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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Can other spices be use as a rub along with the Dr Pepper in place of the garlic salt and pepper without ruining the taste?
I’ve only tried as written. Maybe another reader has tried and can give you some feedback Shar!
Someone axed why use Dr Pepper as a liquid. There are receipts dat call for root beer or coke.There is a flavoring in these drinks dat make it tasty!
This recipe was so easy to make, and my husband was thrilled with it. I used a combination of Sweet Baby Ray’s sauces along with some vinegar based sauce to give it some tanginess. Added extra black pepper and some red pepper flakes after it was done. This will be my go-to recipe for bbq.
Hi Holly! A couple quick questions because I want to make this just like you do in the video. 1. Is the cooking twine necessary? 2. Do you use a yellow or white onion? 3. Which flavor of Sweet Baby Ray’s do you use? Thanks in advance!!
You can skip the twine, my roasts generally come tied. I most often use yellow as it’s what I have on hand but either would work. For Sweet Baby Rays I most often use the original flavor.
Quick question – making this tomorrow and wondering if I can use coke or Diet Coke instead of Dr Pepper? Also is it worth browning the meat in the slow cooker before the long slow cook?
Coke or Diet Coke will work just fine in this recipe. I personally don’t bother browning most of the time just because it makes prep so much quicker. Of course browning = flavor but a pork shoulder has lots of nice marbling that gives it flavor too! Let us know how it works out for you!
When placing the butt in the crockpot, fat up or down? I always smoke a butt with fat up. Thanks!
I also do fat up so the juices can run into the meat.
Hi there, I just bought a 2.9 pound boneless pork shoulder and am wondering how long I should cook it for? How do you test to see when it is done cooking? Is there an internal temperate I should be aiming for? Thank you!
The best way to test pork is to pull a little piece off and it should be really tender. If the pork is tough, it likely needs more time.
Tried this recipe for the first time…I used Montreal steak seasoning versus the seasoning you outlined bc I use those on ribs. I did include the onion underneath. The meat turned out amazing.
Can you use frozen pork in this recipe and how long would you recommend cooking it ? Thank you .
Hi Stephanie, it isn’t recommended to cook frozen pork in the slow cooker so we use a fresh or thawed roast for this recipe. That being said, frozen pork can be cooked in the Instant Pot.
I have used frozen pork with no alteration in flavor. Just add a few hours to cooking time.
I’ve used this recipe before and love it! Next week I’ll be serving pulled pork sandwiches for approximately 30 people. For easy I want to prepare the pork the day before. How do you suggest I store the meat overnight, and reheat the next day? Thanks!
The meat should be stored in the refrigerator. 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.
I have been smoking various size Boston Butt’s for probably 20 years or so, somewhat time intense to do this as it really is low and slow for 12 hours at least, great taste and truly love it that way. However, I just picked up a 5.4 pound butt and decided to give your recipe with a few alterations a go. I must say we LOVED IT! I used maybe 3/4 can diet coke and put a variety of spices on the butt for about an hour to soak in prior to cooking and added the chopped onion on the bottom of the pan, slow roasted on high for 4 hours and low for another 4 hours. Seriously it is so good and just fell apart which shows it was at its peak breaking down and separating, we didn’t even pull it or combine with BBQ sauce like we normally would. I poured off quite a bit of the juice and saved it, the onions themselves were also delish and we served it with some yellow Spanish rice and roasted brussel sprouts. Thanks for a great recipe, I definitely will do this again and of course smoke them as well in the future. This way is frankly just easier, almost set and forget, love it!
I’m so happy to hear that you love this pulled pork recipe so much Patrick! Thank you for sharing your tips. I love smoked pulled pork too I must say!
For anyone who said this recipe lacks flavor is crazy! I followed her recipe because I’ve never made this before. I eyeballed my salt, pepper and garlic powder measurements…but im southern and do that in any recipe ♀️.
This, even without any BBQ sauce, is tender and very flavorful. This will FOREVER be how I do my pulled pork. Thank you so much!!
How many pounds do you think I need if I’m making sliders for 15 people and there will be sides served with it?
I would recommend 12 lbs if you want extra
I made this today with a 7 pound pork butt and it was out of this world. I also added a cup and a half of beef stock with the Dr P, as I thought the roast was so huge. The juice tastes so good we were eating it with a big spoon right out of the crockpot.
Such a great recipe. Thank you SWP!
My wife and I did this recipe and it was amazing. As matter of fact, we are doing this again tonight. Excellent job.
AMAZING!! FAMILY HIT!!
Hello, Does the meat tender different? Depending on if you use low or high.
Hi Bonnie, no it shouldn’t make a difference, both cooking times create tender meat!
if i have a 9# do i have to increase cooking time?
For a 9 pound butt or roast I would cook it 8-10 hours on low or until fork tender. You could use a little bit extra Dr. Pepper but I don’t think you’d need 2 full cans.
I seen some interesting recipes that I would like to try. I like to try different recipes to cook .
I have made this several times and it is delicious. Of course I didn’t use salt and pepper for my seasoning. I used Tony’s Creole seasoning with garlic and onion powder. It tastes great and no barbecue sauce is needed but it tastes good with it as well.
I don’t know why Dr Pepper was called for as an ingredient. You couldn’t taste it & as far as I am concerned it was an added expense & extra trip to the grocery store to get it.
You may not taste it, but it definitely gives it a different flavor. I normally use Mtn. Dew and sometimes Sprite but used Smirnoff Ice Green Apple today (it was the only acidic beverage in the fridge ). There is a slight difference in flavor depending on which you use.
I found this looking for cooking time set on high since I usually set it on low and cook while at work. This is identical to my recipe just using Dr. Pepper rather than Dew. I’ll definitely try DP next time. I can see that being a very complimentary flavor! I believe apple cider vinegar is another option I haven’t tried but might be something you have on hand.
FYI, Mtn Dew taste best of the liquids I’ve tried, but I think Dr. Pepper might just beat it!!
It’s to keep the meat moist
It tenderizes the meat!
Can this be made in the oven? In a roaster? I have a large cut meat, 11lbs. Cooking for a party.
I think it would work great in the oven. Because of the size of the roast, you’ll want to be sure to allow for extra time to cook.