Slow Baked Pulled Pork
Slow Baked Pulled Pork is the ultimate main dish—perfect for holiday gatherings or game day feasts. With just 15 minutes of prep and a low-and-slow 12-hour bake, it practically makes itself, even while you sleep!
Oven Baked Pulled Pork
Mike and I both grew up in Iowa, so pork has always been a big part of our lives and our family tables. From backyard barbecues to weeknight dinners, it showed up in just about every form you can imagine. We honestly love it all—juicy pork chops, tenderloins hot off the grill, slow-roasted loins, smoky ribs, crispy pork patties, and of course the classics like bacon, ham, and sausage. Pork isn’t just food for us—it’s comfort, tradition, and a taste of home.
Slow-baked pulled pork is one of those recipes that feels like a big deal but is actually so simple to make. With just a few basic seasonings and a little time in the oven, you end up with tender, juicy pork that practically falls apart with a fork.
The best part is, the oven does most of the work—just pop it in, let it bake low and slow, and before you know it, you’ve got the perfect meat for sandwiches, tacos, or piling onto a baked potato. It’s comfort food at its easiest, and once you make it at home, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Hands-off cooking – just a quick prep, then the oven does the work.
- Tender and juicy – the long bake time makes the pork melt-in-your-mouth good.
- Big batch friendly – feeds a crowd with ease, perfect for parties or holidays.
- Versatile – serve on sandwiches, tacos, nachos, or alongside classic sides.
- Make-ahead magic – even better the next day, and it freezes well too.
- Minimal cleanup – just one pan, no fancy equipment needed.
- Crowd-pleaser – universally loved, from game day to family dinners.
- Low stress – you can let it cook overnight or while you’re busy with other things.
What You’ll Need:
- Pork Shoulder – about 7-8 pounds of bone in pork shoulder
- Dijon Mustard – to help the seasonings bind to the meat
- Seasoning Mixture – a combo of sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder
- Liquid Smoke – for a smoky wood-fired flavor
How to make Slow Baked Pulled Pork:
For best results, pop the pork in the oven about 12.5 hours before your event so it comes out perfectly fresh and ready to serve. If you’d rather make it ahead, you can bake it in advance and reheat it gently in a crockpot on low. Just add a splash of chicken broth or barbecue sauce to keep it juicy and flavorful.
Step 1
Add binder to pork. Remove pork from packaging and place in a large roasting pan. Use your hands to rub the dijon mustard all over the pork shoulder.
Step 2
Make the spice rub. Combine the seasonings in a bowl – the sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Stir well.
Step 3
Add seasonings to the pork. Rub the spice rub all over the roast, using your hands to massage it into all sides of the meat. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil.
Step 4
Marinate. Place the marinated pork into the refrigerator overnight, or for 8-12 hours.
Step 5
Prep for baking. Set the roast on countertop to get the chill off – approximately 1-2 hours, depending on climate. Place pork in a large roasting pan. Fill a ramekin with water and a dash of liquid smoke and place beside the meat. Add lid to pan.
Step 6
Bake. Bake pork shoulder in a preheated 210-degree F oven for 12 hours. KEEP OVEN CLOSED during bake time.
Step 7
Let rest. Remove roast from oven and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Step 8
Shred meat. Discard shoulder blade, skin, and visible fat. Then use two forks (or your gloved hands) to shred the meat. Add barbecue sauce if desired.
Step 9
Serve pork. Serve pork with your choice of sides.
What to serve with Pulled Pork:
We have lots of side dishes to choose from. Here are just a few.
Recipe FAQs:
Pork shoulder (also called pork butt or Boston butt) is the best choice because it’s well-marbled, flavorful, and becomes incredibly tender when cooked low and slow.
Plan for about 12 hours at a low temperature (around 210°F). This slow bake breaks down the fat and connective tissue, leaving the pork juicy and easy to shred.
The pork should easily fall apart when shredded with a fork. For accuracy, look for an internal temperature of around 195–205°F.
Yes! Pulled pork reheats beautifully and often tastes even better the next day. Store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for longer.
It’s delicious on buns with barbecue sauce, piled onto nachos, tucked into tacos, or served alongside classic sides like coleslaw, baked beans, and cornbread.
How to serve leftover pulled pork:
If you’re serving pulled pork as a main dish for any gathering, they may be leftovers. Try one of the following:
- a sandwich like our Pressed Cuban Sandwiches
- nachos – try our Smoked Pulled Pork Nachos
- a taco like these Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
- a burrito bowl with our fave Mexican Street Corn Salad
- quesadillas – make our Leftover Pulled Pork Quesadillas
- enchiladas with our Enchilada Sauce
- baked potato with pulled pork and Homemade Barbecue Sauce
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Slow Baked Pulled Pork Recipe
Ingredients
For the seasoning mixture:
- 5 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
Remaining ingredients:
- 7-8 pounds pork shoulder
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1/2 cup water
- barbecue sauce – to serve
Instructions
- Add binder to pork. Remove pork from packaging and place in a large roasting pan. Use your hands to rub the dijon mustard all over the pork shoulder.1/4 cup dijon mustard
- Make the spice rub. Combine the seasonings in a bowl – the sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Stir well.5 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon kosher salt, 1 ½ teaspoon black pepper, 3 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- Add seasonings to the pork. Rub the spice rub all over the roast, using your hands to massage it into all sides of the meat. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil.7-8 pounds pork shoulder
- Marinate. Place the marinated pork into the refrigerator overnight, or for 8-12 hours.
- Prep for baking. Set the roast on countertop to get the chill off – approximately 1-2 hours, depending on climate. Place pork in a large roasting pan. Fill a ramekin with water and a dash of liquid smoke and place beside the meat. Add lid to pan.1/2 cup water, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
- Bake pork shoulder in a preheated 210-degree F oven for 12 hours. KEEP OVEN CLOSED during bake time.
- Let rest. Remove roast from oven and let it rest for 20 minutes.
- Shred meat. Discard shoulder blade, skin, and visible fat. Then use two forks (or your gloved hands) to shred the meat. Add barbecue sauce if desired.barbecue sauce
- Serve pork. Serve pork with your choice of sides.
Video
Notes
- For best results, pop the pork in the oven about 13 hours before your event so it comes out perfectly fresh and ready to serve. If you’d rather make it ahead, you can bake it in advance and reheat it gently in a crockpot on low. Just add a splash of chicken broth or barbecue sauce to keep it juicy and flavorful.
- This pulled pork is delicious on buns with barbecue sauce, piled onto nachos, tucked into tacos, or served alongside classic sides like coleslaw, baked beans, and cornbread.
It amazes me how many people don’t know how to read. It clearly states at the top of the article that you can skip to the recipe(button included ), or it will be a 12 minute read. Maybe complaining is easier that reading. BTW~ good recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
I have a 10 pound pork butt. How much longer would it need in the oven?
I haven’t tested this with a larger cut, but I’m guessing it may take an hour or two longer.
I am having a party for 30 people and will to cook a larger or 2 roasts. Can I cook 2 in the sale pan as long as there is space between the 2? And would I just double the rub recipe?
Yes, you can make them in the same pan if it’s big enough. And yes, double the rub. Good luck!
Can I use a Boston butt for this instead?
Yes you can.
Omg that looks amazing
Do you think I can use the same recipe for a pork loin instead of pork shoulder?
No, a pork loin would get too dry using this method. I recommend using a pork shoulder.
I love this idea. 210 degrees? Why not? Slow cookers cook at an average of 200-215 degrees. But question: For oven roasting do you adjust the time according to weight? My roast is 3.5 pounds, around half the size of your recipe. Thanks and regards, Janne
Hi Janne, I haven’t tried this method with a smaller roast, but feel that you would still need to slow bake this for the same amount of time. Please check back with me if you give it a try!
HI there – I just made this recipe yesterday and it tasted really good.
Hi Kim! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
How can I achieve a good bark with this method?
I don’t think you can get much of a good bark with this method because it’s covered the entire time. You would have to experiment with uncovering it, but I haven’t don’t that myself. Good luck!
I have read, reread, and reread again, the whole article and just the recipe. Nowhere in the recipe does it say to cover the roast as it bakes. Yet here in comments you say it is covered.
Sorry, I will fix that. Yes, cover the meat during the bake!
Hi, not sure if liquid smoke is available in Australia, is there anything else I could use?
Thanks
Hi Dot! I think I would just add some Worcestershire Sauce to the pork. Don’t worry about finding a substitute for the liquid smoke. It will still taste great!
If my lid for the roaster pan is gone, can I just cover it with foil?
Yes, just wrap it tightly in foil.
Just wondering if I could cook this in an electric roaster instead of in the oven?
You could as long as it’s a super low temperature (210 degrees) and you don’t open the lid. Good luck!
I can see why this recipe is #3! When cooking, the smell is so amazing that you can hardly wait until it is ready. Hard to beat a pulled Pork Sandwich. ❤️
You got that right!! 🙂