Dr Pepper Pulled Pork (Crockpot) + Video

Dr Pepper pulled pork is incredibly moist, tender and delicious. Even better, this scrumptious BBQ meal is beyond easy to make with this 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 slow cooker pulled pork, making it fall-apart tender.

We have the same results with our coca cola cake recipe. That is one incredibly moist cake!

If you tailgate or have a lot of summer cookouts, this crockpot pulled pork 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.

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

Chad is from Iowa, and he calls this the best pulled pork ever. That is a ringing endorsement!  Loaded with flavor from a homemade barbecue sauce and Dr. Pepper.  Dr. Pepper?  Yep.

How good is it?  So good that when I make it this weekend, I won’t change a thing!  For real.

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 it.

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

Ingredient Notes

• 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.

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 crockpot pulled pork recipe, 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.

Tools You’ll Need

• Slow Cooker – the slow cooker is almost my most used kitchen gadget, especially during fall/winter! It’s just so convenient, and lets face it, it makes comfort food taste even better!

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork FAQ

1. 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 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. *Cooking on Low is recommended for the best tasting and most tender slow cooker pulled pork. Bone-in pork butt can take up to two hours longer to cook.

Enjoy!

With love, from our simple kitchen to yours. 

Don’t miss a thing! Follow us on

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram 

Other Pulled Meat Recipes

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 1 review

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 7 hrs

Total Time 7 hrs 5 mins

Course Main

Cuisine American

Method Slow Cooker

Servings 12

Equipment

• mixing bowls

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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!

Originally published April 2013. Updated and republished June 2022.

Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for your support; it allows us to keep creating new recipes.