Slow Baked Pulled Pork

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Slow Baked Pulled Pork is the perfect main course for holiday entertaining or as a game day staple. Only 15 minutes of prep and then 12 hours in the oven. Works like clock-work, and you can even make it while you sleep!

Overhead close-up shot of a large white bowl with shredded pulled pork and two large wooden forks inside it.

How easy is Slow Baked Pulled Pork?

VERY!! 😀 Which makes this recipe a huge win for busy people during the holidays or on game days (when we’d rather be chatting with company/watching the game than cooking)!

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Here’s how you do it.

  1. Make the spice rub – just six ingredients.
  2. Rub the spice rub all over the roast, cover it, and let it marinate overnight in the fridge.
  3. Two hours before baking, set the roast out to get the chill off.
  4. Bake on 210 degrees (yup, 210) for 12 hours. DON’T OPEN THE OVEN during bake time.
  5. Remove roast from oven and let it rest for 20 minutes.
  6. Discard shoulder blade, skin, and visible fat.
  7. Shred the meat, and serve.

Easy enough? I say yes.

The method and the RUB!

  • I use an old-time roasting pan for baking the roast. If you don’t have one, you could use a dutch oven or even just a deep pan and cover it tightly with foil. The most important thing is to cover it and NOT touch the oven for 12 hours.
  • This slow roast method is a technique that I found on All Recipes by Chef John.
  • I also just posted my brother Dave’s spice rub recipe, which is actually the rub I used in this recipe, except for the quantities. Make a large batch of it to keep on hand for other meats, like baby back ribs, brisket, pork loin, etc.
Overhead process shots of 1) a raw pork shoulder and a container of spice run on a white and gray background, and 2) a large roaster with a cooked pulled pork, and two white ramekins beside it.

Do you see the shoulder blade on the picture below? It literally just fell away from the meat when I touched it. The meat was so tender that I didn’t need forks to shred it either, except that it was a little bit warm.

Unbelievably simple and delicious.

Overhead process shots of 1) a cooked pork shoulder in a large white bowl, and 2) the shredded pork shoulder in a large white bowl.

SO many options!

This pulled pork works great as:

  • a sandwich
  • a wrap
  • a taco
  • a burrito bowl
  • quesadillas
  • enchiladas
  • the list goes on…

In fact, I sent a container of this to Josh at TTU, along with tortillas, cheese, and homemade (the BEST) enchilada sauce. He was happy. 🙂

We love using homemade French Bread with this pulled pork. See my recipe and video below for all the deets!

We’re from Iowa and we love pork!

Mike and I grew up in Iowa, so we grew up eating a lot of pork. We love it all. Pork chops, pork loin, pork tenderloin, pork ribs, pork patties (yup, it’s a thing!), bacon, ham, hot dogs (just at a ball game), and sausage.

I can see you thinking….”But doesn’t she post a lot of roasted veggie and quinoa recipes? And she loves pork?” YES. I love it all. It’s about balance for me, and there is really nothing that’s off limits. Except raw fish and weird stuff. 🙂

One more time – you can make this while you SLEEP!

I recommend putting it in the oven 13 hours before your event so it is fresh out of the oven. OR, you can bake it in advance and then warm it up in a crockpot (on low). Just add a little extra liquid (chicken broth and/or barbecue sauce) so it doesn’t dry out.

Enjoy. 🙂

Side shot of my hand grabbing a very large pulled pork sandwich with pickles, on a white plate.

Try this recipe next: Slow Cooker Beef Au Jus Sandwiches

Please let know if you try this recipe. Be sure to comment and leave a review on the blog so I can see what you think. You can also like my Facebook Page, follow me on Pinterest, and catch me on Instagram.

xoxo ~Sue

Slow Baked Pulled Pork is the perfect main course for holiday entertaining or as a game day staple. Only 15 minutes of prep and then 12 hours in the oven! | suebeehomemaker.com

Slow Baked Pulled Pork

Slow Baked Pulled Pork is the perfect main course for holiday entertaining or as a game day staple. Only 15 minutes of prep and then 12 hours in the oven. Works like clock-work, and you can even make it while you sleep!
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 hours
Total Time: 12 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 258kcal
Author: Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

  • 7-8 pound pork shoulder
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
  • 1 cup water
  • barbecue sauce

Instructions

  • The day before: Make the dry rub by combining the sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, and garlic powder. Mix ingredients and coat liberally over the pork shoulder.
  • Place pork shoulder in a roasting pan or dutch oven. Let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight, covered.
  • The next day when ready to bake: Preheat oven to 210 degrees.
  • Take two ramekins and combine 1/2 cup water and 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke in each one. Place each ramekin on either side of meat and cover with lid.
  • Roast pork in the oven (covered) for 12 hours, or until very tender. Do not open the oven. After 12 hours, remove and let the roast sit for 20 minutes, or until it is cool enough to touch. 
  • Remove skin and visible fat from roast. Remove the shoulder blade and discard. 
  • Shred meat with your fingers or do a rough chop with a knife. Place shredded meat in a serving dish and drizzle with broth, or barbecue sauce. Serve warm.
  • Leftover pork freezes well in an airtight container or freezer bag.

Video

Notes

  1. If you don’t have a roasting pan, you could use a dutch oven or a simple large throwaway tin (lasagna sized), and cover tightly with foil.
  2. Be generous with the seasoning!
  3. Do NOT open the oven during the 12 hour cooking time.
  4. If planning an event, start the process for about 13 hours prior to event time. This will ensure that the pork is warm.
  5. Cooked pork can be frozen, wrapped tightly, for up to three months.

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 513mg | Potassium: 562mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 165IU | Vitamin C: 1.3mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 2.1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Suebeehomemaker or tag #suebeehomemaker!

26 Comments

  1. Beck and Bulow says:

    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!

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂

  2. I have a 10 pound pork butt. How much longer would it need in the oven?

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      I haven’t tested this with a larger cut, but I’m guessing it may take an hour or two longer.

  3. 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?

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Yes, you can make them in the same pan if it’s big enough. And yes, double the rub. Good luck!

  4. Can I use a Boston butt for this instead?

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Yes you can.

  5. Omg that looks amazing
    Do you think I can use the same recipe for a pork loin instead of pork shoulder?

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      No, a pork loin would get too dry using this method. I recommend using a pork shoulder.

  6. 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

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      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!

  7. HI there – I just made this recipe yesterday and it tasted really good.

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Hi Kim! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

  8. Jonathan Thomas says:

    How can I achieve a good bark with this method?

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      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!

  9. Hi, not sure if liquid smoke is available in Australia, is there anything else I could use?
    Thanks

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      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!

  10. If my lid for the roaster pan is gone, can I just cover it with foil?

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Yes, just wrap it tightly in foil.

  11. Just wondering if I could cook this in an electric roaster instead of in the oven?

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      You could as long as it’s a super low temperature (210 degrees) and you don’t open the lid. Good luck!

  12. 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. ❤️

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      You got that right!! 🙂

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