This incredibly easy Crock Pot Pulled Pork recipe is made with pork butt (a.k.a. Boston butt). My method uses no liquid or searing—just a pork butt and a simple BBQ dry rub—add some liquid smoke if you want. A few minutes of prep time, then cook low and slow in your slow cooker for wonderfully moist and tender pulled pork.
🐖Ingredients
Pork butt—raka Boston butt
Liquid smoke—optional but suggested
BBQ dry rub—your own OR mine: brown sugar, kosher salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🐖Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Cook Crock Pot Pulled Pork from Pork Butt (aka Boston Butt)—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
- 👍Make it right every time
- 📋Related recipes you will love
- 🍽️Serving Pulled Pork
- ❓What BBQ sauce is best for pulled pork?
- ❄️How to store pulled pork.
- ♨️How to reheat pulled pork
- ❓FAQs
- 🐖What are Boston butt, pork butt, and pork shoulder
- 📖 Recipe
- Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Featured Comment by LK:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This is the best recipe I have ever used for pork in the crock-pot and I have tried many through the years adding liquids of all sorts. Using dry rub seasoning and the aluminum foil balls cooked the pork perfectly."
The best-pulled pork is made from a pork butt cooked low and slow to melt all the delicious connective tissue for a moist and tender result. Use it for BBQ sandwiches, sliders, or great Mexican tacos, burritos, and nachos.
I like to cook pork butt in dryer heat like grills, ovens, or smokers. Not braised in cola, broth, or other liquids. It is not cooked in the drained liquid fat, so my foil balls will elevate the pork roast.
Perfect for game-day parties and family gatherings. Or cook a smaller pork butt and freeze some for later.
👨🍳How to Cook Crock Pot Pulled Pork from Pork Butt (aka Boston Butt)—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Prepare a large crock pot with six aluminum foil balls to keep the pork from draining.
2. Use the dry rub of your choice or make the suggested rub.
3. Pat dry the pork butt and then coat it with about 2 tablespoons of good-quality liquid smoke.
4. Generously apply the BBQ dry rub.
5. Place on the foil balls and cook covered on low undisturbed for 8-10 hours.
6. Cook until internal temp of 195° minimum—but 200°-205° is preferred—usually 8 to 10 hours.
7. Wrap tight with aluminum foil, then wrap with several towels. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes, but 2-3 hours is fine if wrapped well. Shred with forks. It will fall apart.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
👍Make it right every time
Use a 3-4 pound pork butt, with or without bone. Bone-in may take a bit longer to cook.
Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours until you reach 195°+ (200°-205° preferred). 190° is the absolute minimum, but it will not be as good. You can also cook on high, decreasing the cooking time.
Elevate to pork butt out of the drainage with a small rack or crumpled aluminum foil. The fat pad may go up or down; it does not matter.
You will get 3-4 servings per pound. Large butts will take longer to cook, but it will work if it fits without touching the sides.
Optionally, wet the pork with liquid smoke or mustard and then apply a pork rub of your choice—a suggested rub is in the recipe card if you don't have one.
Wrap tightly in heavy foil for 15 minutes or more before shredding. The pork will stay hot for 2 to 3 hours if well-wrapped, which will help in timing.
📋Related recipes you will love
Oven Baked Pulled Pork Butt
Oven Pulled Pork from pork butt is cooked in the oven low and slow. Our best-pulled pork recipe is tender and moist with delicious bark. Super easy, with almost no work—you rub, bake at 250° for 8 to 9 hours, shred, and eat.
Smoked Pulled Pork on a Gas Grill
Cooking smoked pulled pork butt low and slow on your backyard gas grill is easier than you think. With just a pork butt roast (AKA Boston butt), a dry rub, and wood chips, you can make juicy BBQ pulled pork with fantastic crusty bark and smoky flavor.
Check out other pork butt recipes, like Oven Baked Pork Carnitas and Crock Pot Carnitas. Also, check out my other dry rubs like Chipotle BBQ Dry Rub, Memphis Dry Rub Recipe, and BBQ Dry Rub for Ribs, Pork, Beef, and More.
See the Pulled Pork Recipe Roundup for recipes using pork tenderloin and loin for shredded pulled pork.
🍽️Serving Pulled Pork
The most common serving method is pulled pork sandwiches with buns or slices of bread but a pile of pork with some sauce on a plate if you want to skip the bread. Other options are casseroles, pork tacos, or pork enchiladas. But serve your pulled pork any way you want.
Side dishes: The usual coleslaw, potato chips, and potato salad are the standards. Hot sides like potato casseroles, convection oven French fries, stovetop mac & cheese, and baked beans are favorites.
❓What BBQ sauce is best for pulled pork?
Barbecue sauce is a lot about personal taste. A sweeter BBQ sauce like Kansas City or Memphis sauce is excellent. There are also Carolina vinegar-based sauces and many Texas and other BBQ sauces. Use your favorite.
Try my homemade Memphis Barbecue Sauce. This sauce always disappears first at parties, and others are left untouched. I commonly use Gate's Kansas City sauce and Cooks Illustrated like Bull's-eye Original or Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce.
One quick reminder: do not reheat pork butt in BBQ sauce. The acid in it will destroy the texture of the pulled pork. Always add any sauce at the time of serving.
❄️How to store pulled pork.
Pulled pork is good refrigerated for 3-4 days, but two days is preferred since the texture suffers.
Leftovers can be sealed airtight in the freezer and frozen for 4 months. Many people freeze the pork in reheatable sealed bags and then reheat those in boiling water.
♨️How to reheat pulled pork
Reheat pulled pork on a sheet pan in an oven. Sprinkle with water, apple juice, or chicken broth (don’t overdo it). Cover tightly with foil and put it into the oven at 250° to 300° until hot. The time varies by how you shredded it and the amount on the tray—usually about 45 minutes in the oven.
You can then turn the oven down (keep it covered) or transfer it to a crock pot on low to keep warm. I know that is not very exact, but you get the idea.
Never reheat pulled pork in or with sauce applied—the acid in the sauce will destroy the texture.
❓FAQs
No, but good-quality liquid smoke enhances the results. You could also coat it with mustard if you want. Or use the dry rub alone.
If you use liquid smoke, please only use one with water and smoke listed as ingredients and nothing else. Cheap liquid will ruin this. I use Wright's.
No liquid is needed to cook pulled pork in the slow cooker. Liquid will change the texture of the "bark" you get with the dry rub.
There must be some time for the fluid and melted connective tissue to reabsorb into the meat cells.
Wrap with foil and a couple of towels, then let the fluid absorb for at least 15 minutes, but 1 to 2 hours is better.
To help timing, you can delay shedding time by up to 3 hours by wrapping the foil-sealed butt in multiple towels and a small cooler.
It's not a good idea—it will not shred well. It is better to shred correctly while hot.
Some crock pots won't do it. Do not try to shred pork butt that did not reach at least 190° because the connective tissue is not fully melted and will not be good. Get to 195°, but 200° to 205° is better.
You can move the pork butt to a 250°-300° oven on a tray and finish cooking uncovered in the oven if your crock pot can not get to the suggested internal temperature.
🐖What are Boston butt, pork butt, and pork shoulder
Pork butt and Boston butt are the same thing and are the best cut of pork to make great pulled pork due to the fat, marbling, and connective tissue content. The clear plate (a thin muscle above the butt) is occasionally included with the pork butt and is prized for its moisture and tenderness.
Boston butt and pork shoulder are not the same things, although many people use the terms interchangeably. To add to the confusion, the name "pork shoulder" also refers to a primal cut with two major subprimal parts, the Boston butt and the picnic shoulder (AKA pork shoulder.)
The pork butt is above the picnic shoulder in the pork shoulder primal cut. While the whole primal cut is well-marbled and tough meat, the butt area has more connective tissue to melt and is the cut of choice for pulled pork and carnitas.
📖 Recipe
Crock Pot Pulled Pork
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Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds Pork Butt, aka Boston Butt - boneless or bone-in
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke - good quality
- 1 cup BBQ dry rub
My BBQ dry rub if you don't have one
- ½ cup dark brown sugar - light will do
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt - I tend to decrease this some
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Start with a 3-4 pounds boneless or bone-in pork butt.
- Prep a large crock pot with six balls of aluminum foil. Make about 2-inch balls of foil, then squish to 1 inch high and arrange in the bottom of the crock pot.
- You can use the dry rub of your choice or make the suggested rub: ½ cup dark brown sugar, 3 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Stir together in a small bowl.
- Optional but recommended—pat dry the pork butt and then coat with about 2 tablespoons of good-quality liquid smoke.
- Generously apply the rub. At this point, you could wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight or cook it right away.
- Place on the foil balls and cook on low undisturbed for 8-10 hours.
- Bake until the internal temperature is 195° (190 ° at a minimum)—about 8-10 hours, but this will vary slightly with the thickness of the meat and the crock pot. If you can reach 200°-205°, the results will be better. Remove the meat from the crock pot onto a large sheet of heavy-duty foil.
- Wrap tight with aluminum foil, then wrap with several towels. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes, but 2-3 hours is fine if wrapped well. Shred with forks. It will fall apart.
- Serve as pulled pork sandwiches or any way you wish, like tacos or nachos.
Recipe Notes
Pro Notes:
- This is an all-day recipe.
- This is for about a 3-4 pound pork butt, but if it fits in the crock pot without touching the sides, it will work. But the time will be much longer.
- Bone-in or boneless does not matter. And fat pad up or down does not matter.
- I suggest a good-quality liquid smoke, but you can skip it if you prefer. You can also use mustard.
- Use a rub of your choice. I provided a suggested rub. You may decrease the salt if you want.
- Done is really 200°-205°, but some crock pots just can't reach that temperature. Don't settle for under 190°; try for at least 195°, but higher is better.
- If your crock pot does not reach the correct temperature, move it to a 250° oven on a tray with sides to finish.
- Do not shred immediately. Wrap with foil and let the fluid absorb for at least 15 minutes, but 1-2 hours is better.
- You can delay shedding time by 2-3 hours by wrapping the foil-sealed butt in multiple towels and a small cooler if you have one.
- It would be good if refrigerated for up to 4 days, but I would prefer 2 days since the texture seems to suffer. It will freeze well for 4 months.
- Reheating instructions are in the recipe post above.
- Never reheat with sauce applied; the acid will destroy the texture.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally Published April 9, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
LK Dandeneau says
This is the best recipe I have ever used for pork in the crock-pot and I have tried many through the years adding liquids of all sorts. Using dry rub seasoning and the aluminum foil balls cooked the pork perfectly. The first time I didn't have liquid smoke, and it didn't matter, it still cooked beautifully. Superb!
Dee says
Hi Dr. Dan - great recipe! Any suggestions on what to do with the juices left in the bottom of the crock pot after cooking the pork? Any way to make a gravy or BBQ sauce out of it?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Dee,
Welcome to the blog. I do love pulled pork...
It is mostly fat so you could make gravy but it would have a BBQ twang to it so I don't see that as useful. I have never seen anybody use it for anything. I toss paper towels in it and then disgard.
Dan
Weezer says
Made this today and it was awesome! Came out absolutely perfect! Followed the instructions exactly! Thank you so much for the step by step instructions and the pictures too! This is going to be on the menu often! Mind blowing!
Pork butt was 4.6 lbs and it took 8 hours and 40 minutes to reach 209F degrees.
Wrapped it in foil and towel for several hours. Hub shredded it and just wonderful!
Thank you!
Nancy says
very good
Leslie says
I gave this method a try and agree that this is the BEST pulled pork I’ve ever made in my slow cooker!! The foil balls in the bottom is a game changer. No more soggy pork sandwiches!
Trisha says
I've followed this recipe exactly.
Two times ...
1st time Boneless
2nd time with Bone
OMG how delicious 😋
1st time did the rub & left it overnight
2nd time did the rub & put it in the slow cooker immediately.
BOTH times excellent
What an easy & tasty pulled pork recipe.
Not to mention the awesome aroma in my house all day as it cooked.
Thank you xx
Patricia says
I don’t understand how to make this so it isn’t cooking in liquid. I didn’t put liquid in the slow cooker, but when I checked on it at 7 hours it was swimming in it’s released juices. It was 2/3 covered with liquid. Should I have been draining out liquid every hour?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Patricia,
Welcome to the blog.
I will jump in here. Since you added nothing liquid, all if it had to come from the meat.
1) Be sure you have the meat elevated on that balls of foil. That should allow space or a few cups of fluid before getting up to the meat. Be sure not to "flatten" the foil balls. They are there to elevate.
2) The most fluid I have had is about 1 1/2 cups. If the pork butt had been previously frozen, it is possible that the cells were damaged and released more fluid (a bit). Also, if the pork butt was injected for more flavor, that would add fluid drainage.
3) A very large pork butt in a smaller crockpot may not have much space for the drainage.
Hope that helps. You shouldn't need to drain while cooking.
Dan
Laurie P says
This recipe is fantastic! This was my first time cooking this type of meat and it came out sooo good!! I substituted the chili powder for paprika and I didn't have kosher salt, so used regular - but just 1 tbs! Mine was just over 6 pounds and it cooked in the crockpot on low for 11 hours and 15 minutes and was 195 - (I would have let it cook a little more, per your suggestion for a doneness temp, but worked around when to have supper on the table - and wanted to give it time to rest! I let it rest for 1/2 an hour wrapped in the foil. This came out so good, my family said it was like the winner from a contest!! Also, the foil balls were a great idea!!
Cynthia Cole says
Excellent! I substituted maple syrup for the brown sugar, as others suggested. Used the juice to cook rice as a side dish. Delicious!
Maria Rodriguez says
Hi Dan,
Reading the blog about the crockpot above was a revelation. My crockpot is over 15 years old. This explains why things get done faster than I expected. Of course, I woke up this morning at 5 to put my pork in and by 10:45 it was at 210°, about 3 hours sooner than anticipated!
Anyway, the foil balls was brilliant and my pork is absolutely perfect. Currently resting wrapped in foil and towels in a cooler for a bit longer than was planned!
Just signed up for your emails and look forward to making more of your recipes. And yes, will now be purchasing an Instapot to replace the crockpot, rice cooker, and pressure cooker!
Thanks!
maria
Darice T says
Great method and recipe. I made enough for two meals for us. Last night as we eating dear husband asked when I was going to make it again. DELICIOUS! The best I've ever had!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Darice,
Welcome to the blog.
I do love pulled pork and this recipe so easy and makes a manageable amount.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Nic says
Can I do this with a 9.8 pound piece of bone-in pork shoulder?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Nic,
Welcome to the blog.
Yes, just think of the crock pot as a small oven. If it fits it will work. But let's qualify that a bit. I would prefer the meat not touching the sides and it will take a LONG time. You are cooking to a final internal temperature, not by time here.
The oven recipe may be better for a large shoulder. https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/oven-pulled-pork-from-pork-butt/
Dan
D says
All I have to say is WOW. I used a boneless pork butt, used some maple syrup, liquid smoke and spices as my rub, and just WOW. This is not only a great crock pot pulled pork, but a fantastic pulled pork over all! Thank you!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi D,
Welcome to the blog and sorry for the delayed response.
It is surprising how good this is for a crock pot recipe but all the credit goes to the meat, pork butt is just a great thing as long as you apply heat in a long and slow manner. Something that a crock pot is great at.
Thanks so much for the note.
Dan
Jessica says
I have made this recipe 3 weeks in a row— my husband keeps requesting it! He’s from the south and said this is the best crock pot pulled pork he’s ever had due to its juicy tenderness and simple-yet-satisfying flavor. We use boneless pork shoulder from WinCo, and season with Trader Joe’s BBQ Coffee Rub. We have not added liquid smoke, but will be trying that soon. We sometimes top with BBQ sauce, but the pork is so great on its own that we often eat it as-is straight out of the crock pot. Thank you for the delicious and easy recipe! Highly recommend to all my friends!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Jessica,
Welcome to the blog and sorry for the delayed reply.
I do love good pulled pork butt. It is still amazing to me that a crock pot can do this so well. I just did the oven version yesterday.
Glad it is working for you and thanks so much for the note and rating.
Dan
Lauren says
Made this and it turned out great! However, lesson of the day is to know your Crockpot. I cooked a 6 pounder and was fully expecting at least 9-10 hours based on your time for 3 pounds. It was done in 7 (cooked on low) so here I am at 6 am with fully done pork! My crockpot seems to run hot and most recipes only need 4-5 hours on low when they call for 7-8. Or it could be that newer crockpots are just more efficient (mine is from 2016). Next time I may alter between low and warm just to keep things slow, but today I guess I will have extremely rested pork for our family lunch!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Lauren,
Welcome to the blog.
Yep, knowing your crock pot can be very important. I have had good luck wrapping the pork with several layers of foil and multiple towels and then into a cooler. It has stayed hot for 4-5 hours.
A 2016 crock pot should usually be good. I suspect your thermostat is broken. Most of the trouble with very hot pots were produced 10+ yrs ago.
Those old crock pots were an adventure in cooking. Most did not have any sort of internal thermostat and just got hotter the longer they were plugged in. They could reach over 300 degrees.
Current crock pots should not get over 212 degrees on either high or low. High and low has more to do with timing to get to the top temp. At least that is how they should work but many don’t. But still better than the old timers.
Enjoy your pork,
Dan
Andrea K. Chellberg says
I used a 7 pound butt ;) and cut the bone out, did the rub as suggested without the liquid smoke and refrigerated it overnight. It's been in the Crock-Pot with the foil balls on high for almost three hours. Soon I'll put it on low for a few hours and wrap it in foil as suggested for 15 min to an hour. Because of the chili powder it's smelling like a taco filling to me so that is how I will be serving it tonight. I'm excited to try this as both tacos and bbq sandwiches another night.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Andrea,
Welcome to the blog.
Please be sure to get the internal temperature to at least 185 but 190 plus is better.
Dan
Susan says
Smoked butt is generally a 16-hour project in our smoker, so we thought we'd give this easy method a try. I started with a 4.5 pound bone-in butt and followed your instructions, sprinkling on a generous layer of out standard Memphis Dust rub after coating the meat with liquid smoke. After a night in the fridge, I added a bit more rub as some had come off on the plastic wrap. Then into the slow cooker on the foil balls. After eight hours on "low," the meat temperature was 185, and two additional hours only resulted in a two degree increase. We were using an instant read Thermapen through the hole for a probe so never opened the lid. We decided to raise the temperature to "high," and an hour later the meat had achieved the perfect internal temperature of 205. After an hour wrapped in foil, the butt shredded easily. We degreased the liquid in the crockpot and added just a little liquid smoke since the meat was great but didn't have a smoky flavor. We will do this again!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Susan,
Welcome to the blog.
I always look at this recipe and I'm still surprised how well it works. I do the oven version a little more but they are both just so wasy for the results you get.
Glad it works well for you.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan