Dr Pepper Pulled Pork (Crockpot) + Video

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Dr Pepper Pulled Pork is incredibly moist, tender, and delicious. Even better, this scrumptious BBQ meal is beyond simple to make with this easy pulled pork crock pot recipe!!

titled (shown served on sesame seed bun) crockpot pulled pork recipe


 

You will be amazed at how much flavor a can of Dr. Pepper adds to pork.

Not only that, but the sugars in the cola help to tenderize the crockpot pork, making it fall-apart tender.

Dr Pepper Pulled Pork

If you tailgate or have a lot of summer cookouts, this Dr Pepper pulled pork crock pot recipe is a must-make.

It feeds a huge crowd, yet we never have any leftovers. It’s one of our most popular game day recipes.

The best part is that the slow cooker does all of the hard work for you, so you can spend more time enjoying your guests or making side dishes to go with your Dr Pepper pulled pork.

We always make Southern style macaroni salad, a big batch of slow cooker baked beans, and some creamy cucumber salad.

sprinkling spice mix over pork butt

Ingredient Notes and Swaps

  • BBQ Sauce – Try our Kansas City Barbecue sauce. It is divine in this recipe!
  • Dr. Pepper – You can use a generic brand, or swap out the Dr. Pepper and use root beer or Coca Cola if you prefer.

    Just be sure to use a dark cola with sugar in it. Sugar-free pop won’t give you the same results.
  • Spices – A simple blend of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, plus salt and pepper are all you need to make flavorful Dr pepper pulled pork in the crock pot.
placing seasoned pork shoulder in crock pot

Best Pork for Pulled Pork

Any time you are slow cooking, it’s important to use a cut of pork that has a good amount of fat and marbling.

As it cooks, the fat will render down, creating moisture and lots of flavor in the pork.

For our pork crock pot recipes, we use boneless pork butt, also known as pork shoulder.

Depending on where you live, it could also be labeled blade roast, shoulder roast, Boston butt, or picnic roast.

pouring Dr Pepper over pork in crock pot

Crockpot Pork Recipe Tips and Tricks

  • Don’t over-shred. The smaller the pieces, the faster they will dry out!

    Gently shred into smaller chunks before smothering in the sauce, then shred further as needed before serving.
  • Keep it moist. If you transfer your Dr Pepper pulled pork to a serving tray, ladle some of the slow cooker liquid over the top.
  • Toast buns for serving. You can brush them with a little butter as well.

    This creates a lovely contrast in texture between the crispy bun and the tender crockpot pork.

Tools You’ll Need

  • Slow Cooker – The slow cooker is almost my most used kitchen gadget, especially during fall/winter!

    It’s so convenient, and let’s face it — it makes comfort food taste even better!
shredded pork in crockpot

Pork Crock Pot Recipes FAQ

How long do you cook pulled pork in a slow cooker?

On average, a boneless pork shoulder weighs 4 to 5 pounds. If you’re using a bone-in pork butt, it will likely weigh an average of 6 to 8 pounds.

For a 4 to 5-pound boneless cut, expect a cooking time of 7 to 8 hours on Low heat, or 4 to 5 hours on High. Bone-in pork butt can take up to two hours longer to cook.

Should you sear pork shoulder before slow cooking?

While you certainly can, it doesn’t make much of a difference in the end results.

Skipping this step saves you the extra dishes, making this one easy pulled pork crock pot recipe!

Can I make pulled pork ahead of time?

Dr Pepper pulled pork is best served right away, when it is most tender and juicy.

That said, leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed through.

Pro Tip

Cooking on Low is recommended for pork crock pot recipes to get the best-tasting and most tender meat.

drizzling bbq sauce over pulled pork on bun

Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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dr pepper pulled pork sandwich with sweet potato criss cut fries

Other Pulled Meat Recipes

dr pepper pulled pork sandwich

Dr Pepper Pulled Pork (Crockpot) + Video

Donna Elick
Dr Pepper Pulled Pork is incredibly moist, tender, and delicious — and beyond easy to make with this crockpot pulled pork recipe and video!
5 stars from 2 reviews
Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 7 hours 5 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine American
Method Slow Cooker
Servings 12

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • 5 pounds pork butt, trimmed of visible fat
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 3 cups Dr Pepper
  • 3 cups KC Style Barbecue Sauce, divided (or your favorite)
  • 12 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted
  • 12 pickle slices

Instructions
 

  • Combine spices in a small bowl, mix well. Massage spice mix into pork and place in crockpot. Pour soda over pork. Cook on low 5-7 hours, until pork is tender and pulls apart easily.
  • Drain completely, shred pork using 2 forks, add 2 cups barbecue sauce and cook on low for one hour. Serve on toasted bun with a pickle slice and more of the remaining 1 cup barbecue sauce.
  • Enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 521cal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 1236mg | Sugar: 34g | Fiber: 2g | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 4mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
titled collage dr pepper pulled pork

Originally published April 2013. Updated and republished May 2023

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41 Comments

  1. Made this on a UTV trip in West Virginia. Let it cook in a crockpot all day. Whipped it up for our crew of 12 and everyone loved it!!

  2. 5 stars
    made this for dinner last night and it was Amazing! simple and delicious! we had ours with coleslaw.

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