I’ll be honest, the main reason I own a slow cooker is for pulled pork. Ha! That may or may not be true. Pulled pork is so easy to make in a slow cooker – it practically makes itself!

I leave the slow cooker on overnight, cooking on low, and wake up to a delicious smelling home. It’s one of the best recipes to make for a crowd. I make it for my friends all the time!

This pulled pork recipe tastes smoky and savory, tender, juicy. It’s just the best in every way!

Let me show you how to make pulled pork in the slow cooker.

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If you wanted to make pork in the oven instead of the slow cooker, you can make my Cuban roast pork (lechon asado) which I make with my Cuban mojo marinade. YUM!

Ingredients You’ll Need

The spice mix for the pulled pork is:

• smoked paprika
• brown sugar
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• oregano
• cumin
• salt
• pepper

Other ingredients:

• Dark beer
• Liquid smoke
• Bone-in pork roast.

Recommended For This Recipe

How To Make Pulled Pork From Scratch

• Make the spice mix. In a bowl, mix together the paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, and salt + pepper to taste. Set aside.
• Prep the pork. Poke holes in the roast with a knife. Place the roast in the ceramic dish of the slow cooker and pour the beer over it. Rub the spice mix over the pork roast and cover the ceramic dish with the lid.
• Cook the pork roast in the slow cooker on LOW for 8 hours, or until fork-tender. Slow cooker times will vary so I’d recommend you check the manufacturer’s instructions for your slow cooker. Once done cooking, remove the bone using tongs. Drain the liquid from the ceramic bowl and save 1 cup of the liquid.
• Shred the pork. Using two forks, pull apart the meat into shreds, removing the fatty pieces (unless you like it, you can leave it in), and taste/adjust seasoning as needed. After shredding the pork, add the cup of liquid back into the ceramic dish and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes. This will result in deliciously moist and tender pulled pork. Serve and enjoy!

If you plan on adding your favorite BBQ sauce to the pulled pork, you can toss the pork in the BBQ sauce in the ceramic dish and leave it on the warm setting until ready to serve. I recommend you use guava bbq sauce or my honey whiskey bbq sauce (scroll down for the recipe).

Common Questions about Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

You may also like:

• Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Slaw
• Cuban Roast Pork (Lechon Asado)
• Cuban Sandwich
• Guava BBQ Sauce Recipe

Originally posted in Sept 2016. Updated recipe + photos in March 2021.

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How To Make Honey Whiskey BBQ Sauce

1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup honey whiskey (I used Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey)
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

In a saucepan, cook the onion and garlic, low and slow, at medium-high heat, until the onions are translucent. Carefully pour honey whiskey into the saucepan. Once reduced slightly, add tomato paste, dark brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, and smoked paprika. Let simmer for around 30-45 minutes until reduced. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, but still pourable.