Just 4 simple ingredients and you have this mouthwatering recipe for Crock-Pot Root Beer Pulled Pork. Use the pulled pork in sandwiches, wraps and more for a quick and easy meal!
Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork
This recipe comes from Crock-Pot Ladies reader Phaedra Valente and it is so good! Best of all there are only 4 simple ingredients and the pork comes out of the slow cooker moist and tender with enough to serve a good 6 to 8 people (more if you want to serve this pulled pork on slider buns as an appetizer!
Phaedra instructs to brown and sear the pork roast in a cast iron skillet before adding the meat to the slow cooker. This extra step helps to seal in moisture as well as adds a different flavor profile. However, I know that some people shirk away from any recipe that requires cooking on the stove top before so if that is you, go ahead and skip that step if you want to. The pork will still be delicious…just a tad different than the finished results if you follow the recipe exactly.
You can use your favorite brand of barbecue sauce. We are pretty partial to Sweet Baby Ray’s brand ourselves but really..whatever melts your butter!
Special Diets
Gluten Free | Low Calorie | Low Carb | Low Fat | Low Sodium | Low Sugar
This recipe for Crock-Pot Root Beer Pulled Pork is Weight Watchers Friendly on the new Personal Points plan. You can see the WW personal points for this recipe here on the Weight Watchers website. Click here for MORE of our Weight Watchers Recipes
Recipe Collections:
Crock-Pot Root Beer Pulled Pork Recipe
Equipment
- 6 Quart Crock-Pot Or Larger
Ingredients
- 4 Pounds Pork Shoulder Butt
- 1 Cup Sliced Onion
- 12 Ounces Root Beer
- 16 Ounces Bottled Barbecue Sauce (Your Favorite Brand)
Instructions
- On the stove-top, heat a medium to large sized cast iron skillet with a little cooking oil until hot. Sear the pork on all sides in the hot pan.4 Pounds Pork Shoulder Butt
- Place the pork roast into a 6 quart or larger slow cooker and poke holes in the top of the roast with a sharp knife.
- Add the onions to the slow cooker.1 Cup Sliced Onion
- Pour the root beer over the roast and cover and let cook for 8 hours on LOW.12 Ounces Root Beer
- When the cooking time is up remove the pork from the slow cooker and place on a large platter or pan and let cool slightly. Strain the cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a bowl and set aside.
- Using two forks shred the cooked pork roast and add the meat back into the slow cooker and pour the reserved cooking and the bottled barbecue sauce over the meat and stir to combine.16 Ounces Bottled Barbecue Sauce
- Serve meat in buns or rolls and enjoy!
We don’t really have root beer in the UK. What else could I use? Would stock be ok or does the sweetness of the rootbeer make the dish special?
I think the rootbeer brings a sweet taste to it that regular stock wouldnt give to it. I have seen many a post with Coca Cola being used in recipes too. Might try that instead.
I’ve heard of using Dr. Pepper too.
I use Dr Pepper all the time
That works too Wendy!
This looks great, we will be using this instead of firing up the grill.
Slow and easy!
YUM! I’ve tried this with Coke before, but root beer sounds amazing–must try!!
Try a good beer
I am making this now but I have a question:
#5 it says “strain the juice” do you discard the juice or put in back in crock pot ?
Thanks it looks really good can’t wait to eat it.
You add the strained juice back into the crock-pot with the meat and then your BBQ sauce
This was incredible!
So glad you enjoyed it Tony!
Root beer pulled pork was delicious!, thank you
Glad you enjoyed it Maureen!
Did you use boneless of bone-in pork shoulder butt?
boneless is best.
I was wondering if since you strain the juice/root beer out if it really matters how large or small the chunk of pork is and if it matters how much root beer is used? 🙂
#6 says to pour the liquid back into the crockpot. Is this the liquid you just strained and had put into a bowl, off to the side? I’m confused as you mentioned in reply to Troy that the juice should be discarded…
Melissa, our previous comment about discarding the cooking juices was in error and I have edited that comment to Troy. The cooking liquid is removed, strained and then added back with your meat after shredding it and then you add your barbecue sauce.
The rootbeer which is in the cooking juices is indeed added back into the pot so it does matter how much root beer is used. As far as the size of the meat…that can be played with a little bit.
I had a lot of cooking liquid. I didn’t add it all back in because it would’ve been way too much liquid.
Some cuts of meat let off more cooking liquid than others.