Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder made with boneless pork shoulder slow cooked in broth, dry rub, and brown sugar until tender, juicy, and shreds easily with a fork! 

A slow cooker full of shredded pork shoulder in broth and drippings, with a spoon lifting some up.

Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder is one of my husband’s favorite summertime recipes, and it’s really easy to make! I’ve put together a really quick, sweet, and savory spice rub that adds a ton of flavor. Then all you need to do is put everything in the slow cooker and forget about it until the time is up! 

This recipe is perfect for a summer dinner, because it’s really cost effective and easy to make. You can enjoy it with potatoes and carrots as a pork shoulder roast, or add your favorite barbecue sauce and put it on gluten free burger buns with coleslaw for pulled pork sandwiches. 

You can also make this even faster in the instant pot, check out my Instant Pot Pork Shoulder.

For more pork recipes, try my Marinated Pork Chops, Slow Cooker BBQ Spare Ribs, and Crispy Oven Fried Pork Chops!

Table of contents

Why You’ll Love My Crockpot Pulled Pork Recipe

Set it and Forget it: The thing I love most about slow cookers is that you can set it up, then leave it alone for hours until it’s done and you’re ready to eat. 

Leftovers: This recipe makes a decent amount of food, making this perfect for meal prep, or packing leftovers for lunch the next day. 

Quick Prep Time: This is really quick to throw together, you only need about 5 minutes until dinner is cooking! 

Ingredients You’ll Need

Individual ingredients for slow cooker pork shoulder on a table.

Boneless Skinless Pork Shoulder. This recipe will work with a pork shoulder or pork butt. If you get a bone-in cut, just discard the bones before serving. I prefer a boneless piece because they’re easier to work with. If the cut comes with skin on one side, just remove it before cooking.

Pork shoulder is taken from the shoulder of the pig, from right above the front leg. It can also be called “picnic roast”. Pork butt is higher on the leg than the pork shoulder, but technically still on the “shoulder” area of the pig. It can also be called “Boston butt”.

Either cut of pork is perfect for slow cooking or slow-roasting. If you want a leaner piece of meat, you could also use pork tenderloin or pork loin roast. But a pork shoulder or pork butt roast will yield the best results.

This recipe is written for a 3-4 pound pork shoulder.

Broth. Vegetable or chicken broth (or chicken stock) both work for this recipe. 

If you use beef broth, you will get a stronger flavor from the beef.

Pork Rub. For this recipe I used a quick dry rub of onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper. I also added some brown sugar to add a deeper sweet flavor and help balance out the savory notes in this recipe. 

You can also try my popular Dry Pork Rub, which has a sweet, spicy, and savory flavor profile that’s also great for recipes like Instant Pot Pork Ribs.

Kitchen Tools

For slow cooker pork roast, you’ll need a a 6-7 quart slow cooker. 

How to Make Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder

A small glass bowl with a whisk full of pork rub spices.

Mix all of the seasoning together until well combined.

A slow cooker with broth and a pork butt rubbed with spices before cooking.

Rub the pork with the spices, then add it to the slow cooker with the broth.

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A slow cooker with broth and a pork butt rubbed with seasoning, fully cooked, before being shredded.

Cook for 8 hours on the low setting, or until the pork shreds easily with a fork.

A slow cooker full of shredded pork shoulder in broth and drippings.

Shred with two forks. Leave some of the broth in the slow cooker to keep the meat moist, but remove excess liquid with a ladle.

Recipe Variations

  • If you have the time, try searing the meat in a large skillet before adding it to the slow cooker. It will add another layer of flavor to the meat. Just add the pork rub to the meat, add oil to the skillet over medium-high heat, and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side. Then follow the recipe as-is. 
  • If you like your pulled pork with BBQ sauce, remove the meat from the slow cooker before shredding. Discard the liquid, then mix the pulled pork with the BBQ sauce. 
  • Add some heat with a dash of cayenne pepper, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes. 
  • If you’re just making a pork shoulder roast, you can try using other seasoning blends like Italian Seasoning or Homemade Ranch Seasoning. Or try coating the meat in mustard before adding the seasoning.
  • Try serving the shredded pork in tacos with shredded cabbage and fresh lime juice. 

How to Make Pork Gravy

You can also make pork gravy with the cooking liquid. This is perfect served over mashed potatoes or rice!

  1. After removing the meat from the slow cooker, use a slotted spoon to remove any leftover big pieces from the liquid.
  2. Transfer 2 cups of the liquid to a medium saucepan on the stovetop, over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
  3. In a separate bowl, make a cornstarch slurry with 1-2 tablespoons of corn starch and a small amount of cold water. The more cornstarch you add, the thicker the sauce will be. 
  4. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the saucepan, continuing to whisk until the gravy begins to thicken.
  5. Add 1/2 teaspoon each of dried rosemary, garlic powder, thyme, and onion powder. Add kosher salt and black pepper to taste.

Shredded pork is great for rice bowls! Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and mix together with the cooking juices. Add rice to a bowl and top with a serving of pork and some of the broth, which will add a lot of flavor to the rice. Add toppings like green onion or chopped tomato.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my pork shoulder not shredding easily? 

Make sure you check the cook time per pound for the cut of meat that you have. For this recipe, it takes 8 hours on low for 3-4 pounds of pork butt or pork shoulder. If your pork is not shredding, place the lid back on the pot and let it cook for longer. Pork shoulder needs to cook low and slow to break down the fat and connective tissue in the meat.

The pork shoulder will shred easily with two forks, but it’s faster and easier to use an electric hand mixer. Set the mixer on low, and be careful of any liquid in the pot that might splash. I recommend wearing an oven mitt, just in case any hot pieces splash up. I do not recommend this if you’re using a plastic crockpot liner.

More Slow Cooker Recipes

Storage

Refrigerate leftover crock pot pork shoulder in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Freeze shredded pork for 2-3 months in an airtight container. Defrost in the refrigerator.

Cooking Tips

  • You’ll get the best results cooking pork shoulder on low heat for 8 hours. The pork is done when it pulls apart easily.
  • Pork shoulder has a lot of fat and connective tissue, which breaks down when cooked slowly on lower heat. If it’s not pulling apart, give it more time. 
  • Your cooking time will increase if you have a cut of meat that is larger than 3-4 pounds.
A slow cooker full of shredded pork shoulder in broth and drippings, topped with fresh parsley.

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A slow cooker full of shredded pork shoulder in broth and drippings, with a spoon lifting some up.

Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder

Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder made with boneless pork shoulder slow cooked in broth, dry rub, and brown sugar until it's tender, juicy, and shreds easily with a fork! 
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Author: Jacqui
Yield: 8 servings

Equipment

  • 1 6-7 quart slow cooker

Ingredients
 
 

  • 4 pound pork shoulder, (or pork butt)
  • 1 cup chicken broth, gluten free
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon granulated garlic
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the spices and brown sugar. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Add the dry rub, rubbing it evenly over the pork shoulder on both sides.
  • Place the pork shoulder into the slow cooker and pour in the broth. Place the lid on the pot and slow cook for 8 hours on low.
  • Once time is up, remove the pork from the slow cooker and place it in a large mixing bowl. Shred with two forks, then return the shredded meat to the slow cooker and stir together with broth mixture.

Notes

Click on the time in the instructions to add a timer! 
Storage
Refrigerate leftover pork in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freeze for 2-3 months in an airtight container. 
Cooking Tips
  • If you’re adding BBQ sauce to make pulled pork sandwiches, discard the cooking liquid and stir the BBQ sauce together with the pulled pork. 
  • You’ll get the best results cooking pork shoulder on low heat for 8 hours. The pork is done when it pulls apart easily.
  • Pork shoulder has a lot of fat and connective tissue, which breaks down when cooked slowly on lower heat, like in the slow cooker. If it’s not pulling apart, give it more time. 
  • Your cooking time will increase if you have a cut of meat that is larger than 3-4 pounds. 

Nutrition

Calories: 231kcal (12%)Carbohydrates: 6g (2%)Protein: 28g (56%)Fat: 10g (15%)Saturated Fat: 3g (19%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 93mg (31%)Sodium: 378mg (16%)Potassium: 520mg (15%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 429IU (9%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 31mg (3%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

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