Dr. Pepper Crock Pot Pulled Pork is the perfect way to feed a crowd. This slow cooker pulled pork is easy, tender, delicious and everyone always loves it!
With just 5 minutes of prep, this pulled pork crockpot recipe is ready to go before heading off to work. You’ll come home to a slow cooker full of tender juicy pulled pork perfect for sandwiches or topping Baked Potatoes or Mac and Cheese.
Crock Pot Pulled Pork is Easy to Make
This easy Crock Pot Pulled Pork is an easy family favorite! Let the Slow Cooker do all of the work, and then pile this pulled pork on crusty buns and top with some fresh homemade coleslaw for a dish everyone raves over! This slow cooker pulled pork is perfect for Sunday supper, nachos, tailgating or even for parties (on slider buns) or piled on top of baked sweet potatoes!
The best part about this dish is that it cooks in the slow cooker and is ready when you are, which means it’s easy to make.
Pulled Pork Bar: If you are serving a crowd, you can easily turn your slow cooker pulled pork on low to keep it warm until guests are ready to eat. We just set out a basket of rolls and a bowl of slaw and our guests can create their own sandwiches!
What Kind of Pork for Pulled Pork?
While some people use a tenderloin for pulled pork, it’s so lean that it easily becomes dry and tough (it’s more suited to roasting to medium). Like most slow cooker recipes, a pork roast with lots of nice fat marbled throughout becomes very tender in the Crock Pot!
The best cut of pork for pulled pork is pork shoulder. It can go by different names (and names can vary by location). When looking for pork, I choose boneless (bone in still works just fine, may need a little bit extra time but not much). Any of the following will be great:
- shoulder butt roast
- shoulder roast
- blade roast
- pork butt
- boston butt
- picnic roast
- pork steaks (which is slices of pork butt)
Any of the cuts above benefit from cooking low and slow to break down the tissues and make it buttery and tender. Pulled pork crock pot recipes are ideal because of the cooking temperature.
How to Make Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot
- Line the bottom of the Crock Pot with sliced onion.
- Rub the pork roast with seasoning and add to the slow cooker (per recipe below).
- Pour Dr. Pepper (or Rootbeer) on top and let the Crock Pot work its magic.
- Once cooked, shred with 2 forks and stir back into the juices. Add additional BBQ sauce if needed and serve on crusty rolls!
How Long to Cook Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot
The following is for a 4lb boneless pork roast. If you are short on time, cut the pork into 3-inch cubes.
- Cook on High for 4-5 hours
- Cook on Low for 7-8 hours
Slow cooker pulled pork needs just a few simple ingredients to create a dish that is so juicy and delicious.
To tell if the pork is done, use a fork and pull off a small piece. It should be easy to remove and melt in your mouth tender. If the pork isn’t fall-apart tender, it’s not quite done yet so cook it a bit longer!
What to Serve with Crock Pot Pulled Pork
- Classic Coleslaw Recipe – Fast!
- Dill Pickle Coleslaw
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Crock Pot Corn on the Cob
- Baked Beans
- Fresh Corn Salad
Did your family enjoy this Pulled Pork Recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Dr. Pepper Crock Pot Pulled Pork Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4-5 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast or pork butt
- salt
- black pepper
- garlic powder
- 1 onion sliced, optional
- 12 ounces Dr. Pepper 1 can
- ¾ cup barbecue sauce or to taste
- Rolls for serving
- prepared coleslaw for serving
Instructions
- Place the onion in the bottom of the slow cooker. Rub the outside of the roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Pour the Dr. Pepper over the pork and cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 7-8 hours.
- The meat will be very tender. Using 2 forks, shred the pork and place back in the juices.
- Add barbecue sauce to taste. Allow to cook an additional 30-60 minutes if desired.
- Serve on crusty rolls with coleslaw.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
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have used this recipe many times. Have had nothing but really good comment have feed to hundreds of people.
So happy to hear that, Barry!
Could Diet Dr. Pepper be used?
Yes, it can.
I always remove the skin before cooking. I find that slow-cooking with the skin on lends a kind of stale oil taste to the meat.
should I trim the excess fat of of the roast before slow cooking? Thanks.
Hi Erica, I don’t generally cut off the fat. If you find the juices to have a lot of fat floating on top, you can skim the juices before returning the shredded meat to the slow cooker!
I was very disappointed with this recipe especially with all the high rated reviews. Basically it was flavorless. It came alive once I added coleslaw, bbg sauce and some mac and cheese but by itself it is very bland.
So sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as expected for you, Weezy. Glad you were able to still enjoy!
Hi, I assume if my roast is 2lbs I can just cut the cook time and ingredients in half?
Part of the cooking time is bringing the crockpot and meat to temperature to cook. So you won’t half the time for a 2lb roast. You will still need to cook it for almost the same amount of time, but you will want to use a meat thermometer to ensure you don’t overcook the pork roast.
Delicious
I just put mine in the crock pot! But I added brown sugar to the rub, did I ruin it? Is that too much sugar with the Dr. Pep? LOL! Excited to try tonight!
I don’t think it will be ruined but might be sweeter than expected. I would love to hear how it turns out for you!
everyone who has tried this loves it
Delicious! I fixed 15 lbs divided among 3 crockpots and it was falling off the bone in 7 hours. I had to hold it an additional 7 hours before party time but it kept well mostly on warm but I turned the pots occasionally on low just to keep the temperature in a safe zone for the extended amount of time. Everyone loved it!
Hi! I see the nutrition information but how much does 1 serving weigh? Is that 276 calories per every 4 oz? 6 oz? 8 oz?
Hi Laurence, one serving is approximately ½ lb or about one cup if using a 4lb roast.
Excellent recipe. So quick and easy yet very tasty.
This was so easy and delicious!
Hi Holly. The recipe calls for a 4-5 lb. roast. Is this a bone-in or boneless roast?
I use a boneless roast.
If I don’t have a crock pot, what would be the cook temp/time to cook this in the oven? Thank you!
Hi Erin, you can cook this in a dutch oven at 350°F until it’s easily shreddable (check it at 4 hours depending on the size of your pork roast). Then proceed with the recipe from Step 3. I would love to hear how it turns out!
Another winner!
Thank you Holly
I used this recipe for the first time for this year’s Superbowl. The cook time did not work for me. My roast was not tender at all after the maximum cooking time of 5 hours with a 4.25lb roast. I even took the roast out of the fridge half an hour before cook time to make sure it would be ready before my guests arrived. Well, it was not. Thankfully, I have a pressure cooker to finish the job before the coin toss! Just want to warn anyone who wants to cook this with a fixed time in mind. Also want to mention the salt amount should be very generous to balance the flavours because the soda is so sweet. Happy cooking everyone!
I’ve made this recipe,no exaggeration,10-12 times.From 3lb to 10lb.If you use shoulder/butt,there is so much juice from slow cooking that the Dr.Pepper taste is barely recognizable because it becomes so diluted in the juices.Just barely a hint of sweetness.And this just my opinion,If you have 5-6 hours to cook on high,cook it on low for 8 or 9 hours for the utmost tenderness.I have never had someone complain of Dr Pepper sweetness.