📋 Slow Cooker Pulled Pork on a Bun Recipe

slow cooker pulled pork sandwich on a white plate with a colorful tea towel in the background

5 from 1 vote

📋 Slow Cooker Pulled Pork on a Bun Recipe

This slow cooker smoky shredded pork, piled high on a bun, with a quick broccoli slaw, is the perfect summer potluck or BBQ idea or for when you just need to feed a crowd.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Canadian, North American

Keyword pulled pork, pulled pork on a bun, slow cooker

Special Diet weight watchers

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 30

Servings servings

Calories 293kcal

Author Terri Gilson

Equipment

Ingredients

3-½ lb pork shoulder blade roast (1.6 kg)
½ teaspoon salt (2 mL)
½ teaspoon pepper (2 mL)
2 tablespoon vegetable oil (30 mL)
1 onion , diced
4 cloves garlic , minced
3 tablespoon chili powder (30 mL)
4 teaspoon dried cilantro (10 mL)
2 bay leaves
⅓ cup tomato paste (60 mL)
2 ¼ cups tomato sauce
3 tablespoon packed brown sugar (30 mL)
3 tablespoon cider vinegar (30 mL)
3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (30 mL)
1 ½ tablespoon natural hickory liquid smoke flavour
1 -12 oz bag broccoli slaw or regular coleslaw 340 g
4-6 tablespoon coleslaw dressing (add to your liking)
½ cup sliced pepperoncini or pickled jalapenos (optional)
10 whole wheat buns

Garnish:

fresh cilantro (optional)

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. In Dutch oven or large, deep frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown pork all over. Transfer to slow cooker.
Add onions, garlic, chili powder, cilantro and bay leaves to Dutch oven/frying pan; cook, stirring often, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke, Pour into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until pork is tender, about 8 hours.
Transfer pork to cutting board and when cooled for about 10 minutes, remove any fat and bone. With 2 forks, shred or “pull” pork. (See video on how to pull pork in notes)
Meanwhile, pour liquid from slow cooker into large saucepan; skim off fat. Bring to boil over high heat; boil until reduced by ½. This will take about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves. *If it starts to splatter, you can turn it down a little.
Add pulled pork to reduced liquid; stir to coat and warm through. *If you want to add a little more 'punch' to the sauce, add a little Bulls-Eye BBQ sauce (or your favorite BBQ sauce).
Pile meat on bun.
Broccoli slaw: Mix broccoli slaw and coleslaw salad dressing together and add to bun.
Add peperoncini or jalapenos, if desired.

Notes

🎥 Video

Here is a how to video: How to pull pork *However, I shred mine a little more than he does in this video.

Expert Recipe Tips:

Browning Is Key: Don’t skip browning the pork! It adds depth of flavor and improves texture by sealing in juices and creating a rich, caramelized crust.

Make-Ahead Hack: Prep the meat and add everything to the slow cooker insert the night before (including the sauce), cover and refrigerate, and just pop the insert into the slow cooker and turn it on in the morning.

Use a Fat Separator: When reducing the sauce, skim fat for a cleaner, less greasy taste. A fat separator (affiliate link) makes this quicker and more efficient.

Shred Smarter: For faster, more even shredding, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer in a large bowl—no more sore arms from fork-pulling!

Don’t Cook the Slaw: Assemble buns right before serving. Add the coleslaw just before eating to keep it crisp and prevent soggy sandwiches.

Toast the Buns: Lightly toast your buns under the broiler or in a pan to prevent them from getting soggy and to add a bit of crunch.

Double the Sauce: If your crowd loves extra sauce, consider doubling the sauce portion so you have extra for drizzling or dipping.

Freezer-Friendly Tip: Freeze pulled pork flat in resealable freezer bags in meal-size portions. It thaws quicker and makes for easy weeknight meals later.

*Note: This recipe is for a 6 quart slow cooker

**Note: Pork shoulder goes by several names at the grocery store including picnic roast Boston butt, blade roast and pork butt.

Nutrition