This crock pot pulled pork recipe makes the best sliders! Add a pork shoulder to the slow cooker with apple juice, simple seasonings, and fresh garlic. Come back hours later to juicy, flavorful, fall-apart-tender pork that’s ready to shred and serve.
Short on time? For a speedier option, try my Instant Pot pulled pork recipe.
With football season here and the holidays around the corner, I thought I’d share my favorite recipe for crock pot pulled pork sliders. Like my Kalua pulled pork, this slow cooker recipe makes super-juicy, extra-tender, flavorful shredded pork. I swear, you look at it and it falls off the bone!
To make this crock pot pulled pork sliders recipe, we’ll combine a pork shoulder with apple juice and seasonings, and leave it to slow cook until it’s time to shred.
What Makes These Crock Pot Pulled Pork Sliders So Great
- Juicy, tender shredded pork. Nothing gets a pork shoulder quite as tender as cooking for hours over low and slow heat. The results are seriously mouthwatering!
- Sweet, tangy, savory flavors. The combination of sweet apple juice and brown sugar with spicy mustard, onion, and thyme infused every bite of pork with loads of flavor.
- 15 minutes to prep. Preparing a pork shoulder for the crock pot takes minutes. After that, leave the work to your slow cooker.
- Crowd-friendly. This recipe makes enough pulled pork to feed a hungry game day or holiday party crowd. You can have these as an appetizer, or as a main with sides! Keep the shredded pork warm in the crock until it’s time to serve.
You’ll Need These Ingredients
The juiciest crock pot pulled pork comes down to a few key ingredients that fill the meat with flavor. Here’s a glance at what you’ll need. Scroll down to the recipe card for the printable ingredients list and measurements.
- Pork Shoulder – I use bone-in pork shoulder for this recipe. If you prefer boneless, good slow-cooking cuts include boneless pork shoulder, pork butt roast, or center-cut pork loin. You may need to adjust the cooking time as boneless cuts cook faster than bone-in.
- Ground Mustard – You can substitute 1 tablespoon of prepared mustard, like yellow mustard or Dijon, for every 1 teaspoon of ground mustard.
- Brown Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar, whichever you have on hand. Maple syrup would also go nicely with the flavors in this pulled pork recipe.
- Onion – Either a yellow onion or a white onion, thinly sliced.
- Thyme – Fresh has the best flavor.
- Garlic – You’ll slice the garlic in half to stuff into slits in the pork. As the pork slowly cooks, the garlic infuses the meat with flavor, similar to how cloves infuse a baked ham. So good!
- Apple Juice – This can be regular apple juice or, even better, fresh apple cider when it’s in season. Apple and pork go together like peanut butter and jelly!
How to Make Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Follow these steps to make juicy crock pot pulled pork infused with garlic, mustard, thyme, and a hint of tangy sweetness from apple juice. Afterward, it’s ready to shred to make pulled pork sliders!
- Prepare the pork. Use a sharp knife to trim away any excess fat from the pork shoulder, then place the pork in your slow cooker.
- Add the seasonings. Next, combine the mustard, brown sugar, salt, and pepper, and sprinkle that over the pork. Nestle the onions and thyme sprigs around the sides.
- Add garlic. Now, using a sharp knife again, make 14 small cuts in the top of the pork. Press half of a garlic clove into each slit. This way, the garlic infuses the meat while it cooks.
- Finish and cook. Pour in the apple juice. Cover, and cook the pork on High for 4-6 hours, or on Low for 10-12 hours.
- Shred the pork. Fast forward, and when the pork is cooked through, remove the thyme sprigs. Use two forks to shred the pork and then stir it into the juices and onions. You’re ready to serve!
Recipe Tips
- Know when the pork is done. Similar to slow-cooking beef cuts, pork shoulder is done when it shreds easily with a fork. If it’s still tough when you go to shred it, chances are the pork needs a bit longer to cook.
- Scale the seasonings accordingly. If you use a smaller pork shoulder, you’ll want to scale down the seasonings in the recipe (especially the salt) so your pork doesn’t come out overly seasoned. The cooking time will also be shorter.
- Use bone-in pork if you can. The bone adds flavor, and it also makes it harder for the pork to overcook. Remember to remove the bone before you shred the pork.
What to Serve With Pulled Pork Sliders
Serve this crock pot pulled pork on slider buns topped with your favorite BBQ sauce or coleslaw. These pulled pork sliders make an excellent game day snack! They’re also perfect for entertaining during holiday parties and potlucks. I love making a full spread with snacks like pretzel bites, crackers with pimento cheese, and mini corn dogs.
Ways to Use Leftover Pulled Pork
This crock pot pulled pork can be used for more than just sandwiches! Some of my favorite ways to use leftovers include:
- Added to pasta or mac and cheese
- Used in place of bacon in a loaded potato salad
- Folded up into pulled pork tacos instead of carnitas
- Made into a grilled cheese or rolled up in a tortilla wrap
- As a baked potato topping
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate. Keep leftover crock pot pulled pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. See above for tasty ways to use up those leftovers.
- Reheat. You can reheat pulled pork in the oven under foil or in the microwave.
- Freeze. Once the pork cools, store it in a freezer bag or container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
More Crock Pot Recipes
Crock Pot Pulled Pork Sliders
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Crock Pot
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy crock pot pulled pork recipe makes the best game day sliders! Juicy pork shoulder is slow-cooked with apple juice, garlic, and seasonings until it’s fall-apart-tender.
Ingredients
- 6-pound bone-in pork shoulder *see note
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 6 – 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 7 garlic cloves, sliced in half
- 8 ounces of apple juice
Instructions
- Trim the pork shoulder of excess fat. Place the pork in your slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, ground mustard, pepper, and brown sugar. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture on top of the pork.
- Arrange the onions around the pork along with the thyme sprigs.
- Using a small paring knife, make 14 small cuts into the top of the pork and press garlic into each slice.
- Pour the apple juice around the pork and cover the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 4 – 6 hours, or on low for 10 -12 hours.
- When the pork is done, remove the lid and remove the thyme sprigs. Shred the pork with two forks and stir to combine with all the juices and onions.
- Serve on slider buns, and top with your favorite BBQ sauce if desired (not necessary)
Notes
- *You can also use boneless pork shoulder if you prefer, but bone-in offers a bit more flavor as the bone slow cooks as well.
