Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pulled Pork

At a glance

What stands out: Slow cooker apple cider pulled pork is juicy and tender, packed with cozy fall flavor. The apple cider adds a subtle sweetness, and a combination of spices gives the pork smokiness and warmth.

How long it takes: 5 hours (high) or 8 to 10 hours (low)
Equipment you’ll need: slow cooker, small bowl
Servings: 8

Fall Flavors, Almost Zero Effort

Having teen children might be the busiest phase of parenting yet. We've been heavily leaning on recipes that are basically just a protein that we can use in a bunch of different ways.

A standby of those recipes are true dump-and-go. They require no browning, no sautéing, just combining ingredients and walk away. Then you can use the meat all week in sandwiches, tacos, bowls, whatever sounds good. And dinner can be at 4:30 or 8:00, because every day’s schedule is different.

Apple cider, brown sugar, and warm spices make this slow cooker apple cider pulled pork absolutely irresistible! It’s a marriage of mulled cider and pulled pork, different in a standby kind of way. (You get the same vibe with pork tenderloin with apples, grilled pork kebabs with apples, and sheet pan pork chops with apples and sweet potatoes, too.)

What makes it special:

• Ultra tender texture: Slow cooking breaks down the tough cuts of meat like pork shoulder or pork butt until it’s fall-apart tender. (It’s the same reason we love this cooking method for mango bourbon pulled pork and mojo pork.)
• Minimal prep: This is a true dump-and-go slow cooker recipe. You don’t have to brown the meat or sauté any veggies on the stovetop first. It doesn’t get much easier than this.
• Great for meal prep: Make a batch of this pulled pork and use it for sandwiches, tacos, bowls, and more all week long.

What goes in

You’ll find the full ingredient list in the recipe card, but here’s what you’ll need and why it works.

• Pork shoulder (or pork butt): This is a well-marbled cut that becomes tender and juicy when slow cooked. Trim any excess fat, but don’t remove it all because it adds flavor. We don’t recommend using pork loin because it’s too lean; it tends to get tough and dry with long slow cooking.
• Sweet onion: The onion is sliced into half moons and placed on the bottom of the slow cooker. The onion adds flavor but it also helps lift the pork off the bottom of the crockpot so it cooks evenly.
• Pork rub: The meat is seasoned with a rub made of brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cinnamon, salt and pepper. The smoked paprika gives the pork a slightly smoky flavor; cinnamon leans into the mulled cider flavor.
• Apple cider: Cold-pressed cider you can get at apple orchards or grocery stores in the fall is a standby, not hard cider which contains alcohol. Cold-pressed cider is sweet and unfermented; it’s simply juice squeezed out of fresh apples. (If you’re a fan of apple cider, be sure to try skillet chicken with apple cider cream sauce, too!)
• Apple cider vinegar: To keep the sauce from being cloying sweet, we add a splash of vinegar to balance the sauce with a bit of tang.
• Dijon mustard: Mustard adds savory flavor and a little bit of punchy sharpness.

How it comes together

Layer the onions. For easier cleanup, lightly spray your slow cooker with nonstick spray. Arrange the sliced onions in the bottom of the crockpot.

Season the pork. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cinnamon to make the rub. Spread this mixture all over the pork, pressing it a bit so it sticks well. We usually use our fingers but you can use the back of a large spoon. Place the seasoned pork on top of the onions.

Add the cooking liquid. In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Pour the liquid around the pork rather than directly over it, so you don’t rinse the seasoning off the pork.

Cook low and slow. Cover the crockpot and cook the pork on Low for 8 to 10 hours, or High for 5 to 6 hours. We find that the pork gets slightly more tender if you cook it on Low but both ways will work. The pork is done when it’s tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.

Shred and serve. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and stir it into the cooking liquid to keep the meat tender and moist. If you’re not ready to serve the pork, keep it in the crockpot on the Warm setting, covered. Serve with a slotted spoon or tongs.

Our Slow Cooker

This is the slow cooker we have. We love that it has “medium” setting, a timer, and a lid that locks in place. It works great!

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Ways to serve it

Here are some of our favorite ways to serve slow cooker apple cider pulled pork:

• Sandwiches, sliders, tacos: Pile the pork onto buns, tortillas, or wraps with creamy coleslaw, caramelized onions, sweet pickles, or pickled red onions. If you like, add a drizzle of your favorite BBQ sauce (as pictured). We're thinking German-style red cabbage would be rich alongside this apple cider pulled pork, too.
• Bowls: Make Southern bowls with cheesy grits, apple cider pork, and roasted Brussels sprouts. YUM! Roasted butternut squash would go well in a bowl, too.
• Baked potatoes: Turn your baked potatoes (or baked sweet potatoes) into a full meal by piling them with apple cider pulled pork and freshly shredded smoked cheddar or gouda.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: Store leftover apple cider pulled pork in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Freeze: Freeze the pork in airtight containers or freezer bags for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Reheat: Warm apple cider pulled pork gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of cooking liquid to keep the pork moist.

• Yield: 8
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 5 hours
• Total: 5 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet onion
• 4 to 5 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt (see note)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For cooking liquid:

• 1 ½ cups apple cider (see note)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Method

1. If desired, spray a large slow cooker (6 quart) with nonstick cooking spray for easy clean up.
2. Peel the onion, cut it in half, and and thinly slice it into half moons. Arrange the onions in the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Trim excess fat from the pork as desired, leaving a small amount of fat intact. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cinnamon. Rub the mixture all over the pork.
4. Place the pork on top of onions in the slow cooker. In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the apple cider, apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Pour the liquid around the pork, not directly on top, so the rub stays in place.
5. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 5 to 6 hours, until the pork is fall-apart tender.
6. Remove pork, shred with two forks, and return to the slow cooker. Toss with some of the cooking liquid to keep it juicy. Keep on Warm until ready to serve. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to serve.

Notes

Pork: It’s okay if the pork you buy is more than 5 pounds. When we tested this recipe, the pork we used was 5.26 pounds before trimming the fat. If the pork doesn’t fit in your crockpot, cut it in half or thirds after you trim the fat, and arrange it in your crockpot so it fits. Avoid using a pork loin; they are lean and tend to get dry and tough with slow cooking.

Apple cider: Use cold-pressed apple cider if possible; you’ll find it at orchards or in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Avoid fermented or hard cider. This recipe also includes apple cider vinegar. Don’t use apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider though! That would make the pork much too sour and vinegary.

Storage & freezing: Pulled pork stores well which makes it a great meal prep idea. Leftover apple cider pulled pork will keep in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. We like to store it with some of the cooking liquid so it stays juicy.

Serving suggestions: Serve the pork on buns, wraps, or tortillas with your favorite toppings. We often add a drizzle of our from-scratch BBQ sauce. Apple cider pulled pork works well for bowl meals, too.