Making Pulled Pork With Homemade BBQ Sauce in a Crock Pot is a delicious way to use a pork roast. The roast is drenched in homemade BBQ sauce and slow-cooked all day in the Crock Pot. The sauce is rich, sassy, flavorful, and perfect for sandwiches, nachos, or rice bowls.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- All Day Slow Cooker Recipe - Perfect for the workday!
- Only Nine Ingredients
- Low FODMAP, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
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Featured Ingredients
- Pork Shoulder Roast - Pork roasts have many names: pork butt, Boston butt, Boston shoulder, Boston butt roast, or shoulder roast.
- Tomato Puree - Canned tomato-based sauce in its simplest form, with one ingredient - tomatoes. Build the homemade BBQ sauce from the ground up.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - The perfect vinegar for a BBQ sauce.
- Brown Sugar - Light or dark brown sugar will work.
- Worcestershire Sauce - Brings a great umami flavor.
- Liquid Smoke - It is the perfect shortcut for a smoky flavor without the grill.
- Ancho Chili Powder - Brings a great earthy, fruity flavor to the BBQ sauce.
- Smoked Paprika - Adds some smokey spice flavor notes.
- Salt and Pepper - Kosher salt and black ground pepper.
See the recipe card for the exact measurements and complete instructions. Selected ingredients are based on guidance on current serving sizes measured by the Monash University Food App and FODMAP Friendly App at the time of publishing. As always, follow your gut and modify as needed.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Add all the BBQ sauce ingredients to a 6-Quart Crock Pot liner or whatever brand of slow cooker you have. Stir until all BBQ ingredients are combined.
Nestle the pork roast to the sauce. Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or until a meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 195 degrees F. This high internal temperature is needed to break down connective tissues in the pork roast.
Using two large forks, remove the roast from the crock pot and place it on a cutting board. Allow the roast to rest for 30-45 minutes.
Shred the pork with two forks and discard any fatty pieces. Place the shredded meat back into the sauce. Serve the pulled pork on a baked potato, gluten free bun, with french fries or tater tots.
Tips and Tricks
Meal prep this recipe in advance by placing all the ingredients in a freezer-friendly zip-top bag. Defrost 12-24 hours before cooking.
Ingredient Swaps
- Vinegar - If you do not have apple cider vinegar, swap it for white vinegar or red wine vinegar.
- Chili Powder - If you do not have ancho chili powder, you can swap it for chili powder. However, most chili powders contain garlic. Double-check your ingredients if you cannot tolerate fructans.
How To Serve Pulled Pork
Classic Option: Serve on a hamburger bun or a slider bun!
Gluten Free Option: Serve it on a gluten free bun. Or shake it up with a baked potato or baked sweet potato!
Pizza Options: Use it as a pizza topping with extra BBQ sauce, fresh pineapple, and Monterey jack cheese.
Rice Bowls: It is also great in a BBQ pork rice bowl with cilantro lime rice.
Nachos: Make BBQ pulled pork nachos with pickled jalapenos.
Storage and Reheating
Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Leftovers will last up to four days.
Reheat: On a microwave-safe dish, heat an individual serving size in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until warm.
Freeze: Pulled pork freezes very well and lasts up to four months in a freezer-friendly container. Freeze the leftover BBQ sauce and the pulled pork. This will help keep the pulled pork from drying out.
Low FODMAP Notes
Low FODMAP information is based on the Monash University Food App andFODMAP Friendly App testing results. I highly recommend using these apps for guidance on ingredients and serving sizes and working with a Low FODMAP dietician. As always, modify and adjust based on your own tolerance and individual needs on a modified low FODMAP diet.
- Tomato Puree: Nothing but tomatoes are listed in the ingredients. Tested safe at two tablespoons per meal.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Tested safe at two tablespoons per meal.
- Brown Sugar: Safe at ¼ cup per meal.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This one is a tricky ingredient. The ingredients list includes onion and garlic, but if used in small amounts, it packs a flavorful punch. It has also been tested safe at two tablespoons per meal. If even small amounts of garlic and onion bother you, omit it. A great alternative option would be a gluten free soy sauce, like the La Choy brand.
- Liquid Smoke: This has not been tested, but the ingredients are water and smoke. I have personally tolerated it well.
- Ancho Chili Powder: Safe at one teaspoon per meal.
- Smoked Paprika: Safe at one teaspoon per meal.
For additional information on a low FODMAP diet, please visit Monash University or FODMAP Friendly. Both have websites and apps for additional guidance and testing results.
FAQs
Yes! This is a great trick to getting dinner on the table, prepping the night before. Add the ingredients to the crock pot and keep it in the refrigerator. In the morning, remove the crock pot liner from the refrigerator and let it sit out for a bit, to take the chill off. Before you walk out the door, place the crock pot liner in the base and turn it on low.
The rule of thumb is generally ⅓ of a pound for an adult and ¼ of a pound for a child. However, if you are only serving pulled pork sandwiches, that will skew your numbers. If you are serving adequate sides to go with the pull pork sandwich, then ⅓ of a pound is a great guideline. Please note this is the weight before slow cooking the whole pork shoulder. Cooked pork will lose half of its original weight. Base your measurement on the precooked pork shoulder.
Yes! Just omit all the BBQ sauce ingredients in the pulled pork recipe, pour the leftover BBQ sauce over the pork roast, and cook as directed. Add some chicken broth or water if you need to thin out the BBQ sauce.
To thicken the BBQ sauce, put the leftover sauce in a saucepan on the stove top. Cook it over low heat and stir the reserved sauce on a low simmer until it reaches your desired thickness. Allow the BBQ sauce to cool and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use the leftover sauce on any leftover shredded pork.
Meal Planning
Slow cooker meals are not only for soups and stews! Make this delicious pulled pork a great alternative to heating the kitchen in the summer. Serve the pulled pork with coleslaw. The crunchy cabbage and the tangy dressing go great with the rich BBQ pork. Other options include pasta salad or potato salad. Have leftover BBQ pulled pork? Make BBQ pulled pork rice bowls. It is the perfect way to repurpose BBQ pulled pork.
Additional Pork Recipes
Recipe
Pulled Pork with Homemade BBQ Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds pork roast
- 29 oz. tomato puree canned
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a 6-Quart crock pot, spray cooking spray to grease it. Add all the BBQ sauce ingredients. Stir until all BBQ ingredients are combined.
- If the pork roast is fatty, trim off any excess fat. Add the pork roast to the crock pot and cover. Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 195 degrees F. This is important because it needs to reach that temperature to break down connective tissues.
- Remove the cooked pork roast from the crock pot and place it on a cutting board. Allow the meat to rest before shredding. Use two forks to shred the meat. Place the shredded meat back into the sauce.
- Serve on top of a baked potato, gluten-free hamburger bun, or french fries.
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