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Home Main Dishes

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

By:Nagi
Published:20 Jan '17Updated:18 Aug '23
170 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

These Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches are loaded with juicy flavour packed pulled pork smothered in a homemade BBQ Sauce, piled high onto buns and topped with coleslaw. 

Give it to me! I’m a big fan of soft buns piled high with juicy fillings, from Sloppy Joes to big Pastrami sandwiches, and big juicy burgers!

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich - Perfectly seasoned, tender pulled pork tossed in a homemade BBQ sauce, piled onto bread with coleslaw. Slow cooker, pressure cooker or oven. www.recipetineats.com

Pulled Pork Sandwich

Steak Sandwich on Monday. Pulled pork today.

It seems like it’s sandwich week. No one told you? Don’t worry. No one told me either! 😂

Actually, I could have shuffled the posting schedule around. But I don’t want to. I’ve been busting to share this recipe for ages, and finally it’s here and I’m not holding it back any longer!!!

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich - Perfectly seasoned, tender pulled pork tossed in a homemade BBQ sauce, piled onto bread with coleslaw. Slow cooker, pressure cooker or oven. www.recipetineats.com

Get an eyeful of this….every meat lovers’ dream come true…juicy pulled pork smothered in homemade BBQ sauce.

Knees. Weak. Every. Single. Time.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich - Perfectly seasoned, tender pulled pork tossed in a homemade BBQ sauce, piled onto bread with coleslaw. Slow cooker, pressure cooker or oven. www.recipetineats.com

This kind of food is all me. The “get stuck into it, get it all over your hands/mouth” type of food. The kind that’s all about gatherings, food that’s meant to be shared, food that’s meant to be eaten in informal settings.

And also food that tastes a million bucks and yet is so simple to make. This recipe is all about two things:

  1. That pork. That pork, that pork. Generously seasoned with a flavour packed rub, cooked until super tender but not mushy. It only needs an hour of marinating time because there’s so much flavour infusion during the slow cooking. Either in the slow cooker or oven. But if you’re pressed for time, you can absolutely use a pressure cooker – works a treat!

  2. The BBQ Sauce! Make it from scratch as I do, or use store bought and dress it up by mixing it with the pork juices. Either way, the addition of the pork juices really takes the sauce to the next level. My preference is to make the sauce separately using some, but not all, the pork juices. I’ve made a “self saucing” version before by putting all the BBQ Sauce ingredients in with the pork but found that the sauce tastes too porky.

A quick classic Coleslaw*, some golden buns, then lay it all out on the table and let everyone help themselves.

Party time! Australia Day, Super Bowl Sunday…or just any day!! – Nagi x

* In case you or your hips are anti-mayo, try this No Mayo Coleslaw (it’s very, very good!) or a creamy Yogurt Coleslaw dressing (also very, very good!)


More Burgers, Sliders and Sandwiches

  • Big, juicy Hamburgers

  • Steak Sandwich – super quick

  • Chicken Burger – juicy seasoned chicken breast steak with the lot!

  • Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken Burger – chicken marinated in a homemade flavour bomb Peri Peri sauce

  • BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders

  • Cubanos – The famous Cuban roast pork sandwich from The Chef movie

  • Pastrami Sandwiches – Rye bread piled high with homemade pastrami. EPIC!

  • Veggie Burger – Meatless made amazing. Puts those doughy bricks at the shops to shame!

  • Browse all Burgers and Sandwiches & Sliders recipes

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich - Perfectly seasoned, tender pulled pork tossed in a homemade BBQ sauce, piled onto bread with coleslaw. Slow cooker, pressure cooker or oven. www.recipetineats.com

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich - Perfectly seasoned, tender pulled pork tossed in a homemade BBQ sauce, piled onto bread with coleslaw. Slow cooker, pressure cooker or oven. www.recipetineats.com


WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich recipe video!

 

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Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich - Perfectly seasoned, tender pulled pork tossed in a homemade BBQ sauce, piled onto bread with coleslaw. Slow cooker, pressure cooker or oven. recipetineats.com

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 8 hours hrs
Total: 8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Dinner, Party Food
Southern
5 from 33 votes
Servings6 -8
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 271
See recipe video above. Tender perfectly seasoned slow cooker pulled pork smothered in a homemade BBQ Sauce (see notes for using store bought). Add a classic coleslaw then pile it high onto buns! Great food for gatherings - easy and good value to feed a crowd. Make this in the slow cooker, oven or pressure cooker. 

Ingredients

Rub

  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp paprika powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 3/4 tsp mustard powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Pork

  • 1.5 - 2.2 kg/ 3 - 4.5 lb pork shoulder or butt , skinless and boneless (Note 1)
  • 3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice (Note 2)
  • 1 quantity Coleslaw
  • 6 - 8 bread rolls

BBQ Sauce (Note 5)

  • 1 cup pork juices from slow cooker, once cooked
  • 2 1/2 cups ketchup
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp each black pepper, onion (or garlic powder), mustard powder
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  • Mix together Rub then rub all over the pork. Optional: Marinate for 1 hour.
  • Place in the slow cooker and pour over apple cider. Slow cook for 8 hours on low or pressure cook for 1 hr 30 minutes on high. (Note 3)
  • Remove pork from liquid into a roasting pan. Reserve liquid.
  • OPTIONAL: Roast pork for 20 - 30 minutes at 180C/350F until browned (Note 4). Meanwhile, make BBQ Sauce.
  • Shred pork with forks - it should be fall apart tender (see video).
  • Toss in BBQ sauce - use as much as you like, the recipe makes enough to coat the pork well but not dripping in sauce, plus a bit extra on the side.
  • To make Pulled Pork Sandwiches, pile pork on warmed rolls and top with Coleslaw. I like to lay everything out for people to make their own.

BBQ Sauce

  • Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk. Bring to simmer, then turn down the heat so it simmers gently. Cook for 1 hour. Remove from stove and use per recipe.

Recipe Notes:

1. For larger pork sizes, scale up the Rub and Sauce. A 3 - 4 kg / 6 - 8lb pork will take 10 hours in the slow cooker. Also don't forget to scale up the Coleslaw recipe as one batch makes enough Coleslaw for 6 - 8 sandwiches (i.e. this recipe as is).
This recipe is also fantastic made with beef.
2. You can't really taste the cider, it's more for adding liquid into the slow cooker as well as a bit of flavour into the liquid in which the pork is cooked and also then used for the sauce. I used dry alcoholic apple cider. Sweet is also fine, and non alcoholic cider and apple juice work great too.
3. To make in the OVEN: Add 1 cup of water into the roasting pan. Place in 325F/160C oven for 3 hours, covered, then roast for a further 30 minutes uncovered until browned. Add more water if the liquid dries out too much. You should end up with about 2 cups of liquid when it finishes cooking.
4. I really like having some nice brown bits in the pulled pork which is why I do this step. Plus the caramelisation adds flavour.
5. To make this with store bought BBQ sauce, you will need 650ml / 22 oz barbecue sauce of choice. Add 1 cup of pork juices per recipe, then simmer on medium high for 30 minutes or until thickened, stirring regularly.
6. 1.5 kg / 3 lb pork shoulder makes enough for 6 large or 8 normal sized sandwiches. I typically allow for 250g / 0.5 lb pork per serving (raw pork weight) which is generous / safe.
7. Make Ahead: Fantastic for making ahead because it keeps so well. Cool shredded pork then refrigerate covered, keeping the sauce separate. To serve, add sauce and reheat pork in microwave (or oven), then toss (hard to toss when cold). To freeze, cool pork and BBQ Sauce then freeze for up to 3 months (keep separate). To reheat, defrost then reheat per above instructions.
8. The BBQ Sauce is a jacked up version ofthis wildly popular one from Food Network by the Neely's. The Pork recipe is my own.
9. The nutrition is very difficult to calculate because so much pork fat is discarded after the pork is cooked so this is a guide only assuming 8 servings, and that it is served on a normal bread roll.
Pulled Pork Sandwich Nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 295gCalories: 670cal (34%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

LIFE OF DOZER

You can just imagine what’s going through his head as he gazes at a mammoth pile of pulled pork….

Dozer-BBQ-Pulled-Pork-Sandwiches-(60)

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich - Perfectly seasoned, tender pulled pork tossed in a homemade BBQ sauce, piled onto bread with coleslaw. Slow cooker, pressure cooker or oven. www.recipetineats.com

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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170 Comments

  1. Megan Dakin says

    July 21, 2023 at 11:23 am

    5 stars
    Worked well. Mine only took 6 hours. Really liked this recipe. Versatile! Sauce is delicious.

    Reply
  2. Caitlin says

    May 5, 2023 at 10:12 am

    how would i adapt this recipe for skin-on/bone-in pork shoulder?

    Reply
  3. Lindsey says

    April 29, 2023 at 5:13 am

    If making ahead how best to reheat in the oven?
    Would you cover it and how long would you reheat and at what temp. Many thanks in advance!

    Reply
  4. Jean Hunt says

    January 26, 2023 at 4:18 pm

    5 stars
    Pork melted, sauce is amazing!

    Reply
  5. Jenny says

    July 20, 2022 at 3:57 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious recipe, but if you don’t like sweet bbq sauce don’t use all the sugar.

    Reply
  6. Andrew says

    June 28, 2022 at 11:35 am

    When cooking in the oven does it need to be a ton with a lid or could you use alfoil as a cover?

    Reply
  7. Leah says

    April 8, 2022 at 11:03 am

    If i cooked this in a cast iron french oven dish in the oven would you still do for 3 hours?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 8, 2022 at 6:09 pm

      Yes Leah – just follow the oven directions in the notes! N x

      Reply
  8. Annie says

    March 22, 2022 at 3:49 pm

    Hi Nagi,
    Just noticing that your Pulled Pork with BBQ Sauce recipe has molasses in the sauce mix.
    Could you add molasses to this recipe and if so what quantity please?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 22, 2022 at 5:31 pm

      You can use that bbq sauce recipe instead of this one if you prefer, Annie! N x

      Reply
  9. Louise says

    March 13, 2022 at 3:36 pm

    I just bought everything to make the recipe, and I see you specify “boneless”. Mine is bone in “Boston butt pork”. Will that work? Can i just cook it and take out the bone when it’s finished? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 14, 2022 at 12:58 am

      Yes Louise a bone in piece will work fine and might even cook a bit faster. N x

      Reply
  10. Tina says

    November 7, 2021 at 10:22 pm

    Hi Nagi. How big slow cooker are you using for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      November 10, 2021 at 3:55 pm

      Hi Tina – mine is a large one – it holds 5.5 litres. N x

      Reply
  11. Melanie Hankinson says

    September 23, 2021 at 2:52 am

    5 stars
    LOVED!!!! will definitely make again

    Reply
  12. Andreea says

    September 7, 2021 at 9:16 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness, my hubby and I absolutely loved this!! It was so delicious

    Reply
  13. Jo says

    February 9, 2021 at 8:54 am

    Could you use a tomato based pasta sauce in place of the ketchup? Even without the sugar added this sauce is too sweet and most of the sugar seems to come from the ketchup/tomato sauce.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 9, 2021 at 10:15 am

      Hi Jo, sorry you found it too sweet, BBQ sauce is generally on the sweeter side but you can always reduce the brown sugar to make it less sweet here. N x

      Reply
  14. Connie Mazoka says

    January 12, 2021 at 12:02 pm

    My family loved the pulled pork! Great recipe…

    Reply
  15. Mary O'Neill says

    December 17, 2020 at 10:52 pm

    5 stars
    Made this tonight for the second time. Had a brain freeze and used apple cider vinegar. Still tasted great.

    Reply
    • Tobi says

      May 1, 2022 at 12:06 pm

      Omg!! So did I, I misread and only after reading your comment now know I’ve done incorrectly. I’ve still got 6hrs to go, should I try to correct it? APV going to ruin it?

      Reply
      • Nagi says

        May 1, 2022 at 12:14 pm

        Mary said that hers turned out ok – it might be a bit more tart but the rich pork should be able to take it! N x

        Reply
        • Tobi says

          May 1, 2022 at 12:59 pm

          Phew. Thanks for your prompt response. Hoping the sweetness of the sauce will help it out also. I’m Looking forward to eating this one. (And your book coming out 😁)

          Reply
  16. Haylie says

    October 17, 2020 at 8:03 am

    Hi Nagi, im thinking of making this in the pressure cooker today, do you have any further instructions for that method for Note 3 just mentions oven cooking.

    Reply
  17. Radko says

    September 6, 2020 at 3:29 pm

    Try this with Eastern Carolina BBQ sauce which is vinegar based and therefore doesn’t cover up the taste of the pork as much and cuts through the richness of the meat. That’s next level.

    Reply
  18. Lesley says

    August 24, 2020 at 4:04 pm

    Hi Nagi, with a 5kg+ piece of pork, how long should I slowcooker or cook in the oven?
    Thank you. Kind regards Lesley

    Reply
  19. Chris says

    August 5, 2020 at 10:37 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing flavor! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!! The whole family loved 💕 it!

    Reply
  20. Ash says

    July 30, 2020 at 11:26 am

    Hi Nagi!
    Can I marinate overnight instead of 1 hour so i can prepare a night before?

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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