This was the first recipe I ever created on my own. If you have read my story, you know I taught myself how to cook while transitioning to Paleo. This recipe for crockpot pulled pork is close to my heart and still gets made weekly in our household, 4 years later. My favorite thing about this crockpot pulled pork, ANYONE can make it. Seriously, it's that simple.
Crockpot Pulled Pork
This next question might anger some Texans, but who needs a smoker when you have a crockpot? I know it's quite a large claim to say this rivals some of the best bbq pulled pork around but this crockpot pulled pork recipe has been converting people one by one. My amazing friend Abel from the Fat Burning man actually credits this recipe for our friendship.
Pair this crockpot pulled pork with the accompanying Beasty BBQ Sauce and you have a crowd favorite with minimal work. We actually make this recipe using 10 pound pork shoulders from Cook Pigs, and then freeze all the pulled pork for months. We use it to make sandwiches, soups, frittata's and loaded nachos (recipe in The Paleo Kitchen).
I truly believe that cooking should be easy and fun and that is what creates the most elegant of flavors.
Once you have this recipe for crockpot pulled pork mastered, you can venture into a few of my other pulled pork recipes. They are just as delicious and have other options for cooking. Here they are:
What is your favorite way to eat pulled pork. I personally like pairing mine with some of my favorite side dishes. Here they are:
CrockPot Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 4 pounds bone in pork shoulder
- 4 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground white pepper
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper leave out if to spicy
- 1 full batch of Beasty BBQ Sauce
Instructions
- Mix all of the above ingredients except the pork shoulder and the BBQ sauce in a small mixing bowl, mix it all well making your spice rub
- Massage the spice rub all over the meat in every crevice you can find
- Wrap tightly in a double wrap of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, I did mine overnight. You can refrigerate this for up to 3 days
- Unwrap the roast and place it in your crock pot, add 1/4 cup of water and turn your crock pot on low and cook for 8-10 hours until the meat is fork-tender
- Transfer your roast to a cutting board
- Pull the meat apart by tearing the meat into thin shreds with two forks or your fingers
- You can either put all the meat back in the juices in the crockpot, or
- Place all the shredded meat back in the crock pot and toss with Beasty BBQ Sauce and heat on low for 60 minutes until hot.
- Serve and enjoy
Like to prep once and cook later? Click here to get the freezer version of this recipe!
****Disclosure: If you purchase any of the products linked in this post or products through the links on the right side of my page, I receive a small percentage from the respected affiliate programs****
Bacon Wrapped Grilled Pork Chops with Citrus Drizzle
What are some serving suggestions? I’m used to pulled pork on a roll. Recommended side dishes? Thanks!
Don’t Have white pepper on hand. Should I just double the black pepper or just omit . 2 tbsp. of Black pepper would seem like overkill.
Hey Tom. It’s Non from the Caveman team! Yeah, I think try omitting is a good strategy. Let us know how it turns out!
Went out, bought a slow cooker, made the spice rub, made the bbq sauce, put it all together and … I must admit, I was so skeptical about how it would turn out. But, MAN. Absolutely food truck or restaurant quality pulled pork. Great recipe George. Many thanks. It’s also a winner with fried eggs, coriander and a bit of hot sauce for breakfast.
Delicious and easy. Made it on Father’s Day so no grilling for Dad. I used half the rub amounts for a 5+lb butt and used black for white pepper since I don’t have that. After pulling the meat the night before, I refrigerated the meat and liquid separately. The next morning, I removed the fat that had congealed on top as I do try to limit the amount of animal fat we eat. The meat itself still has enough fat to be tasty! Then I reheated the meat in the crockpot with some of the liquid to keep it moist. Also made half the beasty BBQ sauce recipe and served each separately. The meat was a hit and has nice flavor on its own. I encouraged folks to take a taste of the beasty sauce, but not everyone chose to use it over bottled BBQ sauce. I’m wondering if the color, being more orangy than dark red/brown was a factor? Thanks for a keeper recipe.
can you cook this on high for four hours instead of the full 8?
Hi George,
Ok I just made this recipe, everything turned out perfectly, but dude. This thing is so hot, I felt like I was summoning the devil by the end of the process. I live in Australia so I am used to hot, but this amount of chili is like a raging fire in my mouth. On the bright side I am looking forward to the spice increasing my metabolism, to its maximum and then some.
Thanks
can you do this in the oven as well? if so temp and timing?
This recipe is a winner! We made it for a family gathering and everyone loved it. We just made it again for some friends. This time we made tacos with it! Add some slaw, cilantro, lime and cotija cheese it was awesome!
Hi George – thank you so much for this and all of your recipes! I’m curious if you’ve tried this in the instapot yet, and if so – how would you recommend cooking it?
hi! i want to make and add the sauce but should i remove all of the liquid in the pot first/as well? Or, leave some to mix in with the sauce? (this recipe is awesome….pork is already delicious without the sauce!)
Thank you! You could try it either way. If you mix the sauce and the juices, you’ll have a thinner sauce. Should be just as delicious either way!
Made this recipe a few months back and it was AWESOME! Since starting paleo over a year ago I have made quite a few of your recipes and I am never disappointed, they have all been 5 star!
Thank you so much Melissa
Hi George..hit on your recipe last night. Used your spice recipe but like one of the other readers only used about half on a 3-4 lb roast (saved the rest for next time!). I cooked mine overnight on low about 10 hours. I took it out of the liquid, pulled it, added a couple large spoonfuls of the liquid back in and mixed in some Sweet Baby Rays Sweet & Spicey. I put a thin piece of red onion on my bun and OMG best pulled pork I ever made and I’ve tried a lot of recipes! I look forward to making your barbecue sauce next time. Thank you for a great recipe!
So awesome, thank you so much for commenting Jeanine :)
I used this recipe with the bbq sauce we had at home and everyone liked it. Had a guy born and raised in Texas say that it was great! I’d say it’s a winner for my first ever pulled pork! Loved it.
Haha that is awesome, and so glad you loved it
The meat does not cook with only 1/4 cup of water in the crock pot. I found that it works better if you cook the sauce and the meat together in the crock pot. The flavours are very good, especially the pineapple (I used the smaller amount).
The moisture is not there to cook the meat, it’s to start the cooking process. After 8-12 hours it surely will cook
Are you supposed to use all the seasoning on one roast? Seems like a lot of salt?? I used about 1/2-2/3 of it on a 3.5 pound roast. I didn’t use any cayenne. It was very good, but maybe would’ve been even better with the whole batch of seasoning. Didn’t have time to make the sauce, but it was great without any sauce. My husband says the recipe is a keeper. Thanks! I meant to give it 5 stars but hit the 4 star and for some reason cannot change it.
Just need to let you know, since discovering this recipe for pulled pork a year ago, this is the ONLY way I make it. It’s fantastic!
Hey George! Has anyone tried the recipe in a pressure cooker?
Yes a few have and I know it works. Just unsure of the setting or time you need
I’m making this for a dinner party on Saturday for 10 people. My local butcher is advising to use pork neck rather than pork shoulder as he doesn’t have a shoulder big enough. How do you think this would come out? (Rated 5 stars in anticipation as the recipe is obviously awesome)
I have never ever used pork neck so I am interested in knowing how it turns out. Please tell me
This recipe should come with a ‘heat’ warning but then again i should have seen the red flags with the ingredients, guess that’s my newbie fault. Thankfully, a quick hot water rinse tamed the pork enough for us to enjoy it and my husband was all in with your beasty bbq sauce. Loved trying something new and will be a bit more aware of those ‘tongue numbing’ ingredients! :D
Thanks for the comment. I added a note so people know to leave the cayenne out
Phew made it to the bottom, dedication to comment on your to die for Pulled Pork Recipe George!! My first time slow cooking pulled pork and I absolutely love it. After 8 hours it just beeped at me now, pulled it all apart and had to stop myself from eating it. Leave it for tomorrow and the next day. Instead of the BBQ sauce I just added a bottle of our homemade passata in the pot along with the spices! Delish
That sounds amazing and thank you for scrolling to comment. Definitely a good problem :)
This looks phenomenal! How do you think it would work using pork tenderloin? My market doesn’t have any other cuts right now, but I would love to try this.
That won’t make pulled pork, it would overcook a tenderloin
I thought this as well, until I tried it. Tenderloin is frequently the only antibiotic free pork cut at my grocery store, so I gave it a go.
2-3 lbs of tenderloin, rubbed in olive oil and spices + 1/2 cup sauce, chopped onions on low for 8 hrs. It’s great!
I have made this receipt now a few times and it is AMAZING. So packed full of flavor. When I made it last week one of my boys said “I wish there was a planet made of this so I could eat it all.” It’s a win for our family. Thanks!
Haha that is the best comment ever.
Hey George,
I just made this overnight in the crock pot. I followed your recipe exact – well I tried to adjust because my meat was only 3 lbs. I also made the Beasty BBQ sauce & added it to the pork. It came out way too spicy! I wanted to serve it to kids as well as adults who are not good with spice. Any thing I can add to it to tone it down or can you let me know how to achieve something for kids/ wimpy adults?
Thanks!
Hey Gigi,
Since the Beasty BBQ sauce is already in the pork, you can add more tomato paste or sauce, stock, or pineapple if you have extra. I am sorry it came out too spicy, I also found this article which could help as well.
If I was running a little behind on time and wanted to put on crockpot for high and switch over would I be able to do that. After the 3 hours I have about 6.5-7 hours before dinner
I haven’t tested it but it could work
This was awesome. Best pulled pork I think Ive ever made. Thank you. And beasty BBQ sauce is terrific. Any suggestions for what to substitute for the pineapple for someone trying to do low carb?
You can just leave it out, I do all the time
Thanks so much for this recipe. It was great! I also got to try out my new immersion blender for the first time on this recipe. How did I ever live without one? lol Lovely taste, I used the lesser amount of pineapple. My husband likes a little more heat. Do you have any suggestions on hoe to do that? Chili powder perhaps? Thank you so much, this was wonderful!
Add some more cayenne, that will give it some kick
Some more information about specific cooking temperatures beyond just “low”, and for how long would be greatly appreciated.
What do you mean, on a crockpot you only have low or high settings?
Can you make this without the crock pot?
Could you make it in the oven and if so, what would you suggest re: temperature and time?
This looks incredible, but I don’t yet have a crock pot/slow cooker…
:(
You sure can, I just did a post on this actually. Read it here
We don’t eat pork. Do you think I could use this recipe with a whole chicken?
That would work :) Just cook it on low for no longer than 5 hours, it will be done
Or beef, beef would be tasty too
So yummy! I no longer have to crave our local bbq place and all the foods I cannot eat there, this does the trick! Thank you!
You are so welcome Jeannette
Hi, just made this tonight and it was great. I didn’t think that it needed any sauce, very flavorful with just the rub. Thanks for such a flavorful recipe!
You are so welcome Robyn, I rarely eat it with sauce
I lost my recipe folder that had the spice rub I’ve been using for decades. Found this post when I came home with a pork shoulder and couldn’t find my recipe, and danged if this doesn’t seem like the exact same thing! Obviously the house is already smelling great.
Your BBQ sauce recipe looks fantastic, but I’m also a huge fan of the classic NC-style vinegar sauce. I use 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup cider vinegar, 1 T sugar, 1 T red pepper flakes, 1 T Tabasco and salt and pepper
Thank you so much Mike. Glad you enjoyed
Can I used a boneless pork shoulder instead?
You sure can
So what temperature am I leaving it on for the 10 hours? ;o
LOW
LOVE this! Made it for the first time and will again for sure probably every other week! I have a ton of sauce leftover. I’d like to now do this dish which pulled chicken and use the sauce on it–is that possible? How can I use chicken instead?
hi! If I half the recipe since it’s just me, my husband and little one, would I half all the spices too or does it become too bland then? Prob a stupid question but just making sure :)
I rarely post feedback but for this recipe I just had to.
Hands down the best, not just pork but entire meal I have ever cooked!
The flavours are out of this world!
This will be getting cooked again for sure.
I made the BBQ sauce to go with it and it goes together very well. I did however need to stop myself eating it all before I added the sauce!
I had never cooked pork of any kind before and decided to start with this recipe last night. WOW! Fantastic! Melt in your mouth wonderful! My dad, who is a self-described connoisseur of BBQ and takes an annual BBQ road trip to hot spots in TN, MS and AL, pronounced it as good as any he’s EVER tasted anywhere! Will be making this often! Thanks! Oh, an I had an 8.8lb shoulder and let it cook for 13 hours. It was falling off the bone IN the crockpot!
Can you make this in a dutch oven? How would you do it?
I made the crock pot pulled pork and the beasty BBQ sauce. It was sooooo good. Forget ever buying jarred BBQ sauce ever again! I used the whole 20 oz of pineapple since I like the sauce a little bit sweeter. It was a bit smokey, had a nice kick, and went beautifully with the pulled pork.
I’m so glad it turned out so well, nice work :) :)
I have a 2.6kg pork leg roast, will that work as well? Dead keen to try your recipe out :-) Given the size of the roast do I need to up the amount for the rub? It also has the lovely fat on it,should I cut that off and make crackling as a side? Have you got a good crackling recipe?
Made today for the first time. Incredibly tasty and easy. A nice balance of flavors — not too spicy, not too sweet (FYI – I didn’t have sweet paprika for the sauce, so I used smoked paprika). Fantastic recipes. The tastiest pulled pork I’ve ever had.
Smoked paprika will definitely work, enjoy :)
We had this at Alison Golden’s house this weekend, and it was delicious!
Thank you so much :)
We make this every other week or so…and everyone we’ve ever fed it to has asked for the recipe. I’m another that doesn’t care for the sauce at all…but yeah…the flavor is so good it doesn’t need it! We use it for tacos, taco salads, nachos, quesadillas, sandwiches, etc…SO GOOD. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome!
WOW! Made this today and it was delish. We served it with cole slaw and sweet potato as recommended and it was a hit. Thanks for the great recipes.
You’re so welcome, sounds delicious!
Love! I left out the BBQ sauce, because my husband prefers a vinegar style BBQ – it was perfect! My 4 year old had a giant bowl for dinner and woke up asking for more. My 6 year old thought it was a little spicy, but easy to change for the next time…which there will be many! Thank you so much, looking forward to trying your other recipes.
I’m pleasantly surprised both of your children liked it! It is a bit spicy. Glad you could adjust it to their liking :)
As many others have said, this is an incredible recipe. I was wondering if it could be followed as is to make pulled beef?
I think that would work out, yes :)
Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m so happy you liked the pork.
I am trying this with boneless pork butt, should I use more water?
I’m not quite sure, to be honest. Can you let me know how it turns out?
Has anyone doubled the recipe? If so, is the cooking time the same or longer? I could only find a pork shoulder at 8lbs in my grocery store so I went for it.
Hello :) you could double the recipe, in which case the cook time would vary. I would recommend keeping an eye on it and let me know how that goes!
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Great recipe! I am not a pork fan, but always liked pulled pork…probably because of the sugar :-( There were even seconds served! WIsh I had a larger crock pot…I’d do two shoulders at once and then freeze.
Thank you :)
We have made this many times in our family and it is now our “go-to” recipe for pulled pork. The spice rub with the meat is so wonderful that we never even make the BBQ sauce. It is perfect to us without it. The leftovers freeze beautifully. We LOVE this recipe! Thank you!!!
I have made this recipe several times and I LOVE the flavor. The first few times the meat was so tender, falling off the bone and AMAZING. Last time and tonight (cooking right now), the meat has been super tough and almost inedible, what happened??!!! I am so upset. Am I cooking too long, not long enough, something wrong with my crockpot, bad cut of meat? HELP!
The time shouldn’t matter for this, it would be the cut of meat or the crock pot being broken
Hi there — I have 3 of questions:
1. Should have attempted to cut off excess fat on my pork shoulder? After getting the piece of meat in the cooker I realized it has a whole chunk of fat that I don’t always see on this cut. So now thinking that may have been wise…your thought on that?
2. Why does the rub recipe make SO MUCH?! I have enough for another pork shoulder and based on the reviews I’ll want to make it again, but I’m curious why you wrote it that way.
3. Assuming but it’s not stated so I’m asking, do you normally take the netting off before adding the rub and cooking?
Looking forward to my dinner tonight…and the responses to my questions. Happy Friday.
Leave the fat for flavor. I wrote it so you can make more ;) and no net. I have never had a net on mine
My family is not big on pork. Have you ever tried this on chicken or beef?
I do it with beef and bison and love it
This is chilling in my fridge ready to cook tomorrow or Sunday. Concerned my butcher may have given me a poor substitute for the cut of meat required. Have ordered a different cut from the supermarket, but still can’t find a bone in cut. Fingers crossed all will be well.
It will still work
Thanks for a wonderful recipe. This was soooo good. I think my picky 7 year old ate at least half of the dish. He went back for fourths! The barbeque sauce was a bit spicy for my kids, but my husband and I thought it was wonderful. I’m curious to see how it tastes tomorrow. Maybe the kids will like it better once the spice tones down.
Thanks again!
Oh I love how it tastes the next day
This has been cooking all day and it smells so delicious! I love the spiciness – people might want to dial it down for kids but it I loved it. It seems done to me but it’s only been in for 6 hours. Can’t wait to eat this tonight if I don’t finish it all ‘testing’ it today!
OMG, this really is some of the best pork I may have ever tasted. I didn’t even make the BBQ sauce because the meet was so flavorful by itself.
So awesome Rebecca, so glad you loved it :)
Ohhh, this looks so good! Will be making it for our first ever Floral Cabin Family Reunion over Labor Day weekend. The boys, our adult sons Jeff & Neel are trying to outdo each other with various smoked meats out on the grill and smoker, but Mama may just have them beat with this recipe….thanks for sharing!
Oh that sounds awesome, you will win :)
Sweet baby gee zus… that was stupendous!
Like others I left out the beasty sauce (I made it, but the taste wasn’t for me)… and holy cow (errr… pig) it didn’t need it!
The spice rub was perfection! Paired with a baked sweet potato… and this is now my new #1 favorite meal!
Awesome Eve, sorry you didn’t like the sauce
My 14 year old made this and mistakenly substituted curry powder for paprika.
Still good!
The spice rub wrap & slow cooking combine for a moist, mouthwatering dish.
It sure does Lisa and that sounds good too
Hi George –
I made the pulled pork tonight and it was delicious!!! I bought the pork with out bone because that’s all I could find at whole foods. I also only bought 2lbs. I ate it with watermelon and corn on the cob. I know corn is not exactly paleo but it was sooooo good. I ate left overs for lunch and it was even better as it sat overnight in the beastly bbq sauce. It was a great summer meal and the whole family loved it. Your the bomb. I love your recipes!! Thanks a million.
Thank you Ana for coming to leave me a comment. So awesome you loved it
I can’t lie. I’ve made this twice in one week and have eaten it all myself. granted, I used 2 lbs of pork the first time just in case I didn’t like it. I used 4 lbs today and i’m glad I did. this is my new favorite pork meal! I think I could bathe in your beasty sauce or use it as a face mask.
Haha if you do I need to see a picture for proof lol
This is great pork! The seasoning was not spicy at all which i love! Ive never been a spicy foods person so this has the perfect amount of kick. I had it with the beasty sauce and its my favorite recipe ive tried of yours! I must take this to a potluck because everyone would be shocked that i made it after my five years as a vegan! Haha good to be a meat eater again.
I like to slow cook my pork 20 to 24 hours….it gets better! Any danger in cooking it this long….it comes out more luau style this way
thanks
I have never heard of that causing a problem
I’m making this for when we go camping. I will need to cook then freeze the pork. Should I keep the liquid in the crockpot and freeze the pulled pork with it so it doesn’t dry out when I re-heat? Or will it be ok without the liquid?
I shred the pork in the liquid, and then when I freeze it just scoop the pork in the bowls so it has all the moisture it has absorbed.
This is the best pulled pork ever! I made this for dinner tonight and my 8 year old daughter and her cousin loved it so much that they are having it as a “midnight snack”! Also, my daughter told me that I should never buy BBQ sauce again because the Beasty sauce is her favorite! Thank you for such a great recipe!
Woohoo :)
I just made the spice rub and it feels like a lot. I’ve never done the whole spice rub thing- do I use it all on the shoulder? Or is it a mix that you use for a few others also?
Thanks so much for this recipe- I’ve been dying for some “safe” pulled pork!!!
Save the extra for other meat, just use enough to cover this meat
Oh holy hell, I just put the rub on and realized I put 2 T of cayenne instead of teaspoons. Any ideas how to save it? HELP!!!
Patti it is only on the rub so it will be the outside of the pork, I would use a knife and scrape it off
This was delicious. And I loved the beasty bbq sauce. I reviewed it earlier, but have no idea where my comment went. Oh well, you’ll never get to read my tasty words about it. ;) I did use pork tenderloins, and didn’t do the rub overnight, and it still turned out wonderful. And I will be donating to the paleo heart. What a wonderful, giving thing to do. There’s a tremendous heart in that ripped, tattooed chest of yours.
So, I’ve made the pulled pork twice and chickened out on the Beasty sauce because I thought it had strange ingredients (no offense!) and we LOVED the seasoning rub on the pork anyway. Tonight I decided to go all out and make the Beasty BBQ sauce..WOW! Delicious! Can’t believe I waited this long…now my favorite BBQ sauce ever. :) I own your cookbook – have loved every recipe I’ve tried so far (and that’s quite a few). :) Thanks!
Woohoo thank you Paula
We made this last night and it was great. The meat was a tad spicy for me but my husband loved it! Any suggestions on how to tone it down and make it taste a little more sweet bbq than spicy?
Yep you would just leave out the cayenne :)
George, I wanna start by saying I rarely post reviews of anything, but I have to let everyone know about your Crockpot Pulled Pork and Beasty BBQ Sauce! I have been looking at this recipe for about a month now ever since a buddy turned me on to your website. I love pulled pork and have made it many different ways, but WOW WOW WOW!!! I will be making this for a long time to come. The spices in the rub are outstanding and after 10 hours on low heat, the meat fell cleanly off he bone. It was so tender and juicy that I shredded it with my fingers. Additionally, I made your BBQ sauce as well. Having lived in Kansas City my entire life, I am accustomed to the sugary, molasses based BBQ sauces and definitely needed something more paleo. Your recipe is a perfect mix of sweet and spicy and goes perfect with this pork. In fact, I think it would go well with many proteins. I wish you well as you start a new chapter post-military and am eager to try more of your creations. Keep up the excellent work!
Thank you for the review Adam. It means a lot and I am so glad you loved the recipes. Thank you for all the support
I agree, this is a winner!! I had this with mixed green salad on the side, and even the meat with the lettuce was oh so good!! Even my 3 year old cleaned her plate and had seconds!! There is so much left over too. I think I’m also going to use this as one of my go to recipes for potlucks. Thank you for sharing.
You are so welcome Vanessa
Tried this today and it’s sooooooooooooo good. Wasn’t sure if I would like it, as I tend more toward sweet tasting dishes, but it was really delish. George, I took your advice and tried it both with and without the Beasty BBQ Sauce. I’m now hard pressed to say which way I liked it more. It’s wonderful either way.
Thank you for a bunch of great meals to come. There’s just me, and I made a five pound Boston Butt. Portioned it into food saver bags and froze most of it. Kept some in the fridge for lunches and more dinners.
:)
Woohoo Anne. I do the same thing and freeze all mine too and feed myself for weeks
Made this to the letter (we refrigerated w/ the rub overnight) for a church pot luck: Very tasty, and big hit. However, I have to say, my wife and I tasted the pork before adding the Beastly BBQ Sauce, and we both said “WOW” to just that alone! With all due respect, we liked it better without the sauce. Next time we make it we’re going to skip the Beastly Sauce and just spice up the pork with the rub as directed. Five stars with the sauce – ten stars without it. :-)
Awesome Daniel, no disrespect taken, I prefer it that way too :)
I made this yesterday and it was incredibly delicious! I actually preferred it without the BBQ sauce, but it was still delicious with the sauce. My husband is very very picky, and he loved it, thanks for the awesome recipe! Also, used boneless pork because couldn’t find bone in.. I plan on making the chicken wings and banana bread tonight!
That is so awesome, I am so glad you both loved it
Hi George! Looking forward to making this. In the BBQ sauce recipe, what size can of pineapple do you use? Thanks!
I keep forgetting to update that, sorry. I used a 14 ounce can
Wow!!! I don’t even know if I can say more than that.
OK< I lied – I can say more. : ) I made this yesterday and WOW – it was amazing! AMAZING! I didn't have a lot of time so I didn't make the BBQ sauce (used a local one) but I did leave the dry rub on the pork for 20 hours before slow-cooking for 8 hours.
I am so thankful for having leftovers, and thankful for you, Mr. George "Civilized Caveman" Bryant for sharing this with us.
Woohoo, you are so welcome Liz. You will have to try it with the sauce sometime
The flavors were there, but after 9 hours of cooking on low, i wasn’t able to shred it, may just be a crockpot thing, but it tastes awesome!
As long as it tasted well, it could have been the cut of pork
I’ve been looking for a recipe for paleo pulled pork and this looks like the best by far! Just one question though….how spicy does this come out with the 2 tsp of cayenne? I’m a baby about spiciness and haven’t really used cayenne.
Thanks!
Kim then I would leave it out all together and you will LOVE IT
OMG I finally got around to cooking this, why did I wait so long!!?? Seriously the best pulled pork ever, and so easy. Thanks for yet another great recipe, you ROCK
Woohoo I am glad you finally made it :)
This is sitting in my crockpot right now, the house smells awesome! Thanks for the recipe!
You are so welcome, you are going to love this
Is there another cut of pork you might recommend for this? I know fat is good and all on Paleo, but it’s a total texture thing for me and I’ve read pork shoulder is fatty. Thanks for any input.
Your not going to be able to make the pulled pork with a lean piece. The fat is what bastes the meat. You can not eat the fat when it’s done
It’s “that fat” that will keep the meat moist and tender. Most of the fat will be rendered during the 8-10 hr cooking process.
OK, I had never cooked a pork shoulder and it scared me, so I bought a smaller one and used this recipe (although didn’t make the beasty bbq sauce) – it is INCREDIBLE! I didn’t make the bbq sauce because my family kept smelling this cooking and as soon as I took it out of the crock pot and shredded it, it was GONE. :) Absolutely the best pork we’ve ever eaten…hands down. Thanks for ANOTHER great recipe. :) P.S. Bought your cookbook and will be using it all the time… :)
Thank you for the awesome comment. I am so glad you love it :)
Awesome! Have you tried using the liquid instead of beef stock for the sauce recipe?
I have amanda and it is AMAZING
George, LOVED this recipe with the Beasty sauce. I served it with baked sweet potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts. We ended up eating the pork, sauce and sweet potato all in one bite. Even more amazing! My kids called this dinner “a winner”, their highest compliment. Thanks for all the great recipes, we are so glad we found your site.
Oh thats awesome, high five to the kids :)
Just made this tonight, it was excellent … even had some extra sauce left for pork chops in a few days. Thanks for this and the others on the site, going to pick up your eBook soon!
Awesome thank you so much :)
Had this for dinner last night. AMAZING! I served it with roasted brussel sprouts and baked sweet potatoes. We all ended up mxing the pork, sauce and sweet potato together in one bite. A great combo, although the pork stands on its own for sure. My kids’ greatest compliment, “its a winner” was bantied about several times.
Woohoo, I love when kids love my food. Thanks for coming to let me know :)
Never made pulled pork before – just wondering what you do with the pork skin?
does it just get chucked out after you pull the pork meat off?
If you are using a pork shoulder or butt there normally won’t be much skin on except maybe on the fat cap, and I leave that on and shred it in with the meat to eat
Just made this tonight!! Made my house smell awesome and tasted amazing!! Thank you!
Awesome, your welcome
Made your crock pot baby back ribs last week and they were delicious….so decided to try this recipe out. In the crock pot as I type this, but it is already making my house smell amazing! Thank you
Your so welcome, you will love it
Tried this today. Used a 2.81 lb Boston Butt. Cooked for 6 hours (3 hours high, 3 hours low) and it turned out perfect. Yielded about 10 sandwiches. Thanks for the recipe.
This has become a classic in my house! Thank you for sharing this recipe. Every time we having a sporting event “watch party” at our house, this is what everyone asks for. Super Bowl Sunday will be no exception. I just opened the meat to add the rub and realized the butcher gave me a boneless roast. I’m worried it won’t be as good as in times past (after all, I have a reputation to uphold!) ;) Also, can you recommend how should I adjust the cooking time? Thanks in advance!
No you are good, I am using a boneless roast on sunday as well. Just keep an eye on it but you should be fine
We are making this for the third time now…..it’s becoming a firm favourite, and has even turned our friends and family onto paleo food! Perfect to seriously satisfy a hungry mob of people! Thanks for such a great recipe.
Woohoo, great to hear Angela, I am so glad you all love it
Made this yesterday. Literally, the best pulled pork I’ve ever had in my life! Thank you!
Thank you Kimberly, it is my favorite also :)
Totally going to make this for my coworkers on what they’ve dubbed “Sandi’s Crockpot Tuesday”. I make the whole office a Paleo meal in the crockpot every week. They’re going to love it!
This is going to be their favorite, be prepared to make it many times :)
I love love love this Pulled Pork!!! I’ve made it 3 times now… My husband just gave me permission to make it once a week (I was doing it once a month!) Thank You George!!!
You are so welcome, Hope you keep on loving it :)
One word: Amazing! We love this and can’t get enough!
My husband had a great idea for some (because there are a lot) of the leftovers. A twice baked sweet potato. Cut the potato in half. Bake the sweet potato until the inside are soft about 25 minutes then scoop out the inside of the potatoes. mix it with some pulled pork then dip it back into the potato skin. bake another 5 minutes.
That sounds amazing Ellen, I may try that
Just prepped my first Pork Shoulder in a crockpot I bought, just to follow this recipe! I even made the BBQ sauce :) Looking forward to popping this badboy in tomorrow morning and pulling it off the bone later on!
Oh it is so amazing
I forgot to add that I made the sauce 2 days ago so maybe that will make up for my oversight on the spices sitting on pork for awhile before cooking. Next time-and I’m sure there will be a next time-I’ll get it totally right :)
It won’t make a huge difference. The sauce is perfect two days old
Darn, I didn’t read the recipe through until just now and was planning this for tonight. It’s in the crockpot without letting it sit with the seasoning on it for 3 hours or longer. I hope it will still be okay (how could it not – it’s still going to sit with the spices for 8 hours in the slow cooker). What would suggest serving with it? Smells amazing already!
It will be fine. And I always end up eating it alone or I make lettuce wraps like tacos with it
This is delicious!!! Just the right amount of flavor & spice. I will spend today’s snow day snacking on this all day instead of snow day brownies!!! You rock, George!!!!
This is delicious!!! Just the right amount of spice & flavor. I’ll spend this entire snow day today snacking on this instead of snow day brownies!!! You rock, George!!!! Thank you!
Your so welcome. This is my favorite recipe
Trying this tonight so I can bring lunch tomorrow…after all of these awesome reviews, I can’t wait!
Anne I think you will be pleasantly surprised :)
My mouth is watering by just looking at this picture. I am so hungry right now that I think I can consume it all by myself in one day. I need to try this tomorrow. Thanks for posting!
Go make it, its amazing
This is SO GOOD! Thanks for sharing this AWESOME recipe!!! :)
Your so welcome
I’m going to make this Saturday to take to a pot luck, but the pork that I have are two 3lb lean pork roasts – they don’t have a bone in them or a big fat layer on the top. Will these still work??
Low and slow works on almost anything. They should work but I would air on the side of caution and cook on low for 10-12 hours. They may not shred the same because of the different meat cuts but will still be delish
Incredible! It was yummy served in the ‘bowl’ of an acorn squash. My husband loved it (said it was better than his favorite restaurant’s pulled pork). Thank you!
You are so welcome, this is my favorite recipe
Made this on Sunday with a 4lb bone in pork shoulder and consumed it all solo by Wednesday. Seriously the best thing i’ve ever eaten. Had lots of extra dry rub and extra thick pork chops so used it to rub the chops, seared them on the stove, and baked them. Absolutely delicious! thanks!!
Woohoo good job on knocking that off and even better idea using it on pork chops. I will be doing that next time I have some chops. Keep up the great cooking work
Hi George,
Thanks for sharing this recipe….it is one of my new favorites to make with my crockpot.
I used to think I had to have pulled pork only on a bun or bread but I found out today that is is amazing on salad greens. Who needs dressing?
Thanks again. Love your website, you are truly inspiring to so many people!
Rosey
Rosey thank you so much for the kind words. I am so glad you love the recipe and what I do. I love hearing that I am truly making a difference so thank you.
I just wanted to let you know how much my roommates and I enjoyed this recipe. (We had been unable to find a time to eat together, but then they smelled this cooking and somehow their schedules magically opened up!) I did it with an 8 lb roast instead of the 4 lb, doubling the spice mixture– even with 8 of us eating dinner, I still have enough pork to last the rest of the month.
Haha thats awesome. I am so glad you all enjoyed it and that it is feeding you for a month. I could eat an 8lb shoulder by myself in like a day haha. You must be cheating yourself
WOW. This was amazing. AMAZING. I was almost afraid to add the sauce because it can stand alone just perfectly (I was afraid I’d eat too much in between shredding and simmering with the sauce), but it was even better with it. I have no idea how I stumbled across your site (Pinterest, maybe?) but thank goodness I did. I can’t wait to try some more of your recipes! Thank you!
Thank you so much for commenting Annie. I am so glad you loved it and Hope you stick around and make tons more.
Another great Recipe CC! Made this today in my hotel room with a 4.7# B.I.P.S., and a 1/2 batch of the BBQ sauce, because that’s all that survived the weekend of it being in the fridge! Cooked for 9 hours on low, it warmed for an hour, then drained liquid, added BBQ, cooked on low for 30 minutes, and warmed for an hour. It was perfect! Super delicious with a sweet potato!
Sick dude, this is my fav recipe. Next time shred it in the liquid and then use it as a topping
So easy and tasty. Thank you!!
I love this recipe
Update: this pork was amazing!! It is the best thing I have ever made!
I used a pork butt though and it did not taste like a pig’s ass, as far as I know.
I cooked it for about 12.5 hours and it fell into shreds when I pulled it out of the crock pot.
I will definitely make this about once a week now.
Thanks for such an awesome recipe.
You are so welcome John, this is my all time favorite recipe too so glad you share my love for it
Mine is cooking as we speak, but I had to use a pork butt because they didn’t have a shoulder and I already had my heart (and stomach) set on it, and I also purchased all the other ingredients. I hope the butt doesn’t taste like a pig’s ass…
The BBQ sauce is amazing. I usually don’t care for BBQ sauce, but this one is great. My family also tried some and loved it.
Awesome. Your pork will come out amazing too. Have faith :)
i recently broke my crock pot. do you think I could do this in a dutch oven?
You would be able to if you baked it LOW LOW LOW and slow all day yes
Thank you so much for this recipe. Made it for dinner the other night. Boyfriend and I couldn’t get enough. Then he sent me a picture from work today. Said they had pulled pork for lunch at the office but that mine was better. Will definitely be making this again.
Woohoo so glad you loved it, this is one of my favorite recipes. Hope you keep making it over and over
Hi George. I heard your interview with Abel and you inspired me to try and learn to cook. Like you said “the worst thing that can happen is it doesn’t turn out amazing”. I made the crockpot pulled pork and bbq sauce for my family last weekend and they loved it! I’m not known for my cooking so everyone was blown away. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I can’t wait to try all your recipes.
Oh thats so awesome, congratulations on the drive to cook, its amazing and you will do great. Keep up the awesome work
Finally made this yesterday! I didn’t have smoked paprika, so used a mix of regular and hot paprika, along with some chipotle powder for smokiness. I let it chill overnight in the fridge, then it hung out in the crockpot on low for 10 hours and pulled apart easily with fingers! Juicy, tender, and DAMNED tasty! I of course had to make the beasty BBQ sauce to go with it (will comment on that over on that recipe). Thanks for a GREAT recipe George!!
You are most welcome Beth. I am so glad you enjoyed my favorite recipe
Hi George! I heard you on “the fat burning man” podcast yesterday, it was cool to hear your story in your own voice as I’ve been following your blog for almost a year now. I had already planned on making your beasty BBQ sauce for some bacon burgers last night, and I heard you talking about the sauce as well as this pulled pork. I picked up a pork roast on the way home and made both :)! Both were amazing!! Thank you so much for being awesome and happy memorial day!
Awww thanks Melissa :) I am so glad you’ve been around so long, and so glad you enjoyed both dishes :)
It rocks! Thanks for another wonderful recipe! I love me some pulled pork!
So awesome to hear, keep up the great cooking
Tried this recipe for the first time the other day…. I literally am eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner – can’t get enough of it. So sodding good – it’s like a party in my mouth. What a taste sensation.
I thank you kind sir.
You are most welcome, thank you so much for stopping by to tell me, I love this recipe as well
Tried this recipe last night and *loved it*! This was my second meal cooked in my new crock pot that you and your recipes convinced me to buy! :)
Oh that makes me happy. It is the best tool you will ever own
Seriously, this is one of the best dishes I’ve ever made in my life. I don’t even like bbq sauce but that was my favorite part! I did add a little more water to the crock pot because I was worried 1/4 wouldn’t be enough to get the meat really juicy. But it was fantastic and we will definitely be adding this to our weekly rotation.
Oh thats so nice to hear, I am so glad you enjoyed. As long as you get a nice fat cap on your pork shoulder it will stay moist as it renders down and marinates itself. Hope you keep enjoying :)
pictures are down…. hmmm
I have to fix them still Edward. Thanks
This was absolutely amazing. Seriously. First time I made pulled pork, I dont think it could have been any better…. Thanks!!!
You are most welcome. Did you make the beasty BBQ sauce too?
Sure did! I had made the sauce once before to marinate baby back ribs in….which was also delicious. But this pulled pork…. wow…. my guests were raving about it all week! ;)
Oh thats awesome, makes me happy :)
This was complete pork deliciousness! I can’t have black/white pepper but substituted some red pepper flakes and it worked out great! I am going to cut this recipe in half next time though because I had way to much rub for just one pork shoulder. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes! This was the first! Mmmmmmm
SO glad you loved it Melissa, I always have this rub on hand cause I make pulled pork like crazy, sorry for the over abundance of spices
Awesome Craig, this is by far my favorite recipe ever, I make this at least once a week and eat it throughout the week lol
I've made this about 6 times and each time my family goes crazy for it! I usually use two 4-6 lbs shoulder roasts, double the rub recipe and I slow cook it for anywhere from 16-24 hours (adding water if necessary).
Awesome!!
Thats so awesome Angie, I am so glad you enjoyed :)
Frggin' amazing!! I can hardly control myself from picking off little pieces! Wish my partner would get home already!!!
Thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe!
Awesome Brandy, I made it yesterday too and will be eating it for the next week lol. Thanks for stopping by
This was my first time using my crockpot….wow how yummy!! It made more than enough for my hubby & I to have plenty to eat for dinner tonight & tons of leftovers. I was afraid it would be too spicy for me, but after pulling it apart & letting the delish bbq sauce settle in, it was perfect!
Thank you so much for stopping by JennS, I really appreciate your kind words and support. I hope everyone can enjoy my recipes and you are most welcome
I have 4 lbs of boneless pork shoulder all rubbed and sitting in my fridge waiting for tomorrow. I added some garlic powder, cinnamon and unsweetened cocoa powder to the rub mix, and it smelled awesome…..I'm sure it will taste just as good.
I'm loving your recipes, and my CrossFit and non CrossFit friends are always asking where I get my recipes and ideas (I direct them to you).
Thanks for all that you do for our country, and for our bellies!
Your welcome Melanie
Thank you for your amazing recipes! I am preparing crockpot brisket tonight for tomorrow's dinner.
More importantly, thank you for your service!
Melanie thank you so much for your support. I would love to write a book sometime but I am neither educated enough to know what I am doing or have a publisher backing or offer. Also, I am an active duty Marine so 60-80 hours of my week are spent working and just keeping the website up to date is a sleepless venture, but I just enjoy hearing peoples successes and feedback
CrossFit Northwest Tucson – the best one around! My husband and I are headed there shortly for the 9/11 Throwdown.
We have absolutely LOVED everything on your website! I don't know how you do it, they're all amazing. Please write a book! :)
Thank you for stopping by Melanie, I really appreciate the feed back. What crossfit are you at and you are most welcome, I hope they enjoy and many more recipes :)
OMG! This is AMAZING! The pork fell right off the bone. It was so delicious. After hearing me rave about this, I sent my CrossFit friends to your blog and some of them are making it for tonight's dinner! Thank you!
Yumm!! I am going to try this today!
This reminds me of Middle Eastern and Indian cooking, which rely heavily on an intricate array of spices and most recipes are made from scratch. Making sauces and such from scratch gives great flexibility in taste, texture, etc.
Jessie this is one of my favorites. Let me know how you like it please :)
This sounds delicious! Ingredients are on my shopping list and I will be making it this weekend! I love a good BBQ pork, mmm.
Oh my I hope you enjoy every minute of it. You are most welcome and feel free to get creative and make your own sauce, just get a good base and spice away :)
So I have the pulled pork in my slow cooker and a pot of Son of Grok BBQ sauce on the stove….needless to say my apartment smells pretty amazing. I just have to wait one more hour and then it's eating time!!
P.S. Thanks for posting this and the link to the BBQ sauce…I love living primal but definitely miss my sauce and dips so I'm pretty excited about this recipe….and it even tastes like BBQ sauce lol who knew?!?!