Slow Cooker Pulled Pork for Easy Summer Dinners
This is Kansas City, so I come by my love of barbecue honestly. But on a busy summer day I am not standing over a smoker for fourteen hours, no matter how much I respect the people who do. Slow cooker pulled pork is how I get tender, saucy, crowd feeding barbecue with about ten minutes of actual effort.
You season it in the morning, walk away to live your life, and by dinner the whole house smells incredible and the pork falls apart at the touch of a fork. It is the most forgiving thing I make, and it feeds a crowd for almost nothing.
Quick heads up, a few links below are affiliate links, so I earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Why the slow cooker is summer hosting gold
It does the work while you do not, and it never heats up your kitchen the way a low oven would. You can feed eight people or eighteen, the leftovers are arguably better than day one, and it frees you up to actually enjoy your own cookout instead of being chained to the stove.
What you need
A pork shoulder, also called pork butt, a dry rub of brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and your favorite barbecue sauce for the end. A splash of broth or apple cider vinegar in the bottom keeps everything juicy.
A good sized slow cooker is the whole game here, and a pair of shredding claws turns the pulling step into something almost fun. Two forks work too, but the claws make me feel powerful.
How to make it
Rub the pork all over with the spice mix, set it in the slow cooker with a splash of liquid in the bottom, and cook on low for eight to ten hours until it shreds with no resistance. Pull it apart right in the pot, then stir in barbecue sauce to taste and let it soak up all that flavor for a few minutes before serving.
How we serve it
Piled on soft buns with a scoop of slaw is the classic, and the way it should be. But it also makes incredible tacos, loaded baked potatoes, and rice bowls, so one batch can stretch across a few very easy dinners. That is my kind of meal planning.
The takeaway
You do not need a smoker and a free Saturday to put great barbecue on the table. Let the slow cooker carry you through the busy days of summer. If you have a sauce you swear by, Kansas City has opinions, drop yours in the comments.
So glad you are here.
Pam
