Root Beer Pulled Pork
Ok, this is one of those pulled pork inspirations we had heard about but were cautiously optimistic. Root beer and pork? Well we gave it a try and enjoyed it alot. So we fine tuned this root beer pulled pork recipe for you to enjoy. It’s so simple and delicous!
What are the flavors of root beer pulled pork?
It’s not as sweet as you would think it is. All the sugars in the root beer soda cook down and caramelize into the pork along with the other savory ingredients. So what you get is a flavorful, well balanced pork that is for tender and fantastic. You even add more of the soy sauce or worcestershire to amp up the umami elements to the pork.
Video: Root Beer Pulled Pork Recipe in Slow Cooker
Why We Love Pulled Pork
Cooking a big pork shoulder or pork butt is happy food. It’s such a great dish to make for family dinners, parties or anytime you need to feed a crowd. It takes just a few minutes to put together and the you let the slow cooker or crock pot do all the work.
Some of Our Favorite BBQ Sauces
Root Beer Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
We like a bit of spice in the dry rub to balance the sweetness, but you can always leave out the cayenne if you don’t want the touch of spiciness. You may have extra dry rub seasoning after coating the pork. Just add the extra seasoning into the slow cooker with the pork and root beer.
Cola sodas, Dr. Pepper or similar, or beer will work great for the liquid too. Beer will be a less sweet option.
For serving, we’ll often toss the pulled pork in our favorite BBQ sauce combined with some of the juices from the slow cooker. So good!
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. (1.8 kg) Boneless Pork Shoulder or Butt
- 12 oz. (340 ml) Root beer , or Coke, Dr. Pepper, beer
- BBQ sauce , optional for serving
Dry Rub
- 2 Tablespoons (36 g) kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons (24 g) brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (7 g) smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) chili powder or ground chipotle
- 2 teaspoons (6 g) garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) onion powder
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground fennel seed or ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) cayenne , optional
Equipment
Instructions
- Make the dry rub: combine the 2 Tablespoons salt, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons chili powder or ground chipotle, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon ground fennel or cumin, 1 teaspoon mustard powder, and 1 teaspoon optional cayenne (if you want a little spice). Mix until evenly combined.
- Coat the pork with the dry rub. (Cut the pork into 2-3 pieces so if needed to fit evenly into your slow cooker)
- Place the pork in the slow cooker, adding in any excess dry rub. Pour in the root beer or other substitute of choice.
- Place lid on the slow cooker. Cook the pork for about 5-6 hours on high (8 hours on low), or until the pork is tender and easily shreds with a fork.
- Skim off any excess fat.
- When pork is tender enough to shred with a couple forks, turn the slow cooker on “warm”. Shred the pork into pieces and stir into the sauce.
- For serving, if desired, combine the pulled pork with your favorite BBQ sauce and some of the juices from the slow cooker.
Video
Nutrition Information per Serving
Calories: 329kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 52g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 136mg, Sodium: 1883mg, Potassium: 923mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 686IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 3mg
Ideas on Serving this Delish Crock Pot Meal
- You can’t go wrong with a root beer pulled pork sandwich. Even a big tray of sliders for your next gathering will be a huge hit.
- Love tacos? then tacos are perfect! If you’re looking for more ideas or crave Asian flavors, then try our Korean gochujang pulled pork or Asian pulled pork taco recipe with kimchi. We used our traditional Asian sweet and spicy pulled pork recipe and just added kimchi to it.
- Easy to assemble rice bowls and top it with cole slaw, pulled pork or other vegetables are always delicious.
- By using some leftover tortillas or cheese, then try pulled pork quesadillas. These Quesadillas are amazing if you toast the tortillas first.
- Try it on pasta. Pasta is never boring with topped with this pulled pork.
- Eat it for breakfast. Add some to your morning scrambled eggs for an amazing breakfast!
Recipes with Great Asian Flavors
- If you love slow cooking, then try our latest slow cooker Asian pulled pork. The umami flavors are outstanding.
- Oven love for Asian pork
- Teriyaki chicken is great to make using the slow cooker for family
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