the stage where it’s cooked through and has gotten to a point where the proteins start to break down.
Not easily. When the muscle fibers have cooled down, they become very difficult to separate. If you need to refrigerate the meat before pulling, heat it up to about 200 degrees before attempting to shred it.
Pulled pork temp is typically between 195F-205F, which generally takes between 7-8 hours to cook in the slow cooker for a 4-6 pound roast. The best way to test for doneness is with a meat thermometer.
Both cuts come from the shoulder portion of the pig. Pork butt comes from higher up on the foreleg, where pork shoulder cut is farther down. Shoulder (aka picnic cut) is the portion that is right under the butt cut. While both cuts have an excellent protein to fat ratio, shoulder typically has a slightly higher fat content.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how you liked it by giving a star rating and leaving a comment!
Other recipes you might like
📖 Recipe
Crock Pot Pulled Pork (low-FODMAP and keto)
Ingredients
- 6 pounds boneless pork shoulder
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil (for the skillet)
For the rub
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon sage
- 1 teaspoon onion powder (omit for low-FODMAP)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (omit for low-FODMAP)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or Aleppo pepper. Read more about Aleppo pepper in my Aleppo Pepper Ingredient Spotlight.)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon clove
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or pimenton)
For the sauce
- 1.5 cup ketchup (you can try a Classic Keto Ketchup, or, for Low-FODMAP, try Fody Foods Low-FODMAP Ketchup)
- ¼ cup mustard (I use Dijon mustard, but yellow mustard is also a good option)
- ¼ cup stevia (or sweetener of choice)
- ⅛ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon onion powder (omit for low-FODMAP)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (omit for low-FODMAP)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (or pimenton)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or Aleppo pepper flakes)
Instructions
Prepare the rub
- Add all of the rub ingredients in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly.
Prepare the sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly.
Prepare and cook the pork
- Rub the entire surface of the pork shoulder with the rub. Be sure to cover all of the surfaces and get all of the nooks and crannies.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet and brown the rubbed pork roast on all sides, over medium heat. This step is optional, but I highly recommend it for optimal flavor.
- Add a few tablespoons of the sauce to the bottom of the crock pot and smear around just to cover the bottom.
- Add the pork shoulder and cover the surface with 1 cup of sauce.
- Sprinkle an additional 2 tablespoons of rub on top of the pork if you have extra rub.
- Cover and let cook on low for 7-8 hours or until it pulls apart easily with a fork.
- Turn off the pot and let the roast rest until the pot has cooled slightly, about 20 minutes.
- Shred the pork. There are a few methods than can be used to do this and they are described in the Notes, below. Reserve the juices for adding in after shredding, or shred in the juices per the Notes.
- Add reserved juices and/or BBQ sauce - I highly recommend stirring in the reserved juices for incredible flavor and moisture. If you don’t want to consume all of the fat that’s in the liquid, pour the juices into a cup or bowl and refrigerate. The fat will rise to the top and solidify. It can then be scooped off and discarded.
Notes
How to shred pulled pork
Pulling is a very simple process that can be done in a few different ways. When the meat is finished cooking, there will be plenty of juices surrounding the meat. You can shred in the pot with the juices and simply stir the liquid into the shredded meat. Or, remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred on a cutting board or platter using one of the following methods, then add in the reserved juices.Use forks
The most simple and basic way to pull it into shreds is using two forks, also referred to as the double fork method. Place the forks about an inch apart on the top of the meat, insert and then pull apart in opposite directions. I find this gives the best results with the most attractive, thin strips of pork.Meat claws
These tend to make quick work of shredding. Place meat claws on either side of the roast and pull apart the meat while slowing twisting. This can take a little finesse and will produce larger shreds of meat.By hand
Wearing cooking gloves or disposable gloves, pull the meat apart with your hands into pieces.Variations
- Add liquid smoke – if you want that smoky flavor without the smoker, add a small amount of liquid smoke to the BBQ sauce
- Sweet and fruity – add 6-8 ounces of pineapple, orange or apple juice to the pot. Fruity flavors and citrus pair magically well with pork. Keep in mind that adding juice will increase the amount of liquid left over, so some may need to be removed when adding it back into the meat. It will also increase the carb content just a little bit.
- Add powdered orange peel - this is a great low-carb option to add a slight citrus flavor. Add a tablespoon of powdered orange peel to the rub, to the sauce or simply sprinkle over the roast before cooking.
How to store
Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. If it won’t be consumed in that amount of time, consider freezing it. To freeze, store in freezer bags or in a sealed container for up to 6 months.Optional rub recipes
Try with my Keto Seasoning for Barbecue, or with my Low-FODMAP Seasoning for BBQ for great flavor variations!Nutrition
*Net carbs = carbohydrates - fiber
Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools and does not include optional ingredients unless otherwise indicated.
Anonymous says
Excellent flavor!
Tracey says
Thanks! I'm so glad you like it!
Rayne says
Hey there - I just read in your reply to a comment that pimenton is related to smoked paprika. Can I substitute smoked paprika for the pimenton? Can you tell me the difference between the two? I can't wait to try this recipe!
Tracey says
Hi Rayne,
Yes, absolutely! Thanks for the great question. Pimenton is Spanish smoked paprika that has a slightly different flavor profile than the typical smoked paprika produced here, in the US. There are different types of pimenton that range from sweet to spicy and are made from different kinds of peppers. But since pimenton and smoked paprika are both made from dried, smoked peppers, they can be used interchangeably in this recipe. I'll change the recipe card to reflect that either can be used. I hope you love the recipe!
Happy cooking,
Tracey
Rose Haliewicz says
Red pepper and pimento are not ok for low fodmap.
Tracey says
Hi Rose,
I'm curious where you may have heard this, as they actually are okay for a low-FODMAP diet. Red pepper flakes are technically low-FODMAP, but the capsaicin can be a trigger for some people. Some folks do find that this spice aggravates their IBS. The recipe calls for a spice called 'pimenton', which is quite different from 'pimento'. However, pimentos are actually considered to be low-FODMAP, as is pimenton, as it's essentially Spanish smoked paprika.
Best,
Tracey
Karen says
I can't believe how good this is without any onion or garlic! Didn't miss either one of them - this has such amazing flavor. It's my new favorite recipe! Can't wait to put this in sliders! Thanks!!
Tracey says
Hey Karen, So glad to hear that you liked it! I think sometimes onion and garlic are a little overrated. Food can have so much flavor using other spices that are easier on the digestion than onion and garlic. Enjoy the sliders! Best, Tracey.