Today I'm sharing a delcious slow cooker recipe that can be used in many different ways. This flavorful 2 ingredient pulled pork recipe can easily be used for barbecue pork sandwiches, chili, or for taco night. This easy slow cooker recipe is great to prep as a freezer meal.
I don't know what I love more about this easy recipe, that the shredded pork can be used in a variety of recipes. Or the fact that the Boston butt comes out of the crockpot juicy, tender, and loaded with flavor.
Not only is this recipe great to have in the freezer for busy days. It's a great recipe to serve on game day or for parties. We made this recipe for our son's graduation party and it was a big hit.
This shredded pork recipe makes the best pulled pork sandwich. We enjoy this easy 2 ingredient pulled pork recipe on mini sub buns then topped with a slice of swiss cheese and cole slaw. Severed with a side of homemade potato salad or our seafood pasta salad recipe or potato chips.
Ingredients Needed For Pulled Pork
Simple two ingredients are all it takes to make this fabulous pulled pork recipe. And a few minutes of prep time to get it ready for the slow cooker. The 2 ingredients that are needed for this recipe are pork shoulder butt and bbq sauce. This easy pulled pork recipe doesn't take long to prep and have ready for the slow cooker.
From what I could find at our grocery store all the pork shoulder roasts were rather large, the one in the picture is a 6-pound roast. We did end up having some leftover pulled pork to enjoy the next day. As well as having enough to store in the freezer to be used as a meal for a later date.
The pork shoulder butt that I bought did have a bone in it, but a boneless pork shoulder will work.
My favorite barbecue sauce to use is sweet baby Ray's and one 18-ounce bottle works great for this recipe. As the pork cooks with the bbq sauce, it will create plenty of cooking liquid. So there is no need for any water or apple juice to add to the crockpot.
I did choose to season the pork should butt with black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. A dry rub or brown sugar would also work or you can choose to not season the pork meat.
How To Make
One of the things I remember my dad teaching me about cooking. Was to always rinse pork off to remove any fragments of bones there might be from processing. Rinsing the pork shoulder roast off under cold water was my first step.
After rinsing the pork off pat dry with a paper towel to remove the extra moister. Searing the pork shoulder will be easier with this step.
On the stove top, I heated up some olive oil in my cast iron skillet. Alternatively, you could use a large soup pan or even a Dutch oven. As the olive oil and cast iron skillet are heating up I turn back to prepping the pork roast.
The next step is to remove some of the extra fat there might be on the outside of the roast. Do leave some fat because it will add flavor to the pulled pork. Removing any excess fat is another step that will help when it comes to searing the meat. Removing the extra fat from the meat will help to create a nice crust to the meat.
With the excess fat removed, I seasoned the pork. This step is optional, I wanted to bring in more flavor to the roast. By the time I had both sides of the pork butt roast seasoned, my cast iron skillet was hot. I seared both the flat sides of the pork for 5 minutes on each side.
Searing the meat will do a couple of things to the meat. The first would be it locks in any seasoning you might have used. Searing will also caramelize the natural sugars that are in the meat. This will create a nice brown crust that will amplify the flavor of the meat.
How Long To Cook
Once I have the pork seared on both sides I added it to my crock pot. Pour a bottle of your favorite bbq sauce on top of the meat. I like to use Sweet Baby Rays, but there are so many wonderful brands of barbecue sauces to choose from. This would be the perfect recipe to try a homemade bbq sauce with.
I set my crockpot to cook on low for 9 hours, the internal temperature needs to reach 190 degrees for shredding the pork. Cooking time may vary depending on your slow cooker. Since each crockpot cooks differently you will need to adjust according to how yours cooks.
Once the slow cooker 2 ingredient pulled pork has fully cooked shred the meat using two forks. Mix the shredded meat with the cooking liquid before serving. If you feel there isn't enough barbecue sauce to your liking you could always add a cup more of bbq sauce.
I shredded the pork meat after 8 hours of cooking and allowed it to continue to cook for the last hour in the cooking liquid. This helped the pulled pork to absorb some of the liquid.
Questions
We love to answer and give as many tips as we can when it comes to our recipes. Here are a few questions that we feel will be helpful.
No, the pork roast doesn't need to be seared before it's slow cooked. Searing will give the meat more flavor.
No, it does not need to be cooked in any liquid. The pork will create its own liquid as it cooks.
The best cut of meat for pulled pork is pork shoulder butt, also known as Boston butt.
Leftover 2 ingredient pulled pork should be stored in an airtight container. For up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Yes, it can and will last in the freezer for up to 6 months.
It is not necessary to cook this pulled pork recipe in barbecue sauce. It can be cooked without the sauce or with Dr. Pepper or root beer instead. If you don't want all the pork flavored with bbq sauce. Then add a cup of the bbq sauce into a small bowl and mix in a portion of the pulled pork.
We like to enjoy this easy slow cooker 2 ingredient bbq pulled pork as sandwiches. Then topped with a choice of toppings like coleslaw, red onions, pickled red onions, avocado slices, pickles, Jalapenos, or pepperoncini.
Serve with chips, fries, or your favorite summer pasta salad like old fashioned macaroni salad.
Here are some easy pork recipes that might become your favorite recipe.
Easy 2 Ingredient Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe
2 ingredients is all that is needed to make bbq pulled pork in the slow cooker. This tender meat is perfect to make pork sandwices with.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil to sear pork with
- 6 pound Pork Shoulder Butt
- 18 Ounces BBQ Sauce
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper optional
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder optional
- 1 Teasponn Onion Powder optional
Instructions
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Rinse pork should butt under cold water, and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove any excess fat on the pork. Season the meat with your choice of seasonings.
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In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Place the pork shoulder butt into the pan and sear for 5 minutes on each side.
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Place the seared pork shoulder butt into a slow cooker cover the pork with the bbq sauce.
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Place the lid of slow cooker on and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Or until internal temperature reaches 190 degrees. Every crockpot cooks differently, you will need to adjust acoordingly.
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Using two forks shred the pork into pieces, this can be larger or fine depending on how you want it shredded.
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Toss the shredded pork in the cooking liquid, add additional bbq sauce if desired.
Recipe Notes
My Creative Manner is not a nutritionist. The nutritional value is gathered from an ingredients database and should be considered an estimate.
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