Slow-Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
Spice-rubbed pork shoulder cooked until it falls apart, then tossed with a sauce built from its own reduced juices.
Why it works: A sweet-smoky rub plus the defatted cooking juices reduced into the sauce gives deep pork flavor instead of watery, bottled-sauce pork.
Fine-tuned settings
Starting point from our kitchen. Check your manual. Cook to the safe temp.
Settings source: Times from Ninja MC2000-series slow-cook chart; USDA 145°F; Serious Eats 195–200°F for shredding
Sources: Ninja PossibleCooker PRO Plus Quick Start Guide · USDA FSIS Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart · USDA FSIS Slow Cookers and Food Safety · Serious Eats: Perfect Pulled Pork
The 'Any air fryer'/'Any slow cooker' fallback is general guidance, not from a chart.
Ingredients
- 2.667 lb boneless pork shoulder (butt)
- 1⅓ tbsp smoked paprika
- 1⅓ tbsp brown sugar
- ⅔ tbsp chili powder
- 1⅓ tsp ground cumin
- ⅔ tbsp kosher salt (half if table salt)
- 1⅓ tsp black pepper
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup cider vinegar, divided
- ⅔ cup BBQ sauce
Steps
- Thawed pork only. Cut into 3 or 4 big chunks and coat with the mixed rub (overnight in the fridge is even better).
- Onion in the pot, pork on top; pour in the broth and ½ cup vinegar. Lid on, then cook as shown in your settings.
- When it shreds easily (about 195–200°F), lift it out and shred, discarding fat.
- Skim the fat off the juices. On Sear/Sauté, boil the juices down to about 1 cup, then stir in the BBQ sauce and the remaining vinegar.
- Toss the pork with enough sauce to coat; pass the rest. Great on toasted buns with slaw.
Safe temperature
145°F. Safe at 145°F, but it only shreds at about 195–200°F.