Pulled pork in the crockpot is so easy to make. The dry rub does its magic on its own overnight in the refrigerator. The dry rub adds so much spicy, smoky flavor to the pork.
Searing the pork is key to creating a crispy caramelized crust on the outside and holding in the juices of the meat so it is not dry. Seriously, nobody wants dry pork.
Crockpot pulled pork cooks low and slow for 6-8 hours and is tender and juicy. The applesauce in the crockpot aides in tenderizing the meat and gives it a slight sweetness.
This pulled pork has so much flavor that it does not even need BBQ sauce. We do serve it up with BBQ Sauce- Water bath canned or Carolina BBQ Sauce.
Imagine how amazing the house will smell when everyone comes home to a slow roasted pork butt that has been cooking all day. The first words when they walk in the door is “yum!”
Pulled pork is amazing fresh or even after being refrigerated. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days as a delicious leftover.
Print Recipe
Pulled Pork- Crockpot recipe
Equipment
- Large cast iron skillet
- 5 Quart or larger crockpot
Ingredients
Dry rub ingredients
- 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tbsp Chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp Cumin
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Sea salt
- 1/2 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 tbsp Black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tbsp Garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp Onion powder
- 4-5 LB Pork butt
Crockpot ingredients
- 1/2 cup Applesauce
- 1 cup Water
Instructions
- The night before cooking the pulled pork, mix all the dry rub ingredients together in a bowl.
- Place the pork in a glass baking dish and coat all sides of the meat with the dry rub seasonings. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
- The next morning, remove the pork from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Season with a bit of olive oil.
- Place the pork onto the hot skillet and brown all sides.
- Once the pork is browned, place it in the crockpot on low heat.
- Mix applesauce with water and pour into the crockpot.
- Cover and slow cook the pork for 6-8 hours.
- Once the pork is tender and ready to be shredded, remove it from the crockpot, shred and discard the fatty pieces.
- Return the shredded pork to the crockpot and stir to combine with the sauce inside.
- Allow the juices to reabsorb into the pork for 30 minutes before serving.
- Pulled pork can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
