There’s nothing quite like a slow-cooked, tender, juicy shredded pork. It’s versatile and freezes well, so I love making a big batch of this Chili Rubbed Pulled Pork to keep on hand for quick dinners later. This heavily spiced pulled pork has become one of my favorites over the years and is probably one of my most cooked recipes. It’s just too easy, with the slow cooker doing all the work, and the results are soooo delicious!
Use a Slow Cooker for Tender, Moist Meat
Pulled pork is super easy to make, especially if you have a slow cooker. Slow cooking holds in all the moisture during cooking and slowly breaks down connective tissue, so the meat is so tender that it just falls apart and shreds with the touch of a fork. Combine those spectacular results with the fact that slow cookers are essentially hands off, and this is, without dispute, my favorite way to make pulled pork.
How To Use Chili Rubbed Pulled Pork
This delicious shredded meat can be used so many different ways. Pile the pork into rice bowls, burritos, quesadillas, tacos, or just enjoy on a bun. I also love using it to top salads for an extra shot of protein.
Freeze the Extras
This makes a BIG batch, so keep some in your fridge for the week and freeze the rest. To freeze the pulled pork, divide the pork into more manageable portions (I usually do 1-2 cup portions), then chill it completely in the refrigerator overnight. Transfer the pork to the freezer once completely cooled and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Any freezer safe container works.
Chili Rubbed Pulled Pork
Servings 6 (1/2 cup each)Ingredients
- 3 lbs. boneless pork butt or shoulder ($4.47)
- 2 Tbsp chili powder* ($0.60)
- 1 Tbsp smoked paprika ($0.30)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder ($0.05)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
Instructions
- Combine the chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper in a bowl.
- Cut the pork butt into 2-3 inch cubes. Place the pork cubes in a large bowl, sprinkle the prepared spice mix over top, then stir to coat the meat in the spices.
- Place the seasoned meat in a slow cooker, place the lid on top, and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or low for 8-9 hours.
- After cooking, stir the meat with a fork to shred the meat. If it's not tender enough to fall apart when stirred, return the lid and cook for an additional 30 minutes adn try again. After shredding the meat, it is ready to serve, or portion and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. Keep the shredded meat in the juices from the slow cooker until ready to serve for the best flavor.
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Notes
Nutrition
You might also like our Slow Cooker Carnitas recipe!
Chili rubbed pulled pork served as tacos in corn tortillas with sliced jalapeños, pickled red onions, and cotija, Cumin Lime Coleslaw on the side.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork – Step by Step Photos
Prepare the chili spice rub first. In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp chili powder, 1 Tbsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Stir until they’re evenly mixed.
Cut one 3 lb. boneless pork butt or shoulder into large chunks (about 2-3 inch pieces).
Place the pieces of pork in a bowl and pour the spices over top. Stir the pork pieces until they’re evenly coated in spices.
Place the seasoned pork in a slow cooker (I’m using a 5 qt slow cooker and it’s only about half full). I do not add any water or liquid to the slow cooker, as the meat will release quite a bit of liquid as it cooks. If your slow cooker specifies that you must add some liquid, you can add a cup of water.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-9 hours. After cooking it should be so tender that it begins to fall apart when stirred. If it doesn’t, simply put the lid back on and continue to cook for 30-60 minutes more. Sometimes that last little bit of time makes a huge difference in the texture.
Stir the pork in the slow cooker until it has shredded into smaller pieces. Serve immediately or transfer to a food storage container and refrigerate and/or freeze for later. I like to keep the meat right in the cooking juices during storage for maximum flavor.
It’s soooo tender and juicy! And those spices!!
And it makes the absolute BEST tacos!!
Delicious. I used mango/pineapple fruit juice instead of orange juice. It is DELICIOUS. Makes a HUGE quantity that I can eat on for days.
The spices really make this recipe shine! It was tender and didn’t kill my budget! Love this blog! Thank you!
Could this work with a cut of beef as well? If so would have any cuts you would suggest? I have a quarter of a cow in my freezer and can’t justify buying a chunk of pork right now but it looks so good!
Yep, you can definitely do this with beef. The beef equivalent would probably be a chuck roast or chuck shoulder roast. :)
I make crock pot carnitas all the time. I look forward to trying this version. Once tip.. a crisper pork I take my shredded pork, spread on a rimmed baking sheet and put under the broiler for a bit. I typically will mix it around once or twice for lots of crispy bit. Make for a yummy, juicey, crispy meal.
Hint for freezing: Scoop into large muffin tins. Freeze – pop out and spin wrap in clear wrap, package up in 1 gal freezer bag. Portion control for bulky roll pulled pork sandwich.
I LOVE that idea!! Thanks for sharing!
The link to the cumin lime coleslaw takes you to your regular Cole slaw recipe! (Still delicious)
Oh thanks! Let me go fix that. :)
Yummy! This pulled pork is very tasty. I eat it without any bun because have celiac. Another great one, Beth.
Any chance to include instructions on how to make in the oven or instant pot?
Unfortunately, I haven’t tried either of those methods so I can’t offer advice on how to do it, but if you want to experiment I’d try googling “slow cooker to oven conversion” or “slow cooker to Instant Pot conversion” to see if there are any general guidelines out there to use as a starting place. :)
I made this last night in my Instant Pot (6qt). I used your exact recipe, but seared about half of the meat (I got lazy) with some oil before pressure cooking. After searing, I added about a cup of apple juice and a splash of apple cider vinegar to make sure there was enough liquid, and cooked on manual for 45 min. The meat was perfect, but there was a lot of liquid left over, so I took the meat out to shred and put the IP on saute for a few minutes to reduce the sauce. Overall 10/10 especially because I was running late and didn’t have time for the crock pot.
That sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing the technique you used. :)
You are a genius. This is my forever pulled pork recipe, but I always had to plan to have time for the slow cooker. No more. Your instructions worked beautifully, and this is my new favorite way to make my favorite pulled pork!
I used recipe as described in a casserole dish with a lid. Oven at 200F for 8 hours. Worked great!
I seared the meat chunks in a cast iron before slow cooking to add more flavor.
I made a few different things with it but my favorite was pulled pork and black bean enchiladas with the pepperjack sauce from the white bean enchiladas recipe. Holy moly probably the best enchiladas I’ve ever had, including from restaurants. The meat is also great in the posole recipe.
Started this up tonight… looks and smells delicious. Was wondering if the juices in the pot is all from the meat or did you add anything else to it.
Yep, that’s just from the meat. The only things I added are in the ingredient list. :)
I made this yesterday and it was awesome! Such a perfect meal for the COVID era – budget friendly, easy to prepare, delicious and versatile. My family enjoyed this in soft tacos and burritos with mashed avocado, sour cream and cilantro. My kids loved it, too! Thanks so much, Beth, for all your awesome recipes! Your website is always my go-to when I’m looking for something new.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it multiple times. Does it work on low heat for 8-9 hours?
Yes you can!
This recipe sounds delicious! I’ve been searching for an easy recipe for the shoulder I’m currently defrosting in the fridge-you’d think I’d auomatically come here by now, but I went to a couple other sites first! I should just come here first from now on, huh?😄
Hi Beth
I just found your website and have already made slow cooker taco chicken and tikka masala with great success! So thank you.
I have a pork loin and want to use it for this recipe, do I need to add liquid given that the loin is less fatty than the butt?
Thanks
Leah
I’ve made it with loin before and I still like it quite a bit. Just be aware that the texture of the meat will be different because loins are quite a bit more lean. It won’t be quite as tender and juicy as the butt.
Hey, I make this recipe frequently and my family loves it! I’m thinking of making it for a work party and was wondering: would adding a few ounces of pineapple juice add anything to the flavor? Wanted to mix it up this time.
Thanks!
Oh I think that could be really delicious. Let us know how it goes!