This easy crock pot shredded pork tenderloin recipe makes healthy BBQ pulled pork tenderloin. Trim a pork tenderloin, coat it with BBQ rub, and a bit of liquid smoke in your slow cooker for 2-3 hours. You don't need a marinade or braising fluid. We enjoy delicious, moist, smoky pull pork for dinner or sliders for a small party.
🐖Ingredients
Pork tenderloin
Liquid smoke—good quality, recommended but not required
BBQ dry rub—brown sugar, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🐖Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Make Crockpot Shredded Pork Tenderloin —Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
- 🌡️When is pork tenderloin done and ready to shred?
- ✔️Tips and Variations
- 🥣Related Shredded and Pulled Pork Recipes
- 🍽️Serving
- ❄️How to store and reheat shredded pork tenderloin
- ❓FAQs
- 🐖About Pork Tenderloin
- 📖 Recipe
- Crock Pot Shredded Pork Tenderloin
Featured Comment by Sandi:
"I made this tonight, and it was just as described. It's super easy and very tasty. The meat was tender with a nice flavor. Everyone loved it, and it will be used again! Thank you!"
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You will love this pulled pork for some great BBQ sandwiches. Moist and tender, this shredded pork tenderloin is seasoned with a dry rub and only takes a few hours in a crock pot.
I think of this recipe as pulled pork for two—there is no need to make large amounts with leftovers for weeks. But you can easily scale up the amount to meet your needs.
Pork tenderloin is lean, so low and slow cooking is not needed. And it will fit a healthy diet like a low-calorie or low-fat diet or even a low-carb keto diet.
👨🍳How to Make Crockpot Shredded Pork Tenderloin —Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Trim and cut pork tenderloin into 5-6 pieces.
2. Mix a dry rub of brown sugar, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
3. Coat the trimmed pork tenderloin with liquid smoke (optional) and the rub
4. Place in the bottom of a 2-quart or larger crock pot. Cook on high for 2-3 hours until 155° and fork tender.
5. Shred the meat and mix it into the crock pot liquid.
6. Let it cook another 15-20 minutes on high before serving.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
🌡️When is pork tenderloin done and ready to shred?
The minimum safe temperature for pork tenderloin is 145°. But shedding needs to be a bit higher, usually 155°+.
Test it with a fork for "fork tender," when a fork can go in the meat and back out with little resistance. That is when it will shred the easiest.
✔️Tips and Variations
The thickness of a mass of pork will affect the cooking time. We prefer not to pile the chunks on top of others, or if you do, the cooking time will be longer. Please try to keep it to a single layer to help with cooking time and even out the cooking.
The liquid smoke is optional, but I love the smokiness it adds. But only use good-quality ingredients that list only water and smoke. I always use Hickory Wright's Liquid Smoke®️.
This works in a 2-quart crock pot, but I like to use a 3-4 quart size to stay in a single layer. But a bigger slow cooker will also work.
If the pork has been frozen, it may contain less moisture than a fresh tenderloin. If you need to, please add a bit of chicken broth after shredding.
The dry rub provides the seasoning, but you can use any pork rub you like. Check out BBQ Dry Rub, Chipotle BBQ Dry Rub, or Memphis Dry Rub.
🥣Related Shredded and Pulled Pork Recipes
For shredded pork loin, see Shredded Pork Loin in the Oven or Pulled Pork Loin in the Crock Pot. Or for pork butt, try Smoked Pulled Pork Butt on a Gas Grill, Oven Pulled Pork Butt, or Crock Pot Pulled Boston Butt.
Check out some other crock pot BBQ recipes, like Crock Pot BBQ Chicken and Baby Back Ribs in the crock pot.
🍽️Serving
Serve as a pulled pork sandwich on a hamburger bun with the barbecue sauce you like. I love the original sauce from Gates of Kansas City but frequently use my homemade Memphis BBQ Sauce. American Test Kitchen likes Bull's-Eye®️ Original BBQ Sauce.
It can also be used as tacos, nachos, or quesadillas.
Add coleslaw if you wish, then a side salad, potato salad, Homemade French Fries, Grilled Mixed Vegetables, Stove Top Mac and Cheese, or Microwave Corn on the Cob.
❄️How to store and reheat shredded pork tenderloin
Store leftovers in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 4 days. Or in a freezer for 3 months.
To reheat, cover in the oven with a few sprinkles of water until hot. Do not reheat in or cover with BBQ sauce. The meat will become mushy due to the acid in the BBQ sauce.
❓FAQs
BBQ sauce should be added at serving but not during cooking or reheating.
BBQ sauce has acid due to the vinegar base. This will deteriorate the texture of pulled pork from a tenderloin or pork butt, especially when heated.
Use a large crock pot and make a double or triple recipe. If you need more than one layer of pork, it will take longer to cook.
No. This recipe is for pork tenderloin. For butt and loin recipes, please see the Related Recipes section above.
🐖About Pork Tenderloin
The tenderloin refers to the psoas muscle along the lower back. It is chicken tenders in the chicken or beef tenderloin (filet mignon) in cattle. The psoas muscle is generally the most tender cut since it is not used for movement.
A pork tenderloin is not a pork loin. Shredding a pork loin requires a braising technique.
📖 Recipe
Crock Pot Shredded Pork Tenderloin
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound pork tenderloin - one whole
- 2 tablespoons dry rub of your choice
- 1 teaspoon liquid Smoke—optional but recommended - Wrights preferred
Use my BBQ dry rub or season of your choice
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Start with pork tenderloin. Trim off extra fat and the silver skin and cut into 5-6 pieces of about equal size.
- If using the included dry rub, mix 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon each black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- In a larger bowl, coat the pork with liquid smoke (optional) and coat the pieces with the dry rub.
- Place the meat in the bottom of a 2 quart or larger crock pot. Cook on high for 2-3 hours. Check the pork at 2 hours to see if it will shred easily—it should be over 155° and fork tender. You may need to cook up to 1 hour longer.
- Shred the meat and mix it into the crock pot liquid. Let it cook another 15-20 minutes on high before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- Be sure you use pork tenderloin and not pork loin for this recipe.
- You don’t have to cut the pork tenderloin into chunks, but it will take longer to cook and result in very long pork stands after shredding.
- Bad liquid smoke is worse than no liquid smoke. Use Wright's or skip this ingredient.
- Keep the pork in a single layer to help faster and even cooking.
- This fits in a 2-quart crock pot but will be a single layer in a 3-4 quart crock pot. I suggest a large crock pot for a double batch.
- Add the BBQ sauce you like at serving, but do not store or reheat the shredded pork in the sauce. It will affect the texture.
- Good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and frozen for 3-4 days.
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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This recipe is featured in Pulled Pork Recipes without a Smoker and Smaller Crock Pot Recipe Roundup
Editors Note: Originally Published July 13, 2014. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Terese says
Excellent way to cook that doesn't take 6 hours and it turned out great thank you
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Terese,
Welcome to the blog and sorry for the delayed response.
I do like this recipe. It is tender like all tenderloin and doesn't make so much I need to freeze things.
Glad it worked well for you.
Thanks so much for the note and rating.
Dan
Mari says
Hi! This looks amazing. I have a question... I roasted pork tenderloin last night and it's dry! I don't want to toss it, so I wanted to make this, how would you recommend I do it? Add a bit of water with the spices and maybe some BBQ sauce?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Mari,
Welcome to the blog.
You will definitely need to add some moisture. This recipe depends on the moisture already in the meat for the cooking.
If the meat is already cooked and dry, there may not be much rescuing it. Maybe shred and just add a few oz of chicken broth and the spices, then low for an hour and see if it comes back or if you just want to trash it. BBQ sauce just at the end.
That may or may not help.
Dan
Trish says
Tried it. Add my own spices to it as well. Very moist and tender. Turned out fantastic!
DrDan says
Hi Trish,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Jeanette says
My sister makes this recipe all the time. It is a great recipe. I have a question though. I am making this pulled pork for 20-25 guests. There will be lots of other dishes. I will be using 6 pork tenderloins. Any idea on how long to cook?
DrDan says
Hi Jeanette,
Welcome to the blog.
I don't think this is the recipe for you really. You would need about 10 pounds for that many people, so 6-8 tenderloins.
I would suggest https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/oven-pulled-pork-from-pork-butt/. It will be real pulled pork (not "fake" like this one) and is great. Use two 4-5 pound pork butts and separate on the pan in the oven. About 10 hours plus or minus.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Marian Manzo says
I had a one and a half pound pork tenderloin in my freezer didn't know what to do with it. Then I thought, I loved pulled pork let me see if I can do it with the pork tenderloin in the Crock-Pot.. I looked at several recipes on-line then I chose yours. It is absolutely perfect. I followed it exactly, except I did use a large crock pot but it did not change the cook time. The seasoning is absolutely perfect I will never make pulled. pork any other way! Thank you so much!!
Ann says
My crockpot is 6qt. My pork is 2.77lbs. Keep with 2 hour cook time?
Thank you
DrDan says
Hi Ann,
Welcome to the blog.
First be sure we are talking pork tenderloin and not pork loin. I have never seen a pork tenderloin that big. This will not work with pork loin.
Assuming you are using two tenderloins. Yep, use the bigger crock pot and double the spices. Cooking time will be about the same 2 hours on high.
Dan
Shannon Zamora says
Your recipe says high for temp. My crock pot has temp settings and the highest setting is 400. Will that be too high for 2 hours?
DrDan says
Hi Shannon,
I have never seen a crockpot like that. You may have a roaster instead. They tend to be bigger and use degrees not settings. But whatever,
On low most crock pots are about 200 degrees or at least under boiling. On high crock pots should run the same max temperature but just get there faster leading to faster cooking time.
For you, pick 225 and see what happens.
Dan
Lisa Kane says
So glad I found this! I tried it last night and it turned out great :) The meat is tender and juicy and nicely flavored. We all like a different sauce in my house, one likes no sauce at all, so this is really perfect. We just finish on the bun with sauce if desired!
I used a larger crockpot for 2 tenderloins. I think it's important to cut it into chunks and have enough room in the crock so they aren't crowded. I mixed the seasonings in a bowl and rolled each piece of meat in them until they were all covered. Also, my crock has a "dual" setting, so it cooked on high for an hour or so then switched to low for the last few hours. I started it at about noon and didn't get home until 4, it was perfect.
Deena says
The nutritional facts, is that for the whole pot or what is an actual serving size?
Deena says
Nevermind! found it.
Joanne says
Left meat in for 2 hours still tough, so set for additional hour. Hope this works. Any advice?
DrDan says
How big is the pork tenderloin and how big is the crock pot?
Lindsay says
If I wanted to double the recipe in this size crockpot what would you suggest cooking time wise? Thanks great recipe!
DrDan says
Hi Lindsay,
I violate the 2/3 full rule for crock pots here. I like this recipe to be mostly if not all in contact with the bottom of the pot. So I would use a 6-7 qt. pot for double.
Dan
Brianna says
Do i need any liquids in to crock pot? Will it burn without liquids?
DrDan says
No additional liquid needed. The liquid from the meat is enough.
DrDan
Stephanie says
I'm wondering if the crockpot size is really important. I tried this in a bigger crockpot and the pork was far from shreddable after two hours
DrDan says
I think the size is somewhat important probably due to heating the air faster. Cook it longer probably 30 to 60 minutes longer. Check it a few times. There is probably also some issues with variability between crock pots.
DrDan
Lindsey says
Love this one as well. its a regular on our meal rotation
DrDan says
Thanks for the note and rating. It does make a great sandwich.
DrDan
Laura R says
This works great! One day a while back I accidentally discovered that pork tenderloin shreds nice after a sit in the crock pot. I like the spices you used, will definitely try that over my previous dumping of a bottled BBQ sauce. I bet the leftover meat would make great nachos!
Pat says
This recipe looks yummy. Thanks!