Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
Pork simmered in root beer makes all the difference. Topped with your favorite BBQ sauce, it's sure to bring rave reviews.
Pork simmered in root beer makes all the difference. Topped with your favorite BBQ sauce, it's sure to bring rave reviews.
I appreciate folks who review the recipe when they have used the original ingredients. What I don't appreciate, is someone who posts and completely changed ingredients. Why not post as an entirely different recipe. This was great as is. It will vary, depending on what barbecue sauce you use.
Read MoreI didn't think it was anything special. Followed the recipe exactly and while it wasn't disgusting, I've had much better.
Read MoreI appreciate folks who review the recipe when they have used the original ingredients. What I don't appreciate, is someone who posts and completely changed ingredients. Why not post as an entirely different recipe. This was great as is. It will vary, depending on what barbecue sauce you use.
Very very good. I used a pork shoulder roast. I soaked it in the rootbeer overnight. We love Sweet Baby Rays Brown Sugar and Hickory sauce. I couldn't keep the kids from eating it before dinner. I will be making this again for sure. Would be great to serve to a crowd.
Rootbeer?!? Seriously?!? That was my first response - I too went for the boston butt over the tenderloin - 4lbs for 1/2 the price of a 2lb tenderloin was enticing and, yes, I was skeptical - I jabbed the chunk of pork a few times with a fork left all the fat on it, tossed it in my big crockpot and covered it with a 2L bottle of 99c A&W Rootbeer (total cost, about $9.50) - set it on low for 7 hours and went to work... Came home for lunch, rolled the meat at 4 hours and went back to work... came home, and found the CP on "keep warm" - I dumped the liquid fat and rootbeer, pulled the bone, forked the meat apart and dumped a 23oz bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's original BBQ sauce into the pot and set it back to low for 1hr - the result was about 3.5 lbs of the best pulled pork my family has tasted - this could have served 10 people but there is less than half left!!! I saw this recipe pop in a "Superbowl Main Course" survey today (after I made it) - Shoot yeah, this is Superbowl food!!! I sampled the pork after the rootbeer bath and it already was great - I loved the raw sweetness the RB provided to the exterior and it was super tender and moist.... Winner Winner, Pork dinner....
This was a big hit. Very easy to make. The family loved it and I will be making this for a party. Thanks for the great recipe.
I love this recipe, however, I have found that it is much easier to cook on low for 10 hours and turn the slow cooker on before I go to bed the night BEFORE we want it. The next morning, I take a fork and everything falls a part on its own. I add more BBQ sauce, stir and place the crock pot in the fridge and off to work I go. When I get home, I pull the crock pot out, turn it back on high for 2 hours and serve....Letting it sit all day allows for the sauce to soak up into the pork.
Very tasty - easy recipe. I marinated the pork loin in a wet rub made with dry onion soup mix with fresh garlic, Montreal steak spice, pepper and worcesteshire sauce. I served the pulled pork on whole wheat buns with coleslaw. Chances are, I'll make this one again.
This was definitely a great recipe, but I have to give it only 4 stars. Using pork tenderloin for pulled pork is like using beef tenderloin for meatloaf - the basic idea is right but overkill. Pork shoulder roast or a picnic cut is better. Really any cheaper cut of higher fat pork will work better than tenderloin. All that being said, the tenderloin does work and provides a low fat, but more dry pulled pork. I've also used Dr. Pepper, added sliced sweet onion, 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar and 1 t. red pepper flakes. Adds a little zing to the sweet. It's been my experience that the pork comes out better cooked on LO for the entire time. If you have to shorten your cooking time and use HI, be sure that all of the meat is covered with liquid and place the onion under the pork to avoid burning or overcooking.
I recently got back from Memphis, TN on a business trip. After going to "The B-B-Q Shop" and having a great pulled pork sandwich, I decided that I'd make some pulled pork and see how it compared. I started off with a 2.5 pound pork tenderloin which I trimmed only a little of the surface fat from. I then poked holes on it and cut it into four pieces to better lay in my 6 quart cooker. I seasoned it with fresh ground pepper on all sides, kosher salt, and some garlic powder. I topped with some crushed red pepper flakes and let it stand for about 10 minutes. I chopped up a red onion and took only three center discs and laid them on the bottom of my cooker. I put the meat on top and poured in two cans of A&W Rootbeer. I cooked the pork on low for a little over six hours, and when I could hardly get it out of the cooker it was so tender. Two forks made quick work of the meat. I cleaned the cooker and put the meat back in with Sweet Baby Ray's Original BBQ sauce. I cook it for another hour on low, mixing it a couple of times during cooking. I buttered sandwich rolls, with a sprinkle of onion powder, then toasted them. Once they came out I put a fresh slice of pepper jack cheese and then loaded them up with pork. For topping I had the original sauce and the sweet and spicy variation. These were AWESOME. Very simple recipe, great results. I think the seasoning does help as I don't like plain food. I'm stuffed, can't wait for left overs!
Hint for removing stuck-on foods from crockpot--put a fabric softenr sheet in the empty crockpot, fill with HOT WATER and let it sit for an hour or two. Works for me every time! GREAT RECIPE--use boston butt instead of tenderloin..
Very basic, so I used this as "inspiration". As others said, use a pork shoulder roast rather than tenderloin - it's much cheaper. I also seasoned the meat with salt and pepper and seared the roast before putting it in the slow cooker, covered it with root beer, added a bit of hot chipotle BBQ sauce and a dried piri-piri pepper. Do NOT throw out the liquid when the roast is cooked! That stuff holds so much flavour, it's a shame to waste it. Instead, ladle it out into a pot and reduce it to a thick sauce, adjust flavour as needed, and pour as much back onto the shredded meat as you like - less for a dryer pulled pork, more for saucier. Sweet, spicy, and full of pork flavour!
This came out so delcious. I used Coca Cola instead of Root beer since that is all I had. My hubby thought it was as good as a BBQ restaurants!
I thought this recipe was easy and great! I did the following modifications to spice it up a little: 1) I used a pork shoulder based on the suggestion of other reviewers 2) The night before cooking I washed my pork shoulder in cold water and poked several holes in it with a fork. I then rubbed 1 package of McCormick® Slow Cookers BBQ Pulled Pork Seasoning on it and wrapped it in saran wrap and put it in the refrigerator overnight. 3) Before putting the pork shoulder in the crockpot the following morning I quartered an onion and used it to line the bottom of the crock pot. 4) I smeared a little bbq sauce on the pork shoulder and then placed it on top of the onions and used an entire 2 litter of rootbeer to cover my pork (I have an oval crock pot so it took a lot). I read in several reviews that stated covering the pork with rootbeer was important. 5) I cooked the pork on low for 8 hours (flipping it 2 -3 times while cooking). 6) After the pork was was cooked I completely emptied the crockpot and let the pork rest under a foil tent for 30 minutes. 7) I then shredded the pork and tossed it in Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce and placed it back in the crockpot on low for another hour. The result was fabulous pulled pork!!!! I did not think it tasted or smelled like rootbeer (the thought/ smell of rootbeer makes me sick so I was very worried to say the least!). I would highly recommend this recipe and will definitely make it again!
I made this for our Super Bowl Party and it came out amazing! I admit I was a little skeptical about using the root beer...but boy was I wrong! I used pork butt, per the advice of my butcher and couldn't have been happier with results. I put the meat in the slow cooker and poured the root beer over (using about 1 liter) and left it to cook on low overnight. When I woke up in the morning, I took the pork out and shredded it. Although not much effort was required, since it was pretty much falling apart! What was great about the pork butt was that there was barely any fat at all! I drained the root beer from the slow cooker and returned the shredded meat, added barbeque sauce that I had made, and cooked on low for another 4 hrs or so. The meat was amazing...so tender and flavorful. Served on kaiser rolls with homemade coleslaw on the side. Everyone at the party loved it. This recipe is definitely a keeper! My husband is already asking when I will be making it again.
We love this recipe. I layer onions in the bottom of my crockpot before adding the meat. I also sear the meat before adding it into the crockpot. I like to make coleslaw with this and make a big ol' sandwich filled with coleslaw and pulled pork. The leftovers are even better the day after.
Ok, so I read all these great reviews about this recipe but I have to admitt that I was a little concerned about pouring Root Beer all over the meat but it was very tasty! I took others advice and used a 3lb pork shoulder, I rubbed some Mrs. Dash on the meat. I put it in my crok pot, poured A&W root beer on it and cooked it for 8 hours on low. When it was finished it was so tender and juicy. Shredding it was a breeze. I also used Sweet baby Rays' BBQ sauce which I had never tried and it was also very good. I had to write a review because all the others were a big part of why I tried this. I recommend it. The meat did not taste of Root Beer at all!!
I've made this 3 times now because it's sooo good and easy. The root beer is essential and ingenius!! However, I disagree with others' suggestions to use cheaper, larger cuts of pork. I made this twice with tenderloin and it fell apart easily with the forks when I went to shred it. But I tried a large pork shoulder today, and I'll never do that again. It was tough, and super fatty. It required so much work to cut the fat off and shredding it was very difficult. It took much more time than the tenderloin, which cooks very quickly, about 2 hours or less, but is still very tender and flavorful. I added crushed red pepper to make it spicier, and I nearly doubled the BBQ sauce because I love BBQ sauce. Definitely be prepared to add lots more sauce after you shred the meat. I've made this with chicken too, but it's way better with pork tenderloin. I put the buns under the broiler for a few seconds - watch them closely. The toasted buns are essential, in my book. Happy to have found this recipe!
I didn't think it was anything special. Followed the recipe exactly and while it wasn't disgusting, I've had much better.
So many of these reviews just raved about this recipe and yet there were a few that complained about the "root beer" taste in the meat. I was convinced those few were just crazy... well, they were right! (Hear me out!) When you take the roast out to drain the root beer and pull the meat, you can most definitely taste the root beer. However, if you follow the directions and suggestions from others, put the meat back in the crockpot mixed with the BBQ sauce for an hour or so. After that you will not taste the root beer. You get a very tender and flavorful pork sandwich. Do not use tenderloin, a waste of good meat. I used a 4.5 lb pork roast on sale (the one with a bone) and a bottle of good ole K-C Masterpiece sauce. With some toasted buns and pinto beans, you got yourself a down home meal. Thanks, we really loved it!
Best Pulled Pork Ever! Used a Boston Pork Butt as others had suggested just over 4 lbs . seasoned the meat with Ms Dash Garlic and Herb ... placed the meat in a 6 qt crock ..... cut a large onion into larger chunks and placed around meat . poured a 64 once bottle of Non Diet Root Beer in the crock along with 2 Teaspoons of liquid smoke .. cooked for almost 10 hours on low .... removed the meat and placed in a colander so the root beer had a chance to drain .... and after emptying the crock of the onion and root beer and wiping with a paper towel put the meat back in and shredded it in the crock (it almost fell apart)..... in a sauce pan where i had diced a medium onion finely and about half of a sweet bell pepper.... i gently softened the onion and pepper and add a 28 oz. bottle of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce and mixed with the onions and peppers ..... then poured over the meat and mixed it in ..... cooked on low for another 90 min and served on toasted Buns . If you want a little kick to it take a fresh Jalapeno pepper diced finely and add with the the BBQ sauce. Draining the meat I had No Root Beer Flavor as other had sugessted and this is as Good a Pulled Pork as I have ever Had. The onions and peppers are just preference and adjust the amount of BBQ sauce to your liking . Try it you..... Will Not be Disappointed
I made this for my daughter's 5th birthday party. It was so easy to prepare! Her party was at 3:00. I used a 3.5 lbs. pork tenderloin, a whole onion chopped, and a cup and a half of root beer. I seasoned the meat on both sides with a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic power, and onion powder. I put the meat, root beer and onion in the crock pot at 8:00am. Every hour I would turn the meat over just so that each side would benefit from the marinade. At 2:00pm, I pulled out the pork loin and drained the root beer in a colander. That left the soaked onions which I put back in the crock pot with the pork. I, then, pulled the meat and lightly chopped it. I poured an 18 oz bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's and then cooked it for an additional hour. It came out absolutely wonderful. We will definitely be making this again!
This is one of the easiest dishes I have ever made. I followed others' suggestions and used a 6 lb. boston butt instead of the tenderloin. I seasoned my meat with what I had in the cabinet, and I used 2/3 of a 2 liter Barq's to cover the meat. After about 10 hours on low, it was falling to pieces! I added a large bottle of "Sweet Baby Ray's" sauce, some more spices, and that was it. It got rave reviews, and several people told me that it was better than what they have gotten in restaurants. I will definitely make this again.
This was so good!! I made this tonight for company (I doubled the recipe) and everyone raved. I think it's important to note that the root beer does not flavor the dish. It is used only to tenderize the meat. The flavor comes solely from the meat and the barbecue sauce. Those reviewers who claimed that this recipe was too sweet may have forgotten to drain the root beer before adding the barbecue sauce, or perhaps used a barbecue sauce that was too sweet. I used Sweet Baby Ray's Original BBQ Sauce (our family's favorite) and it was fantastic!
EASY and delicious...it is no wonder why this recipe rates top in 2010. I have made this recipe a dozen times and have passed along the recipe. There is a similar recipe in Allrecipe that calls for beef broth, and I liked it, but something seemed "off" which I now realize beef & pork don't mix. Like other reviews DO NOT use pork tenderloin as that is a very expensive cut of meat. I find 1/2 pork loins on sale for about $1.50 which have no bones & barely no fat. Once the meat is cooked I only have to slice off the top fat, then shred. I pour off the juice into a measuring cup; add the meat to the crockpot, add the bbq sauce and then add any "juice" as needed. YUMMY>
This gets 10 stars!!! I followed the recipe exactly, with one exception: After 6 hours, when you take the meat out of the root beer, **let it rest** for 5 minutes before shredding it! I did so under a foil tent. This will allow the juices to redistribute! Then, I shredded it with a fork, returned it to the crock pot (after draining the Saranac root beer), added Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce, and let it cook for the remaining hour. Used 2 lb pork tenderloin because I like a healthier cut of meat. SOOO Good, will definitely make many, many more times!
It was good. Used a large pork roast(prob about 5 pounds or so..we are a large family)poured a bottle and half of rootbeer over it. Was a little worried about how it would taste from the way it smelled when I drained it but it tasted better than I expected ..shredded pretty good added a big bottle of KC Masterpiece and served on ciabatta rolls with provolone melted on. Also made the Sweet Restaurant Slaw from the site to go with as a side! Great meal and not a lot of work!
I just put this in the Crock Pot tonight and I am making the exact recipe as writtem.
this recipe is fantastic.... the only change i made was to add some salt and pepper to enhance the flavor. If you want to make a great meal that everybody will enjoy- without a lot of dishes or strange ingredients- then this is the recipe for you. This is a keeper!! I served mine with slaw and baked beans. So easy, so delicious!
Just wanted to say "Folks", it's hard to get a good review when people are reviewing their own personal variations instead of the recipe they "didn't" actually make. Haven't tried this yet Livie but am looking forward to it. Sounds amazing!
Wonderful!!!! I just made this last week. Pork roast was on sale for .99/lb. and decided to try it using a 4 lb. roast. I used 2 bottles of IBC root beer to cook it in. I did pierce the meat then pour the root beer over. It worked great. I cooked it on low for 8 hrs. and it fell apart. I drained the juice and then shredded and cooked another hour with BBQ sauce. Nex time I am going to use Sprecher root beer and see if the sweeter root beer makes any difference. Thanks for a quick, easy and very tasty recipe! :)
I converted this recipe to cook in the oven. Cooked a 13.5 lb "Boston Butt" and of course it wouldn't fit in a slow cooker. Thanks to all who gave suggestions on oven temp. End result: used 6 cans of rootbeer, cooked 6 hours at 300 deg. in oven, drained, pulled apart and covered with Krafts Hickory Smoked BBQ sauce, which I heated first and added about 4-6 oz. of Burbon (to taste). Tossed and let cool in two alum. 1/2 pans. Ref. over nite and put in oven next day at 300 deg. for two hours to heat. Served to our friends as we watched the Eagles Beat the Giants! What a game, and I didn't have to spend the day in the kitchen cooking. Everything was done the day before, and everyone raved over how moist the pork was. Excellent Recipe. Go Eagles!
This turned out tasting like I poured root beer all over dinner. Maybe if I used a spicier sauce to help balance the sweetness, this might be edible.
Regular dark beer works so much better than root beer. And as countless others have note pork tenderloin is way too lean a cut of meat for slow cooking. The point of slow cooking in a liquid such as beer is to break down the tougher connective tissue of tougher cuts of meat.
This is my favorite barbecued pork recipe. I make exactly as written, use "Sweet Baby Ray"'s sauce and it's great. Only thing I do different is I take tenderloin out when thru and cut up in about 2 inch slices before pulling apart. Otherwise the "strings" are way too long. Super easy, super good, what more could you ask for?
I wish I could rate this 10 stars!!! This was delicious and fabulous. I used a pork tenderloin that was almost 3 pounds, so I used 2 cans of Birch Beer, and used 2 Tablespoons of Montreal Steak seasoning. Let that simmer 6 hours, then I shredded the pork, drained most of the birch beer off, then added 2 bottles of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce, original and honey. I was told this was the best pulled pork anyone has ever had, this will be made very often, thanks for sharing this wonderful, easy recipe (:
I had never purchased, let alone prepared, a pork roast. I am glad that I read the reviews. I bought a 5-6 pound "shoulder cut" (which was about $10) and cooked it on high in the crock pot for 3 hours, then turned it down to low for another 5 hours, with a bottle of Barq's. I spooned the meat out on to a plate (it was so tender it was falling apart), emptied and rinsed the crock pot, shredded the pork back into the crock pot, and poured a HALF RECIPE of Big Al's KC BBQ Sauce (from Allrecipes) on top and lightly mixed it in. And let it simmer on low in the crock pot for another 90 minutes. The result was something my husband and kids went CRAZY over. My husband said it's the best pulled pork he's EVER had. We only eat meat about twice a month, but I definitely think this will be going into the rotation. I served it with Ramen Coleslaw (also from AR) and stir-fried zucchini and crookneck squash from the garden. Delicious dinner!
I made this recipe for friends who came for "Happy Hour" supper. It was awesome. I was advised by my butcher to buy "Polish Pork Butt," was a bit skeptical about the amount of fat. The fat absolutely makes for a moister result, and there's no reason to pay the extra for the tenderloin!! The meat absolutely fell away from the fat without any carving or problems at all! I took the left-overs to work for my coworkers, and they all wanted the recipe! This will be my go-to for simple, simple, simple rave-review recipe!!
Mmm...mmm...mmm GREAT!!! Used a boneless pork butt roast which I rubbed w/ salt & pepper, then quick seared in a hot cast iron skillet (not necessary prob., just habit!) prior to throwing in the crock pot w/ root beer, 2 cloves of chopped garlic & a sliced onion. For our tastes, I shredded the meat & returned it to the slow cooker with some of the juices (fat removed) & just served warmed Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce on the side, then topped the sammies with cole slaw ("Sweet Restaraunt Slaw" from this site, using mayo)...delish! Gonna be the star dish on 4th of July!!!
Pulled Pork is kinda a "No Brainer", with the most attention needing to be payed to the marinade (Slow Cooker Ingredients, liquid). ANY additional spices, colas, beers, that are added to this slow cooking "broth" will add to the eventual overall flavor. I myself prefer the "Pork Butt" as the cut of meat instead of a pork loin or tenderloin, as it is LESS EXPENSIVE, and has a bit more fat on it! (More flavor) The cherry on top, is after the pull, the SAUCE used. Mmmmmmmm, I use a home made BBQ sauce in mine, ranging from a vinegar base, to a brown sugar base, depending on my mood. Either way, don't think you can go wrong. If your a little more dollar conscience, use a Pork Butt, and save the rest for your HOME MADE SAUCE!!!
Made this for a block party/luau and it was gone in a matter of minutes! Used an 8 lb. shoulder (Boston Butt), trimmed off the fat, sliced an onion and placed it on the bottom of the slow cooker. Then put the pork roast in and poured in two cans of root beer. I let it soak overnight. Gave it a turn before putting cooking and let it cook on high for 9 hours. Removed the pork roast and poured out the root beer and onions and shredded. Put it back into the slow cooker and poured a BIG bottle of BBQ sauce over it and let it cook for another 40 minutes. Served it on small rolls with coleslaw. Wow! People were fighting to get to the table. It was a huge success.
100% fabulous. i used a simple rub on a 4 lb pork butt (pork shoulder), put it in a slow cooker and covered about 3/4 of the way with a&w root beer. 8 hours later i took it out and pulled it apart with 2 forks. then i drained the slow cooker and put the shredded meat back in with a bottle of sweet baby ray's bbq sauce. another 45 minutes in the slow cooker and it was done. i will make again.
Use pork shoulder, butt or even loin, not tenderloin! Tenderloin is too lean for this recipe. You need a roast with some fat marbled through it to give it flavor and keep it from drying out while cooking! Delicious though! The root beer helps tenderize the meat, beautifully & I don't think it comes out tasting like root beer if u cook it long enough.. just gives a slight sweet taste to the meat. I always do a light dry rub, before putting it in & pouring the root beer around it. I Cook it low & slow..about 8 hours, basting it a few times, if i'm home. Then just drain, shred it up, discarding any fatty bits. Add lotsa Sweet Baby Ray's and cook for another hour..or two. Serve "slider" style on mini buns w/ coleslaw and seasoned potato wedges. Just started one. Does not get easier than this!
This was AMAZING!!! Just finished eating, BF had two sandwiches and I'm having leftovers tomorrow for lunch. I did use 20oz of Root Beer just to make sure the pork was covered completely, then cooked for 6hrs, drained and shredded, returned to crockpot with Kansas style smokey BBQ sauce for one more hour. So tender, so juicy, so delicious!!!! For those that said it was too sweet - they had to have used sweet BBQ sauce - because you can't taste the sweetness of the Root Beer after you've drained it and cooked in BBQ sauce.
This was AWESOME. It came out juicy and tender and completely fell apart when I shredded it. I have no idea if it was the root beer or the tenderloin, but it was fantastic. And it was even better the next day! It's definitely a contender for my favorite pulled pork recipe!
Excellent! This is THE recipe for pulled pork. So easy and the results are amazing. I used a pork sirloin roast instead of a tenderloin. It was about $6.00. I poured 3 cans of A&W over it, added some minced dried onions, 3 cloves of smashed garlic and cooked it on low for 6 hours. Then I drained it, shredded the meat and added one bottle of Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce (the best!!) and cooked it for another hour. It was outstanding! A keeper.
Tasted like root beer, even after I let it cook for an hour in the BBQ sauce. Gross, pulled pork shouldn't taste like rootbeer.
I just made this and it's amazing. The root beer gives it a very mild underlying sweet taste. I used a 4 lb pork roast, as opposed to tenderloin, and filled the root beer over the top of the roast. I cooked it on high for about 4 1/2-5 hours (as I didn't have 6 or 7). It was tender and succulent, and I had 0 problems with the root beer sticking to the crock pot. I pulled the roast out, drained the root beer, and shredded the pork. I then put the pork back in the crock pot, and smothered it in some homemade bbq sauce. delicious!!
I make this all the time. A couple of tips...don't use a pork loin unless you're wanting less fat. Cheaper cuts actually add more flavor. I usually use a 3-4lb pork shoulder/butt (boneless). Also, you can use ANY DARK SODA. The soda actually tenderizes the meat...it doesn't change the flavor. My husband prefers sliced onions in his, so I throw those in with the pork and soda so they absorb as much flavor as possible! Yum! Lastly, you can't beat Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. Hopefully, your store carries it!
This was delicious, SIMPLE and tender! We used a boneless pork roast (only change browned pork in a skillet with S & P first) on low then drained root beer sauce (the secret)...Pulled the pork with (2) forks and mixed in Jack Daniel's regular BBQ sauce with a tad of water to simmer for another 1/2 hour. My DH could not guess what it was cooking in all day : ) If it was too sweet like some stated then use a GOOD "hickory" BBQ sauce and not one with Brown Sugar or Honey! The root beer adds the exact amount of "sweet".
I used a 4 1/2 lb pork shoulder roast. I did a dry rub(homeade,including brown and white sugars and other seasonings of my liking) all over the roast and place it in a ziploc bag with half a bottle of beer overnite. The next day i added a bottle of A & W Rootbeer and then let that marinate all day and nite. The next day i put it my slow cooker on low and let it cook for 10 hrs (I did add a bottle of bbq sauce and rubbed it all over every side of the roast) I took it out.. drained it,shredded it, added a bottle of Sweet baby Rays bbq sauce (i kept a about 2 cups of the sauce it cooked in and added that to bbq sauce) and let it cook another 45mins-one hr on high..then i served it on kaiser rolls...by far the BEST pulled pork sandwich ever! Only difference is next time ill do TWO bottles of sweet baby rays instead of ONE!! Definately keeping this recipe..altho my rating of 5 stars is obviously based on my changes and difference in the way i marinated it...i didnt try the recipe as written as i read thru most the reviews first and decided against it.
YUMMY! I served this to my close friends that HATE Rootbeer. They couldn't believe that it was made with rootbeer. You can't taste it... I used a 4 lb pork loin roast (that was on sale for BOGO) with 4 cups of rootbeer and 2-18oz bottles of Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory & Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce. It made @ 10 large sandwiches. YUMMY! 3 weeks later, I made this recipe again with a 4-1/2 lb Boston Butt (@$7) and it also was Yummy... The only difference between the two (as far as I could taste) was the "Butt" had a little more fatty taste to it...Butt (pun intended), both turned out fantastic.
Oh my YUMMY!!! I used a 5lb Pork Loin (which barely fit in my slow cooker lol) rubbed it with salt, pepper and some garlic powder. Doubled the root beer and added 2 TbSp liquid smoke. Because the meat was so big I did make sure to cook it for 10 hours. I felt like a 5 star chef when my hubby bit into it and rolled his eyes in delight! Have a ton of left overs which I've stuck in baggies and placed in the freezer for quick dinners when we need them. DEF making this one again!
10 stars! First timer here - and it was GREAT and EASY! I'm thrilled, my son, pulled pork expert says it's better than he's ever had. I bought a 4 lb. butt/shoulder pork roast on the bone, seasonsed it with garlic powder, salt, pepper, seasoned salt and dry onions - 2 bottles of root beer and let it cook for 8 1/2 hrs. - pulled it out, removing bone and big piece of fat, drained the cooking liquid removing bits and pieces, put 1/2 bottle of Sweet Baby Ray and about a cup + of the liquid it cooked in - OH MY it was SO good - thank you a million times! My son thinks I'm special...priceless!
Best pulled pork ever! I have felt compelled to write a review but this recipe inspired me! We recently moved to the east coast from Southern California and BBQ is huge here. We've tried pulled pork dozens of times and this is by far the best. I think the root-beer makes all the difference. I rubbed the pork with salt, pepper and minced garlic before tossing it in the crock pot. Also added a chopped sweet onion for flavor. Served on potato buns with banana peppers, slaw and pickles. I've made this a few times now, my husband now requests this on a regular basis. Thank you!!
This was so good, and so esay to make. My family loved it. Will make again!
Thankfully stuffing my face with delicious pulled pork has in no way impaired my ability to tell you how amazing this recipe is. Follow this recipe and you will not be disappointed. It's easy, cheap, and almost the best thing to come home to after a long day. I threw the tenderloin and root beer in the crock this morning, let it cook on low for 8 hours, it kept warm until I got home and bing bang boom- in a few minutes I had an amazing dinner. I'm 5 months pregnant and I could eat this every night until I give birth. My baby could come out shredded and covered in bbq from my obsession with this recipe. Beware the dangers of its deliciousness!
Three ingredients. Three. Made this for a BBQ pork cook-off and won using Sweet Baby Ray's sauce. Nuff said.
I've made a slightly different version of this many times now because it's a real winner. Don't be deceived by the simplicity or the few ingredients -- it's unbelievable. My version uses a Boston Butt cut, and in addition to the root beer, uses minced onions (dry). I've done every type of long-version pulled pork that take days to make, and this beats them all. Make it, you won't regret it.
So easy and very good! You will need more rootbeer than the recipe calls for to cover the pork, so I buy a liter bottle of rootbeer and just pour in that I need.
This is so easy. I can teach anyone to make it. It taste great too. This is a repeater in our cooking.
A.) SO EASY B.) DELICIOUS C.) SO EASY • The husband's reaction when I had him taste it upon walking in the door, "Uhh! Ohh! That's yummy!" And after dinner, he told me that he's looking forward to bragging up my cooking to his parents again this weekend. That's all I can ask for, eh :) • I love all the helpful suggestions, so, in turn, I like to let others know how I've tweaked: I used a cheaper "Pork Loin Boneless Roasting Pork". I rubbed on a bit of salt, black pepper and garlic powder and then, easy peasy, put the pork in the slow cooker, covered with root beer and walked away for 5 hours. After 5 hours, I snagged the pork out of the cooker and into a large bowl. It pulled apart with hardly any effort! I discarded the root beer, returned the (pulled) pork to the slow cooker and added the BBQ sauce (I use Dan the Smokin Man's BBQ Sauce, local Michigan product!). Warmed for an hour or so and then served. I will happily make this dish again.
Always a hit whenever we serve it. And if we don't have root beer, any cola will do (not diet). I too save money by using a cheaper cut of meat. After shredding, I just moisten the pork with bbq sauce (instead of covering it completely) and serve with extra sauce so guests can customize to their liking.
I made two crock pots of this. One with the BBQ sauce and one without (just the root beer) for my sister who is nursing. Everyone LOVED the one without the BBQ sauce best! The flavor was so unique and the pork super tender. Will make this again without sauce!
This was super easy to make, and tasted great! I used a pork shoulder instead of a tenderloin, as I am on a budget. Two pounds was only $2.35 as opposed to the $10 dollars it would have cost to use a tenderloin. I used a rub on the pork and seasoned it before adding the root beer. I also added some sliced onions to the bottom of the pan. When the pork was tender enough, I removed the fat from the shoulder to make it a bit healthier. I added the bbq sauce an hour before serving it, as I wanted the meat to marinate in it a little while to enhance the flavor. It turned out very well. My boyfriend loved it! I served it with a potato salad. We had a little bit of pulled pork left over the next day which I used for taco night. It tastes great with some spicy guacamole rolled up into some flour tortillas! I would definitely make this again!
First time to make pulled pork, and I am very happy with this recipe. I actually used it for a large package of assorted pork chops instead of a roast. Probably cooked them 7-9 hrs (lost track of the time), but definitely until the meat was falling apart. Only downside was picking through all the meat for the little bones, because some of them fell apart also. The pork was superbly tender. After "shredding" the meat (all I had to do was mash it with a fork), I added about 1/2 bottle of barbecue sauce along with some of the cooking liquid to thin it out, mixed it well, and left it in the fridge overnight to absorb the bbq flavor. Warmed it the next day in the microwave and served on wheat buns, with more bbq sauce and light ranch dressing. Will definitely make again. I considered adding an onion and some spices but didn't, and honestly I don't know that it is needed. This was delicious with just the 2 ingredients. My daughter pronounced it better than our favorite bbq restaurant. My assessment is that the soda and crockpot really tenderize the meat, and it soaks up the bbq sauce flavor very well. Definitely a new family favorite. I will try this with coke as well, though I could not taste root beer, there was maybe a touch of sweetness in the meat before adding the bbq sauce, but I would have never guessed it was cooked in root beer if I hadn't put it there myself :)
So eaasy and delicious. I used a 4.5 pork shoulder. I rubbed garlic powder, salt and pepper over the whole thing. I sliced one medium sized onion and placed the pieces on the bottom of the crock pot. I placed the shoulder on top of the layer of onion then sliced another onion and placed those pieces on top of the shoulder. I then added enough of a two liter bottle of root beer to cover the shoulder. I slow cooked the shoulder for 10 hours on low overnight. When I took the pork out in the AM it came out in pieces it was sooo teder. I separated the fat which was minimal from the shredded pork and threw all the pork back into the root beer bath for a couple minutes. I then removed it, discarded the root beer and added sweet baby rays. I put the crock pot of shredded pork in the fridge to sit until I put the crockpot back on low for about an hour before dinner. SO DELICIOUS! SO EASY! The familu can't wait for me t make it again
First of, let me say to the person that said Southerners don't like Vinegar based sauce..Wrong, lol..we love our Cider Vinegar, especially paired with pulled pork!! I have made this recipe about 10 times and have used a 5 pound Pork Butt and 2 bottles of root beer..you need some of the fat, to make good pulled pork..I have used dark ale & a&w root beer, it comes out better with root beer, but that is just my preference. I have been using a recipe for BBQ Sauce given to me by a friend to simmer the pork in after you shredd it and it is delish!! I have to rate this recipe 5 Stars..simplicity is best!!
My husband considers himself a pulled pork expert and this recipe received the highest praise - he said it was the BEST he has ever had. The only change I made was to use pork butt instead of tenderloin. Oh, and Sweet Baby Ray's (the greatest bbq sauce ever) makes all the difference.
This is amazing! I opted for a pork shoulder roast as it is a good choice for bbq. I used a 5# roast rubbed with salt, pepper and garlic powder and 2 cups of root beer, cooked on low for 5 hours then on high for about 90 minutes. I shredded the pork and returned it to the slow cooker with about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and enough bbq sauce to moisten the meat. Then kept warm on low for about 30 minutes until dinner. This is a wonderful option for winter pulled pork when you just don't want to brave the elements to use the grill. Thanks to Livie's Mammy for sharing.
I had thought the root beer would add a weird flavor to the pork but I was WRONG! So tender and tasted amazing. My husband, who is super picky about his BBQ loved it. Only thing extra I did extra was to rub salt, pepper, garlic powder and some paprika into the meat before cooking. Thanks for a yummy recipe!
Yum! We love this pulled pork! I have made it with a tenderloin as well as with a roast. Either way it turns out amazing. If you don't have rootbeer on hand any cola will work just as well. I also slice about half an onion into my slowcooker with the meat! We love it with Bull's Eye Smokin' Chipotle BBQ sauce.
Made this for a party with about 30 people. I used pork shoulder, not tenderloin. I was wary because this group is Texan and likes their spice and thought cooking this in root beer would be too sweet for this crowd. Boy was I wrong. They LOVED it. Every person must have commented on it a dozen times before the night was over. Huge hit and will definitely make again!
Found it to be very tasty, with or without a bbq sauce. I would not change a thing on this recie.
Simple, easy, and really good! However, I am a spice freak, and personally think it tastes better with an onion, and then some spices.
SOOO GOOD! I was making this for a party so I used a 10 lbs pork butt roast, seasoned with garlic powder, salt and pepper, and cooked it on high for 3 hours, then low for 6. Drained (reserving about a cup of liquid), shredded, then put back in the slow cooker until it was time to eat. Then I poured just a little of the liquid back in to make sure it was super moist. Everyone loved it - we ate in on buns with Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce and coleslaw. YUM! Thanks :)
This was very, very easy and so delicious! After hand shredding the pork, I stirred in a generous amount of Wegman's Memphis style BBQ sauce...its sweet, and has a strong smoky taste. I lightly buttered kaiser rolls with sesame seeds and lightly toasted them, then loaded on the pork. On the side we had home-made potato and egg salad and corn on the cobb. Yummmm!
I did things a little differently: I used a 4 pound shoulder cut and Dr. Pepper instead of root beer. I cooked it for 6.5 hours on low, then shredded it, wrapped it loosely in foil, and put it on the grill on low heat with wood chips to get the smoke flavor. Served with Big Al's KC BBQ sauce from this site.
I make this a lot when we are having company. It's so easy, I don't even have to worry about it. I just put a little sauce on it after I pull it apart in the crockpot, and then I set out different kinds of sauces and people can put on what they like. I serve it with pickles and sliced onions, cole slaw, and chips. I also always use a pork shoulder. So much more for your money, and when it cooks all day, it comes out so tender - you don't need the tenderloin for delicious results. Some people say to add seasonings, but why, when it comes out so good just like it is, and its so easy to just toss in the crock pot as is. Thanks for this recipe!
This was very easy and tasted wonderful. I was hesitant about the root beer, but it flavored the pork perfectly. I put one can of root beer in the slow cooker with a 6lb bone-in pork roast on low for 10 hours. Removed the bone, shredded the pork, added bottled BBQ sauce, 2 cloves of minced garlic and cooked it another hour. Served on hamburger buns with grated sharp cheddar and red onion rounds. Perfect.
I have been asked for the recipe many times. Make sure you use a sweet BBQ sauce to mix with the Root beer.
I made mine with a 10 lb picnic shoulder roast because of lack of paying attention. Haha. Needless to say, we have a lot leftover and no one's complaining! Lol.
Re: the last reviewer statement I have to disagree. Some of us have special diets for health reasons and mine doesn't allow much fat so yes, using pork tenderloin does make sense, it is way lower in fat than the shoulder. I enjoyed this recipe and used my own homemade BBQ sauce after draining the meat. Put the meat on buns, topped with good homemade low fat coleslaw, it was great and low enough in fat for me to be able to enjoy it with everyone else. So yes, tenderloin is more expensive, but it is also healthier for those who need to think about fat content. If you want a healthier version of pulled pork I recommend this recipe.
This was absolutely fabulous! I pulled together a few different reviewers suggestions and the result was amazing. I bought a pork shoulder instead of the tenderloin and it was HUGE - so i had to quadruple the recipe. I was a little skeptical about not using any seasoning on the roast so I followed another reviewer with the worcestershire/onion soup/garlic/salt and pepper marinade and let it sit covered overnight in the refrigerator. First thing in the morning I loaded up my crock pot with the roast and root beer and away it went. I let it cook for 12 hours while I was at work and when I got home the house smelled wonderful, the meat was falling off the bone and very juicy and easy to shred. I made this along with Jodi T's Corn and Black Bean Salad and everyone was raving!
Followed the recipe to a tee, DELICIOUS!!! Do not understand the person who said you could not taste the rootbeer .... must not have used a good one. Fall apart, melt in your mouth delicious! Will definitely make again and will share this recipe.
Sorry but I have to give this one star. The root beer does not give the meat any flavor at all. After 6 hours in the crockpot I had a dry, tasteless piece of meat that I drenched in barbecue sauce to give it some flavor and juicieness. This was a waste of a good piece of meat.
This is a great recipe. I would not recommend the Pork Shoulder. It has so much fat on it, and you are paying for that. You can feed more with a smaller more expensive pork tenderloin. I used two 2lb . pork tenderloins and I drained half way through cooking and added another bottle of root beer. I put in two tablespoons of liquid smoke at that point. For the last hour I added the Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown Sugar Barbecue sauce that someone recommended in their reviews. I used two bottles. It tasted awesome. I have ordered pulled pork from a catering business before and this was better really. Our friends have their own smoker at home and they loved this recipe. I have used the shoulder before and I will definitely use the tenderloin from now on. It was just pure meat. Thanks for the tip on Sweet Baby Rays I think that really made a difference.
My daughter found this recipe on your site and told me how good and easy it was to make, she was right, this was so good. I only had diet root beer, so I ended up using coke and it worked just fine. Soooo easy and it smelled so good while it was cooking all day in my slow cooker. My husband loves pulled pork and really loved this recipe, will be making again.
We are still buzzing over this delectable perfection on a bun! So amazing! My husband says it is the best pulled pork he has ever had! And it was super easy. I did make some changes however. I used 4.5 pounds of tenderloin. I seared the meat on all sides in olive oil spray (not butter) prior to the slow cooker. I added 2 carmelized onions in slivers in the pot as well as a tablespoon of garlic while the meat cooked. I used 4 cans of barq's root beer, 1/4th cup of Jack Daniels whiskey and a smidge of brandy to the slow cooker. Then after 6 hours, I strained the meat and onions and added 1 bottle of Jack Daniels Hickory and Brown sugar bbq sauce and 1 bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown sugar bbq sauce. I had mixed the sauces together prior to adding to the meat. I then put the meat on whole wheat bakery kaiser rolls which I lightly toasted. The whole shebang just melted in our mouths!!! Thank you for this easy recipe which was a cinch my first time putting together.
I made this for the Superbowl with a few adjustments and it was delicious! The day before I used a 5 1/2 lb bone in pork butt with 24 ounces of root beer, a sliced onion, and a few shakes of liquid smoke. I only needed to cook it ~10 hours before it was fall off the bone tender. We shredded it and put it in the fridge until the next morning when we put it back in the slow cooker with 2 - 18 ounce bottles of Sweet Baby Ray's Sweet & Spicy BBQ sauce for 2 hours. Delicious!
Excellent recipe! I followed it precisely and it came out fabulous. I changed a couple of things and it still did very well. Note: Like another reviewer said, I appreciate the reviews when the reviewer followed the recipe and I appreciate the change suggestions. But if you are going to change the ingredients, don't give it a bad rating based on what YOU did or didn't do. You may well have ruined it all by yourself with what you thought was a good idea.
I tried this recipe over the weekend and it was a major hit! I was skeptical about root beer being the only ingredient, but thought, let's try it! Followed the directions exactly, cooked a 3.4 lb pork for 7 hours, took it out and the meat was super juicy and shredded amazingly. Put the shredded meat back in the crock pot for about 20 minutes with bbq sauce and dinner was ready! Served it on toasted buns topped with shredded lettuce and a side of fruit. The hubby and kids LOVED it! Great dinner; mission accomplished!
Super easy to prepare, however having made pulled-pork sauce from scratch, I have to admit using purchased BBQ sauce didn't work for me. Much too much bbq flavour. Not sure what, if anything, using the root beer did for this recipe.
I agree with MegaG pork tenderloin is much to dry for making pulled pork.I use a pork butt, it has just the right amount of fat to make a delicious pulled pork. I braised a 4 to 5 pound butt for about 3 to 4 hrs.the only season I use is salt and pepper. I put about 1cup of chicken stock with about 1/2 cup of apple juice .also slice 1 onion and 1 bellpepperand it is the most tender and delicious meat you can ever put in your mouth. Also I have done the bone in or boneless. pulled pork tacos in a corn tortilla with some cole slaw,!!!YES!!!
I made this recipe for the first time last night, I let it simmer on low in my slow cooker for 15 hours[ I had 2 shoulder roasts] I poured in almost a while bottle of root beer and added 1 tbsp of liquid smoke. It was so tender that it shredded of the fork effortlessly, I then added a bottle of sweet onion chipotle bbq sauce, a tsp of worcestershire sauce, a tsp of liquid smoke and was i cooking!! I let it simmer on low for 2 hours to get the flavors blended, that is the secret of a good flovored pulled pork, is to let it simmer up all the flavors of the sauce. I had 8 in for supper last night and that was the first time they all tried it, my friend Libby after having tasted her first bite closed her eyes and said that was how i imagined it to taste, she said i think we are in the deep south! A great recipe, i reccomend everyone should at least try this recipe!!
Made this twice now. The first time I used tenderloin and it was unbelievable! The second time I used a cheaper cut and didn't really like it - it seemed less flavorful, almost greasy and didn't like the fatty texture. The leftovers ended up in the trash since no one wanted to eat them. I have to disagree with those who say a cheap cut is just as good. I think the tenderloin makes it a five star recipe not to mention it's healthier with tenderloin.
WONDERFUL!! I hate root beer so I was slightly nervous trying this recipe but it is DELICIOUS! Like many reviewers, I used a cheaper, larger cut of pork than the recipe suggested (in my case, a 6 lb boston butt) and it turned out marvelous. Use a high quality BBQ sauce and a slow cooker liner for superior taste and hassle-free clean-up! This is an easy, fool-proof recipe for success!
This recipe was excellent! I made it for a family reunion and everyone wanted the recipe. I researched several recipe sites to come up with the ingredients. I used a 4.68 lb. pork butt (cheaper cut of meat) and better for pulled pork. I sliced a large onion and put it on the bottom of the crock pot. Placed the pork on the onions and use a can of ginger ale to cook the pork in. Cooked it on low for 10 hrs. Drained the juice, chopped the onion and shredded the pork. Placed the pork and onion back in the crock pot and used a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ Sauce. Cooked on low for another couple of hours and served with buns. To be honest, most people did not use the buns, they just scooped the pulled pork up and put on their plate as a side. Wonderful!!!
So I just got done cooking and eating this delicious dinner and I must say I pretty much inhaled it. I used 4 lbs. of pork butt because my grocery store didn't have any tenderloin in stock. I poked holes in the meat to better facilitate the juices in my pork. I didn't measure the root beer I just poured in enough to almost cover the meat. Not to much not to little. I turned it over halfway through cooking it and started to drain it & shred it at about 6 hours. Then I poured my barbecue sauce (Bulls Eye) stirred it in and set my slow cooker to keep warm and served on some hamburger buns straight from the toaster oven with some baked beans. AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING!! Will DEFIANTLY make again.
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