Perfect Pulled Pork Recipe (2024)

Oven Method: No added liquid necessary. Slow cooked pork in the oven will make its own pan juices. So, there is no need to add liquid. In fact, you will need to drain off the liquid pan juices into a container to save for later so that they do not dilute any BBQ sauce.

These pan juices can also be added back later to keep it moist.

Crock Pot or Slow Cooker Method: Add 1 cup of water to the crock pot before cooking.

Perfect Pulled Pork Recipe - Tender & juicy slow roasted BBQ pork with a tangy barbeque sauce is an American classic. Fall off the bone tender with a sticky, finger licking amazing sauce is a mainstay at summer picnics and backyard barbeque parties.

Make this easy pulled pork recipe in the oven or slow cooker. Just 15 minutes of prep time and about 6 hours to slow cooked BBQ perfection.

5 from 2 votes

Course: Main Meals

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours hours

Resting Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 6 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Author: Seanna Borrows

• ▢ 5-6 pound pork butt may substitute pork shoulder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic salt may substitute fresh chopped garlic
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper ground
• ▢ 2 cups barbecue sauce

How To Slow Cook Pulled Pork In The Oven

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

• Prep The Meat.First things first. Prepare the meat for the oven.

  Score.Place meatfat side upin a roasting pan. Score the fat cap with a sharp knife.

  This will allow the fat to drip down into the meat as it is cooking making it extra flavorful and moist.

  Season. Second step is to season the piece of meat with garlic salt and ground black pepper. Add any of the optional seasonings listed in the ingredients section for extra flavor.

  5-6 pound pork butt, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• Slow Cook.And cover the pan with aluminum foil or a tight fitting lid.

  Set the pan in the oven and allow it to slow cook, untouched for 4-5 hours. It takes a long time to slow cook pork. But don't worry. It'll be worth the wait!

• Rest The Meat.Let it rest covered on the counter for 1-2 hours.

  Drain.Drain the pan juices out into a storage container and save them for later.

  Pro Tip:If you don't drain the pan juices, they will mix with and dilute the BBQ sauce and make it watery instead of thick and sticky.

  Remove The Fat Cap. Remove the fat cap so that there is not too much fat mixed in.

• Pull and Add BBQ Sauce.When the meat reaches an internal temperature of about 200°F, it'll be ready to pull apart.

  Pull apart the meat using two forks orkitchen tongs.

  Pro Tip:We like to not be to aggressive in pulling. It's nice to have some bigger pieces for the BBQ sauce to cling to. Too finely shredded pork can have a mushy texture.

  Add your favorite BBQ sauce to the top or mix it into the shredded pork. Or both!

  2 cups barbecue sauce

How To Make Pulled Pork In A Slow Cooker

Set the slow cooker on the counter and plug it in.

• Prep The Meat.Score the fat cap of the meat with a sharp knife. Place the piece of meatfat side upin a slow cooker.

  Season. Season the piece of meat with garlic salt and ground black pepper. Add any of the optional seasonings listed in the ingredients section for extra flavor.

  We love to add a layer of dry rub to the top of the piece of meat for extra flavor.

  Be sure to check out our favoritedry rub recipe.

  Add Water.Add a cup of water to the slow cooker.

• Slow Cook.Put the lid on thecrock potand let it go untouched for 6-8 hourson the high setting.

  This is a great recipe to set it and forget it while you go about your day. The slow cooker does all the work for you. And by the end of the day you'll have dinner ready and the most tender & juicy BBQ you've ever had.

• Skim and Remove Excess Fat. Skim out any fat residue that might be floating on the top of the juices. But do not drain the pan juices. They will the perfect amount to keep the meat moist and not dilute the BBQ sauce.

  Remove The Fat Cap. Remove the fat cap, if there is one, so that there is not too much fat mixed in. Note: Pork Loin is a lean cut of meat that doesn't have a fat cap.

• Pull and Add BBQ Sauce.With the meat still in thecrock pot, pull the meat apart with two forks or a pair ofkitchen tongs.

  Smother with BBQ sauce and enjoy.

  Keep warm and serve later.Cover the shredded pork with the lid and set thecrock potto thewarm setting. Serve whenever you're ready to eat.

Ingredient Notes

• pork butt or pork shoulder- The best cut of pork to use is debatable. These two cuts of meat are often used interchangeably. So choose the least expensive option at your local grocery store. Both produce amazing results.
  • Pork butthas a lot of marbling (fat = flavor) and works well using the low and slow method of cooking. Sold boneless, with a fat cap. A fat cap is a deep layer of fat covering one side of the cut.
  • Pork shoulder has the most connective tissue, which makes it ideal for slow cooking. Sold bone-in and with the skin on. It is the cut of meat most often used in restaurants.
• garlic salt- The easiest flavor add to bbq meats is to use garlic salt. It's so tasty.
• black pepper
• bbq sauce- Make some homemade bbq sauce, or use your favorite brand. Doctor up store-bought bbq sauce by mixing in ¼ cup ofdry rub.

Optional Add-Ins

• bbq rub- We love to make a batch ofour favorite Dry Rubfor this recipe. This dry rub mix has the perfect balance of sweet and spicy flavors. It has the sweetness of brown sugar, the smoky flavor of smoked paprika, and the spice of black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder.
• extra salt- Enhances flavors and tenderizes meat in cooking. We use kosher salt, but you may substitute sea salt for this recipe.
• fresh garlic and onions- Fresh ingredients provide the best flavor. So, you may substitute fresh chopped garlic for garlic salt. And I sometimes like to put put a layer of sliced onions underneath the roast.
• vinegar (apple cider vinegar)-Balances flavorsin cooking. Vinegar can also be used to spritz the outside toprevent meat from drying out.Apple juicemay also be used for this purpose.

Pro Tips

• For large cuts of meat- The best way to deal with a larger cut of meat is to divide it into two smaller pieces. This will be easier to handle and shorten the cooking time.
• For tender & juicy meat- Make sure there to keep it covered with aluminum foil or a tight fitting lid as it slow cooks. This will trap in moisture and make it tender & juicy.
• Keep the lid on- Don't lift the lid while it's cooking or steam will be released and slow down the cooking process. This is especially true when using acrock pot.
• Water- The only difference in the ingredients between oven roasting and using acrock potis the water.
  Oven Roasting (No water necessary)- Pork will release a lot of its own juices. So there is no need to add water.
  Slow Cooker (Always add a little water or broth)- A slow cooker (crock pot) always needs a little bit of liquid added at the beginning of the cooking process.