Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
No Comments Jul 14, 2024
Updated Jul 22, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Turn a pork shoulder cut into a delicious dish with this Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork recipe. 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.
If you’re looking to try another flavor, you may like my Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork recipe.
Table of Contents
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.
Recipe Ingredients
- 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. We also use this roast in our classic slow cooker pulled pork.
- 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!
- Hamburger Buns: for serving.
- (The Full Recipe is in the recipe card below the images).
Step-by-Step Ingredients
Step one – 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 to make a homemade bbq sauce.
Step Two – Place the boneless picnic roast into the bottom of the slow cooker.
Step Three – 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.
Step Four – Cover the slow cooker and cook pulled pork on LOW for 6-8 hours, or until the pork is tender and easily shreds.
Step Five – Once the picnic roast is cooked, remove it from the crock pot 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.)
Step Six – 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. Enjoy!
How to Serve
- 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.
Recipe FAQs
Leftover pulled pork can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Coca-Cola, root beer, or ginger ale can be used instead of Dr. Pepper.
My answer to using a diet soda in crockpot recipes is yes, but only if you are used to the taste of the diet soda.
More Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipes
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Chow Down
- Jackfruit “Pulled Pork” Sandwiches
- Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Carnitas
Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
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!
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
- Nutritional values do not include buns or toppings.
- Leftover pulled pork can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
- For a complete meal, serve the pulled pork with coleslaw, baked beans or a side salad.
- This pulled pork can be used in a variety of dishes. Use it as a filling for tacos or burritos, with mac and cheese, use it in quesadillas, or even as a pizza topping.
- Other sodas that can be used are coca cola, root beer or ginger ale.
- Diet soda can be used if you are used to the flavor.
- If your roast is larger than 3 pounds cook longer than 8 hours. May need 9-10 hours on low.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
