Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
2 Comments Jul 14, 2024
Updated May 14, 2025
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Turn a pork shoulder cut into a delicious dish with this Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork recipe that is easily made in the crockpot. Use the finished product to make sandwiches, tacos, or a topping for baked potatoes and salad. This is perfect for warm sunny days or busy weeknights.
We love to make this Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork at any time of year. Soda is a popular sweetener in crockpot recipes like pork, baked beans, and chicken! (We also use Coca-Cola and root beer in recipes).
For this recipe, I make a barbecue sauce mixture that infuses the pork roast with flavors that will have you and your guests craving seconds (maybe even thirds!). The flavor of Dr. Pepper isn’t overwhelming but does add a hint of cherry, caramel, and vanilla. We also use it in our Dr. Pepper Baked Beans and Dr. Pepper Ribs.
Ingredients for Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
This recipe has plenty of seasonings! Find the full ingredient amounts in the recipe card below the images.
- Boneless Picnic Roast: I suggest a cut that’s at least 3 pounds to yield plenty of servings. It may be labeled as a pork butt or pork shoulder.
- BBQ Mixture: Barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. My all time favorite barbecue sauce is Sweet Baby Rays! We use that sauce in our Sweet Baby Rays Crockpot Chicken.
- Hamburger Buns: for serving.
How to Make Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
This recipe is made in two easy steps in the crockpot, see my guide below.
Step One – Whisk together the BBQ sauce ingredients in a bowl, then place the picnic roast in the slow cooker. Pour the Dr. Pepper over the meat, followed by the sauce, coating it well.
Step Two – Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours, until the pork is tender and shreds easily.
Best Ways to Serve
What is great about this pork is that you can serve it one way, then change it up for the leftovers:
Serve the Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork on hamburger buns, and serve with extra BBQ sauce on the side. It’s best to toast the buns so they don’t become soggy.
Consider topping your sandwiches with cheese, pickles, coleslaw, and extra BBQ sauce.
The pulled pork is on the sweet side but can also be used to make tacos, enchiladas, burritos, pork nachos, or topping for salad, baked potatoes, and mashed potatoes.
For a complete meal, serve with coleslaw, slow cooker baked beans or a side salad.
Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Recipe
How to Video
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. boneless picnic roast (pork), often called pork butt or pork shoulder
- 12 oz. Dr. Pepper, (1 can)
- 1 cup barbecue sauce, we like Sweet Baby Rays Brand
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. paprika
- ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- hamburger buns, for serving
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
- Place the boneless picnic roast into the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Pour the Dr. Pepper over the picnic roast, then pour the barbecue sauce mixture over the top of the roast, ensuring it is well covered.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours (or more), or until the pork is tender and easily shreds.
- Once the picnic roast is cooked, remove it from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks in a mixing bowl.
- Skim off as much fat as possible from the cooking liquid in the slow cooker.
- Return the shredded picnic roast to the slow cooker and mix it in with the sauce. Continue to cook on LOW for another 30 minutes.
- Serve the Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork on (toasted) hamburger buns, and serve with extra BBQ sauce. Enjoy!
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More Pulled Pork Recipes
Pulled Pork Chow Down and Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork are both saucy, tender, and perfect for piling high on buns or serving at a party.
Jackfruit Sandwiches offer a tasty meat-free alternative with the same barbecue-style flavor and texture as pulled pork.
Root Beer Pulled Pork and Slow Cooker Carnitas each bring their own twist—one sweet and tangy, the other crispy and savory with classic Mexican flavor.
I only have a 4qt slow cooker. Can I make the pulled pork recipe in that? Should I buy a smaller pork butt?
3 pounds should fit no problem. You should be able to tell when you’re at the store shopping.