Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork Recipe

This Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork Recipe is an easy and delicious autumn dinner loved by the whole family. Simmered low and slow in a flavorful mixture of spices, Apple Cider, and onions, the result is tender, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork perfect for sandwiches, salads, and tacos. 

Apple Cider Pulled Pork 

After making a very large batch of pretty irresistible homemade apple cider, I thought it would be fun to put some of those delicious fall flavors to work and make an easy slow cooker pulled pork. With a child still refusing bbq sauce half the time (consistency is dead) I thought I would give this savory apple spiced version a go.

You guys, apple cider pulled pork is officially my new favorite and one that is loved by the whole family.

Savory and sweet, but not so overwhelming that the naturally delicious pork flavor gets forgotten among masses of sugar and salt.

Serve on a toasted bun with a light and easy homemade apple slaw or piled onto tortillas and made into tacos!

Ingredients in Apple Cider Pulled Pork

To make this apple cider pulled pork recipe, you’ll need:

• Boneless Pork Shoulder (Pork Butt or Boston Butt) – This is the classic cut of pork that you’d want to use when making pulled pork. Somewhat fattier (and therefore more flavorful) when compared to a top loin boneless roast. I will typically buy a 5-pound piece of boneless pork shoulder and ask my local butcher to truss it with kitchen twine.
• Spices – Deciding to keep the spices relatively simple and on-theme with the cooler fall weather I added smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, salt, and pepper. 
• Yellow onions – I’m a pretty big fan of onions- especially onions that have been cooked and roasted low and slow until they practically melt in your mouth. If you prefer not to “see” the onions, simply dice them into small pieces, or leave them out altogether. 
• Dijon mustard – The mustard is added for flavor, but such a small amount is added when compared to pork shoulder and apple cider that it’s more of a pleasant lingering afterthought.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic is a must.
• Fresh thyme – If you can’t find fresh thyme, substitute with half a teaspoon of dried thyme.
• Apple cider – I added homemade apple cider in this recipe. Less sweet and more spiced than apple juice, apple cider is the perfect fall-spiced base.
• Apple cider vinegar – The apple cider vinegar gives it a little tang while also cutting through the sweetness.

How to make Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork

To make this apple cider pulled pork you’ll need a 7-quart slow cooker.

1. Prepare the dry rub and truss the pork. In a small bowl mix together the salt, pepper, paprika, and cinnamon. Truss your pork along its length (on your own or ask your local butcher) using kitchen twine, leaving approximately 2-inches between each section. 
2. Season the pork. Sprinkle the dry rub over the entire surface of the pork and use your fingers to rub into the pork, coating evenly. To save time the day of cooking, prepare and coat the pork butt the night before.
3. Prepare slow cooker. Add the sliced onions to a large slow cooker and mix with the mustard, garlic, and fresh thyme. Add the prepared pork directly on top of the onions. Add the apple cider and apple cider vinegar.
4. Cook. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours.
5. Shred the pork. Use scissors to carefully cut and remove all twine from the pork. Discard. Allow pork to cool for several minutes before using two large forks (or your hands) to shred into chunks. Be careful as the pork will be very hot! You may shred the pork directly in the slow cooker with the onions and sauce or remove from the slow cooker to shred and transfer the sauce and onions to a small pot over medium heat to reduce until thickened. Once reduced to the desired thickness, transfer back to the slow cooker and mix to combine with the pork.

Can this Pulled Pork Recipe be cooked in the oven?

Yes! Pulled pork, including this apple cider version, can be cooked in the oven. Instead of a slow cooker, you’ll need a large Dutch oven, approximately 7.5 quarts or larger.

1. Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Prepare the pork and dry rub and season the pork. Chop pork into large chunks so that it fits into your Durch oven. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the salt, pepper, paprika, and cinnamon (trussing the pork here is not necessary). 
3. Season the pork. Sprinkle the dry rub over the entire surface of the pork and use your fingers to rub into the pork, coating evenly. To save time the day of cooking, prepare and coat the pork butt the night before.
4. Sear the pork. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in your large Dutch oven. Add the pork and sear on all sides, taking care not to let the spices burn. Repeat until all pork has been seared.
5. Remove the pork and cook the onion. Remove the seared pork to a clean plate. Add an additional tablespoon of olive oil to the Dutch oven and add the onions. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes or until starting to soften.
6. Return the pork and bake. Return from heat and stir in the mustard, garlic, and fresh thyme. Add the seared pork back to the Dutch oven and pour the apple cider around the pork chunks. Cover with a lid and cook for approximately 3 hours, or until just turning tender. Remove the lid and continue to cook until the pork pulls apart easily with a fork.
7. Shred. Allow pork to cool for several minutes before using two large forks (or your hands) to shred into chunks. Be careful as the pork will be very hot!

Tips and Tricks

• Boneless Pork Shoulder is, undoubtedly, the best cut of pork for pulled pork. Boston Butt, however, is the ideal pick as it is the upper part of the shoulder.
• Season the pork before cooking. Of course, you can always adjust the seasoning after it has been cooked and shredded, but for best results, rub a generous amount of seasoning over the entire surface of the pork shoulder before adding to your slow cooker.
• It’s better to overcook your pork than undercook. For safety reasons, you want to make sure that your pork shoulder is, at the very least, completely cooked. However, for pulled pork, the ideal temperature should reach 195 degrees F. Use a digital meat thermometer to easily know when your meats have finished cooking.
• Allow your meat to rest for at least 15 minutes before shredding. Aside from the fact that you’ll probably burn your fingers off, giving your meat a chance to rest gives it a proper chance to permeate and absorb all those flavors.
• Enjoy the leftovers! You may even freeze leftovers for up to 3 months!

For more pork recipes, check out:

• Pork Green Chili Recipe with White Beans
• Instant Pot Pork Green Chili Stew
• Pork Chops with Apples and Butternut Squash
• Apple Balsamic Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin
• Cambodian Pork and Cucumber Soup
• Easy Pork Chops with Blueberry Apple Compote

If you try this Apple Cider Pulled Pork Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.

RECIPE CARD

Apple Cider Pulled Pork Recipe

4.83 from 40 votes

AuthorAuthor: Jessica Randhawa

This Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork is an easy and delicious autumn dinner loved by the whole family. Simmered low and slow in a flavorful mixture of spices, Apple Cider, and onions, the result is tender, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork perfect for sandwiches, salads, and tacos. 

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories 414 kcal

Equipment

• Slow Cooker

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the Apple Cider Pulled Pork

• ▢ 5 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
• ▢ 2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 2 yellow onions - sliced
• ▢ 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 6 cloves garlic - minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh thyme -

  chopped with tough woody stems removed

• ▢ 2.5 cups apple cider
• ▢ ¼ cup apple cider vinegar

For the Apple Cabbage Slaw

• ▢ 2 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• ▢ 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ▢ ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ½ grapefruit - juiced
• ▢ 2 apples -

  (I used Granny Smith), chopped into thin matchsticks

• ▢ 1 green cabbage - shredded
• ▢ ¼ cup parsley - chopped
• ▢ 1 cup green onions - chopped

For Serving

• ▢ Sandwich Buns - (as many as needed)

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Instructions

 

For the Apple Cider Pulled Pork

• Prepare the dry rub and truss the pork. In a small bowl mix together the salt, pepper, paprika, and cinnamon. Truss your pork along its length (on your own or ask your local butcher) using kitchen twine, leaving approximately 2-inches between each section. Sprinkle the dry rub over the entire surface of the pork and use your fingers to rub into the pork, coating evenly.
• Prepare slow cooker. Add the sliced onions to a large slow cooker and mix with the mustard, garlic, and fresh thyme. Add the prepared pork directly on top of the onions and add the apple cider and apple cider vinegar.
• Cook. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours.
• Shred the pork. Use scissors to carefully cut and remove all twine from the pork. Discard. Allow pork to cool for several minutes before using two large forks (or your hands) to shred into chunks. Be careful as the pork will be very hot! You may shred the pork directly in the slow cooker with the onions and sauce or remove from the slow cooker to shred and transfer the sauce and onions to a small pot over medium heat to reduce until thickened. Once reduced to desired thickness, transfer back to the slow cooker and mix to combine with the pork.

For the Apple Cabbage Slaw

• Prepare the dressing. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the whole grain mustard, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and grapefruit juice. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
• Combine the salad. In a large mixing bowl combine the shredded cabbage, apples, parsley, and chopped green onion. Drizzle with the prepared dressing and toss well to combine. Set aside.

Prepare the Sandwiches

• Slice and toast sandwich buns. 
• Place a generous scoop of the shredded pork onto the bottom bun and top with an equally generous scoop of the apple cider slaw. Top with the top half of the sandwich bun. Best enjoyed immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 65g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 754mg | Potassium: 1215mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 226IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 3mg

(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)

Keyword Apple Cider Pulled Pork

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