Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork is a recipe a classic recipe everyone must try! Tender pork with root beer and barbecue sauce, great on buns or even rice.
I received this recipe from a dear friend. When I asked her for the recipe she said just plop the pork in, dump a can of root beer and add a couple of squirts of barbecue. My friend cooks her recipe for 15+ hours though I think 10 hours is a good amount of time for tender fall off the bone pork.
How to make Root Beer Pulled Pork:
You will need:
- A pork shoulder (any size works!)
- 12 oz. can root beer
- 1 cup barbecue sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays
Directions:
- I like to rinse and pat dry my pork before adding to the slow cooker for it can be slimy. Add the pork shoulder to the slow cooker.
- Pour over the barbecue sauce and root beer.
- Cover and cook on low for 10 hours.
- Remove the pork from the slow cooker onto a sheet tray or large plate. shred the meat with two forks and discard any fat.
- Add the pork back into the slow cooker into the juices.
How to serve Root Beer Pulled Pork:
- Pile high on hamburger buns
- Serve on top of steamed white rice
- With mashed potatoes.
Should I brown the pork?
- Browning meat before adding to the slow cooker is not necessary. The slow cooker will fully cook the meat in the allotted time.
- If you feel you’d like to brown the pork you can. The cook time remains the same. Some say browning the meat can add more flavor to a dish.
Can I use a different kind of soda?
Yes! Though a different soda will make this taste different it is okay to use a different kind of soda. Try one of these instead:
- Dr. Pepper
- Coke or Pepsi
- Ginger Ale
- Diet sodas can be used but only if you are used to the flavoring of it.
- Hard cider or beer can even be used!
I’m short on time, can I put this in my instant pot?
Yes! Pork does great in the instant pot, use this recipe if you want to use an instant pot.
Can I use this recipe with chicken?
I do make a recipe similar to this with chicken, though I add a few more ingredients for chicken can have less flavor than pork. Here is my recipe for Slow Cooker Root Beer Chicken.
Other slow cooker pulled pork recipes:
- Slow Cooker Cuban Pork
- Slow Cooker Pineapple Jalapeno Pork Tacos
- Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Cajun Pork Sandwiches
- Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Kaula Pig
- Slow Cooker Chile Verde
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Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients:
- 4 lb. boneless pork shoulder often called pork butt (3-4 lb roast)
- 12 oz. root beer
- 1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce
For Serving:
- Hamburger Buns
Instructions:
- Add the roast, root beer, and barbecue sauce to the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 10 hours, without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- Once cooked, remove the roast and shred; discarding any fatty pieces.
- Replace the shredded meat back into the sauce remaining in the slow cooker; stir.
- Serve on your favorite buns.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Tasty but very thin sauce, will make again with less root beer and more bbq.
Pork came out tender, although sauce was very thin, made soggy but tasty sliders.. Will use less root beer and more bbq sauce next time.
amazing loved it sm. great detail while still being concise and clear <3
I have a 12 lb pork roast. How long must I cook it on a low lamp in the crock pot.
If you can actually get it to fit, I would say 12 hours. Or start on high for a few hours, then switch to low.
Would pork loin work for this?
Yes, though it will taste like diet pulled pork, just an FYI. Pork loin is very lean and doesn’t have the flavor a pork shoulder does.
If you are doing an 8 lb pork roast instead of 4, do you use 2 cans of rootbeer and 2 cups of bbq sauce?
And how many servings would you get from s 4 lb roast?
Depends on the size of you’re slowcooker. I wouldn’t add two cans of root beer, one should be plenty. You can add more bbq sauce if you want. Pork shoulder is very hard to tell how much it will serve since most of it can be fat (or not). I would say a 4 pound roast would feed 10 people, sandwiches, with sides though.
If your not a cook but your having people over and want to have pulled pork sandwiches without having to buy at a restaurant or catering company, follow the instructions : rump roast or pork butt. 1 can of regular A & W root beer and Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce. No browning is needed as the slow cooker will do it. I used an electric crock pot. Place meat in pot. Add root beer. Pour BBQ sauce over meat. Cover. Let it cook all day. I started on High for the first 6 hours or so, then turned it on low. At about the 7 hour period the meat was falling off the bone. Pull meat out and pull apart with two forks. Discard the fat. Oh, I added a pork bone to the cooking as well, got it from the butcher. It added flavor. At the end of cooking, I skimmed off the fat that floated to the surface. The flavor is subtle and not over-powering. Its very good. You won’t be disappointed.
Can I pressure cook the pork roast then put it in the crock?
Do you put the fat side down in the crock pot ou fat side up?
I usually do down, but it really doesn’t matter, some roasts don’t have a fat side.
Leave fat on top it flavors the meat while cooking