Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pulled Pork
This easy slow cooker pulled pork recipe pairs tender shredded pork with a sweet and tangy brown sugar balsamic sauce for a family-friendly dinner that practically cooks itself!
Jump to:
- 🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- ⭐️ Why this recipe works
- 🥩 Ingredients you need
- 📝 Ingredient notes
- 👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
- 🤔 Recipe FAQs
- 🥣 Equipment we use for this recipe
- 🍽️ Want to round out your meal?
- Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pulled Pork
- 💫 Variations on this recipe
- 🥰 Other pork recipes we love
- 🤔 We want to know what you think!
- 🥣 Come on into our kitchen!
There is nothing quite like putting dinner into the slow cooker in the morning and coming back hours later to tender, pull-apart deliciousness—especially when that deliciousness is coated in a sweet and tangy brown sugar balsamic sauce!
This easy pulled pork is wonderful piled onto soft rolls, spooned over mashed potatoes or served all by its scrumptious self. And because the slow cooker does almost all the work, you get a hearty, crowd-pleasing supper without hovering over the stove. Pulled pork happiness, here we come! 🐷🍂
🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- What It Is: Tender slow-cooked pork tossed with a sweet and tangy brown sugar balsamic sauce, delicious on rolls or served all by itself.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
- Servings: 6 servings
- Calories: 227
- Cooking Method: Slow Cooker and Stovetop
- Good For: Easy family dinners, game-day sandwiches, casual entertaining and celebrating National Pulled Pork Day. 🐷🍂
⭐️ Why this recipe works
- 🐷 The slow cooker keeps the pork tender: Eight hours of gentle cooking transforms the pork roast into juicy, pull-apart shreds.
- 🍯 The sauce is sweet and tangy: Brown sugar and balsamic vinegar make an irresistible sauce with the perfect balance of flavors.
- ⏰ It’s wonderfully hands-off: A few minutes of morning prep means dinner is practically ready when you are.
- 🥪 It’s deliciously versatile: Pile it onto soft rolls, spoon it over mashed potatoes or serve it all by its scrumptious self.
- 👨👩👧👦 It’s made for feeding a crowd: The recipe makes six generous servings and is easy to double for parties and game day.
- ❄️ The leftovers are a gift: This pulled pork reheats and freezes beautifully, making tomorrow’s dinner just as easy as tonight’s.
Pork and I used to have a somewhat challenging relationship. I had a magical ability to take a perfectly lovely piece of pork and cook it until it was, well, DRY.
Then the Southern husband reminded me that he loves pork for supper, and my trusty slow cooker came to the rescue. That gentle low-and-slow heat turns the roast beautifully tender every time—no dry pork anywhere in sight! 🐷
🥩 Ingredients you need
📝 Ingredient notes
- Pork roast: Use a boneless pork loin roast, not pork tenderloin. Pork tenderloin is much leaner and can dry out during the long cooking time. A boneless pork shoulder or pork butt will also work and will produce a slightly richer result.
- Chicken broth: Regular or low-sodium chicken broth will work. If you use regular broth, taste the finished sauce before adding any extra salt.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar will both work. Dark brown sugar has more molasses and will give the sauce a deeper flavor.
- Balsamic vinegar: Use regular balsamic vinegar, not balsamic glaze, which is already thickened and sweetened.
- Cornstarch: This thickens the brown sugar balsamic sauce. Whisk it thoroughly with the other sauce ingredients before heating so it stays smooth.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
👩🏻🍳 How to make this recipe
STEP 1: Place pork troast in slow cooker. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top, and pour 1/2 cup chicken broth around it. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
STEP 2: About 15 minutes before pork is done, combine all remaining ingredients, including the remaining 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, in a small heavy saucepan, whisk to combine and simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened.
PRO TIP: Don’t take the lid off the slow cooker, even for a quick peek…the temperature is so low inside that you don’t want any of that heat to escape. 🔥🔥
STEP 3: Remove pork from slow cooker and shred, using two forks.
STEP 4: Place in a large bowl and pour sauce over the top. Mix with tongs until the pork is coated lightly with sauce.
Serve at once, either on rolls as a sandwich or on its own!
🤔 Recipe FAQs
Yes! A boneless pork loin roast works beautifully in the Crock Pot because the gentle heat helps it cook evenly. You can also use a boneless pork shoulder or pork butt. Do not use pork tenderloin—it is much leaner and may dry out during the long cooking time.
Almost! A boneless pork loin roast works beautifully, and a boneless pork shoulder or pork butt will also work. Do not use pork tenderloin—it is too lean for the long cooking time and may dry out.
The pork is ready when it is very tender and pulls apart easily with two forks. If it resists shredding, cover the slow cooker and let it cook a little longer.
Yes! Let it cool completely, pack it with the sauce into an airtight container and freeze it for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Make sure the cornstarch is completely whisked into the other sauce ingredients, then let the mixture simmer gently for a few minutes. It will continue to thicken slightly as it cools.
Absolutely! Cook and shred the pork, toss it with the sauce and refrigerate it in a covered container for up to three days. Reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the slow cooker, adding a splash of chicken broth if needed.
Low heat gives the pork its most tender texture, so that is the setting I recommend. If you are short on time, you can cook it on high for about four hours, checking toward the end so it doesn’t dry out.
Leave your question (or comment or suggestion) in the Comments box below the recipe and I will answer pronto!
🥣 Equipment we use for this recipe
These are some of my favorite kitchen tools! These are Amazon affiliate links, which means I get a little something if you buy through my links at no extra cost to you. (Which helps pay for all that bacon I keep buying! 😄) And I only share things I use and love. I’m so grateful for your support!
- Slow Cooker: This may be my favorite kitchen gadget EVER. Here’s my complete collection of slow cooker recipes (and I am always adding more!)
- Bear Paws Shredder Claws: You can always use two forks to shred, but these sturdy shredders make the shredding both faster and easier.
- Tongs: I have (way too) many of these in different sizes – they are perfect for everything from tossing shredded pork to mixing salads, flipping bacon…I could go on and on!
🍽️ Want to round out your meal?
Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pulled Pork
The slow cooker strikes again in the recipe for melt in your mouth tender brown sugar pulled pork! This easy slow cooker pulled pork with its brown sugar sauce is perfect for sandwiches or all on its own.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker and Stovetop
- Cuisine: Southern
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork loin roast
- ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Place pork roast in slow cooker. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top, and pour 1/2 cup chicken broth around it. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- About 15 minutes before pork is done, combine all remaining ingredients, including the remaining 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, in a small heavy saucepan, whisk to combine and simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened.
- Remove pork from slow cooker and shred, using two forks. Place in a large bowl and pour sauce over the top. Mix with tongs until the pork is coated lightly with sauce.
- Serve at once, either on rolls as a sandwich or on its own!
Notes
-
- Pork Roast: There are all kinds of boneless pork roasts out there, and almost all of them will do just fine for this recipe. We always go for a pork loin roast. The only one we do not recommend is a pork tenderloin – it is such a lean cut of meat that it will not work well in the slow cooker.
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- Chicken Broth: As always, we recommend the kind in the box instead of the can for the best flavor.
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- Balsamic Vinegar: Look for this fabulous syrupy vinegar near the other vinegars in your supermarket.
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- Cornstarch: You can find this thickening ingredient in the baking aisle.
💫 Variations on this recipe
- 🌶️ Make it spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, a spoonful of chopped chipotle peppers or a few dashes of hot sauce to the sauce.
- 🍎 Give it an apple twist: Replace half the chicken broth with apple cider for an extra touch of fall flavor.
- 🍁 Try maple: Swap the brown sugar for pure maple syrup for a slightly different kind of sweetness.
- 🍖 Make it barbecue-style: Stir your favorite barbecue sauce into the finished brown sugar balsamic sauce.
- 🧄 Add some savory flavor: Stir a minced garlic clove and a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce into the sauce.
- 🥪 Turn it into sliders: Pile the pork onto slider rolls with coleslaw and pickles for an easy party supper.
- 🌮 Make pulled pork tacos: Spoon the pork into warm tortillas and top with shredded cabbage, avocado and a squeeze of lime.
- 🧀 Make a pulled pork grilled cheese: Tuck the pork between slices of bread with sharp cheddar and grill until golden and melty.
🥰 Other pork recipes we love
🤔 We want to know what you think!
If you try this recipe, we would love to hear how it came out for you! I’d be super grateful if you could leave a star rating (you pick how many stars! 🌟 ) and your thoughts in the Comments section.
Hello Kate,
If you only had half the pork, could you cook it for half the time in the slow cooker? Would you do the full sauce or cut the ingredients into half?
Does this recipe freeze well?
Thanks so much!
Hi Natalie! You should do half the sauce, but it will probably still need the full time in the slow cooker. You could check it after 6 hours just in case though. And yes! It freezes wonderfully – I always make extra and pop it in the freezer. :) Happy New Year!
Hello Kate,
If you only had half the pork, could you cook it for half the time in the slow cooker? Would you do the full sauce or cut the ingredients into half?
Does this recipe freeze well?
Thanks so much!
I tweaked it a little adding worthshire sauvs and ketchup but I like this recipe thank you
Thanks Kelly, and I love your additions! :)
Hi, Kate!
Help! Because of a change in plans, I need to save the cooked, shredded pulled pork for tomorrow. Should I make the sauce and combine the two tonight and re-warm it gently tomorrow, or would it be better to wait until tomorrow to mix the pork with the sauce? Thank you!
Hi Mindy! You can actually do it either way, but I would opt for waiting until tomorrow to mix the pork with the sauce – that way you can reheat the pork in the sauce more easily. Hope this helps! :)
Hi Rebecca! The tenderloin does pull apart nicely! But if you are more comfortable with a pork butt you can absolutely sub that in – this recipe is all about the brown sugar sauce. :)
Thanks for replying. I trust you, so I’ll try the tenderloin.
I made this last week. It was great!
I’m so glad! Thanks for coming back and letting me know – Happy Sunday! :)
In step 2 you say to include the rest of the chicken broth, but the entire half cup called for in the recipe is already in the slow cooker, right? Does this mean I should drain the chicken broth out of the slow cooker? Sorry for the confusion!
Hi Sandy! There’s a second 1/2 cup of chicken broth called for later in the ingredient list, but I see how that could be confusing so I reworded the directions! 1/2 cup in the slow cooker at the start, and then another 1/2 cup for the sauce Happy brown sugar pulled pork! :)
Wow! This was delicious! Wasn’t sure how I felt about the sauce since I’m used to the Kansas City ketchup-based sauces, but it was amazing. Thanks for the recipe! You sure know how to make me look like a good cook. :)
Aw, thanks Alyssa! I figure that we can’t ever go wrong with brown sugar. :)
I love pork (not just once in a while!) and this recipe has me drooling. I am going to give it a go on Monday, with polenta and some broccoli rabe go alongs.
Sounds like the perfect Monday – love the polenta part!
You need to make a Puerto Rican Pernil…..
There is also a slow cooker method I found recently on Serious Eats….
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/09/puerto-rican-pernil-slow-cooker-recipe.html
cant wait to try it!!!!!
Now that looks like a whole lot of heaven. Pinning!
Call it crazy, but my late mother-in-law always cooked a pork roast and a beef roast together in the same pot, for hours and it produced another sort of wonderfulness. This pulled pork post has my mouth watering :-)
Wow! My head is spinning at the delicious possibilities of that one!