The best crock pot pulled pork is easy to make with a pork butt (Boston butt), a simple dry rub, and low-and-slow cooking—no liquid or searing needed.
The result is tender, juicy pulled pork that shreds easily—perfect for BBQ sandwiches, tacos, or meal prep. Simple steps, reliable results, and no guesswork.
⏱️ How long to cook pulled pork in a crock pot
Cook a 3–4 pound pork butt on LOW for 8–10 hours, until it reaches 200°–205°F and shreds easily.
Start checking at 8 hours—time varies by size and your slow cooker.
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Featured Comment by LK:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"This is the best recipe I have ever used for pork in the crock-pot and I have tried many through the years adding liquids of all sorts. Using dry rub seasoning and the aluminum foil balls cooked the pork perfectly."
🧾 TL;DR (Recipe Summary)
What it is: Crock pot pulled pork made with pork butt (Boston butt), a simple dry rub, and no added liquid.
Why you’ll love it: No searing, no liquid, and reliable results—tender, juicy pulled pork with better texture every time.
How to make it: Season, cook on LOW 8–10 hours to 200°–205°F, rest, then shred hot.
🐖 Ingredients
- Pork butt (Boston butt):
Boneless or bone-in, about 3 to 4 pounds. Either works—just make sure it fits your slow cooker without touching the sides. Sometimes (incorrectly) called pork shoulder. - Liquid smoke (optional but recommended):
Adds a smoky flavor without needing a smoker. Look for a brand with only water and smoke on the label. - BBQ dry rub:
Use your favorite pork rub, or make a simple one with brown sugar, kosher salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Cooking Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot
1. Prepare the Crock Pot
Add six foil balls to the bottom of a large slow cooker to keep the pork elevated and out of the fat.
✅ Pro Tip: You can skip the foil, but the pork will stew in its own juices—not ideal for texture.
2. Season the Pork Butt
Mix the dry rub if needed. Pat the pork dry, coat with liquid smoke (optional), and rub generously on all sides.
✅ Pro Tip: Use only liquid smoke with water and smoke listed—no additives. I use Wright’s.
3. Cook Low and Slow
Place the pork on the foil balls. Cover and cook on LOW for 8–10 hours, until the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 195°F, but 200°–205°F is ideal for texture and shredding.
✅ Pro Tip: Crock pot fit matters more than quarts. The roast should sit flat on the foil balls with a little space around it – no touching the sides – and the lid must seal.
4. Wrap and Rest
Remove from the crock pot, wrap tightly in foil, then wrap in towels. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes, or up to 2–3 hours.
5. Shred and Serve
Shred while still hot—it should fall apart easily. Serve now or save some for later.
✅ Pro Tip: Don’t wait too long to shred. Once the pork cools, it gets harder to pull and loses that juicy texture.
👇For complete step-by-step instructions, scroll down to the printable recipe card or keep reading for tips, flavor options, and serving ideas.
⏲️ Pulled Pork Crock Pot Time Guide
Use time for planning; confirm doneness with a thermometer. For a 3–4-lb roast, start checking around the 8-hour mark. Exact times vary by thickness and the slow cooker, but a 4-lb pork butt typically takes 8–10 hours on LOW.
Quick Estimated Time Guide (LOW):
- 3–4 lb boneless Boston butt: about 8–10 hours
- 4–5 lb: about 9–11 hours
- 5–6 lb: about 10–12 hours
- Bone-in: usually +30–60 minutes, depending on size
Best Internal Temperature for Pulled Pork in a Crock Pot
Cook to 200°–205°F for easy shredding; don’t try to pull under 195°F. If your slow cooker stalls, finish uncovered on a tray in a 250°–300°F oven until it hits temp.
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👍 Pro Tips for Perfect Pulled Pork
- Use the right cut:
Boston butt—also called pork butt—is ideal (3–4 pounds, boneless or bone-in). Larger cuts will take longer, but still work if they fit in the slow cooker without touching the sides. - Don’t rush the temp:
Aim for 200°–205°F. Anything under 195°F won’t shred properly. If your slow cooker isn’t getting it done, check the FAQs for an easy fix. - Elevate the meat:
Keep the pork out of the fat using foil balls or a rack. You want it to cook dry—like on a grill or smoker—not stew in its own muck. - Wrap and rest:
Wrap the pork tightly in foil, then in towels. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes to stay hot and juicy. You can stretch the rest time to 2–3 hours with extra towels and a small insulated cooler. - Shred while hot:
Don’t wait. Pulled pork shreds best while it’s still hot. If it cools down too much, it won’t pull apart—it’ll clump and fight back.
Oven Baked Pulled Pork
Oven Pulled Pork from pork butt is cooked in the oven low and slow. Our best-pulled pork recipe is tender and moist with delicious bark. Super easy, with almost no work—you rub, bake at 250° for 8 to 9 hours, shred, and eat.
🍽️ Serving Pulled Pork
The classic move is pulled pork sandwiches on buns or bread, topped with BBQ sauce. Or skip the bread and serve it by the forkful—piled on a plate, tacos, enchiladas, casseroles... it all works.
Side dish favorites:
Coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, mac & cheese, oven fries, or chips. Basically, anything you’d find at a backyard BBQ.
What about sauce?
Use whatever you like—sweet, smoky, or tangy. Kansas City and Memphis-style sauces are always safe bets, and Carolina vinegar or Texas-style sauces are great too.
I usually serve mine with homemade Memphis-Style BBQ Sauce, but store brands like Gates, Bull’s-Eye, or Sweet Baby Ray’s work just fine.
Smoked Pulled Pork on a Gas Grill
Cooking smoked pulled pork low and slow on your backyard gas grill is easier than you think. With just a pork butt roast (AKA Boston butt), a dry rub, and wood chips, you can make juicy BBQ pulled pork with fantastic crusty bark and smoky flavor.
❄️ How to Store and Reheat Pulled Pork
Storage:
Pulled pork keeps well in the fridge for 2–3 days—up to 4 if needed, though the texture may decline. For longer storage, seal it airtight and freeze for up to 4 months.
If you want to portion it for quick meals, use vacuum-sealed or sous vide–safe bags that can be reheated in hot water—not standard freezer bags.
Reheating:
The best way to reheat is in the oven. Place the pork on a sheet pan, sprinkle lightly with water, apple juice, or broth (don’t overdo it), and cover tightly with foil. Bake at 250°–300°F until hot—usually 30–45 minutes depending on the amount.
You can also transfer it to a Crock Pot on Keep Warm, or LOW if you must, to hold the temperature once it’s reheated.
✅ Pro Tip: Never reheat pulled pork in BBQ sauce. The acid ruins the texture. Always add sauce when serving—not before.
❓FAQs
No, but it helps. Good-quality liquid smoke adds flavor without needing a smoker. You can also use mustard as a base before applying the rub.
✅ Use only liquid smoke with water and smoke listed—no additives. I use Wright’s.
Yes. This method cooks the pork dry for better flavor and texture. Adding liquid can water down the rub and reduce bark development.
No. For this method, searing isn’t needed—low-and-slow with a dry rub builds flavor and keeps the bark. Keep the lid closed and let it cook.
Pork butt (Boston butt) is the best choice. It has enough fat and connective tissue to stay moist and shred easily after long cooking.
Some slow cookers won’t reach 195°F or higher. If needed, transfer the pork to a 250°–300°F oven, uncovered, to finish.
✅ Don’t try to shred pork under 195°F—it won’t be tender.
Boston butt and pork butt are the same cut—sometimes labeled as pork shoulder. The full shoulder includes both the Boston butt and the picnic shoulder.
Boston butt is best for pulled pork because it has more marbling and stays moist during slow cooking.
📖The Recipe Card
Crock Pot Pulled Pork (Easy Slow Cooker Boston Butt)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds Pork Butt, aka Boston Butt - boneless or bone-in
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke - good quality
- 1 cup BBQ dry rub
- ½ cup dark brown sugar - light will do
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt - I tend to use a little less
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare the Crock Pot
- Place six foil balls in the bottom of a large slow cooker to keep the pork elevated. Make 2-inch balls and squish them to about 1 inch high.
Season the Pork Butt
- You can use the dry rub of your choice or make the suggested rub: ½ cup dark brown sugar, 3 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Stir together in a small bowl.
- Pat the pork dry, then coat with liquid smoke (optional). Rub generously on all sides. You can refrigerate it overnight or cook it right away.
- Generously apply the rub. At this point, you could wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight or cook it right away.
Cook Low and Slow
- Place on the foil balls and cook on low undisturbed for 8-10 hours.
- Place the pork on the foil balls. Cover and cook on low for 8–10 hours, undisturbed, until the internal temp reaches **at least 195°F. ✅ 200°–205°F is ideal for shredding. If your Crock-Pot can't reach the desired temperature, transfer it to a 250°F oven to finish.
Wrap and Rest
- Remove the pork, wrap tightly in foil, and then in several towels. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes—up to 2–3 hours is even better.
Shred and Serve
- Shred with forks while still hot. Serve as sandwiches, tacos, or nachos—or freeze some for later.
Recipe Notes
Pro Notes:
- This is an all-day recipe.
- A larger pork butt will take longer but still works if it fits in the slow cooker without touching the sides.
- Boneless or bone-in both work. Fat cap up or down doesn’t matter here.
- Mustard can be used as an alternative to liquid smoke as a binder.
- Use your own rub or the one above. Adjust salt if needed.
- Wrap and rest before shredding—this helps reabsorb juices.
- If you're not ready to shred, you can delay it up to 3 hours by wrapping the foil-covered pork in multiple towels and placing it in a small cooler. Never let it get cold before shredding.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2–3 days (maximum 4 days). Freeze for up to 4 months.
- Reheating and serving tips are in the post.
- Never reheat pulled pork with sauce applied—the acid will destroy the texture.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Published April 9, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Denise says
We are on a very low sodium diet....I want to try this and eliminate the salt. What are your thoughts???
Rosie Y. says
Hello!
First of all, LOVED this recipe, and I found a new love of liquid smoke in my cooking because of it.
I plan on making this for a birthday dinner in two months, and I had a question on if anyone has attempted this in an oven quite yet. My crock pot unfortunately died, which, we were expecting, considering it was from the eighties.
I worry about burning the edges of it if it's too high, cooking it too long so it's rubbery, or, whether or not I would still have it sit on the foil balls. Any thoughts?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Rosie,
Welcome to the blog.
This is just a modification of my oven recipe (the one I use most of the time) Which was a modification of my grill recipe. I should have linked them in the test but didn't. I just fixed that.
https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/oven-pulled-pork-from-pork-butt/
You should be almost happy your old crock pot died. The old ones were basically uncontrollable temperature due to poor thermostats. You will love a new one.
Thansk for the note.
Dan
Will says
Crack pot pulled pork from butt sounds like a crime report. Still I’making this tonight but with big a 6 lbs. butt, twice your’s size. I will let you know if it cooks
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Will,
Welcome to the blog.
I already turned myself in to the pork butt cops. I swore I would never do this but I kept being ask how and all the suggestions were just so wrong (as in "a crime" wrong).
You will feel better if you think of the crock pot as a small oven, then you can sleep again.
Thanks for the note and it will be fine.
Dan
James E Files says
We just put a 8 lb pork butt in the crock pot and plan to let it cook over night. We doubled the rub ingredients (minus 1 T. salt) and did not have liquid smoke. My wife said, "Hey let's use some smokey paprika to give it the smoke flavor." So we used 1 T. chili powder and 1 T. smokey paprika in the rub mix. I will be testing the final product because she doesn't eat pork. We'll let you know how it turns out.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi James,
Welcome to the blog.
That is a lot of pork for one. Hope it came out well. How long did it take to get to temperature?
Dan
Sanjit says
Making this right now - it’s been 6 hours 🤤🤤
Debra says
I have only prepared this in my crockpot
on low and I cooked a 7# bone in butt for 12 - 14 hours after coating and wrapping overnight using your recipe and it has always been perfect! I’ve cooked this three times and won’t change a thing AND yes I made the foil balls!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Debra,
Welcome to the blog.
Thanks so much for the time estimate on a bigger butt. I'm sure it will help somebody
Also, thanks for the rating.
Dan
Jasmine says
I tried your recipe and my family and I loved it. While I omitted the liquid smoke out of personal preference, my pulled pork still had a wonderful flavor. My kids chose to use Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce on their sandwiches, but I loved it without. WE will make this again and I loved the fact that this was a healthier recipe than others I have used. If you have not tried this recipe, please do. You will not be disappointed.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Jasmine,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad you and your family enjoy the recipe. I do love pulled pork and elevating it out of the muck helps.
Thanks for the note and rating.
Dan
Mary Thomasma says
I just put my pork butt in the crock pot at 11 am. It won't be done until 8 or 9 pm. Could I possibly cook it on high?
DrDan says
Hi Mary,
Welcome to the blog.
You caught me online... I have never done that but I think you might knock a few hours off the time. Some of the older (more than 10 yrs) crockpots will crank up the heat a lot. Probably not what you want. But the newer ones just get to about 210-215 faster on high than low due to thermostats. That is fine.
Use a meat thermometer to determine the end point of cooking. Try to get to at least 185-190 but you really want 200+ if you can.
Good luck and please report back. I would love to hear what happens on high.
Dan
Mary Thomasma says
Hi Dan,
I ended up cooking on high from 11am-2:30pm. Then I turned it to low. At 5:30 I pulled the pork out to rest in foil for about 1/2 hour. It turned out GREAT, so it can be done. Thanks for the recipe. I used your rub, and my husband said it had great flavor. This is saying a lot because he's a huge critic.
Mary
DrDan says
Excellent, thanks for the update.
Dan
Anna says
This is EXACTLY what I’ve been looking for for an hour! Thank you for attempting this and then actually posting your results! I did the exact same thing and was beginning to plan an alternate meal for this evening. Thank you thank you thank you!
Also OP, this rub is lovely, I’ve always wanted to use liquid smoke in the slow cooker for pork but wasn’t sure how.
Laura says
Hey Dr. Dan,
I was just looking over your nutrition facts label & I don’t see a serving size. This is the 2nd time I’m making this & just would like to know how many ounces you’d say a serving size should be.
DrDan says
Hi Laura,
The pork loses about 20% of weight during cooking. So I get 10-12 "servings" out of a 4 pounder. That is about 1/3 pound per serving after cooking. That is more than I can get to stay in a bun. That is how I count servings. If I did it differently, I would only get to eat cold food.
Dan
Heather D says
OMG! I have never commented on a recipe before. Nor have I ever cooked pork butt before. This turned out delicious. I was so happy. This recipe is a keeper. Thanks for this great recipe. I will be making it often.
DrDan says
Hi Heather,
Welcome to the blog.
I love easy cooking like this. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Donna says
This was my 1st attempt at making pork butt. OMG!! Your recipe will forever be used in this house. Just melts in your mouth! We already can’t wait to have it again. The only thing I didn’t use was liquid smoke as it tends to trigger a migraine, but I don’t think it took away from the flavor.
Laura says
Hey Dan,
I have never left a comment on a recipe I have done before, but... OH. MY. LANTA!!!! This was sooooo amazing. I had never really done anything “special” to my butts, lol, but it was SEC Championship playoffs & I wanted to do something special. I have never used liquid smoke before so when my husband went to buy it, the cashier told him, “a little goes along way so don’t over do it”. I followed your recipe to the T, paprika & all, & it was AUH-MAZING!!!! I will never make another butt any other way. I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ all day long!!! On a funny note, I always thought paprika was just used for garnish on deviled eggs. I am starting to do my own seasonings instead of packaged & I’m finding it everywhere. The smoked paprika also does something to a recipe I would’ve never have imagined. Thanks again!!!!
Thomas says
I made this BBQ today using this recipe and it was fantastic!
DrDan says
Hi Thomas,
Welcome to the blog.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Cheryl K Frank says
Hiya! Can I add BBQ sauce? If yes, when?
DrDan says
Hi Cheryl,
Welcome to the blog.
BBQ sauce??? I assume you mean to replace the rub. I don't see it as a good idea. That long of a dry cooking of a tomato based product probably will not be good.
I do always use sauce but at the end with serving.
Dan
Zach says
I spread the pork out on a baking sheet after cooking and pulling, add some sauce and throw it in the oven for a few min.
DrDan says
Hi Zack,
Welcome to the blog.
That sounds like great reheat method.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Jan says
Making this as followed before bed at 11pm. Did a quick search and this recipe was the first one. I’m expecting a winning piece of pork in the morning.
DrDan says
Hi Jan,
Welcome to the blog.
The house must have smelled wonderful in the morning.
Hope it worked well for you.
Dan
Sandy says
Due to West Tennessee weather I was searching for a way to have BB smoked taste but not have to deal with forecast to cook outdoors. I found it with this recipe. The taste and tenderness will give our outdoor BB a run for the money. Delicious,juicy,tender and easy is what I got. Going to cook again this weekend due to cold temps and possible snow. Yummy yummy. Would give 10 stars if I could. I will change chili powder to paprika like I seen in comments.
DrDan says
Hi Sandy,
Welcome to the blog.
Did you ever think you would do a pork butt in a crock pot. I never did.
Either chili powder or paprika is a personal choice.
I do love west Tennessee and trained at St. Judes years ago. Give me some Marlow BBQ any day.
Thanks for the not and very happy it worked well for you.
Dan