This Slow Cooker Balsamic Honey Pulled Pork recipe stars tender pork shoulder slow-cooked in a sauce of balsamic, honey, garlic, onions and a hint of blackberry jam. Pile it high on buns for the ultimate pulled pork sandwiches or wrap it in tortillas for delicious tacos.
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The slow cooker is my go-to kitchen sidekick during those busy weeknights when dinner needs to practically make itself. Enter: Slow Cooker Balsamic Honey Pulled Pork—a tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork shoulder slow-cooked in a sweet and tangy balsamic honey sauce. And the secret ingredient? A spoonful of blackberry jam that adds the perfect touch of fruity sweetness to balance the savory garlic and onions.
Now, let’s talk pulled pork sandwiches. This slow-cooked beauty was made to be piled high atop soft brioche buns, topped with a crunchy, cool coleslaw. The tender pork combined with the cool, crisp slaw is a match made in sandwich heaven. But don’t stop there—this pork is also amazing stuffed into corn tortillas with pickled red onions for tacos or served in a big bowl with rice and all your favorite toppings.
This slow cooker pulled pork recipe is all about simple ingredients that come together to create big flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Pork shoulder: I use a 2.5- to 3-pound boneless pork shoulder for this recipe. It’s the perfect cut for slow cooking and shredding, resulting in juicy, tender pork every time. You can also swap in a pork butt, which comes from the upper part of the shoulder and has a bit more fat and marbling, making it just as ideal for slow cooking.
- Honey and balsamic vinegar: The honey brings sweetness while the balsamic vinegar adds that signature tang.
- Blackberry jam: My secret ingredient! Blackberry jam adds a fruity, slightly tart element that complements the richness of the pork.
- Hoisin sauce: A staple in my pantry because it adds a delicious umami flavor to a variety of dishes.
- Chicken broth: Helps keep the pork moist while adding subtle flavor.
- Garlic and onion: Aromatic staples that build the base for our sauce.
- Cornstarch: For thickening the sauce.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Trim off any excess fat. Trimming any excess fat from your boneless pork shoulder keeps your pulled pork lean but still tender.
- Prep the liquid the pork will cook in. In a bowl, whisk together the honey, balsamic vinegar, blackberry jam, hoisin sauce, chicken broth, minced garlic and diced onion.
- Add everything to your slow cooker. Place the pork butt in your slow cooker, then pour the prepared sauce over the top (it doesn’t need to be completely submerged).
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8-9 hours. Resist the urge to open the slow cooker—it’ll let out precious heat and moisture!
- Shred the pork. Transfer the cooked pork to a cutting board and shred it using two forks. Don’t toss out those juices in the slow cooker! We’re turning them into our sweet and tangy sauce.
- Thicken the sauce. Make a cornstarch slurry by whisking together cornstarch and cold water. Transfer the reserved cooking liquid to a saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk in the slurry, and bring to a boil. Let it cook for about 3 minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Toss the pork in the sauce. Pour the thickened sauce over the shredded pork, tossing it all together until every piece is coated.
Game day, weeknight dinners, meal prep for the week, this recipe checks all the boxes! And trust me, it’s going to become a regular in your slow cooker lineup.
- If you don’t have blackberry jam, you can use any other variety of jam, such as raspberry or plum.
- No time to cook on low for 8-9 hours? You can cook the pork on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours or until it’s fully cooked. Just keep in mind that it may not be as tender as the low-and-slow method.
- You don’t have to use all of the sauce on the pork. Save some to drizzle over grilled veggies, roasted chicken or even serve alongside mashed potatoes.
- Don’t limit yourself to sandwiches! This pulled pork is great in tacos, quesadillas, on pizza or over baked potatoes for easy, versatile meals throughout the week.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy them within 4-5 days.
Best Sides for Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Pulled pork sandwiches are perfect for a family dinner (my kids request them weekly!) or as crowd-pleasing party food. Here are a few of my favorite sides to serve alongside these sliders:
How to Freeze Pulled Pork
Freezing shredded pork is an excellent way to save leftovers, but I’d recommend freezing it without the sauce. This helps maintain its texture. You can always add the sauce later when you reheat the pork. Store it in an airtight container or freezer bag (make sure to remove as much air as possible!) for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw it in the fridge overnight.
When reheating pulled pork, you have three methods to choose from: stovetop, microwave or slow cooker (my preferred method). If you opt for the stovetop or microwave, be sure to add a splash of water or broth to keep the pork from drying out. For slow cooker reheating, set it to LOW and warm the pork for 1 to 2 hours. Add the prepared sauce towards the end of the reheating process.
MY FAVORITE SLOW COOKER
I’ve been using my Crock-Pot® 7-Quart Slow Cooker for years, and I absolutely love it! The size is perfect for all my slow-cooking needs, from pulled pork for a crowd to hearty soups and stews. If you’re in the market for a reliable slow cooker, this one has been a game-changer in my kitchen!
Ingredients
- 1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) boneless pork shoulder
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup blackberry jam (See Kelly’s Notes)
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 recipe Asian Slaw or store-bought coleslaw
- 12 slider-sized buns or rolls
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat from the pork shoulder and place it in the slow cooker.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, balsamic vinegar, jam, hoisin, chicken broth, garlic and onion, and then pour the sauce over the pork shoulder. Cover the slow cooker and cook the pork shoulder on LOW for 8 to 9 hours until it is no longer pink and is cooked throughout.
- Using tongs, remove the pork shoulder from the slow cooker (reserving the liquids) and place it on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the pork shoulder into smaller pieces. Place the pulled pork in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry.
- Transfer the liquids from the slow cooker into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and whisk in the slurry. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook it until it reduces and has thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Pour the sauce over the pulled pork, tossing to combine.
- Halve the buns. Divide the pulled pork between the buns, topping the pork with a portion of the Asian Slaw, and serve immediately.
Kelly’s Notes
- If you don’t have blackberry jam, you can use any other variety of jam, such as raspberry or plum.
- You don’t have to use all of the sauce on the pork. Save some to drizzle over grilled veggies, roasted chicken or even serve alongside mashed potatoes.
- Don’t limit yourself to sandwiches! This pulled pork is great in tacos, quesadillas, on pizza or over baked potatoes for easy, versatile meals throughout the week.
- No time to cook on low for 8-9 hours? You can cook the pork on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours or until it’s fully cooked. Just keep in mind that it may not be as tender as the low-and-slow method.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy them within 4-5 days.
- Asian Slaw:
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- One (½-pound) wedge purple cabbage, cored and finely shredded
- ¼ cup chopped scallions (green parts only)
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Hi Kelly
Have used this recipe for years and always a crowd pleaser.
When you first published it, you a link to a delicious Asian Slaw which no longer seems to be available on your site.
Is there any chance you could send this to me or republish?
Kind regards
Sophia from Australia
Hi Sophia! Absolutely. We just added that recipe back into the post and will share it as a stand-alone recipe on the site soon, as I know a lot of people enjoyed it!
Very easy to make and delicious! Go to recipe for when guests are coming over.
Thrilled you enjoyed it, Anna!
Can something other than hoisin sauce be used or can it just be left out?
Hi Jan! Hoisin has a pretty distinctive flavor so it’s hard to provide a substitute. Is it an allergy or you can’t locate it? I can think of some work-arounds!
Made this for dinner and loved it! I was skeptical at first because the sauce mixture smelled so vinegary but as it cooked that smell went away and it became sweet and savory. I didn’t submerge the pork after thickening, instead I drizzled it on like a sauce. Yum!
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Stephanie!
This recipe was fantastic! I came back to rate this and I almost never rate recipes. The only changes we made were gluten free Hoisen sauce and we cooked it in the instant pot. Since it was a six pound roast I doubled the recipe and cooked it for 90 minutes and then made the sauce in the bottom of the pot. I served it as tacos with the pickled red onions and my family agreed this was a winner. We had froze the leftovers from that night.
Fast forward a month, we thawed it out and the meat was just as flavorful as when we first cooked it and the texture was good too! We cooked the leftover meat into rolled tacos. Basically filling and rolling corn tortillas with the meat and frying them. Serving them with Cotija cheese on top and the pickled red onions diced up. We will definitly be making this again!
Yum, yum, yum! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Natasha, and thank you so much for coming back to rate it!
Should the shoulder be tied or untied?
No need to tie it!
This looks and sounds SO good. It’s on my to-do list, can’t wait to make it. Thanks for sharing, Kelly! :)
You are so welcome, Nicole! I hope you enjoy it!
This is a pretty good recipe. I did find it to be a little less flavorful than I wanted and I think the chicken broth is unnecessary, there’s already plenty of liquid IMHO. I will try it again with more additional seasonings and maybe a gourmet balsamic, and no broth. I did marinate it overnight as I prepped everything the night before I turned on the cooker. The cook time was perfect, love when I can just grab a bone out of a roast with tongs, and slip it right out!
I just made your honey balsamic pulled pork this week, and have made it several times in the past. Always so good! A great recipe!
I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Susan!
Hi. I’m a total newbie to instant pot pressure cooking and have very little experience in the kitchen (besides eating). So this might be a stupid question.
Will this recipe still work if it’s pressure cooked for an hour (or whatever time you recommend) instead of 9 hrs slow cook? I’ve read that pressure cooking should work as well or often better than slow cooking because the eat is less likely to dry out.
Thanks.
Hi Steve – I’ve never tried that so I’m not sure what the result would be. Let me know if you give it a shot!
Hi Steve! I’ve never tried this recipe in a pressure cooker so I’m not sure what the timing/settings would need to be.
Finally made this tonight for very fussy husband and son. We all love it! The slaw was so tasty too! I used the bagged slaw mix instead of all purple cabbage and it was great. Will definitely make this again. Thanks!
Love hearing this, Maria! Thrilled you all enjoyed the recipe!
Best Pulled Pork I have ever had – I make this often and have given the recipe to many fans!!
Amazing! So glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Shar!
Thank you for this great recipe. We had this as sandwiches, as the recipe suggests. Then I froze the rest and we had it another time over quinoa with some roasted cauliflower. Both were delicious. I’m adding these ingredients to the grocery list to have again this week!
So glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Sarah! And I love your idea to serve it over quinoa!
Hi Kelly! I’m really excited to try this recipe. When you say 4 – 6 servings, do you know how many sliders that comes out to about? I’m making this as part of a larger appetizer table. Thank you!
Hi Chris! It definitely depends on how much pulled pork you pile onto each slider (and the size of the buns!). I’d say you could get at least 12 good-sized sliders. :)
Thanks so much, Kelly!!
I made this and added some sliced pineapple and about 1/4th cup pineapple juice with siricha and it turn out unbelievable!!
Thank you so much for responding. I will let you know how it went this weekend. Have a great day!
Hi Kelly, I am going to be making this over the weekend for the superbowl. I was wondering if it would pair with a regular coleslaw, my husband is not a fan of the Asian type, should I just make a different side dish all together. I will also be making red potato fries, and homemade hamburger buns. Thank you for the recipe, looking forward to trying. Thank you for taking the time to respond.
Hi Lisa! Any type of slaw would go great with this pulled pork. It has a wonderful sweet/savory flavor, so you could do a classic slaw as a wonderful complement. Enjoy!
I’v made this twice already. Made it with picnic ham and boston butt. Picnic Ham was better. Though I like a little salty pork belly. I also found some other sweet vinegars like pommegranate, lambrusco and red wine give it a lot of variety. A dollop of peanut butter powder is good to stretch the recipe. Whether you have hoisin or not. It mellows out the sweet bite.
I am going to try it on really stringy pot roast recipe. i always overcook it! But I think it might be a great substitute for sloppy joes.