Slow Cooker Red Wine Pork Roast
This easy slow cooker red wine pork roast cooks low and slow until fall-apart tender in a rich, savory red wine sauce.
If there is one thing my Southern husband loves, it’s a good pork supper, and this slow cooker red wine pork roast is one of our favorites. A boneless pork shoulder cooks low and slow with red wine, tomatoes and warm spices until it is fall-apart tender and practically begging to be piled onto a plate with plenty of that rich, savory sauce.
I’ve had my share of pork adventures over the years (including a few that did NOT go according to plan!), but this one is wonderfully reliable. The slow cooker does almost all the work, the house smells amazing while it cooks, and by dinnertime you have tender shredded pork with a deep red wine flavor that tastes like you fussed over it all day. My kind of pork recipe! 🍷🐷
Jump to:
- 🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- ⭐️ Why this recipe works
- 🍷 Ingredients you need
- 📝 Ingredient notes
- 💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
- 👩🏻🍳 Here’s how you make this recipe
- 🤔 Recipe FAQs
- 🍽️ What to serve with this recipe
- Slow Cooker Red Wine Pork Roast
- 👩🏻🍳 Variations on this recipe
- 🥰 Other pork recipes we love
- 😄 We want to know what you think!
🔎 A quick look at this recipe
- What It Is: Tender, slow-cooked pork shoulder simmered with red wine, tomatoes and warm spices until it practically falls apart.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours, 20 minutes
- Servings: 6 servings
- Calories: 421
- Cooking Method: Slow Cooker
- Good For: Cozy Sunday suppers, casual dinner parties, make-ahead meals and any day that calls for a hearty, hands-off dinner. 🍷🐷
⭐️ Why this recipe works
- 🐷 Fall-apart tender: The slow cooker turns pork shoulder into tender, juicy shreds with almost no effort.
- 🍷 Rich, savory flavor: Red wine, tomatoes and warm spices simmer together into a deeply flavorful sauce.
- ⏰ Mostly hands-off: A little prep in the morning means dinner is practically ready when you are.
- 🍽️ Perfect for company: It’s hearty, impressive and easy to make ahead, so you can enjoy your guests instead of fussing in the kitchen.
- 🥔 That sauce! Spoon the pork and its red wine sauce over mashed potatoes, polenta or noodles so you don’t miss a drop.
🍷 Ingredients you need
📝 Ingredient notes
- 🐷 Pork roast: Boneless pork shoulder is my first choice here because its marbling keeps the pork tender and juicy during the long slow cook. Boneless pork loin will also work, but look for one with some visible fat. Skip pork tenderloin—it’s much leaner and better suited to quicker cooking.
- 🍷 Red wine: Pinot Noir is my go-to because that’s usually what we have around the house, but any dry red wine you enjoy drinking will work. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or a red blend are all good choices. If you’d rather cook without wine, substitute chicken broth; the sauce will be a little less rich but still delicious.
- 🌾 Grainy mustard: I love the mellow flavor and little bit of texture grainy mustard adds to the sauce. Dijon is a great substitute, and regular yellow mustard will work in a pinch.
💡 Ingredient substitution ideas
Missing something or want to swap in something different? Check out the links below to find more ingredient substitution ideas. 👇🏻
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities and nutritional information.
👩🏻🍳 Here’s how you make this recipe
STEP 1: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or heavy pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, season your pork roast with salt and pepper and carefully place it in the pot. Sear it for five minutes on each side.
STEP 2: Transfer your beautifully seared pork roast to your slow cooker.
STEP 3: Add the chopped onion to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until it begins to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes.
STEP 4: Add the oregano, cinnamon and cumin, then pour in the red wine. Stir everything together and let it simmer for a minute or two.
STEP 5: Pour the red wine sauce over your seared pork roast.
STEP 6: Add the crushed tomatoes and mustard and give everything a good stir. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Then go take a nap, fold some laundry, read a great book…dinner is now cooking itself!
STEP 7: After 8 hours are up, scoop your pork roast out of the sauce, pop it on a cutting board and shred it into bite-sized pieces. You can do this with two forks (it’s going to fall apart easily) or if you are like the Southern husband, you can break out some special shredding claws.
STEP 8: Meanwhile, skim any obvious fat from the sauce in the slow cooker. If you want a thicker sauce, whisk in a little flour (I love Wondra flour for this—it’s extra fine and perfect for thickening sauces). Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, stir it into that delicious red wine sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed. Dinner is ready!
🤔 Recipe FAQs
Technically no, although it will almost fall apart on its own after slow cooking for so long. We find that shredding it and dunking it back in the sauce adds a lot in terms of tenderness and flavor though!
Technically no. If you’re short on time, you can put the pork straight into the slow cooker. But that quick sear adds lots of extra flavor, so I think those ten minutes are worth it!
Some of the alcohol will cook away, but not necessarily all of it. If you prefer to avoid alcohol completely, substitute chicken broth for the wine. The sauce won’t have quite the same depth of flavor, but it will still be delicious.
You can! Cook the pork on HIGH for about 4 hours, or until it is tender enough to shred easily.
Yes. After searing the pork and preparing the sauce, put everything in a covered Dutch oven and cook it at 325°F for about 3 to 4 hours, until the pork is very tender.
Pop your question in the Comments section below and I will answer pronto!
🍽️ What to serve with this recipe
This pork in wine sauce deliciousness is begging to be served over something…I’ve ladled it over rice, pasta, polenta and even carrot mashed potatoes!
And for dessert, a nice light sorbet is just the ticket.
Let’s get that pork into the slow cooker and let the red wine work its magic!
Slow Cooker Red Wine Pork Roast
This easy slow cooker red wine pork roast cooks low and slow until fall-apart tender in a rich, savory red wine sauce.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 three pound boneless pork shoulder
- Salt and pepper
- 1 sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¾ cup red wine
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes with their juice
- 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
- 1/2 cup flour (optional)
- 2 ounces shaved parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Pour oil into heavy deep skillet and heat over medium high. Season pork on all sides with salt and pepper. Using tongs, place pork in skillet and brown for about five minutes on each side. Place pork in slow cooker.
- Add onions to skillet and stir until just softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add oregano, cinnamon and cumin and stir until mixed. Carefully pour in red wine and simmer for a minute or two. Pour the contents of the skillet over the pork in the slow cooker.
- Pour the tomatoes over the pork, and stir in the mustard. Give everything a stir and cover. Cook on low for 8 hours.
- Remove pork and shred into bite size pieces, throwing away any fat or gristle.
- Scoop any obvious fat off the top of the tomato mixture left in the slow cooker and stir the shredded pork back in. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. If you want to thicken the sauce a little, whisk in some flour and let it simmer for a few minutes.
- Serve over pasta, rice, grits or polenta and garnished with parmesan cheese and parsley. If you have any leftovers this also makes a great sandwich filling!
Notes
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- Pork Roast: There are a few different kinds of pork roasts out there. For this recipe, we recommend a boneless pork shoulder or a boneless pork loin, and pick out one that has a generous amount of fat on it. These two cuts work super well in the slow cooker, especially when they are shredded and soak up the sauce. Be careful not to get a pork tenderloin…this is a much leaner cut of pork and will dry out in the slow cooker.
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- Red Wine: We usually use a Pinot Noir for this recipe since that’s what we have around the house, but any variety of red wine will work.
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- Mustard: We love the gentler flavor of grainy mustard for this recipe, but regular yellow mustard or Dijon mustard will also be fine.
👩🏻🍳 Variations on this recipe
🥰 Other pork recipes we love
Looking for more slow cooker inspiration? Here is our complete collection of slow cooker recipes!
😄 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 us some stars and a comment in the Comment section below!
Don’t have 8 hours how long on high in a crock pot?
Hi Karl – you can also do 4 hours on high.
I’d like to cook this in the oven. How would this recipe translate to the oven? Sear first then maybe 300 degrees for 3-4 hours?
Hi Carol! I’ve never done this one in the oven, but I would suggest yes, sear it first, then cook it in a covered pot (like a Dutch oven) at 325 for 3 to 4 hours – I would check it after 3 with a meat thermometer (it should read 145). Hope this helps! If you try it this why, it would be great if you could come back and let us know how it came out! :)
This came out so rich and scrumptious! So easy and amazing results!
I do love an easy reliable slow cooker recipe! Glad this one worked for you too. :)
Just made this today – so flavorful and delicious! I opted not to thicken the sauce, and mixed in a package of egg noodles. Even the 3 year old cleared her plate!
Alice! Thank you so much for this – I always say if the little kids like it, it’s got to be good! :). Love your egg noodles addition!
Look at all that porky goodness! I bet that would make an awesome big ole open-faced sandwich. I’m envisioning a slab of hearty bread, sliced thick, piled high with this pork, some cheese and a few minutes under the broiler to get the cheese melty. Grab a knife and fork and get down to business! Thanks for another great one, Kate!
And thank YOU for another great spin on one of our faves! (I never thought I would be saying that about a pork recipe!) :)