Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Tangy Apple Slaw

This easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork brings every flavor to your plate: smoky, sweet, salty, savory, and a little spicy. Throw it on a bun with some crunchy tangy apple slaw for the perfect sandwich.

This Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sets a New Bar

In our social circle, we’re known for smoked pulled pork. My husband prepares *the best* smoked pork butt I’ve ever had (and I’ve visited my share of BBQ shacks here in the South, thanks to him.)

His dry rub and mop are *chef’s kiss*, and the meat is always so smoky and melt-in-your-mouth tender.

But for those who don’t have a smoker or simply want to make pulled pork on a whim, the slow cooker is a fantastic option.

This recipe is great for both lazy Sundays and entertaining—especially on game day.

What Cut of Pork to Use for Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Whether you’re smoking or slow cooking your pork, you want to get yourself a pork shoulder—sometimes seen as a pork butt or Boston butt. Bone-in or boneless doesn’t matter, because your meat will easily fall off the bone when you go to shred it.

Pork shoulders will typically come with a thick fat cap. Keep it on, because as the pork cooks, the fat cap protects the top from drying out.

Additionally, the juices from the fat will melt and drip into the meat for extra tenderness, richness, and flavor.

Once the pork is cooked, you can discard the fat cap. It’ll come off very easily. 

A Dry Rub and Mop You Don’t Want to Skip Out On

This dry rub and mop combo is everything. Think sweet, salty, savory, and a little spicy. The flavors are complex—but the ingredients are totally unfussy.

The purpose of a dry rub is to enhance the flavor of the meat and give it a nice crust as it cooks. The mop enhances the flavor even more, and it adds a juiciness that just cannot be matched. The pulled pork soaks up the mop and it’s incredible.

You could technically make pulled pork with one and not the other, but that would be considered blasphemy in this house. Both the rub and the mop serve a purpose, and we don’t cut corners over here.

I definitely encourage the use of both.

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the dry rub:

• Brown sugar
• Kosher salt
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Cayenne powder

For the mop:

• Apple cider vinegar
• Apple cider
• Liquid smoke (I wouldn’t add this if we were smoking the pork, but this gives slow cooker pork a nice smoky essence).
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Garlic
• Brown sugar

Tangy Apple Slaw:

• Red cabbage
• Carrots
• Apple
• Apple cider vinegar
• Dijon mustard
• Maple syrup
• Salt
• Pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

How to Make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

1. Shred your cabbage, veggies, and apples, and set them aside. In a separate bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients for the slaw until everything is well blended. Drizzle this over the veggies and apples, then toss to coat and set aside.
2. For the mop, mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until it’s well combined. Pour about 1/4 of the mop into the slow cooker and set the rest aside.
3. Onto the dry rub! Mix all of the ingredients for the dry rub in a small bowl and set it aside.
4. Pop the pork, fat cap side *up*, into the slow cooker. Distribute the dry rub over the pork and rub it all over that bad boy, ensuring to get every side except the bottom half, which is sitting in the wet mop.
5. When done with the rub, pop the lid onto the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 190º F.
6. When the pork is ready, transfer it to a large serving dish and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes.
7. Peel away the fat cap (you can save it for some other use or toss it) and shred the pork.
8. Transfer the pulled pork back to the slow cooker, and drizzle it with the rest of the mop; stir to coat.
9. Serve with fresh buns and the tangy apple slaw!

Useful Tools for This Recipe

• Slow cooker
• Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Meat thermometer
• Mandolin
• Mixing bowls
• Mixing spoon
• Measuring cups & spoons
• Meat claws (some folks prefer to use these for shredding instead of forks)

Have You Made This Recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a STAR rating & commenting below with feedback!

You can also show off your creations on Instagram by tagging @killing__thyme

Other Lazy Day Slow Cooker Meals:

• Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken
• Beef Stew with Red Wine
• Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili
• Cozy Guinness Beef Stew with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

SaveSaved Pin Print

4 from 2 votes

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork with Tangy Apple Slaw

By: Dana Sandonato

This easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork brings every flavor to your plate: smoky, sweet, salty, savory, and a little spicy. Throw it on a bun with some crunchy tangy apple slaw for the perfect sandwich!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours hours

Want to save this recipe?

Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you'll get new recipes from us every week!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

Save Recipe

Equipment

• Slow cooker

Ingredients 

• ▢ 4-5 lb pork butt (bone-in or boneless, doesn't matter)

Dry rub.

• ▢ 3 TBSP brown sugar
• ▢ 1.5 TBSP kosher salt
• ▢ 1 TBSP crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1 tsp cayenne pepper

Mop (wet dressing).

• ▢ 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1/4 cup apple cider
• ▢ 1 TBSP brown sugar
• ▢ 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 TBSP crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1 TBSP liquid smoke

Tangy Apple Slaw.

• ▢ 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• ▢ 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• ▢ 1 large apple, peeled and shredded, You can use Royal Gala, Honey Crisp, or anything on the sweet and juicy side. Avoid Delicious apples. (Because they aren't.)
• ▢ 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• ▢ 2 tsp quality maple syrup
• ▢ 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• ▢ 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Mix all of the ingredients for the mop in a bowl, whisking until well combined. Pour about 1/4 of the mop into the slow cooker.
• Mix all of the ingredients for the dry rub in a small bowl.
• Place the pork, fat cap side up, into the slow cooker. Sprinkle the dry rub over the pork and rub it all over the pork, ensuring to get every side except the bottom half, which is sitting in the wet mop.
• Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until it reaches a temperature of 190º F.
• Once the pork is ready, transfer it to a large serving dish and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes.
• Remove the fat cap and discard it. Then, with two forks, shred the pork until it's completely pulled. Transfer the pulled pork back to the slow cooker, and drizzle it with the rest of the mop; stir to coat.
• Serve with fresh buns and tangy apple slaw.

Tangy apple slaw.

• Place the shredded cabbage, carrots, and apple in a mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients for the slaw. Once mixed, drizzle it over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Serve with pulled pork sandwiches.

Notes

Note: The pulled park is also delicious served on it's own with the slaw—no buns necessary!

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!