This easy slow cooker pulled pork is a healthy pulled pork recipe made with simple seasonings. This easy recipe is a staple in our house because pulled pork is perfect for batch cooking and meal prep. Only five minutes of prep for an easy Paleo, Whole30 + Keto pulled pork recipe!
Simple Seasonings
Slow cooker pulled pork is so easy because a pork shoulder or boston butt doesn’t need much help to give you tons of rich and hearty flavor. For this recipe, you’ll just use a simple rub with basic seasonings. Remember, sometimes simple is better! You don’t need a bunch of ingredients for an easy and delicious slow cooker pulled pork.
A big batch for meal prep
We have found that a four pound pork shoulder or boston butt is a good size for this recipe. This size fits perfectly in most standard size slow cookers and makes a large batch to feed a crowd or meal prep with. We love using this easy recipe for meal prep because you can pair it with just about anything. It keeps well in the fridge and can be frozen too.
How to make this easy slow cooker pulled pork recipe
What’s great about this recipe is how easy it is to make! Just start with a pork shoulder (or boston butt), add a simple rub and throw it in the slow cooker with a little chicken broth to cook on low. Cook it “slow and low” as they say for about eight hours and you’ll have a batch of fall off the bone pork that will shred easily with a couple of forks.
You don’t need to sear the pork first
A lot of people ask if you need to sear the pork to brown it before it goes in the slow cooker. You can do this, but that’s entirely optional. The pork will cook just fine in the slow cooker without searing. Save yourself an extra step and just throw it in the slow cooker and walk away!
Some other easy slow cooker recipes
- Mexican Shredded Beef
- BBQ Pulled Chicken
- Mojo Pork
- Slow Cooker BBQ Beef
- Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
- Beef Barbacoa
Your turn to try this easy slow cooker pulled pork recipe
If you need a big batch of pulled pork to feed a crowd or are looking for an easy and healthy recipe for meal prep, give this a try! It’s healthy comfort food that your whole family will love. Leave a comment below and let us know how it goes. Also, take a pic to share on Instagram, and tag us @realsimplegood. Make sure to give us a follow if you don’t already. We’d love to stay connected!
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Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork (Paleo, Whole30 + Keto)
Ingredients
- 4 lb pork shoulder, (or boston butt)
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Pepper
- 1 tbsp Garlic powder
- 1 tbsp Onion powder
- 1 tbsp Chili powder
- 1 tbsp Smoked paprika
- 1 cup Chicken broth
Instructions
- Place all of the seasonings in a small bowl and mix well to make the spice rub.
- Massage the spice rub all over the meat. You may have some left over if you have a smaller cut of meat.
- If you have the time, wrap and refrigerate the meat for 3 hours or as long as 24 to let the rub set in. If you are planning ahead, I recommend letting the rub set in. If you don’t have the time, just season the pork and start cooking.
- Place the pork into the slow cooker and pour the chicken broth in.
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
- Remove the pork from the crock pot and place it on a cutting board.
- Shred with two forks or tongs and serve. You can spoon some of the juices from the slow cooker on to the pork for serving.
Notes
This seemed like a bit too much salt for me, so I used only a teaspoon. I also reduced the pepper to a teaspoon, but everything else I kept as is. I also added fresh pressed garlic (you can’t have too much garlic) used a can of chicken noodle soup broth instead of plain chicken broth, just because, and for the salt I did use, I used a hickory smoked sea salt. I set the rubbed roast on one sweet onion that I had sliced into sixths with the skin on. The skin adds a rich taste to the broth, but it’s tough, so once everything is cooked down, and you take the roast out to pull it, you simply remove the skins and leave the inner flesh in the pot with meat.
I added about 1/2 tablespoon of monk fruit sweetener and sliced the pork into 1.5 inch steaks. Cooked it in the pressure cooker on high for 1 hour. The family loved it. Such a simple recipe with great results. This one is a keeper. Thank you!
Sounds great! Glad you made it work for your taste and in the IP 🙂
This recipe was my first go at pulled pork and tonight was our second time making it. LOVE it!! It turned out juicy, flavorful and was wicked easy to make. I love that you don’t require braising the outside…didn’t need it after all. Thanks for a great recipe! We’ll definitely keep it in the rotation.
Love hearing that you enjoyed this one Mindy! It’s such an easy recipe and glad you’ll keep it in the rotation. Thanks for coming back to leave a rating and review, we appreciate it 🙂
This is one of the best pulled pork recipes I’ve found! It turned out AMAZING! I added a little liquid smoke and put it on some keto Hawaiian bread with Colby cheese and sugar free bbq sauce….SO GOOD!
Sounds amazing, so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a review. We appreciate your support 🙂
Hello I tasted the marinade and it seems waaay too salty and really too spicy. Should I start over or trust that the meat will even things out? Eeeek
Maybe my spices are more potent? Did anyone else have this experience?
We’ve never experienced this. Your chili powder might be spicer than others and check your other seasonings for added salt. The blend will be salty, but is eventually spread out and mixed in with 4 lbs of meat and juices so it evens out. Hopefully this helps.
Thanks so much I think you are right the broth was salty and the chili I have is too spicy. So my fault but nonetheless everyone loved this any it was instantly gone!
I love this recipe and have made it several times. Today I forgot to add the broth and it was still perfect. Yum!!
Glad to hear that Amy, thanks for coming back to leave a review!
SO GOOD. This was my first time ever cooking with pork butt, and I will absolutely be making it again! The recipe is so stinking easy and is so flavorful. 10/10!
Hooray! We are so happy to hear it was a hit! Thanks for giving it a try and for coming back to share how it went! 🙂
I’ve made this several times, I love the simplicity of it and it always turns out amazing. I literally just made the rub and got the meat sitting in the fridge in 5 minutes…ready to throw in the crock pot in the morning! Thank you for this awesome recipe!
You’re very welcome Rachel, this is a staple easy recipe you can make over and over 🙂
Never thought pork butt could be addictive, but this definitely is! Thanks for sharing your this easy, delicious recipe!
You’re very welcome, thanks for coming back to leave a rating and review 🙂
Hi how would you do this in the oven? ALAO im Australia so temp in Celsius would be great thanks.
You can roast the pork in the oven for about 6-7 hours at 150° Celsius. It should be fall apart tender and easily shreddable. Enjoy!
I made for dinner this week in my slow cooker, so easy and so delicious! It’s a great weeknight option when you don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. The pork was so juicy and falling apart. I made it into tacos paired with a whole 30 slaw and clean bbq drizzle and then for leftovers I made a bowl version without a tortilla. Great recipe, thank you for sharing!
We are so happy you enjoyed, Jenny! Thanks so much for sharing on IG and for taking the time to come back to our site to leave your rating and review. We’re so grateful for your support! 🙂
This is hands down the BEST pulled pork recipe I’ve tried. Everyone was fighting for seconds and making MMMM noises while eating it! And I love the fact that it’s sugar free. It’s so good I don’t miss the heavy sauce!
What an amazing review, thank you!
This was so easy, and delicious! I served it over cauliflower rice with grilled pineapple, roasted red pepper, and avocado. Next time I’ll remember the cilantro…
100% delicious! We are keeping this great recipe in our regular rotation! Great flavor in the juices.
Would I ruin it if I cook it on high for half the amount of time in the slow cooker?
That should still work, but I prefer cooking it the longer time on low to break down and tenderize the pork.
It’s awesome 1st time cooking this cut of meat, but I put in the oven for 3 hours on 350. My husband loves it. The best part is I don’t feel like I’m cheating when counting my calories at 450 per meal. Thanks
This was so good!! Moist and flavourful. Spooning the jus on at the end was delectable!!
Smells delicious. We can’t wait to eat it for dinner tonight. Can’t decide what veggies to serve – spaghetti squash, broccoli, salad or potatoes – which would you recommend ?
Honestly, it would go well with any of those choices. A salad and potatoes sounds pretty great though for a traditional meal 🙂
Delicious! Won’t do pulled pork any other way again!
Thanks Kimberly, this is a staple recipe for us also!
Excellent. My husband loved it.
This looks so delicious, I prepped it this morning and have it in the slow cooker for tonight. Was wondering what the serving size for this was based on the nutrition you provided?
Every batch will yield a little differently, but if you portion the pork out into 8 equal amounts that’s the approximate serving size. Hope you enjoy it!
I totally over read the part about adding the chicken broth after the seasoning and instead mixed it with the seasonings and spread it on like a paste. Think I ruined this?
It should be fine still. Just add a little broth in with the pork and call it good.
So simple, yet soooo good. I used a bone-in pork shoulder roast.
Hello! Really easy recipe! I served with cauliflower rice. Also added a little jalapeño for some spice. Could you please let me know what the serving size is? Thank you!
We didn’t measure the exact serving size but if you divide the pork into approx 8 portions that’s what we estimated. Sorry that’s not a perfect answer I know. Thanks for trying our recipe, glad you enjoyed it.
Easy and the family loved it!
Wow, was surprised at how dang good this was!! So many uses for this pork, I had mine tonight over some cabbage slaw and plan on having some of the leftovers in a Siete taco shell. Yum!!
Glad you liked this easy recipe Michelle!
I have a 2lb pork. Would we still cook it for the same amount of time or should we cook it for less? Cut the ingredients in half or leave as is?
You can cut the seasoning amounts about in half but you’ll still want to cook it about 8 hours in the slow cooker.
I did a 2.5 lb but forgot to cut seasonings in half…..hope it’s not ruined!
It might be slightly salty but honestly should be fine.
Like every recipe I’ve tried here- easy and delicious!
Happy to hear that Debrah, thank you!
Was very good, husband raved on its flavor and tenderness and easy recipe was very simple!
what portion is considered 1 serving?
A portion is about a cup to 1.5 cups. We didn’t measure portions exactly, but if you divide the pulled pork into 8 servings that’s approximately it.
Can leftovers be frozen?
Yes! This one freezes well! We recommend freezing it in the extra juices.
Made this for dinner last night. Son came home from school and had to text me “the meat smells amazing!” Husband came home from working OT and devoured a plate. It is a great, simple, keto-friendly, family-friendly meal!
So glad everyone liked the recipe Kim! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment :).
Of course! It was so good I am making it for brunch at my house this weekend. 🙂
Have you done this in the instant pot?
At the time we wrote this recipe we hadn’t, but you can follow the instructions for the recipe linked below for cooking times/method.
https://realsimplegood.com/instant-pot-carnitas/
This is amazing and didn’t need any sauce at all, the flavor is perfect. So easy to make, I didn’t marinate mine, but it was perfect anyway! We will definitely be saving this recipe.
Glad you enjoyed this simple recipe! Thanks for the kind review :).
I am new to having a croc pot and not good at adding to recipes. I want to cook the pulled pork with at least one side (to make my life easier). For example if I wanted to make this with those tiny potatoes could I just throw them in or do I have to do anything to them? Do you have any other suggestions? Thanks!
If you cook the potatoes in the slow cooker for 8 hours they will get mushy. Adding the potatoes in halfway through is a good option. Or, simply roast some potatoes in the oven with some seasonings.
I love, love, love this recipe! The only changes I made were searing the meat both sides before going into the crock pot, and the addition of a few Bay leaves in the chicken broth. This literally fell off the bone when I took it out of the crock pot!
So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe Janine :).
How long would it take on high for 3 to 5 lbs of meat, I need high mode as I dont have time for the low mode before my guests arrive.
High mode usually takes about half the time as low mode. So, 4-5 hours for a cut of meat your size. Enjoy!
This is one of our favorite recipes. We use it for tacos, meal prep for lunch during the week or just a quick dinner. I usually cook two pork roasts and freeze some for later. Thanks for the great recipes.
We are very happy to hear that Kellie :). This is one of our favorites too. Thanks for coming back to share your review.
Mine is 9 lbs should I double the amount of seasoning?
It might not take quite double the seasoning, maybe 1.5 times the recipe.
What do you serve this with so is low carb?
We like to serve it with cauliflower rice and some greens. You could also make a slaw to serve it with or choose low starch veggies to roast. Good options would be mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, cauliflower, etc. Hope that helps!
Delicious! We really enjoyed the flavors and how little effort is required 🙂
Glad you enjoyed is Lacy!
If my pork shoulder roast is only 3 lbs, how long should I cook it for in the slow cooker? Thank you!
You can stick with roughly the same amount of time cooking on low. Let us know how it goes! 🙂
my crockpot recently broke, how could I make this in my oven?
We haven’t done this in the oven, but here is a recipe where you could use our rub and the cooking instructions here:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/oven-roasted-pulled-pork-sandwiches-recipe-1941398
Also, it sounds like it’s time to get a new crockpot!
I have an 8# roast how long should that cook?
If you can fit that large of a roast in your slow cooker I’d recommend cooking it for 12 hours on low.
Would you double the spices for an eight pound pork?
You may not need to quite double them, try 1.5 times the spice to scale.
Can you use this recipe with boneless pork shoulder? Just cook it for less time?
A boneless pork should work just as well! We’d even still cook on low for 8 hours. Hope you give it a try! Let us know what you think. 🙂
I’m making this today with smashed plantains! I see pickles in your picture do you have a good recipe for them?
Hi Kasia – We are spoiled because my Mom makes the best pickles and she always gives us some. Those are what are in the picture. I’ve made her recipe but I don’t have it written down anywhere. But here’s a link to an easy refrigerator pickle recipe.
https://smittenkitchen.com/2014/07/easiest-fridge-dill-pickles/
I’ve made these before and they are easy because you don’t have to seal the jar or anything. I added garlic to the recipe too and they turned out great.
Let us know how the sliders turn out!
Justin