Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork
Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork made with pork shoulder rubbed in warm spices on sliced onions and apples, topped with apple cider for the perfect sweet and savory dinner!
I love making pork shoulder recipes, because they’re really budget-friendly for the amount of food they make. It’s also perfect for meal prep for the week. I like to set up this apple cider pulled pork in the morning and let it cook low and slow all day. By the time you’re ready for dinner, the meat will be falling off the bone and shredding easily with two forks. You can enjoy this pulled pork over mashed potatoes (try making a gravy with the juices), rice bowls, or on a gluten free bun as a sandwich!
If you love this recipe, you’ll also love my Instant Pot Pork Shoulder, and my Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut!
Why You’ll Love My Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork
Easy Dinner Idea. This is a set-it-and-forget-it dinner, meaning you can throw everything into the slow cooker and come back to the most tender falling-off-the-bone pulled pork you’ve ever had!
Warm Autumn Flavors. This pork shoulder is resting on apples, rubbed with warm autumn spices and brown sugar, and topped with a cup of apple cider. It’s the best sweet and savory combination for chilly weather!
Ingredient Tips & Substitutions
Pork Shoulder. I’m using a 3-4 pound bone-in pork shoulder, but you can also use a boneless pork shoulder or pork butt. If there’s skin on the pork, I trim that and any excess fat off before cooking.
Pork shoulder is taken from from right above the front leg. It can also be called “picnic roast”. Pork butt is higher on the leg than the pork shoulder, and can also be called “Boston butt”.
Both cuts of meat are perfect for slow cooking or slow-roasting. If you want a leaner piece of pork, you could also use tenderloin or pork loin roast. But a shoulder or pork butt will yield the best pulled pork.
Apple Cider. I like the flavor of apple cider in this dish, but you could also use apple juice or broth instead.
Apples. Use granny smith apples, because they’ll hold up better to the heat in the slow cooker. They’re still going to break down a lot because of the amount of time they’re cooking for, but they won’t be completely mush.
Onion. I like Vidalia onion because it’s a little sweeter, but you can also use a white onion or yellow onion.
Olive Oil. I’m using this to help the spices stick to the pork shoulder. You can also use avocado oil or vegetable oil.
Spices. I put together a spice blend that compliments the sweetness of the apples using brown sugar, chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cinnamon, kosher salt, and black pepper.
How to Make Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork
Add the apples and onions to the bottom of the slow cooker, and place the pork on top.
Pour the olive oil and spices over the pork and use your hands to evenly rub it over the meat. Then pour the apple cider over the top.
Close the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
Use two forks to shred the meat, discarding the bone. Then mix everything in the slow cooker together. You can use a ladle to remove some of the liquid if you need to.
Serve as sandwiches, rice bowls, or over mashed potatoes!
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Pork shoulder needs time in the heat to break down its connective tissue. I recommend using the full 8 hours on low heat, or until the pork pulls apart easily with a fork.
Recipe Variations
- For an adult version, swap out the apple cider for a gluten free hard apple cider.
- Add some maple syrup for a sweet glaze that goes well with the apples.
- Give it a kick with some cayenne pepper.
- Try adding cranberries to the apples for a holiday version.
- Try rubbing the pork shoulder with dijon mustard before adding the other spices for more flavor.
- If you want to add barbecue sauce, I recommend a sweeter honey based sauce that would go with the apple cider flavor.
I use a 3-4 pound pork shoulder. Any bigger than that, and it might not fit in the slow cooker with the apples. It might also take longer to cook.
More Pork Recipes
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Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 3-4 pound pork shoulder, bone-in, trimmed
- 2 medium Vidalia onions, sliced
- 4 medium granny smith apples, cored, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add the apple and onion pieces to the bottom of the slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together the spices.
- Rest the pork over the apples, and sprinkle the spice mixture on top. Drizzle with the olive oil and use your hands to rub the seasoning into the pork.
- Pour the apple cider over everything, and close the lid of the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Once time is up, open the lid and shred the pork with two forks, discarding the bone. Mix the shredded pork together with the apples and onions and serve.
Notes
- Use a ladle to discard some of the liquid if there’s a lot in there. You should leave some to keep the meat moist, but it shouldn’t be soup.
- If your pork shoulder isn’t shredding easily, it just needs more time in the slow cooker.
Nutrition
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