Hindsight is 20/20.
One of the main ingredients in this mouth-watering teriyaki pulled pork is the teriyaki sauce. The entire ten minutes that I stood in the Asian foods aisle trying to decide which teriyaki sauce to buy, not once did it occur to me that I had ALL of the ingredients to make teriyaki sauce at home, for pennies on the dollar. Ouch. It’s finals week, I’m distracted, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!
Anyway, this recipe is ridiculously easy, almost guilt-inducingly delicious and has summer written all over it. Just load the slow-cooker up before you head out to work in the morning and let machine do it’s magic. Even the smell is enough to impress anyone who might walk into your house.
This recipe makes a ton but it freezes really well. I like to spoon single sandwich sized portions into freezer bags so that I can make one sandwich at a time later. Just be sure to label and date the bags so they don’t get lost and go to waste! The frozen meat/gravy mixture thaws easily in the microwave. Even left over buns can be frozen and thawed in the toaster when ready to eat!
Teriyaki Pork Sandwiches
Teriyaki Pork Sandwiches
Servings 8Ingredients
- 3 lbs pork butt roast, boston butt ($7.96)
- 1 medium sweet onion ($0.53)
- 1 cup teriyaki sauce ($1.99)
- 15 oz can pineapple slices ($1.27)
- 1 inch fresh ginger, optional ($0.13)
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.02)
- 8 pack hamburger/sandwich buns ($1.50)
Instructions
- Slice the onion and place it in the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Remove the pork roast from it’s wrapper and remove any netting surrounding the meat (if any). Cut the pork roast into a few large chunks and place in a single layer in the slow cooker. If desired, trim fat from the pork roast before placing in the slow cooker.
- Pour one cup of teriyaki sauce over the pork roast. Pour the juice from the can of pineapple into the slow cooker as well. Save the pineapple slices to top the sandwiches later. If using fresh ginger (I had some on hand so I added it just for fun), peel and grate it into the slow cooker.
- Cover the slow cooker and turn on high heat for two hours then reduce to low heat for another 4 hours. If you do not have a programmable slow cooker or are not home to adjust the heat, set the slow cooker on low for 8 hours.
- Carefully remove the lid after 6-8 hours and remove the pork chunks. They should fall apart and shred easily with a fork. Stir 3 Tbsp of flour into a half cup of water then whisk into the juices left in the slow cooker. Set the heat to high, put the lid on and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Stir once half way through.
- The juices should have thickened after adding the flour and simmering. Return the shredded meat to the pot and stir into the teriyaki gravy. Serve 1 cup of meat and gravy over a toasted bun with a pineapple slice on top!
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Nutrition
Step By Step Photos
Slice the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Remove the pork roast from the plastic and any netting that it may have. Don’t worry, pork “butt” roasts are not actually the butt… it’s the shoulder.
Cut the pork into a few large chunks so it can lay over the bottom of the slow cooker in an even layer. You want all of it to be surrounded by liquid, not just the bottom half.
See how nicely it fits now? Lay it right on top of the onions.
Open the can of pineapple slices and pour all of the juice onto the pork roast. Save the slices for the sandwiches later.
Pour one cup of teriyaki sauce into the pot as well. I had over half of this jar left but it’s good to keep teriyaki sauce in your fridge… it’s good on everything.
I grated some ginger over top of everything because I had some left over from another recipe. Place the lid on the slow cooker and turn it on (high for 2 hours then low for 4 OR low heat for 8 hours).
When you come home later, you won’t believe your nostrils! It may look ugly when you open the pot but it tastes as delicious as it smells.
Spoon the meat out of the flavorful soupy mix then shred it with a fork. It should be super soft and tender… just falling apart.
To make the teriyaki gravy, whisk a slurry of 3 Tbsp of flour and 1/2 cup of water into the juices that remain in the pot. Turn the heat up to high, put the lid on and let it simmer for 30 minutes. You can also do this in a sauce pan if it’s easier.
Once the teriyaki gravy has thickened, add the meat back in. Spoon a large glob of pork and gravy onto a toasted bun, top with a slice of pineapple and go to town.
NOTE: I used some left over cilantro as a garnish for the photos and a little bit of it made it’s way onto my sandwich. WOW. The cilantro added just the right touch of bright, fresh flavor. So, consider stuffing a few sprigs of fresh cilantro under the bun. You probably won’t be disappointed.
this would go like so great on hawaiian rolls. I’ve never made pork before, I’ll have to try this one, just looking at it’s making my mouth water
Made it tonight for dinner and husband loved it. I used pork loin instead because the grocery store had a BOGO free sale on it and I had to use some of it up.
Made this with a seeded jalapeno, minced garlic, and the chunks of pineapple also in the slow cooker. I also put in some ketchup and rice vinegar and……..sriracha! Yes, you have me addicted. We served it shredded on brown rice with scallions chopped on top, and it was spicy and incredible! YUM
I found this recently, tried it for a movie night w/ friends to feed 4 people – it was PERFECT. I had to make it gluten-free (which means I had to make a teriyaki sauce using gluten-free soy sauce, it’s the only change), and it turned out dynamite. We served it over jasmine rice with the pineapple ring on top, and everyone loved it. The Hubs INSISTS it goes into the “go-to” meals rotation. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
This is next week’s slow cooker recipe.
Absolutely delightful. Because I have a problem thickening sauces (it’s something in my genes — my father swears he fell in love with my mother because of her runny, lumpy turkey gravy), I ended up letting the sauce thicken for an extra fifteen minutes on high with the slow cooker lid off, which got it to the consistency I like. Paired this with your teriyaki sweet potatoes and big hunks of pineapple into teriyaki burritos. Because as a Californian I am apparently legally obligated to turn foods that shouldn’t be burritos into burritos.
hello, I love your blog. It is so inspiring. I’m trying to come up with my own recipes like this, but I’m such an amateur cook I am too scared to mess up. I only know how to cook certain foods, and am trying to venture out of my comfor zone!
i was wondering if I could bake this in the oven on low for a few hours inside of a dutch oven? i’ve seen online that it can be used as a replacement for slow cooking but have never tried. This looks delicious and I’ve been dying to try out another one of your recipes! Will definitely try out next week. I”m try trying to save space in my tiny kitchen and money by not having to get the crock pot =)
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!
This is the first recipe I’ve tried from your blog (the English Muffin recipe lured me in, but I have yet to try it). I have to say this is AMAZING and so simple. We didn’t have buns or cilantro on hand (next time), so we used french baguette and swiss cheese to complement the meat. So tasty! Now on to the English Muffins! (Oh, and thanks to Meridith for turning me on to your blog!)
Teriyaki sauce is basically just a mix of soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic (and sometimes a couple extras if you want to get fancy). If you want it to be thick and gooey like the stuff you buy in a bottle, you can heat the mixture up and stir in some corn starch. If you do a quick google search for teriyaki sauce recipe you’ll find a million :D
How would you make the teriyaki sauce at home? I’ve never thought of trying that, before.
Looks really good but I don’t eat pork. Have you ever used another kind of meat for this dish? If so do you need to make any changes to the other ingredients?
Also, I want to say that I love your blog. Great Job!
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I was looking for a “summer” slow cooker dish to try. This looks great!
Looks wonderful, Beth!