This Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe with Ginger Ale is tender, delicious, and perfect for pulled pork sandwiches with homemade BBQ sauce and coleslaw.
When I first met my husband, he told me that he would cook one meal in his crockpot, then eat it every day for the whole week – sometimes for both lunch and dinner.
One of his specialties was this slow cooker pulled pork recipe that started from a recipe he found online back in grad school (back in 2009) that he tweaked to make his own.
The recipe starts with dry brining the pork overnight, so even though it cooks in a crockpot, you still get that flavorful bark on the outside.
Ingredients in Ginger Ale Pulled Pork
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need to make this recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- A Pork Butt or Pork Shoulder (NOT a Pork Roast or Pork Loin with no fat) – You can use boneless or bone-in pork. I prefer to use a pork butt for pulled pork, but I’ll use what looks best at the store.
Pulled Pork Dry Rub
Make The Night Before:
- Paprika
- Kosher Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper
- Cumin
- Chili Powder
- Dried Oregano
- Cayenne Pepper
- Chipotle Pepper – If you don’t like chipotle pepper, you can leave it out and replace a little of the sweet paprika with smoked paprika to get a smoky taste on the pork.
- Brown Sugar
In the Slow Cooker
- Onion Slices
- Garlic Cloves
- Ginger Ale or Apple Juice
- BBQ Sauce – I like to use my homemade Spicy Chipotle BBQ Sauce or Sweet Baby Ray’s in a pinch.
How to Make Crock Pot Pulled Pork
1. Combine the rub ingredients in a large plastic bag or container that will fit the pork and shake to mix well.
2. Trim excess fat off pork and discard it. (If the pork is pasture-raised and high quality, you can also save the fat to make lard.)
3. Add the pork to the bag with the rub and shake until the pork is fully coated. Massage the rub into the meat and refrigerate overnight. At least 12 hours. The longer the pork is allowed to marinate, the stronger the flavor will be.
4. In the morning, slice up a large onion and peel a few cloves of garlic. Spread most of the onions in the bottom of the crockpot and place the pork on top of them. Pierce the pork a few times and stuff in the garlic, then top it with the remaining onions.
5. Pour the ginger ale mostly under the pork, pouring around the sides and the bottom, then pour some on the top of the pork, just to dampen the top. (Just don’t pour it all over the meat and wash off the seasoning.)
6. Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for at least 8 hours but up to 12, until the meat is so tender that it shreds with a fork. (The temperature of the center should be 200°F) Because of the dry rub, you will still get a delicious bark on the pork as well.
(Don’t cook on high – the outside will dry out before the inside has a chance to cook.)
7. Discard any large pieces of fat and remove bones. Shred the meat, then toss some of it with your favorite barbecue sauce. (I don’t like to toss all of it in sauce because I like to use leftovers to make nachos!)
Make a Pulled Pork Sandwich
Stack some chipotle BBQ sauce, pulled pork, coleslaw, and pickles on toasted brioche buns. Yum!
Make Pulled Pork Nachos
Line a baking sheet with foil, then tortilla chips – then shredded pork. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes at 375°F.
Top with finely diced jalapeños, then drizzle with melted queso dip and salsa verde. Bake for 2-3 more minutes until the queso begins to bubble. Serve right away.
How to Store It
Once cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or air fryer.
You can also freeze leftover pork in the juices from the bottom of the crockpot for up to 3 months.
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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe with Ginger Ale
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 6 pound pork butt or pork shoulder
- 2 large onions
- 16.9 ounces ginger ale or apple juice
- Chipotle BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Combine the rub ingredients in a large plastic bag or container that will fit the pork and shake to mix well.1 tablespoon ground black pepper, 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 4 tablespoons paprika, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- Trim excess fat off pork and discard it.6 pound pork butt
- Add the pork to the bag with the rub and shake until the pork is fully coated. Massage the rub into the meat and refrigerate overnight. At least 12 hours. The longer the pork is allowed to marinate, the stronger the flavor will be.6 pound pork butt
- In the morning, slice up a large onion and peel a few cloves of garlic. Spread most of the onions in the bottom of the crockpot and place the pork on top of them. Pierce the pork a few times and stuff in the garlic, then top it with the remaining onions.2 large onions
- Pour the ginger ale mostly under the pork, pouring around the sides and the bottom, then pour some on the top of the pork, just to dampen the top. (Just don’t pour it all over the meat and wash off the seasoning.)16.9 ounces ginger ale
- Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for at least 8 hours but up to 12, until the meat is so tender that it shreds with a fork. (The temperature of the center should be 200°F)
- Discard any large pieces of fat and remove bones. Shred the meat, then toss some of it with your favorite barbecue sauce. (I don’t like to toss all of it in sauce because I like to use leftovers to make nachos!)Chipotle BBQ sauce
- Serve with barbecue sauce, coleslaw, and pickles.
Notes
How to Store Leftovers
Once cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or air fryer. You can also freeze leftover pork in the juices from the bottom of the crockpot for up to 3 months. *Most of the ginger ale is excluded from the nutrition calculation.Special Equipment Needeed
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
Best pulled pork I’ve ever made