This slow cooker Homemade BBQ pulled pork with a healthier Pulled Pork Sauce is the ultimate quick and easy dinner recipe! It’s so flavourful and versatile and perfect as a family-friendly meal or for serving up to a crowd. Plus, it’s freezer-friendly too! {Gluten-free & paleo}
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Homemade BBQ Slow Cooker Recipe with Paleo Pulled Pork Sauce
This healthy BBQ pulled pork recipe is one of my all-time favourite dinner recipes because it’s easy to make and the whole family loves it!
Who doesn’t love a recipe like that?
We like to make up a batch at the beginning of the week and serve it up on a bun, rice, tacos, nachos or along with a salad. The options are endless and each way that you serve it up is equally tasty.
It’s even easier if you make the homemade BBQ sauce in advance and then just dump it in the crockpot with the pork while you go off to work or carry on with your daily activities.
It’s seriously good stuff.
For more similar recipes, be sure to check out my Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs and Mexican Pulled Pork.
Why We Love This BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe
I could go on and on and on about how much I love and crave this recipe. There are just so many reasons why we like to include it as a regular part of our menu.
Makes use of the slow cooker: Don’t you just love this handy kitchen gadget? The slow cooker is such a time saver because you can basically plop the pork and homemade BBQ sauce in there and carry on with your day. Plus, the longer cooking time makes the pork extra tender AND you get to smell that amazing aroma wafting through the house all day.
Healthier option: So many of the store-bought BBQ sauces are loaded with processed ingredients and contain a ton of sugar. With this option, you make the BBQ sauce from scratch so you can control exactly what goes into it!
Easy: Although it sounds intimidating making your own sauce, it’s actually super simple to make. You basically place all of the BBQ sauce recipe ingredients in a pot and simmer for a few minutes. You also don’t need to sear the meat before placing it in the slow cooker. Simply set it in the crockpot, dump the sauce in and you’re good to go!
Family-Friendly: It can be tricky to find meals that the whole family enjoys, but pulled pork is ALWAYS a winner. And there are so many versatile ways to serve it up, it’s hard to get bored of this meal.
Delicious: Seriously mouthwatering. You really can’t go wrong with this BBQ Pulled Pork recipe.
Ingredient Notes
- Pork: Use pork shoulder or pork butt since it has a good amount of fat marbling to make the pulled pork tender and juicy.
- Onion and garlic: Adds extra flavour to the sauce. You can also sub in onion and garlic powder if you want a smoother sauce.
- Tomato sauce: Forms the base of the BBQ sauce. I generally like to use the canned tomato sauce that just has some garlic and spices added. You could also use ketchup if preferred.
- Tomato paste: Adds a richer flavour to the sauce.
- Vinegar: Adds a tanginess to the sauce. I like to use apple cider vinegar, but you can also use white wine or champagne vinegar.
- Maple syrup: Incorporates some sweetness into the sauce. Use 100% pure maple syrup or sub in honey. You can also puree some dates with water to make a date paste to limit added sugar.
- Dijon mustard: Use smooth Dijon mustard rather than grainy or sub in some mustard powder instead.
- Tamari sauce: Adds some additional flavour to the sauce. You can also sub in low sodium soy sauce, coconut aminos or Worcestershire sauce.
- Molasses: This is optional, but I find that the molasses adds a smokier flavour to the sauce.
- Spices: Chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne and cinnamon are added to create that classic BBQ sauce flavour. Add more or less depending on personal taste preference.
How to Make Healthier BBQ Sauce for Pulled Pork
- Add oil to a medium sized saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Ensure that you stir the mixture frequently and watch the garlic because it can burn pretty easily.
- Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, tamari and mustard into the pan. Stir to combine.
- Add in the seasonings and spices including the salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, ground pepper and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
- Allow the mixture to come to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for about 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Just be careful because if the heat is too high, the mixture will start to boil and splatter.
No one wants that mess all over the kitchen (or over themselves).
Expert tip: Make up a batch of this BBQ sauce in advance so all that you have to do is dump it in the crock pot with the pork!
Easiest dinner EVER.
HOW TO MAKE PULLED PORK IN THE SLOW COOKER
Place the pork shoulder in a slow cooker.
Pour the prepared BBQ sauce over top of it so that it’s completely covered.
Cook for 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. I recommend cooking low and slow wherever possible since the longer cooking time will lend to a more tender pulled pork.
Shred the pork using two forks (you may wish to transfer the pork to a separate plate) and remove any visible fat.
Add the pork back to the sauce and toss gently to combine.
Recipe Tips
- Make up a batch or double batch of this BBQ sauce in advance so all that you have to do is dump it in the crock pot with the pork! I love freezing the BBQ sauce in these Souper Cubes for convenient individual portions that you can just pop out and thaw.
- If you prefer a smoother BBQ sauce, you can blend the onions into it with an immersion blender or regular blender.
- If time allows, I recommend cooking the pork low and slow since the longer cooking time will lend to a more tender pulled pork. That being said, our goal is tender and juicy pork that can be pulled apart effortlessly, but still has the texture of meat — not mush! Cook it for just the right amount of time (8-10 hours on low is generally sufficient).
- This is totally optional, but if you want to add some extra flavour to the pork, you can brown it in the oven for a bit before adding it to the slow cooker.
Recipe FAQs
For the purpose of this recipe, we like to use a pork shoulder or pork butt since these cuts of meat contain the perfect amount of fat marbling that makes the pulled pork nice and juicy.
Generally, at the end, when I’m shredding the meat, I will pick out most of that fat, but it helps to cook the pork with it present to make it more juicy and flavourful.
Also, because pork shoulder tends to be a tougher cut of meat, it does require more time to cook before becoming tender enough that you can actually shred it, which also means MORE time to soak up all of the delicious flavours from the BBQ sauce!
However, if you’re looking for a leaner cut of meat to use, you can always sub in pork tenderloin.
The size of the pork depends on how many servings you wish to make. For this recipe, we used a 3-4 lb pork shoulder which makes about 8-10 servings. Perfect for meal prep or for serving a crowd!
Vinegar is added to help break down the meat and tenderize it allowing it to be shredded more easily. It also provides a zingy flavour to the homemade barbecue sauce which compliments the other flavours really well. Allow the pork to fully cool before storing. Store in the fridge for up to four days in an air-tight container or transfer it to the freezer.
Allow the pork to fully cool before storing. Store in the fridge for up to four days in an air-tight container or transfer it to the freezer.
Yes, in fact it’s one of my favourite freezer meals to make! I always get excited when I know that some of this pulled pork is waiting for me in the freezer.
To freeze before cooking: Place the raw pork shoulder in a large freezer bag along with the cooled homemade BBQ sauce. Store in the freezer for up to three months. When ready to cook, place in the fridge to thaw overnight. Dump into the crockpot and cook according to recipe instructions.
To freeze after cooking: Place the cooked pulled pork in a freezer-friendly container or large ziploc bag and freeze for up to three months.
To defrost: Place it in fridge overnight or up to 48 hours before ready to serve. Pop it in the microwave for a few minutes to heat it up.
You can also reheat it on the stove. Simply place the pulled pork in a small saucepan. You may wish to add a little water or broth to get the sauce all saucy again. Cover the pot and heat over low until warmed through, stirring occasionally.
The beauty of pulled pork is that there are so many different ways to serve it up! Some of our favourite ways to serve up this pulled pork are:
On a bun as a sandwich
As sliders
On nachos
With coleslaw (try this Creamy Cranberry & Walnut Coleslaw)
Over rice (or along with this Wild Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Apples)
On tacos
In a salad or with a salad
Along with mashed potatoes
On mac and cheese (try this Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese)
In chili
In enchiladas
Over regular or sweet potato fries (like a poutine)
On pizza
Feel free to get creative!
Looking for other delicious recipes?
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Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe with Homemade BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups tomato sauce in the can
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon tamari sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon molasses (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3-4 pounds pork shoulder
Instructions
- Add oil to a medium sized saucepan set over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Make sure to stir the mixture frequently and watch the garlic because it can burn easily.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, tamari, mustard and molasses (if using) into the pan. Stir to combine.
- Add in seasonings and spices including the salt, pepper, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
- Allow mixture to come to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for about 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Just be careful because if the heat is too high, the mixture will start to boil and splatter.
- Place pork shoulder in a slow cooker. Pour sauce over top. Cook for 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.
- Shred the pork using two forks (you may wish to transfer the pork to a separate plate) and remove any visible fat. Add the pork back to the sauce and toss to combine. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Store pulled pork in the fridge for up to four days or in the freezer for up to three months.
- I highly recommend making up a double or triple batch of this BBQ sauce and freezing the leftovers. That way, you can simply thaw it out and dump it into the crockpot with the pork for a quick and easy meal throughout the week! I love using these Souper Cubes to freeze extra sauce. They make meal prepping so easy!
- If you prefer a smoother BBQ sauce, you can blend the onions into it with an immersion blender or regular blender.
- If time allows, I recommend cooking the pork low and slow since the longer cooking time will result in a more tender pulled pork. That being said, our goal is tender and juicy pork that can be pulled apart effortlessly, but still has the texture of meat — not mush! Cook it for just the right amount of time (8-10 hours on low is generally sufficient).
- This is totally optional, but if you want to add some extra flavour to the pork, you can brown it in the oven for a bit before adding it to the slow cooker.
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links which means that I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only promote products that I love and feel will benefit my readers :)
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