Looks Delic
There’s no better recipe than one where you dump the ingredients in a crockpot, set it to cook and walk away. That’s how simple this dry rubbed crockpot pork shoulder recipe is. No need to brown the meat or precook any vegetables. Just dump, set it, leave it and come back hours later to a delicious dinner.
Aside from how easy this dinner is to make it is also one of those foods that is so delicious that you have to really restrain yourself from picking the pork right off the cutting board as you prepare to serve it. It’s moist and sweet and you’ll be hooked with one bite.
The good news about your new favorite pork shoulder rub recipe? Unless you’re feeding it to a crowd, there should be plenty of leftovers.
About the Ingredients
Pork Shoulder – I prefer bone-in pork shoulder because the bone adds just a little more flavor when cooking and no extra work. Once your meat is cooked the bone will pull right out, no cutting needed. Keep in mind that the bone adds additional weight to the meat when you’re picking out a cut that is the right size so select a piece that is a little heavier.
Spice Rub – a mixture of brown sugar, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dry ground mustard, salt and pepper. If you have time, try rubbing the pork with the spice rub the night before you cook it. Just pat the rub all over the pork shoulder, place it in a large bowl and cover it with plastic. This will depend the flavor and save a little time the next day.
Onions and garlic – the onions will add flavor to the meat as it cooks but they will also be a great sandwich topping.
Pineapple juice – I keep these small cans of pineapple juice in the pantry for cooking. One can is the perfect amount for this crockpot pulled pork.
Hamburger buns – I love the shape of egg noodles for this cheeseburger casserole. The wide width lets you easily get lots of meat and cheese in every bite.
How to Make Dry Rubbed Crockpot Pork Shoulder
Begin by seasoning the meet with the dry rub. If you have extra time, this can be done up to 24 hours in advance. Place the meat in a large bowl (or Ziploc bag if it fits) and using your hands, pat the dry rub all over it. Use as much of the rub as you can. If you’re doing this in advance just transfer the meat to the refrigerator and let it marinate until you’re ready to cook it in the crockpot.
Slice the onion and add the slices and minced garlic to the bottom of the crockpot. Place the meat on top of the onions and garlic and then pour the pineapple juice over the whole thing.
Cover the crockpot with the lid and set to cook on low for 9 hours.
After the pork is done cooking, remove it to a cutting board and pull the meat off the bone using 2 forks. Transfer the meat to a serving bowl and spoon 1/4 cup of the cooking juice over the meat.
Don’t forget to use the onions that cooked with the pork. Remove those from the crockpot with a slotted spoon and serve them alongside the pork as a topping.
To serve your pulled pork shoulder, pile a hefty amount of meat onto a hamburger bun, top it with the cooked onions, a dollop of your favorite bbq sauce and pickles and enjoy!
Recipe Substitutions & Variations
Pulled Pork Loaded Baked Potatoes
Pulled pork isn’t just for sandwiches. This dry rub pulled pork recipe makes a great topping for baked potatoes too. Cook the pork according to the recipe but instead of serving it on a bun, divide it between 8 large baked russet potatoes. (To bake a russet potato score the potato by running a knife along its long side. Place the potato with the cut facing up on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour at 375°F.) When the potatoes are cooked, open them up, fluff the inside of the potato with a fork, top with pulled pork, the onions from the cooking liquid and your favorite baked potato toppings.
Pulled Pork Bowl
Place a piece of cornbread or spoonful of rice in a shallow bowl. Pile on the pulled pork, onions from the cooking liquid and all of your favorite BBQ sides and toppings. Some suggestions for adding to your pulled pork bowl are:
- Sweet corn
- Black beans
- Cole slaw
- BBQ sauce
- Avocado
- Sour cream
- Cheddar cheese
Make Ahead Instructions for Dry Rubbed Crockpot Pork Shoulder
Dry rubbed crockpot pork shoulder can be made ahead time, if needed. The one complication that you want to avoid is drying out the meat. After the meat is pulled and is refrigerated it will begin to dehydrate.
To keep your pork juicy, save some of the cooking liquid from the crockpot. Place the liquid in a sealed container in the refrigerator separate from the pulled pork meat. The liquid will have fat in it so in the cold temperature it will solidify – that’s ok!
When you’re ready to reheat your slow cooker pulled pork warm up the cooking liquid first. Place the pulled meat in a baking tray and pour about 1 cup of liquid over the meat. Cover the tray with foil and heat the meat in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until the meat is hot.
FAQ’s and Recipe Tips
Put the dry rub on the pork shoulder up to 24 hours before cooking. If you’re in a rush you don’t need to let it marinate at all though.
No. The rub will cook right onto the meat and create a flavorful crust.
No. Pat the meat dry and then gently press the rub onto the surface of the meat. The rub should stick without oil. When cooking the meat will release plenty of it’s own fat to create the crust you want.
Yes. Just cover the meat with plastic and refrigerate it.
The Recipe for Dry Rubbed Crockpot Pork Shoulder
The recipe is attached below for easy downloading and printing. If you test it out be sure to leave a note in the comments below. I’d love to hear what you thought and if you served it as sandwiches or some other way. Enjoy!
Dry Rubbed Crockpot Pork Shoulder
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker
Ingredients
For the spice rub:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 1 tsp ground mustard
Other Ingredients:
- 4 lb bone-in pork shoulder
- 1 onion
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 6 oz pineapple juice
For serving:
- hamburger buns
Instructions
- Place the pork shoulder in a large mixing bowl. Pour the spice rub onto the pork and pat the rub onto the meat with your hands. Do this to cover the entire roast on all sides.1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp paprika, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp pepper, 1 tsp ground mustard, 4 lb bone-in pork shoulder
- Slice the onion and add the slices to the bottom of the crockpot along with the garlic.1 onion, 2 tsp minced garlic
- Pour the pineapple juice over the onions and garlic.6 oz pineapple juice
- Place the pork shoulder on top over everything.4 lb bone-in pork shoulder
- Cover the crockpot and set to cook on low for 9 hours.
- After the pork is done cooking, remove it to a cutting board and pull the meat off the bone using 2 forks. Transfer the meat to a serving bowl and spoon 1/4 cup of the cooking juice over the meat.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the onions from the crockpot to a small bowl to serve along with the pork. Serve on hamburger buns.hamburger buns
Notes
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