Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork Recipe

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This fork-tender slow cooker pulled pork recipe contains a secret ingredient—root beer! Add BBQ sauce and smoky spices, let it cook long and slow, and you’ll be rewarded with soft and flavorful pork every time.

What Makes This Pulled Pork Recipe Stand Out?

Here’s a tip for making the best pulled pork: Use root beer! Yes! Adding a bit of sweet, herbal root beer to the slow cooker infuses the meat with flavor and moisture, and it plays wonderfully off of the slight natural sweetness of the pork. Like my Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork recipe, you’ll also add bbq sauce here (try my Honey BBQ Sauce Recipe or Bourbon BBQ Sauce Recipe!) for extra flavor. There’s nothing fancy about this recipe, but it is oh-so-easy and oh-so-good. The root beer helps the pork cook up meltingly tender, and it’s great added to sandwiches, rice bowls, and more. So why is it a go-to recipe for me? It’s:

• So easy. Let the slow cooker do most of the work so you can bake a batch of Gluten Free Cornbread Muffins to serve alongside.
• Not your basic pulled pork. As mentioned, the root beer makes this recipe stand apart from the rest!
• Made from simple ingredients. A scan of the ingredients list shows you don’t need much more than a handful of basics and spices to pull this together.
• Versatile. Use pulled pork in burritos, in quick sandwiches, tacos, and more!

Ingredients You’ll Need

See what you’ll need to make slow cooker pork below, and make sure to check the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.

• Pork Shoulder: Since you’ll be cutting it away from the bone, you can use a bone-in or boneless pork shoulder, depending on what’s most available to you. Pork cuts away from the bone quite easily, and since you are cutting it into large chunks for cooking and then shredding it for serving, you don’t have to be too fussy about it.
• Seasonings: Kosher salt, onion powder, smoked paprika (regular paprika is fine), garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, and ground black pepper.
• BBQ Sauce: Use your favorite barbecue sauce, gluten-free if needed, or try my
• Root Beer: You can use any brand of root beer. You’ll need one 12 oz. bottle or 1 ½ cups.
• Parsley: As an optional garnish, or use cilantro.

How to Make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

This slow cooker pulled recipe is so easy to make and I’ll show you how below! Don’t forget to check the recipe card for the detailed instructions.

Trim any excess fat from the pork shoulder. If yours is bone-in, cut the meat away from the bone. Cut the pork into 4 or 5 large chunks and place it in the slow cooker.

In a small bowl, stir together the kosher salt, onion powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, and black pepper.

Sprinkle it over the pork, then drizzle with ½ cup of the BBQ sauce over the chicken. Pour the root beer around the sides of the pork so that you don’t wash all of the seasoning off the top.

Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours or until the pork is cooked through and falls apart easily.

Transfer the pork to a cutting board or bowl. Drain the liquid from the slow cooker, reserving about 1 cup of the juices if needed to add additional moisture to the meat.

Use two forks to shred the meat, then return it to the slow cooker along with the additional ½ cup BBQ sauce and as much of the reserved juices as you like. Stir to combine.

Garnish with parsley if you like, and serve on rolls or salads, in tacos or wraps or however you like it, with additional sauce and coleslaw, if desired.

Tips and Variation Ideas

• Adjust the amount of liquid. While having a good amount of liquid is helpful for cooking the meat until it’s nice and tender, I find that after shredding the meat, if you keep all of the liquid, it can break down too much and get an undesirable and mealy texture. This is why I drain it out and just set aside some to return to the slow cooker to make it moist. Add as much or as little as you like.
• Type of meat: Choose a shoulder or butt cut of meat which has a higher fat content, resulting in a super tender texture. If you need to choose a leaner cut of pork, the root beer will still help to tenderize it though it might not be quite as tender.
• A little broil. For a little extra crisp flavor, place the shredded pork under the broiler for 8-10 minutes.
• Can I use diet root beer? Technically, you can use diet if you prefer, though it may affect the flavor a bit.
• Try Coke. For a similar yet slightly different effect, you can use Coke in place of the root beer.

Make It a Meal

• Sandwiches. Add pulled pork to Gluten Free Hawaiian Rolls or place it between slices of Gluten-Free Bread along with slices of your favorite cheese.
• Cornbread. I love a homey, rustic batch of Gluten-Free Cornbread or Gluten Free Apple Butter Cornbread with pulled pork.
• Tacos! Fold pork into homemade Corn Tortillas and make simple tacos. Don’t forget diced avocado and sour cream to finish.
• Burritos. Stuff Gluten Free Tortillas with pork and Cilantro Lime Rice or Instant Pot Spanish Rice.
• Sides. Scoop up pork with Air Fryer Tortilla Chips and serve it with Easy Guacamole and Pico De Gallo for an easy lunch.

How to Store and Reheat Extras

• Fridge – Place cooled, leftover pork in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freezer –  Keep pulled pork in an airtight freezer safe container or freezer-safe sealable bag with the air squeezed out to prevent freezer burn. Store it in the freezer for up to 2 months, and make sure to thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• To Reheat – Warm the pulled pork in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring, until heated through. Or, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 1-minute increments until warmed.

More Pork Dinner Ideas

• Apple Pork Chops
• Garlic Butter Pork Chops
• BBQ Pulled Pork Fries

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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe

All you need for this easy slow cooker pulled pork recipe is root beer, your favorite barbecue sauce, and a slow cooker.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 8 hours hrs

Total: 8 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

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Ingredients

• 4-5 lbs boneless or bone-in pork shoulder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup BBQ sauce , divided
• 12 oz. root beer
• minced fresh parsley or cilantro , optional

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Instructions

• Trim any excess fat from the 4-5 lbs boneless or bone-in pork shoulder. If yours is bone-in, cut the meat away from the bone. Cut the pork into 4 or 5 large chunks and place it in the slow cooker.
• In a small bowl, stir together the kosher 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper.
• Sprinkle it over the pork, then drizzle with ½ cup of the 1 cup BBQ sauce. Pour the 12 oz. root beer around the sides of the pork so that you don’t wash all of the seasoning off the top.
• Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours or until the pork is cooked through and falls apart easily.
• Transfer the pork to a cutting board or bowl. Drain the liquid from the slow cooker, reserving about 1 cup of the juices if needed to add additional moisture to the meat.
• Use two forks to shred the meat, then return it to the slow cooker along with the additional ½ cup BBQ sauce and as much of the reserved juices as you like. Stir to combine.
• Garnish with minced fresh parsley or cilantro if you like, and serve on rolls or salads, in tacos or wraps or however you like it, with additional sauce and coleslaw, if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 193 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 2g10%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 62mg21%

Sodium 710mg30%

Potassium 388mg11%

Carbohydrates 14g5%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 11g12%

Protein 18g36%

Vitamin A 194IU4%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 28mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Author: Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Method: Slow Cooker

Disclaimers: Please discuss your individual dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) with a physician. Even when not specified, be sure to verify all ingredients are gluten free, if needed, by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer this varies by brand and can change at any time. Nutrition information shown is an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.

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