Pulled pork sliders require less than 15 minutes of hands-on time. While the oven does all the work, this recipe can also be cooked in the slow cooker or pressure cooker.
This sweet and savory, succulent pulled pork can be cooked in the oven, slow cooker, or pressure cooker.
Use Dr. Pepper, or your favorite cola to make the pork super tender and flavor what will be the sauce.
If you don't like the sugars in most sodas, you can use natural ginger ale, light lager, or ale beer.
Ingredients
Pork butt- or pork shoulder
Carbonated beverage- Dr. Pepper, cola, ginger ale or light beer, or ale
Brown sugar- light brown
Spices- cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, chili powder
Slider rolls- slider rolls, or sweet Hawaiian rolls
The Rub
Allow the pork to come to room temperature for 30 minutes, and pat dry with paper towels.
In a medium-size bowl, mix the brown sugar, spices, and salt, and pepper until evenly combined.
Heat a large, shallow dry skillet on medium-high heat until it's fully hot.
Also, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
With your hands, rub the spice rub into the pork butt on all sides until as much of it is pressed into the meat as possible.
Transfer the rubbed pork to the hot skillet and sear the rub into each side, about 60 seconds per side.
Rotate to the next side and repeat until all sides are seared.
Cooking Method
Place the seared pork in a roasting pan or the skillet it was seared in, if oven safe.
Pour the soda or other carbonated liquid around the meat.
Cover loosely with foil, and cook for 4-5 hours, until the meat can easily be "pulled" apart with a fork.
Once the pork is fall apart tender, use two forks to pull it apart in the roasting pan that it cooked in.
Toss the pulled pork in the seasoned juices created from the pork until coated.
Serving
Pile the pulled pork onto slider rolls or sweet Hawaaian rolls. Maybe even top with slaw!
For additional sauce and flavor, pour on your favorite barbecue sauce after the pork has been pulled before piling onto slider rolls.
Recipe tips
You can speed up the cooking process by cutting the pork butt into a few equal size chunks before rubbing them with spice rub, searing, and slow cooking.
If possible, sear the rubbed pork in an oven safe pan or roaster, that way you can just directly transfer it from stove top to oven.
- To make the pulled pork in a slow cooker:
Follow directions through searing the spice rubbed pork.
Add to slow cooker, and pour soda or beer around it. Set slow cooker on medium, cover and slow cook for 6-8 hours until fall apart tender.
2. To make the pulled pork in the pressure cooker:
Cut pork into sections. Sear the spice rubbed pork in the pressure cooker on the saute setting. Pour the soda or beer around the seared, rubbed pork. Pressure cook using manual pressure on high for up to 90 minutes, using a natural release.
FAQ's
Cook pork fat side up.
You will get roughly 4-5 sliders per pound of uncooked, boneless pork shoulder.
Related recipes below...
If you made this recipe, leave a comment or rating in the recipe card for other readers.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 5-6 lb pork shoulder (pork butt)
- 12 oz Dr. Pepper soda or beer, ginger ale
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- slider rolls for serving, like King's Hawaiian rolls
- coleslaw (optional) for serving
Instructions
- ½ hour before cooking, remove pork from fridge and set on countertop to bring to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Heat a couple tablespoons of oil, in a large, oven safe deep skillet or Dutch oven on medium-high/high heat.
- Mix together rub ingredients, and rub evenly all over the pork, on every side.
- Sear rubbed pork on every side until very darkly seared. Set pork in a roasting pan or dutch oven.
- Pour Dr. Pepper or soda or beer around the pork, cover and cook for about 5-6 hours in a 300 degree oven, until fall apart tender.
- Transfer tender pork to a plate, and pull apart with two forks (or use a stand mixer and paddle attachment for 30-60 seconds).
- Put the shredded, pulled pork back in the pan with the juices and toss. Add BBQ sauce if desired, and toss to combine.
- Serve on slider rolls, as is, or top as desired (like with coleslaw or pickled onions, etc.).
Notes
- Nutrition information does not include slider rolls or coleslaw, or any other topping.
- To make in the slow cooker, rub and sear as instructions direct, and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on hi for 5-7 hours.
- To make in pressure cooker, cut raw pork into 3-4 pieces, rub and sear as instructions direct. Transfer to pressure cooker, pour over soda, and cook on hi pressure for 45-60 minutes, with at least a 15 minute natural pressure release.
Karly
Yum! Pulled pork is my go-to! Thanks for sharing.
Erin
Thanks for the comment! Pulled pork really is great isn't it?