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!
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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Hello !
Am i able to use this recipe while meat is frozen?
Thanks in advanced !
Hi Stephanie, it isn’t recommended to cook frozen pork in the slow cooker so we use a fresh or defrosted roast for this recipe.
How long on low for a 7.6LB pork butt??
That would probably take 9-10 hours to cook in the slow cooker Mike. To make sure it is fully cooked use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 145°F.
9-10 hours on high or low?
on low :)
When putting pork butt into crockpot do I put it fat side up or down??
Hi Mark, we usually cook it fat side up. This allows the fat to run into the meat and make it tender!
Just love your recipes. Haven’t had a failure yet. Gerry
Thank you so much for your kind words Gerry, so glad you’ve enjoyed them!!
If you want super tender pork this recipe will do a fantastic job. However, if you want good, homemade BBQ, it’s a real disappointment. I work for 30 min adding seasoning as well as bbq sauce to get something tasty.
Sorry to hear that Dan. This recipe always turns out delicious for us! Glad you were able to alter it to your preferences though.
The juice this creates has no flavor at all, so be aware that you either need to rub the dry spices on a day before or make sure you add in a lot of extra before serving!
I love your recipes, I the one BBQ with Dr Pepper I cooked but I use root beer and it turned out wonderful…. So I’m cooking it again for Super Bowl 2020…. thanks
Great recipe.
Can you use Diet Dr. Pepper?
You sure can.
I made this on Christmas Eve sinceI worked all day, went to church, and came home to host a party directly after church. I wouldn’t have time to cook anything and wanted something more than just an appetizer. Boy was this a real hit! The house smelled amazing when we got there, it took minutes to shred, warm up the rolls, and we devoured them! I used Root Beer (since I didn’t have any Dr. P) and I kept the juices separate when serving. I didn’t add any BBQ sauce, but left some on the side to give people a choice to add it or not. I believe everyone used the meats natural juices as a dip for their sandwiches. It was amazing and will be made again! Thank you so much for sharing! 2 thumbs up and 5 stars for sure!
Yay! So happy to hear that Melissa!
I made this a couple of months ago. My husband was working outside and when he came in he said the smell was wonderful. He could hardly wait to eat. I invited my sister over for dinner and she loved it. She is still talking about it. I guess it is time to make it again. I used Sweet Baby Rays Hickory and Brown Sugar. It is the best. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
That is so wonderful to hear Linda! Glad you all enjoyed it so much.
I want to make this tomorrow but I have a 9lb bone-in butt roast. Should I double the Dr. Pepper and spices?
I haven’t tried this with a 9lb roast. You don’t need to completely cover the roast but it does cook in the liquid so you might need a bit more. As for the seasonings, you just want to make sure the whole roast is seasoned. You will likely need to increase the cook time.
What are the measurements or ratio for the seasonings? Salt, pepper & garlic powder… 1 teaspoon each?
Hi D, I would say about 1 teaspoon or so of pepper and garlic powder and just under ½ teaspoon of salt.
I would like to know this as well please. Thank you!
Oops! Never mind! Reading recipe on my phone and didn’t see your answer. Sorry.
Thank you!
No problem :) Enjoy TJ!
i am anxious to try your recipes. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you find many to try and love Carolyn!
Trying it today I’m young and dont know or have much experience cooking wish me luck. Will update
Good luck Tyler, you’ve got this!
Should Dr Pepper cover roast?
Hi Michelle, it won’t cover the roast, just pour on top of the roast.
Hello has anyone doubled this recipe??
Hi Christine, we have had readers double it with success. It does make quite a bit of liquid though, so you may want to add a little bit of extra BBQ sauce.
I would like to make this a day in advance. Should I cook it, shred it and just put it in the fridge, then the next day when I am ready to serve it, put it back in the crockpot then add the BBQ sauce? What do you think?
I think that should work just fine. I would keep some of the juices as well in case you need to add them. You can also heat it on the stovetop or keep it in the slow cooker to keep warm. Enjoy!
LOVED IT! Super simple and only need a few ingredients. Honey barbecue sauce paired well. Will be making this again and again..
I am thrilled that you enjoyed the pulled pork Candace!
wine and cheese sounds good what kind of cheese do you use.,,/
When it comes to cheese we seriously love them all Carl! You can check out some of Holly’s favorites she uses to prepare a charcuterie board here.
I just bought a shoulder/butt roast with a bone in it, can I use that? Do I need to alter the recipe for that?
If I make the day before, what is the best way to reheat?
Thanks!!!
Hi Jennifer, yes! That would be delicious. You may need to alter the cooking time (as I haven’t cooked a bone in shoulder in the slow cooker before) but should be fine to still follow the basic recipe. I would toss it all back in the slow cooker on low to reheat the next day :)
Can you use a coke instead of Dr Pepper?
Coke or root beer will work in place of Dr. Pepper in this recipe Wanda. Enjoy!
My husband has diabetes so I made it with Diet Dr. Pepper and G. Hughes Sugar Free BBQ Sauce. My family loved it. It was beyond easy and made enough for several meals.
So happy to hear your family can easily enjoy this dish Nancy! Great substitutions.