FYI: I’ve updated two of my favorite recipes with new pictures and a few notes. The best blueberry muffins in.the.world and this delicious southwest salad.
BBQ pulled pork sandwiches rank right up there with some of my husband’s favorite meals. I tried three recipes last year that I thought would be sure winners and they were awful. One was so strong on the vinegar, we all gagged while it was cooking; the other two were just average and nothing to write home about.
So when my old high school friend, Sarah, sent me this recipe raving about it’s delicious simplicity, I tried it. And tried it. And tried it. And it has been a hit every time. In fact, just last week, I made it for our family reunion serving 13 kids and 13 adults and it was scarfed down (the leftovers were made into everything from nachos to quesadillas to pork/avocado rollups).
The recipe is so easy it is nearly mindless but it produces pork that is falling apart in it’s tenderness with a hint of hickory smokiness. Combined with my favorite homemade BBQ sauce and these to-die for rolls, this is seriously a meal for all seasons. (Thanks, Sarah!)
One Year Ago: Easy Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Two Years Ago: Fusilli alla Caprese
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Printable Version with Picture
Printable Version
INGREDIENTS:
3 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (I’ve also used boneless pork loin – not tenderloin – but pork loin with good results)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1 tablespoon hickory flavored liquid smoke
2 cups barbecue sauce
DIRECTIONS:
Rinse the pork shoulder and pat dry. Rub salt and pepper over the pork and place in a slow cooker. Add water and liquid smoke. Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, until the pork is very tender.
Remove the pork from the slow cooker and discard the remaining liquid. Shred the pork using a couple of forks. Place the meat back in the slow cooker along with the barbecue sauce and continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes until the pork is hot again. Serve on buns with extra barbecue sauce.
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from my lovely friend, Sarah M.
{ 77 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t know Sarah, but I have this identical recipe in my file. It’s a winner every time!
Your website is becomming my go-to site when I don’t know what to make for dinner. Your recipes are flawless and even picky-eaters will eat ‘em! Thanks so much, Mel. Keep it up-your blog is fabulous!
Oooh…this looks amazing, and it won’t require me to turn on my oven-YEAH! It is still so hot here in Maryland…I just can’t do it. Thanks for yet another great slow cooker recipe, Melanie!
Have a great weekend!
I love, love, love BBQ pulled pork sandwiches!! These look so great…and on homemade rolls too. Pardon me, while I drool.
I can’t wait to try this. I don’t know why I never thought to cook it in water first, discard liquid and then add the BBQ sauce – it sounds perfect!
My husband loves pulled pork so he will be liking this. Good weekend food when we are on the go! I bet the liquid smoke adds the great flavor.
Isn’t liquid smoke a great thing? After making some wok-smoked salmon recently and turning it into a mousse, I asked my partner if he would know it wasn’t made with liquid smoke if he didn’t already know. His answer: nope.
I was on my way to your site to make the sweet and spicy bbq, but saw this today, and decided to do it instead. It’s cooking in the crock pot as we speak!
I’ve been looking for a good pulled pork recipe! Can’t wait to try this! I’ll even brave crockpotting in the dead of summer for this one!
pile on some sloppy, slightly sweet slaw, and some saucy pork barbecue is one of my favorite meals too. although i like a thick kaiser roll to sop up the juices, i’ve found a tortilla to be and exciting vehicle too…if you don’t mind a bit of a mess.
Hi Mel,
I have a package of pork sirloin tip roast from Costco. Do you think it will work just as well as the pork shoulder in this recipe? The recipe sounds delicious!
Katie – I haven’t cooked with that cut of meat very often, but as long as it has a bit of fat marbling and isn’t extremely lean, it should work fine. You just want to be careful that the meat isn’t so lean it will dry out.
A friend turned me to your website a few months ago, I’m hooked for life. All I can say is “thank you for helping a working mom out of a rut!”
mmm sounds delicious. Ive been looking for a yummy pull pork sandwich recipe… cant wait to try this one!
What are pork/avocado roll ups?
Where do you get liquid smoke? I have looked for it before and I never been successful at finding it.
We had this for Sunday dinner with guests…it was a home-run. Thanks!
We made this for company tonight with your squash medley and some homemade coleslaw. Both of your recipes were delicious! Everyone loved them-especially my husband. He wants me to buy a lot more pork while it is on sale and make batches of the pulled pork to put in our freezer.
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes-I love that I can make them for company without trying them first, because they always turn out great!
Megan- you can find liquid smoke by the worcestershire sauce
Christiana – thanks for your comment! I’m thrilled the recipes turned out so well. I think your husband is on to something – being able to pull a quick meal out of the freezer is life-changing.
Thanks, Nancy!
Megan – I’ve found liquid smoke by the BBQ sauce, near the Worcestershire sauce (Like Steph said) and other ingredients like that. It’s usually hidden right in there with the other bottles so you might have to look closely. I’ve found it everywhere from Walmart to my other mainstream grocery stores.
Megan H. – pork/avocado rollups are just that – this delicious pulled pork wrapped up in a tortilla with fresh avocado slices and BBQ sauce. It’s to die for, really.
This is absolutely wonderful. I didn’t think anything so easy could be so good. This recipe will be repeated many times for my family and friends. Thanks!!!!
I make BBQ Pork all the time but we pour it over noodles.
Ruth Ann – so glad this easy meal worked out well for you! Thanks for checking in to let me know.
Mine is in the Crockpot! I will let you know how it turns out!
I made this the other night, soo good! I will be posting about it on my blog tomorrow, and of course linking back here
I had leftovers and mixed them with a crock pot mac and cheese that I made earlier this week. It was awesome! Thanks for a great (and easy) recipe idea!
This turned out fabulous! My hubby’s new fav! And it was super easy to make!
Thanks, paramedichick06! (By the way, can I call you Marcia?)
Thanks, Elizabeth! I love the idea of mixing the leftover pork with mac and cheese!
Jena is my first name
I’m planning on making your Andes Mint Brownies and Oatmeal Coconut Chewies for my husbands family reunion. Havent met many people on his side of the family yet. (were newlyweds) Do you think those are good choices to impress with?
Thanks!
Jena – yes, I think those are wonderful choices! Both are fantastic and have been huge crowd pleasers when I’ve made them. Good luck!
Its in the crock pot. Just pulled the buns out of the oven– can’t wait for dinner! Thanks!
Okay, that was delicious. Seriously yummy. And the buns turned out great (had a near disaster where I lost track of how many 1/2 cups of flour I’d put it… 3… or 4?? Must have guessed right!)
This BBQ sauce is THE. BEST. EVER. Thank you for keeping me from running out to the store for sauce, ever again!
Roslyn – so glad you like this homemade sauce!
Alisha – I wondered how this would turn out for you. Glad it was great…even with a near disaster!
I made the pulled pork a week ago, and it was a hit with everyone. My kids requested it again this week for dinner. I have some in the crock pot right now. Thanks for a fantastic, easy recipe!
Jarvi – good to know this recipe has been such a hit that you’ve made it twice now!
I just became a big fan of pulled pork about a year ago. Now I love collecting pulled pork recipes. Thanks for posting this! I made Crockpot Old South Pulled Pork on a Bun recently and it was delicious! Keep up the great work here!
Is there any particular kind of bbq sauce to buy??
Brandi – buy the brand you prefer. I like homemade but in a pinch, my husband won’t let me buy anything other than KC masterpiece original.
These were awesome! I used garlic salt instead of the regular salt and added a little chipotle chili powder for a bit of a kick. It was full of flavor and falling-apart, melt-in-your-mouth tender. Thanks for another awesome recipe Mel!
Aubrie – I love the idea of adding a little kick to this. Thanks for the tip!
Made this and the whole family LOVED it! Other crock pot recipes for pulled pork that I have tried have flopped. This is definitely a keeper, thanks for sharing. The recipe made enough for two dinners (family of4) and enough to freeze for an easy dinner later.
Alison – glad this BBQ pork trumped all the others you have tried! (And hallelujah for leftovers!)
OMG!!!! It’s been ages since we had pulled pork as we are Americans living in Australia! So good and easy!!! I make my own bbq sauce so it was very American!!! Also haven’t made homemade yeast breads in ages-but…these rolls were the best ever! Gourmet pulled-pork sandwiches. Truly a wonderful treat!
Thanks, Marian!
This is another good one to try!
Mel, do you know how many this will serve? I wanted to make this, but need to serve 15 people. Should I double this?
Thanks.
Jane – this serves probably around 8-10, depending on how you serve it and how much meat you put on each sandwich. If it were me, I would double it to serve 15.
We had this tonight for dinner, along with your to-die-for rolls. I only made half my pork loin, you know, just in case we weren’t huge fans. When will I learn that we are ALWAYS fans of the recipes from your blog! I’ve been plugging through different pulled pork recipes with no real luck…until now. This is my new go-to recipe when pulled pork calls our name. Thanks for another wonderufl recipe Melanie!!
PS-We LOVED the rolls too!
We’ve made this a few times over here and it always comes out great. I wanted to share my favorite way to do leftovers of it
Fairly simple BBQ pork quesadillas. I put a little shredded monetary jack or pepper jack cheese on a large flour tortilla, then top with the BBQ pork, a bit of cilantro and chopped red or green onion, then I put a little more shredded cheese for some extra “glue” and top with another tortilla. Fry it up and its the easiest dinner ever. I’ve even taken all the ingredients to work and slipped it in the toaster oven for lunch. Yeah, I make my co-workers jealous.
JJ – wow, sounds so delicious!
Mel – I let my pork shoulder cook for a good 10 hours in the crock pot on low, and it still wasn’t shredding like I’d hoped. Any tips on what I could do next time to get it to shred better?
Made the rolls, and they turned out wonderful! I’ve never really had any problems with your recipes before, so I was just wondering what was up with my pork shoulder?
Thanks! -suzi-
Suzi – that’s strange about your pork. Next time you might try cooking it for 8 hours on low and then cranking up to high for 2-3 more hours. Also, if the pork shoulder was really lean sometimes that can make the pork tough and not shred well. You want a bit of fat on the pork shoulder to help the meat get really tender. I hope you have better luck next time if you dare try again!
What did you serve with the BBQ pulled pork sandwiches for guests? Thanks and I love your recipes — delicious, practicle and kid friendly!
I am extremely picky when it comes to pulled pork… i have never been able to find a recipe that satisfies me till this! Love it
how many sandwiches does this make approximately??
April – I would say if you use small dinner-sized rolls, it makes upwards of 15-20 sandwiches, depending on how much meat you use per roll. I usually make a full batch and freeze half for another meal.
Mel, Theses sound so yummy, but I was also wondering if you could use chicken? I loved BBQ pulled chic too. I have never used liquid smoke so i was curious. Thanks!
Hi Krista – I think this recipe would convert quite well with chicken. I’d use the same amounts of everything. The liquid smoke just adds a nice…well…smokiness! So I think it would taste fine with chicken.
I was just wondering because I am a ditz when it comes to cuts of meat. Is it okay to use boston butt to make this recipe? I usually use it to make my normal pulled pork, but I just wanted to try something new. And is it a spicy recipe? Some of my family of eight likes spicy and the other half doesn’t. Any suggestions?
oh yeah! I have added you to my favorites so I can have easy access to your recipes, since you have gotten such high raves. Also, is there any recipes that you recommend that are low in carbs. I have to have a third back surgery, but have to lose some pounds in order to do it, being only 28 years old I have to find low carb recipes to help in this process, but they have to taste good. Any and all that are low carb would be greatly appreciated. ~Thanks in advance.
Looks incredible! Do you think the recipe could be adapted for a pressure cooker Mel?
KNAUS – I’ve never used a pressure cooker so I wouldn’t be able to say yes or no but if you are familiar with using one, you might be able to adapt.
Mel I was wondering if the bone in pork would work? I was in a super hurry at the store and grabbed the wrong one. Do I need to go back and buy a new one without the bone?
Rachael – yes, the bone-in should work. Just fish out the bone when shredding the pork (and there might be some other residual pieces of fat and gristle you’ll want to strain out, too).
Wow! That was amazingly good! Served with some
Steak fries and some Coleslaw.
I don’t have 8-10 hrs…could I do it in 5-6 hrs but put my crockpot on high? Btw, I’ve tried several of your recipes & they’re always fabulous! Thanks!
Mary – I’ve never tried it on high but it should work as long as your pork isn’t frozen or an overly large sized roast.
I love pulled pork sandwiches…one of my favorites with a coleslaw slathered on top. I always make mine with brown sugar in rub http://tiny.cc/kjk8w; and really love the sweetness it adds. Also gotta make sure that you have the right kind of rolls…or the sandwich just doesn’t come together right. Thanks for posting!!
score again! Cooked this over night as couldn’t figure out how to get it ready for kids with 10 hour cook time as they have desperate need to eat by 5pm meltdown time- and just tasted this morning- HEAVEN. Kids and husband are going to l-o-v-e-. Perfectly ready to go and easy reheat a dinner tonight! Thanks again Mel!
Going to try one of your recipes tonight..Hope it’s a winner
Seems that everyone is happy with your webpage…Will let you know how it turns out
Hi Mel,
I love this pulled pork and BBQ sauce, they are my go to recipes! I am making it this weekend for my sons 1st birthday party for 40 people! Do you have a recommendation for how much pork to make for that many people and how much BBQ sauce? And also how many days in advance can I make both? Sorry for so many questions! Any help you have I would appreciate it very much!
Hi Kelly – I know it sounds like a lot, but if you are serving 40, I would plan on about 12-14 pounds of meat (you’ll definitely want to split it up between a few slow cookers). One batch of the homemade BBQ sauce should be good for that amount of meat but if you want to be on the safe side, I’d 1 1/2 the BBQ sauce recipe to give you plenty. You can make the BBQ sauce easily two weeks in advance and the pork could probably be made the day before, refrigerated and reheated for the party. Hope that helps!
This is such a good recipe. I love it! Next month we’re making it for a family who needs delivered meals.
I love this pulled pork! My family loves it too!! We do the bar b Q on the side… so everyone gets the amount they need…. also, I added more liquid smoke…. Just sprinkled it all over the pork roast and rubbed it in with the salt and pepper… Mmmmmm! We made it exactly like the recipe the first couple of times and it was good also…. This is just the way we’ve adapted it to our family…. I highly suggest this yummy pulled pork!
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