Why this recipe works
The covered braise. Pulled pork won’t dry out enough to need a pre-sear crust, and the rub still caramelizes against the meat where it touches the bottom. The liquid in the pot (we use apple juice, broth also works) tenderizes and breaks down the meat as it cooks, then becomes the sauce we mix back into the shredded pork.
What our readers are saying
Delicious, tender, and full of flavor! I made this tonight for dinner with my dad and husband. Both of them could not stop raving! Best part was how easy it was to make. Do yourself a favor and try this one.
Sarah
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Related ->> Marinated Instant Pot Mojo Pulled Pork
How to make dutch oven pulled pork (step-by-step)
Kitchen notes
- The sear is not necessary: many recipes will tell you to sear the pork first but trust me, I have personally tested both ways and the end result comes out tasting the same.
- Use all the seasoning: the eight-ingredient rub looks like a lot, but it mixes into the juices and coats the pulled pork once shredded.
- Apple juice is the default: broth, beer, or half a can of soda all work. Broth gives a savory note, the others are sweeter.
- Watch the timing on bigger roasts: if scaling the recipe for a pork shoulder over six pounds, drop the cook time to one hour per pound.
- Cut the salt in half if you’re salt-sensitive: if you’re sensitive to salt, you can always salt at the end too.
- Reheat in a covered skillet on medium-low: the stove redistributes the juices into the meat as it warms. Microwave works in a pinch.
What to serve it with
Our favorite thing about this recipe is how versatile it is. You can make a big batch on the weekend and eat it all week and never get tired of it. Some suggestions:
- Pulled pork tacos
- Stuffed in a baked potato or sweet potato
- Pulled pork sandwiches with BBQ sauce
- With some fresh chopped veggies for a quick stir-fry
- Use it to make some leftover pulled pork hash for breakfast
- Make it a bowl or salad with some greens, avocado, and pan fried plantains
- It pairs perfectly with this rich and creamy coleslaw
- With some greens and topped with a dollop of chipotle aioli
Get the Recipe:
Slow Roasted Dutch Oven Pulled Pork (No Sear, 5-Min Prep)
Skip the sear, it's not necessary. The pork shoulder goes from dry rub to pot to dinner with five minutes of hands-on prep, then five hours at 300°F for a four-pound shoulder. Apple juice at the bottom keeps the dry rub from scorching and builds a sauce to coat the shredded meat.
Ingredients
- 4 lb boneless pork shoulder, (aka boston butt)
- 3 tbsp yellow mustard, (wet mustard)
- 1.5 cups apple juice, (can sub broth or any other liquid like beer or soda)
For the pulled pork seasoning:
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar, (can sub coconut or regular sugar)
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to accommodate your dutch oven if necessary. Preheat oven to 300° Fahrenheit.
- Make the pulled pork seasoning by combining all of the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and mixing.1 tbsp sea salt, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp brown sugar
- Remove the pork shoulder from any packaging. Slather the pork all over with the yellow mustard.4 lb boneless pork shoulder, 3 tbsp yellow mustard
- Next, season the pork all over with the seasoning mixture. You should get a good amount of seasoning all over every part of the pork shoulder surface. It may seem like a lot, but the seasoning will mix up with all the shredded pork in the end.
- Pour the apple juice in the dutch oven around the pork. Place the lid on the dutch oven.1.5 cups apple juice
- Transfer to the oven and cook for 5 hours (1.25 hours per pound of pork you're cooking). The pork should be very tender and easily shred with a fork.
- Once the pork is done, carefully remove it from the oven and shred it with 2 forks. Mix the pork with the juices left over in the dutch oven. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition estimates are per serving and an estimate provided for reader benefit. See our full nutrition information disclosure here.
Calories: 320kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 52g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Fiber: 1g
Did you make this recipe?Tag @realsimplegood with hashtag #realsimplegood on Instagram. We love to see what you make!
What temperature please
300 F as noted in the recipe.
Hi! I’ve made this multiple times and it’s always a hit!! So yummy! Any recommendations for using a crockpot instead? I’m unsure how the cook time would translate (I have a 7lbs of pork shoulder)
I always recommend about 10 hours for a pork shoulder on low – https://realsimplegood.com/crock-pot-pulled-pork/
When I pulled it out of the oven, I was nervous it was going to be dry, then I started to shred it and knew that wasn’t the case. So tender and juicy!
Happy to hear that, glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Great recipe! Very flavorful and easy to follow. The ratio of cooking time by pounds was helpful, but I would tweak this even more=1 pound per hour, to prevent overcooking….which happened to me with a 9lb roast. Doubled recipe ingredients basically and used the equation of 1.25 hrs per pound,it was too long. I was able to rehydrate pork with apple cider vinegar. The coating from the mustard coating is tasty-nice brown crust. The rub has a kick, but not too spicy!
Also would place roast fat side up in dutch oven and fat side down for slow cooker.
Thanks for the feedback, we appreciate it. The larger the roast, you’re probably right that the cooking time might be better at 1hr per pound. With a roast between 4-6 lbs, 1.25 hours per pound is good.
Made this recipe today – super simple and convenient! Delicious and mixes with all the liquid and spice ingredients. Might cut back on the sea salt by 1/8 to 1/4 if you want just a bit less saltiness. You can always add some afterward if you like more salt. Otherwise – this will become a favorite!
this recipe is a keeper, so easy to make and so good! I will make this again soon after I finish our leftovers. Thank you for sharing this with us.
You’re very welcome, glad you’ll be making it again!
Do you see any negatives to using bourbon/whiskey as the liquid? I plan to make it later this week.
Thanks for the recipe!
I’m not sure how it would effect the overall flavor, but you’re welcome to try it out and report back! The recipe should still work fine.
Easy to make and excellent flavor. I had a thinner blade roast, so I appreciated the suggestions for cooking time based on weight. I subbed paprika for chili powder and rubbed a little salt onto the pork before the mustard. However, I otherwise followed the recipe and it was a big hit for the whole family! My husband asked me what kind of sauce I put on the meat because he thought I added a bbq sauce after. I did not 🙂
Sounds perfect! Glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
This was absolutely amazing. Juicy and seasoned, made excellent BBQ.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for the review!
Delicious, tender, and full of flavor! I made this tonight for dinner with my dad and husband. Both of them could not stop raving! Best part was how easy it was to make. Do yourself a favor and try this one.
Thanks for the amazing review Sarah, glad you all enjoyed this one!