Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This slow cooker pulled pork has a sweet and spicy homemade cherry barbecue sauce that will have everyone going back for more. Set it and forget it! The pulled pork is ready when you are, making it a perfect choice for busy nights or parties.
How long it takes: 8 hours
Equipment you’ll need: slow cooker, skillet, saucepan
Servings: 12
all about the Sauce!
Slow cooker pulled pork is one of my favorite go-to meals when I want something delicious that will be ready at the end of a busy day.
Pork is pork, but I’m a little obsessed with this cherry barbecue sauce. It’s sweet, tangy, spicy, and….well, it is just SO good! I could have eaten it straight off the spoon. (Perhaps I did. You never know.)
This sauce is so perfectly the way BBQ sauce should be, and it’s just what you need for this slow cooker pulled pork.
What makes it special:
- A secret ingredient: It’s a jar of cherry preserves! Using jam or preserves makes the BBQ sauce so easy because the added sweetness gets you one step closer to perfection. Pork + jam + sweetness = perfection. The sauce is studded with little bits of cherry and onion. Yum!
- Meltingly tender pork: The pork is seared first and then transferred to the crockpot. Then it’s s-l-o-w cooked so it becomes perfectly tender.
- A crowd favorite: Since this makes a big batch, slow cooker pulled pork is what you need when you’re having a crowd over. It’s so easy and convenient with no last minute prep. Everyone will rave about it!
Ingredient Notes
- Pork Loin Roast: Look for a roast that’s 3 to 4 pounds. It may be called a boneless pork half loin ( a whole loin is much larger). If yours is a little larger, that’s okay, as long as it fits in your slow cooker. If you prefer, you can substitute a pork shoulder roast.
- Salt & Pepper, Chili Powder, Ground Cinnamon: The pork is seasoned with a dry rub and then seared in olive oil.
- Balsamic Vinegar: This rich dark brown vinegar is tangy and a bit sweet. The pork is slow cooked in a mixture of balsamic vinegar, water, and jam. The pork marinates as it cooks.
- Ketchup: Regular ketchup is the base of the sauce. Choose your favorite brand. I like the ones without high fructose corn syrup.
- Cherry Jam: The rest of the jam goes into this homemade cherry BBQ sauce for a fruity sweet balance to the savory pork.
- Onion, Garlic: These two aromatics are added to the sauce after being lightly sautéed. I usually use a yellow cooking onion because it’s finer textured. Add as much or as little garlic as you prefer.
- Red Wine Vinegar, Molasses, Worcestershire Sauce, Yellow Mustard: Each ingredient has specific properties that blend together for the perfect sauce.
- Cayenne Pepper: Made of finely ground dried hot peppers, this bright red spice is hot! I like just a little heat in my BBQ sauce but feel free to make it spicier or omit it if you like.
How To Make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Season the pork. Mix together salt, pepper, chili powder, and cinnamon to make a dry rub for the pork. Rub the mixture over both sides of the pork.
Sear the pork. Heat the oil in a large pan. When it’s hot, add the pork loin roast. Sear it on all sides until it’s golden brown. This is the first step of a braise.
Slow cook. When the pork has browned, place it in the crockpot, fat side up. Add the balsamic vinegar, water, and a half cup of the jam (save the rest for the BBQ sauce). Put the cover on and set the crockpot on Low. Cook for 7 to 8 hours.
Make BBQ sauce. Meanwhile, sauté the onions and garlic in a saucepan until the onions soften. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer the sauce, keeping it warm until you’re ready for it.
Shred pork. When the pork is very tender, remove it from the slow cooker. Discard the excess cooking liquid. Use two forks to shred the meat. If you end up with some shreds that seem too long, use a sharp knife to cut them into bite-size lengths.
Combine with sauce. Transfer the shredded pork back into the slow cooker. Add the warm sauce and stir well until the pork is coated with sauce. Keep the pork warm on the lowest setting until you’re ready to serve it.
Serving Suggestions
With coleslaw: I like to serve pulled pork topped with a spoonful of coleslaw (as pictured). Try my creamy coleslaw or its cousin, healthy coleslaw (yogurt replaces some of the mayo).
More sides: Serve pulled pork sandwiches with air fryer potato wedges or air fryer corn on the cob.
Recipe Variations
- Make extra sauce. If you like a lot of sauce or you want extra to drizzle on the pork after you put it on the bun, make a double batch of sauce.
- Try different jams. I’m partial to barbecue sauce made with cherries (try my cherry chipotle BBQ sauce) but you could substitute a different fruit jam, such as plum or peach. I have another slow cooker pulled pork recipe with fresh mango: mango bourbon pulled pork and it’s pretty fabulous, too.
- Use a different type of pork roast. While pulled pork is traditionally made with pork shoulder (or blade pork roast), I often opt for a pork loin roast because it is a leaner cut. If you prefer pork shoulder, that will work fine in this recipe (cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours).
- Use your favorite dry rub. The dry rub that is applied before searing the roast can be tweaked in all sorts of ways. If you have a favorite rub, feel free to use it or try my BBQ dry rub.
Pulled pork is perfect for meal prepping. While this slow cooker pork is inherently a make-ahead recipe (make it in the morning, let it cook all day!), you could also prepare it further in advance, and either refrigerate or freeze it.
Refrigerate: When pork has cooled down, refrigerate it in a covered container for up to four days.
Freeze: Pulled pork freezes well. Put into freezer-safe containers or zip top bags and freeze for up three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Larger amounts can be reheated in the slow cooker or in a pan on the stove. If you are reheating a small portion, the microwave works great.
More Pork Recipes
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe with Cherry BBQ Sauce
Ingredients
For Pork:
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 to 4 pounds boneless pork loin roast (see note)
- ½ cup cherry jam (see note)
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup water
For Sauce:
- 1 cup cherry jam
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
For Serving:
- buns
- coleslaw (optional)
Instructions
- Mix salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, chili powder, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Rub this mixture all over the pork loin roast.2 teaspoons kosher salt, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Put the pork roast into the hot skillet and brown for 3 minutes on each side or until dark golden brown.2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 to 4 pounds boneless pork loin roast
- Transfer meat to large slow cooker, fat side up, and add ½ cup jam, balsamic vinegar and water. Cover and cook on Low for 7 to 8 hours, or on High for 4 hours, or until tender.¼ cup balsamic vinegar, ½ cup water, ½ cup cherry jam
- Meanwhile, stir together barbecue sauce ingredients: 1 cup jam, ketchup, red wine vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and cayenne.1 cup cherry jam, 1 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons molasses, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium saucepan over medium heat, and add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer. Simmer over low heat until ready to add to pork.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 cup finely chopped onion, 1 clove garlic, minced
- Remove pork from crockpot and place on large platter or pan. Remove remaining liquid from crockpot and discard. Shred pork using two forks. Return shredded pork to slow cooker. Add sauce, stirring to coat. Cover and keep on Warm setting until ready to serve.
Notes
- Pork: Substitute boneless pork shoulder if desired.
- Jam: 1 use a 13-ounce jar of Bonne Maman cherry jam. Golden plum mirabelle or peach jam may be substituted. Another brand is fine, too.
- Nutrition note: Nutrition information is for meat with sauce and does not include bun or coleslaw. It’s calculated for a 3-pound pork loin roast.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
So easy and delicious! A new family favorite!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for leaving a review!
oh wow, your pulled pork looks great, I could eat a big plate of it right now! Using the plum bourbon sauce sounds delicious! :-)
Check out my post of today, Hot Fudge Cake, would be good dessert after your pork!
Michael :-)
I love pulled pork! The sauce sounds fantastic!
How can they just go ahead and change the names of cuts of meat?! I feel like that’s not ok. haha If I see something labeled a blade pork roast I’m gonna be like wtf is THAT in the grocery store. This sounds delicious though regardless of name. That sauce…just want to spoon it into my mouth!
Love this! I love that you used Jam!! My husband is in the middle of his busy season, so I’m always looking for new slow-cooker recipes. Great pictures too!
I loovveeee me some pulled pork and this recipe looks awesome! Great job :)
Happy Blogging!
I love your photos. I bet this pork is as fantastic as it looks. Drooling ;)
we love pulled pork sandwiches. Can’t wait to try this.
We love pulled pork around this house. Pull a part meat that’s tasty and flavorful goes to the top of my list every time. :)
My absolute favorite brand of preserves and I’ve not even seen these yet. I love making my own BBQ sauces, yes, with bourbon and can almost taste this Rachel.
Will have to keep an eye out; I’ve got a pork butt (wrong name maybe…why do they DO this to us??) in the freezer now just crying for some slow cooking! :)