Dr Pepper Pulled Pork in a Slow Cooker: Tender, Tangy Recipe

Let your slow cooker do the work and enjoy tender, juicy Crock Pot Dr. Pepper pulled pork with less than 10 minutes of hands-on time. This simple recipe makes a generous amount that can feed a crowd or provide leftovers for several meals.

Serve the pulled pork on hamburger buns or rolls with coleslaw for classic sandwiches, or use it in a variety of dishes: over rice with BBQ sauce and pickled vegetables, atop mashed potatoes, on salads, over toast with a fried egg, in tacos, inside grilled cheese, in soup, or even on pizza. With minimal effort you’ll have a versatile base for quick, satisfying meals all week.

Pulled Pork with Dr. Pepper Slow Cooker

All ingredients in this Dr. Pepper pulled pork recipe are easy to find, and the results are well worth the tiny time investment. A single pork shoulder yields enough for at least two hearty family meals, and for smaller households it can stretch to four or five meals. Pork shoulder is an economical, flavorful cut that becomes meltingly tender with slow cooking.

The ingredient list is short and the equipment required is minimal, making this an approachable recipe for weeknights or meal prep.

Pulled Pork Ingredients

1. Bone-in pork shoulder
2. Onions (peeled and thickly sliced)
3. Whole garlic cloves
4. Kosher salt
5. Black pepper
6. Dr. Pepper (or another dark cola)
7. Dijon mustard

This recipe calls for Dr. Pepper, but you can substitute any dark soda or combine colas and root beer for a different flavor. Avoid diet sodas — without sugar they won’t reduce to a syrupy glaze and will lack both texture and flavor.

What Cut of Meat for Pulled Pork

The best cut for pulled pork is a bone-in pork shoulder. It has ample marbling and connective tissue that break down during long, slow cooking, producing tender, juicy meat. Other suitable options include pork butt, Boston butt, boneless pork shoulder, picnic roast, or shoulder roast. Boneless cuts may cook a little faster, so adjust time accordingly.

• Bone-in pork shoulder (best)
• Pork butt / Boston butt
• Boneless pork shoulder
• Picnic roast / shoulder roast
• Boneless spare ribs

Avoid lean, delicate cuts like tenderloin or center-cut loin for slow-cooked pulled pork — they can dry out or become stringy because they lack sufficient fat and connective tissue.

Cuts of Meat to Avoid for Pulled Pork

• Tenderloin
• Center-cut boneless pork loin
• Top loin
• Sirloin roast

Equipment

1. 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker
2. Chef’s knife
3. Cutting board
4. Saucepan
5. Spoon

Pork Crock Pot Recipes

If you enjoy this pulled pork, try other slow cooker pork recipes for variety. The crock pot is ideal for hands-off, flavor-packed meals like mojo-style pork, pork roasts with fruit-based salsas, Korean-style barbecue pork, or baked beans with pork.

Crock Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

Prep time is short and the slow cooker handles the rest. Follow these clear steps for reliably tender pulled pork.

Arrange the sliced onions in the bottom of the slow cooker and scatter in the peeled garlic cloves. Place the pork shoulder on top of the onions.

Season the pork with kosher salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Pour one can of Dr. Pepper over the pork, cover, and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or on HIGH for 4–6 hours, until the meat is very tender.

Near the end of the cooking time, combine the remaining two cans of Dr. Pepper with the Dijon mustard in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer and reduce the mixture until it reaches about 1 cup and a syrupy consistency. Set aside.

When the pork is falling-apart tender, shred it directly in the slow cooker, leaving it in the cooking juices. Remove the bone and any large pieces of fat, then stir in the reduced Dr. Pepper syrup. Serve hot on buns or in your preferred preparations.

Notes: The pork should be so tender it easily pulls away from the bone. If it still holds together, cover and cook a bit longer until it becomes meltingly tender.

Crock Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

Rebecca Lindamood

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 7 hrs

Total Time 7 hrs 10 mins

Let your slow-cooker do the heavy lifting for dinner with succulent, juicy, versatile Crock pot Dr. Pepper pulled pork. Fewer than 10 minutes of hands-on time yields enough irresistible pulled pork for more than one meal!

Equipment

• 6 quart or larger slow cooker
• Chef knife
• Cutting board
• Saucepan
• Spoon

Ingredients

• 6 lb bone-in pork shoulder
• 2 onions, peeled and thickly sliced
• 10 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 cans (12 oz each) Dr. Pepper, divided
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Instructions

• Arrange onion slabs in the bottom of the slow cooker and add the peeled garlic cloves. Place the pork shoulder on top.
• Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Pour one can of Dr. Pepper over the pork. Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or on HIGH for 4–6 hours.
• Near the end of cooking, combine the remaining two cans of Dr. Pepper and the Dijon mustard in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
• Simmer until the mixture reduces to about 1 cup and becomes syrupy. Set aside.
• When the pork is falling apart, shred it in the slow cooker, remove the bone and any large pieces of fat, stir in the reduced Dr. Pepper syrup, and serve.

Notes

The pork should be so tender it falls away from the bone. If it still holds together, cover and cook a bit longer until it is meltingly tender.

Nutrition

Calories: 221 kcal
Carbohydrates: 3 g
Protein: 28 g
Fat: 10 g

Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use if needed.