Tender, saucy and surprisingly light pulled pork made in one pot overnight with almost no effort. Coated in a sweet-and-tangy hard apple cider, this is a weeknight winner: one pot, freezer-friendly, and ultra saucy.
This is what lazy summer dinners are made of: delicious, messy, and simple perfection.
Friends Roman and Irena invited us to a Memorial Day BBQ and housewarming at their refreshed new home. I expected the usual backyard spread—kebabs, salads and Roman’s signature mojitos—but the party took an unexpected turn when their grill ran out of propane. While the men went off to fetch a new tank, the women sipped drinks and chatted. A tempting sweet-and-savory aroma soon drifted through the yard: Irena had started a crock pot pulled pork just in case the grill stayed cold.
I told her I loved pulled pork but usually avoided pork butt because it’s so fatty. (Quick aside: the “pork butt” cut actually comes from the shoulder; it’s ideal for slow cooking because the fat and connective tissue break down into rich, tender meat.)
To my surprise, Irena used a pork loin roast from Costco instead of the traditional pork butt. She placed the roast in the crock pot, covered it mostly with root beer, and set it on low for about 7½ hours. I expected dry, overly sweet strands, but the result was moist, flavorful, and surprisingly lean — and guilt-free.
The next day I tried recreating it but forgot to buy root beer. Instead I had a fridge full of hard apple cider, and since apples and pork pair beautifully, I gave cider a try. I placed the pork loin in the crock pot with a large chopped onion and poured in hard apple cider until the roast was about three-quarters submerged. I cooked it on low for 7½ hours overnight.
After cooking, I refrigerated the roast and shredded it later that evening — chilling first made shredding much easier. I started with two forks, then switched to my hands to pull the meat into perfect shreds. To finish, I added a cup of smoky BBQ sauce, mixed everything together and warmed it gently. I left the cooked onions in the pot; they’re great on sandwiches if you like smothered onions.
The cider adds a subtle, hard-to-describe brightness that balances the sweet and smoky elements. The final result is sweet, tangy, tender pulled pork that doesn’t feel heavy.
Serve it on slider buns, over rice, in tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, or straight from the bowl. It freezes beautifully in flat freezer bags, making it a convenient make-ahead meal for sandwiches, soups, casseroles and more.
Secret Ingredient Crockpot Pulled Pork
5 from 1 review
- Author: Mila
- Total Time: 425 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings
Description
Tender, saucy and surprisingly light pulled pork prepared in one pot overnight. Coated in a sweet and tangy hard apple cider, this simple recipe is freezer friendly and perfect for weeknight meals.
Ingredients
- 1 5-pound pork loin roast (not tenderloins)
- 3 bottles hard apple cider (or enough to cover the roast about 3/4 of the way)
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 1 cup KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce (or your preferred smoky BBQ sauce)
Instructions
- Add the pork roast to a crockpot with the chopped onion. Pour hard apple cider until the roast is about three-quarters submerged.
- Cook on low for approximately 7.5 hours, overnight or until very tender.
- For easier shredding, refrigerate the roast after cooking and shred once chilled. If you need to shred while still warm, let it cool enough to handle.
- Shred the pork using two forks or your hands, then stir in the BBQ sauce until well combined. Reheat gently if desired so the sauce melds with the meat.
Notes
- This pulled pork freezes exceptionally well. Pack into freezer-safe bags, lay flat to freeze, and use for sandwiches, soups, rice bowls, enchiladas and more.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 420 minutes
- Category: BBQ, Main Course
- Cuisine: BBQ