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.
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Why we love this recipe
Pork used to be a little bit of a challenge for me. I had this magical ability to take a perfectly lovely piece of pork and cook it so that it is, well, DRY.
And so pork and I tended to avoid each other until the Southern husband reminded me that he does love pork for supper every once in a while, and so I decided to give pork the old college try one more time.
I’m guessing the low and slow heat of my beloved slow cooker had more than a little bit to do with the juicy tender wonderfulness of this pork.
As with my beloved slow cooker pot roast recipe that inspired this pork version, it cooks all day in that gentle moist heat.
And, also like the pot roast recipe, it gets shredded and tossed with a sweet and savory sauce – in this case a mixture of brown sugar and vinegar and oh my my. Tender bits of pork, sweet and tangy sauce, and not a dry bite anywhere to be found.
And if by chance you have any leftovers, it makes the very best sandwiches!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- 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.
- Chicken Broth: As always, we recommend the kind in the box instead of the can for the best flavor.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Look for this fabulous syrupy vinegar near the other vinegars in your supermarket.
- Cornstarch: You can find this thickening ingredient in the baking aisle.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
How to make this recipe
STEP 1: Place pork tenderloin 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
A slow cooker (also known as a Crock Pot) cooks food at a very low temperature for 4 to 8 hours, depending on what you are cooking. The base and sides of the cooker heat up, and the top keeps the heat inside. Because the heat is so low and the cooking time is so long, even tough cuts of meat turn out tender. And there is no need to supervise the cooking…just leave it on your counter and let it do its thing.
Almost! The only one to stay away from is pork tenderloin, which is too lean to go in the slow cooker without drying out. (You can use a tenderloin for these super easy pork tenderloin medallions though!)
Balsamic vinegar comes from Italy and is dark, concentrated, and intensely flavored. With its sweet and tangy taste, it’s made with grape must (freshly crushed grape juice, including the skins, seeds, and stems) and is known for its rich, complex taste.
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?
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.
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
- 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.
- Chicken Broth: As always, we recommend the kind in the box instead of the can for the best flavor.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Look for this fabulous syrupy vinegar near the other vinegars in your supermarket.
- Cornstarch: You can find this thickening ingredient in the baking aisle.
Natalie says
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!
Natalie A Sun says
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!
Kelly says
I tweaked it a little adding worthshire sauvs and ketchup but I like this recipe thank you
Thanks Kelly, and I love your additions! :)
Mindy says
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. :)
Rebecca says
Thanks for replying. I trust you, so I’ll try the tenderloin.
Rebecca says
I made this last week. It was great!
I’m so glad! Thanks for coming back and letting me know – Happy Sunday! :)
Sandy says
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! :)
Alyssa says
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. :)
Mary Eman says
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!
armymum says
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!
shelly says
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!