Print

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Pulled Pork

A close-up of saucy Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Pulled Pork piled high on a white plate.
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Make tender, flavorful pulled pork using your slow cooker with this easy honey garlic recipe. The meat cooks low and slow until it shreds easily, coated in a sticky, sweet, and savory sauce.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3-4 lb pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed of excess fat
  • 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch (for thickening)
  • 2 tablespoons water (for slurry)

Instructions

  1. Place the pork shoulder into the basin of your slow cooker.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, minced garlic, smoked paprika, ginger, and black pepper to create the sauce.
  3. Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the pork shoulder in the slow cooker.
  4. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is completely tender.
  5. Carefully remove the pork from the slow cooker and place it on a large cutting board or baking sheet. Reserve the cooking liquid from the slow cooker.
  6. Use two forks to shred the pork, discarding any large pieces of fat.
  7. To thicken the sauce, skim any excess fat from the reserved liquid. Pour the liquid into a saucepan. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water to create a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the reserved liquid.
  8. Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens to a glaze consistency, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  9. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker or a large bowl. Pour about half of the thickened sauce over the meat and toss to coat. Add more sauce as needed for your desired level of stickiness.
  10. Serve the pulled pork immediately on buns or over your preferred side dish.

Notes

  • For the best flavor penetration, you can rub the pork shoulder with salt and pepper before placing it in the slow cooker.
  • If you prefer a less sweet sauce, reduce the honey by 2 tablespoons and increase the apple cider vinegar by 1 tablespoon.
  • Shredding is easiest when the meat is hot; use caution when handling.
  • If you do not have time to simmer the sauce, you can skip the thickening step and simply pour the reserved cooking liquid over the shredded meat.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://hungryhearld.com/slow-cooker-honey-garlic-pulled-pork/