Home » Recipes » Main Dishes » Slow Cooker Carolina-Style Pulled Pork

Slow Cooker Carolina-Style Pulled Pork

Slow Cooker Carolina-Style Pulled Pork is a favorite at our house because 1) It’s super easy to make, 2) It’s super delicious, and 3) It makes a large quantity. Yay for leftovers! I made this pulled pork with an Eastern North Carolina-style sauce. Yes, pulled pork is serious business in North Carolina and there are different styles depending on the part of the state.

Slow Cooker Carolina-Style Pulled Pork on slider buns with slaw.

 

Easterners like their pulled pork with a thin, vinegary sauce that’s very tangy and peppery. It tastes wonderful on a sandwich with a creamy, sweet coleslaw to balance out the tang.

Slow Cooker Carolina-Style Pulled Pork

 

When I don’t feel like making my own coleslaw, I swing by the drive-thru at Bojangles and pick up a large container of their coleslaw. It’s much better than the prepared coleslaw at the grocery store. If you don’t have Bojangles near you, try the coleslaw at KFC or Popeye’s.

Carolina-Style Pulled Pork on slider buns with coleslaw.

 

When I cook pulled pork in the crock pot, I pretty much make 2 sauces and the first one ends up getting discarded. You’ll want a sauce to flavor the pork while it cooks, but Boston Butt releases so much fat into the slow cooker, it’s swimming in fatty liquid by the time it’s done cooking. The best way to get rid of this fat is to dump most of the liquid out and add a new sauce to the cooked pork. Then you have fully flavored pork, that’s not too greasy. Whether you serve this pork with baked beans and corn, or on a sandwich with coleslaw, it’s a super easy and flavorful meal that will fill your families bellies.

Slow Cooker Carolina-Style Pulled Pork

Try These Other Pulled Pork Recipes:

Watch the short video below to see how easy this recipe is to make:


Slow Cooker Carolina-Style Pulled Pork on slider buns with slaw.

Slow Cooker Carolina-Style Pulled Pork

A moist and tender, slow-cooked pulled pork with a Carolina-style, vinegar based BBQ sauce.
PREP: 20 minutes
COOK: 8 hours 30 minutes
TOTAL: 8 hours 50 minutes
SERVINGS: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 small sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 (4 to 6-pound) Boston Butt, with or without bone
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

BBQ Sauce

  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Place chopped onion on bottom of a slow cooker.
  • Trim excess fat from Boston Butt and place in slow cooker on top of onions.
  • Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour on top of pork. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.
  • Combine all ingredients for BBQ Sauce in a medium saucepan. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Remove pork from slow cooker (after 8-10 hours) and place in a large bowl. Use forks to shred the meat.
  • Discard the majority of liquid in the slow cooker. Return meat to slow cooker and add BBQ Sauce. Cover and cook on low 30 minutes. Serve.

Notes

You can use boneless or bone-in Boston Butt. If you use bone-in, the bone can be easily removed once the pork is cooked.

Nutrition

Calories: 405kcal
Author: Christin Mahrlig
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Southern
Keyword: crock pot pulled pork, pulled pork

Want to Save This Recipe?

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




I accept the Privacy Policy

66 thoughts on “Slow Cooker Carolina-Style Pulled Pork”

  1. This has been my go to pulled pork recipe since I stumbled upon it. Perfectly tangy & southern! Even my friends loved this when I’ve made it. You can also store in the freezer since it’s a large amount of food.

  2. Liked this recipe so much I’m using it a second time.
    It’s now saved on my phone .

    1. Michael R Sandridge Sr

      This is one of best pulled pork recipes that I have used on numerous occasions including always turns out. great ideas along with coleslaw on a Martin’s potato roll

Scroll to Top