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, 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
- 1 pork butt/pork shoulder roast 4-5 pounds
- salt, pepper, & garlic powder
- 1 onion sliced, optional
- 1 can Dr. Pepper
- ¾ cup barbecue sauce or to taste
- Rolls & 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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One of my favorite dinners, made with my favorite beverage! Love, love, LOVED this recipe both ways I served it, sandwiches and on top of baked potatoes!
On top of baked potatoes sounds delicious Kate! I am so glad you enjoy this recipe!
Oh my goodness. I was SO HAPPY to stumble upon this recipe. My hubs actually made it and was in disbelief by how quick the prep was (5-min was no joke!). We used coke (only thing on-hand) and it turned out so juicy and tasty. Thank you for sharing this–it will be on the meal-rotation for sure.
thank you.
This turned out pretty tasteless without adding sauce. Disappointing
If I already bought pork tenderloin because it was on super sale, can I still use this recipe with that cut? And how should I adjust the timing so it won’t dry out the tenderloin?
I have not used this recipe to make pulled pork with tenderloin. This is the recipe we use for tenderloin in the slow cooker.
Can this be frozen?
Yes, leftovers freeze well.
This recipe sounds great, but we only have a small slow cooker. If I was to try this recipe with a 1kg/2.2 pound piece of pork, can you tell me roughly how long it would take on low and on high? Also, is there a specific internal temperature that it has to reach before shredding? And would I still use a whole can of Dr Pepper or would I use half the amount, given that it’s half as much meat?
I haven’t tried this recipe with a 2 lb piece of pork. The Dr Pepper does not need to cover the roast, you need enough to provide some moisture.
As for the pork itself, it should reach about 200°F. I would suggest using a fork to pull off a small piece, it should pull easily and be very tender. I haven’t tried cooking pork this small but I would think it might need around 4-5 hours or so on low before you check it. Check it trying not to let too much heat escape from the slow cooker. If it is not tender, cover it up and continue cooking. If it happens to be cooked early you can leave it on the warm setting for a little bit before shredding. I hope that helps, Let us know how it goes!
Is my pork shoulder is 10 lb should I use two cans of Dr Pepper or one can and a half
The pork doesn’t need to be completely covered, as long as it is a couple of inches in the bottom it should be fine.
I use Cherry Dr. Pepper
The best pulled pork I have ever made. I used ginger ale because it was the only soda I had, and it still turned out amazing. I did add some cayenne to the rub for a little heat. Finished with homemade bbq sauce. I will never use any other recipe. Thank you very much.
You are so very welcome Adam!
Can you use Pepsi instead of Dr. Pepper? My family doesn’t like Dr. Pepper.
Sure you can!
DELICIOUS, family could not get enough!!!
Easy to make and tasty. I add sweet baby Ray’s bbq sauce. Delicious
This was very easy and absolutely delicious! I doubled the recipe using a butt roast that was almost 9 lbs. and used a 20 oz bottle of diet Dr. Pepper. After shredding it, I let it sit in the juices overnight (after it was done), then ladled off a good bit of the juices before adding the BBQ sauce. Then let it sit overnight again for the meat to absorb the sauce.
That sounds delicious, Linda! Thanks for sharing.
How long did you cook the 9 pound roast before it was ready to be shredded?
I am about to try this recipe and I have a 7 1/2 pound roast.
Hi Mike, I would allow yourself 7-8hrs on high to cook a roast that size and make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F before serving.
Ended up cooking it on low overnight for about 11 hours. Next morning it was so tender it just fell apart as I shredded it with 2 forks. Added the BBQ sauce and cooked on low for about 45 minutes more. Served it on lightly toasted buns that night with a little more BBQ sauce and it was fantastic! Myself, my girlfriend, my kids, and their friends all loved it! Delicious and super easy to make I will definitely be making this again.
Can you also do this in a pressure cooker
Yes, that should work just fine. I would suggest using the cooking times/method in this Instant Pot Pulled Pork recipe.
If I were to use a bone in 10pound Boston butt, what would the cook time be?
Hi Michelle, at that size, it will probably take closer to 10-12 hrs to fully cook. You will want to check the internal temperature and make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F before serving.
Is that 10-12 hours on high or low? I’ll be cooking a 10lb butt as well.
This would be on low.
I found this recipe to be incredibly easy to assemble for a weeknight dinner. The pork was perfectly tender and juicy. However, the flavor was a little bland/one dimensional for my taste. Adding a few dashes of cayenne, Honey Hog seasoning, more garlic and salt, and a splash of Liquid Smoke helped, but overall I was disappointed with the flavor.
Can it be frozen please? Ff so, for how long?
Thank you,
Kate
Leftovers can definitely be frozen with the juices. If the sauce thins out upon defrosting, you can add a bit more bbq sauce to your liking. Hope that helps, Kate!
This is a good recipe. The first time I made it, I added onion. We prefer it without. But it was awesome. I cooked it on low for 10-12 hours. It fell apart and was great! Today I made it and put it on high. I used a pork butt with bone in – about 5-6 pounds. It was not done in 5 hours. I turned it over for another 1 and 1/2 hour. It still wasn’t done. It’s going on 8 hours and we’re still waiting. Don’t try cooking on high. It would be 5 stars otherwise
As mentioned in the recipe Joanne, a larger roast will need extra cooking time. If you check the pork and it is not tender, it likely needs more time so cover it back up and let it keep cooking.
I don’t understand how you rate a recipe lower due to your misinterpreting the directions
Hello,
I am making this recipe for a party. I want to make it the day before, because I’ll be too busy with everything else to make it the day of the party. How do you suggest I warm it up without drying it out? I was thinking of microwaving it and then putting it into the crockpot on the warm setting. Do you think that will be OK?
Hi Candi, it can be reheated in the slow cooker for a couple of hours or it can be reheated in the oven or on the stovetop depending on what is available to you.