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How to Cook Pulled Pork – Crock Pot & More Methods

How to Cook Pulled Pork – Crock Pot & More Methods

Last Updated on 2nd February 2022 by

I know a lot of people have this idea that making pulled pork has to be a long and intensive process that requires a lot of hands-on work.

I can tell you from experience, though, that some of the best pulled pork is made in a crock pot with very little hassle. With this method for how to make pulled pork, anyone can do it, and it comes out perfectly.

The advantage of making pulled pork in the crockpot is that you can make a lot of this dish at once and feed plenty of people without tons of work on your part. It also doesn’t heat up the kitchen as much as if you were to make it in the oven.

However, if you want to learn a few different ways for how to cook pulled pork, I’ve got you covered. I’ll share with you a couple of the best methods for making this dish no matter what your setup is.

How to Cook Pulled Pork in Crock Pot

You’ll want to prepare your meat before you put it into the slow cooker. Make sure it’s salted generously and then add black pepper as well. Then, place your pork into the crockpot, with the fattier side facing up.

You may want to add a few aromatics to your pulled pork, like bay leaves, dried chilies, onion, garlic, and whatever else you’re looking to achieve a specific flavor profile.

These kinds of additions will make the cooking liquid really flavorful and give your pork a lovely smell. If you’re putting onion in there, be sure to quarter it so that you can spread it around the crockpot.

You want to use a liquid as well in the crockpot with your pork. There are a few different liquids you could use, like barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard, or something else.

Whatever liquid you’re using, make sure there’s about 1/4 cup of that for every pound of pork. Typically, you want something sweet and something tart in your liquid for this method of how to make pulled pork in crock pot.

Keep in mind that as the pork cooks it will make some liquid on its own, and you’ll need to leave some space for that. After you put all your ingredients in the slow cooker, set it to low and cook it for about 8 to 10 hours.

How long it needs to cook will depend on how big your piece of pork is and how tender you want it.

How to Make Pulled Pork in Oven

Next, I’ll share with you this method for making pulled pork in the oven. You want to preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and then cut down your pork into small enough pieces so it will fit into a Dutch oven.

Combine your spices and seasonings in a bowl and rub them all over the pork. Set the Dutch oven to medium heat and add about two tablespoons of oil to heat in the oven. Add in your pork in batches and make sure it sears on every side.

Pour your cooking liquid over the pork and then cover the pork with a lid. Next, move all of that to your oven and cook for about 3 hours.

Then, take off the lid and allow the pork to continue cooking for 1-2 hours, and you want it to cook until it’s really tender and comes apart with gentle prodding.

What to Serve with Pulled Pork

There are any number of things you can serve with pulled pork, but it’s most commonly served on a bun, sometimes with coleslaw or pickles.

It’s often served with barbecue sauce as well, and it may be part of a larger meal that includes macaroni, baked beans, or potato chips.

What goes well with pulled pork depends on what you’re aiming for. For a more refined and intricate spread, you may want to pair it with macaroni salad, potato salad, or a tossed salad.

For a guilty pleasure meal, I would pair it with some fries, wedges, or even pork rinds for an authentic Southern meal.

How to Reheat Pulled Pork

What to do with leftover pulled pork? It could be stored in the fridge and then reheated later. When it is ready to be used again, you could just warm up your pork in the microwave, but there’s a better way to do it to make sure you get the right texture.

Rewarming in the oven is the best way to reheat your pulled pork. You can preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and put the pulled pork into baking dish.

It’s a good idea to pour in any juices with the pork and then cover the baking dish with a lid, or foil, if you have no lid available.

Let the pork cook until it heats up to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which should just take a few minutes. How long it takes depends on how much of it you’re cooking at once. Then, stir the pork together with its juices and add more sauce if necessary to make it moist.

How Long Does Pulled Pork Last in the Fridge?

If you have some leftover pulled pork that didn’t get used up, you can store it in the fridge. If you stored in an airtight container, it can last there for up to four days. Pulled pork can be stored in resealable plastic bags or refrigerator safe containers.

How to Smoke Pulled Pork

I want to share with you one final way to prepare pulled pork, and that’s by smoking it. You can prepare the pork the same way I showed you earlier, rubbing it down with seasonings.

Then, place the fat side down in the smoker to ensure that the meat doesn’t get damaged by the high heat. Spray down the pork with a mix of water and apple cider vinegar and then wrap the pork in either foil or paper.

Cook at 160 degrees Fahrenheit and let it continue cooking until it reaches the proper internal temperature. That may be around 200 degrees Fahrenheit or a little above or below that, depending on what you’re aiming for.

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I'm Pauline, a retired patisserie chef, mother of four and now a full time food blogger! When i'm not cooking i love long walks, reading thriller novels and spending time with my grandkids. Head to my about me page to learn more about the woman behind the food!  You can find my Facebook here