Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pulled Pork

from 22 votes

Take your taste buds to the tropics with a family favorite recipe for Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pulled Pork that can be piled atop buns, inside tortillas or enjoyed simply with a fork!

Three slider buns on a plate piled high with Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pulled Pork drizzled with barbecue sauce

Three words: Hawaiian Pulled Pork. If the title doesn’t kickstart your cravings, allow me to expand upon the beauty you see piled high up above and shredded down below.

This slow cooker recipe embodies everything I need in a family-friendly meal:

  • It’s impossible to mess up.
  • It’s just as great (if not better) as leftovers.
  • It cooks itself.

That right there is the trifecta, folks. Add the fact that this pork is so insanely moist after slow-cooking in a bath of pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic and ginger, and I guarantee this will become a mainstay on your hectic weeknight or laidback weekend menus.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This Hawaiian-style pulled pork gets its signature sweet, tangy, and savory flavor from a handful of pantry staples and tropical touches. Below, I’ve broken down each ingredient so you know exactly what it brings to the table—and how to make swaps if needed.

  • Low sodium soy sauce: Adds savory, umami flavor that balances the sweetness of the pineapple and brown sugar. Opt for low-sodium to prevent the sauce from becoming too salty as it reduces.
  • Low sodium chicken stock: Creates a flavorful cooking liquid that keeps the pork juicy. Using low sodium allows you to control the salt level, especially with soy sauce also in the mix.
  • Pineapple Juice: The star of the show! It adds natural sweetness and acidity, helping tenderize the pork as it slow-cooks. Look for 100% juice with no added sugar for best results.
  • Ketchup: Brings a sweet, tangy, tomato base to the sauce that melds with the pineapple for a tropical BBQ-style flavor. No need for fancy brands—just your favorite kind works.
  • Brown Sugar: Enhances the caramelized flavor and contributes to the sticky-sweet glaze. You can use light or dark brown sugar—dark will give deeper molasses notes.
  • Minced garlic & ginger: This duo brings bold flavor and warmth to the dish. Freshly minced garlic adds a punchy depth, while fresh ginger provides subtle spice and brightness that pairs perfectly with pineapple. For best flavor, use fresh versions of both.
  • Boneless pork shoulder: This is the best cut for pulled pork. It’s well-marbled, which means it stays juicy and shreds beautifully after slow cooking. Trim excess fat if needed, but don’t remove it all. Fat = flavor!
  • Diced Pineapple: You can use fresh or canned (in juice, not syrup).
  • Cornstarch: Used to thicken the sauce after cooking.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How Much Pulled Pork Per Person

Depending on how you serve pulled pork (and what accompanies it), aim for about ⅓ pound per person. If heartier sides like mac and cheese and homemade rolls are also on the menu, you could definitely get away with slightly less.

A pile of pulled pork on a cutting board next to a fork
Barbecue sauce being poured over pineapple and shredded pork in a clear bowl

How to Make Hawaiian Pulled Pork in a Slow Cooker

  1. Add all the sauce ingredients to your slow cooker. Whisk together until combined.
  2. Add the pork and let it slow-cook. Trim most of the visible fat from the pork shoulder (leave a little for flavor!) and place it in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5 hours, or until the pork is fall-apart tender and reaches an internal temperature of at least 145°F.
  3. Thicken the sauce. Transfer the cooked pork to a cutting board. Carefully pour half of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a medium saucepan and discard the rest. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water to make a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the boiling sauce and cook until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon.
  4. Shred the pork. Use two forks to shred the pork into bite-sized pieces, discarding any remaining fat.
  5. Add the pineapple and sticky pineapple soy sauce. Transfer the shredded pork to a large bowl along with the diced pineapple. Pour the thickened sauce on top and toss until everything is evenly coated.

Can You Freeze Pulled Pork?

Absolutely yes! The key to freezing it is to retain as much moisture as possible, so don’t let a single drop of that tangy, sticky-sweet sauce go to waste. It’s also important to let it cool completely before packing it into an airtight container and popping it in the freezer.

How to Reheat Pulled Pork

To reheat frozen pulled pork transfer it to a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thaw. If additional moisture is needed, add ¼ cup of your liquid of choice (beef stock, water or even beer!) and cover the skillet. Continue cooking until warmed through and then let the feasting begin!

The best slow cooker Hawaiian pulled pork dripping with barbecue sauce piled high on slider buns
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Main Course

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pulled Pork

Take your taste buds to the tropics with a family-friendly recipe for Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pulled Pork.
Author: Kelly Senyei
4.64 from 22 votes
Three slider buns on a plate piled high with Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pulled Pork drizzled with barbecue sauce
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1 (3.5- to 4-pound) boneless pork shoulder
  • 1 cup diced pineapple
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Equipment:

  • 6-quart slow cooker

Instructions 

  • In the bowl of a slow cooker, whisk together the soy sauce, chicken stock, pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic and ginger.
  • Trim a majority of the fat from the pork shoulder and place it in the slow cooker. Add the lid and set it to LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5 hours. 
  • Once the pork shoulder is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of at least 145°F, transfer it to a cutting board and pour half of the liquid from the slow cooker into a medium saucepan (discard the rest of the liquid). 
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water. 
  • Once the sauce has come to a boil, whisk in the cornstarch mixture and continue boiling it until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and is the consistency of syrup.
  • Using two forks, shred the pork shoulder then transfer it to a large bowl. Add the pineapple then pour in the sauce and toss to combine. 
  • ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

Nutrition

Calories: 458kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 62g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 158mg, Sodium: 1054mg, Potassium: 1256mg, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 120IU, Vitamin C: 18.7mg, Calcium: 49mg, Iron: 3.3mg

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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.


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4.64 from 22 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Lucy says:

    I am planning on making this on the 4th. The recipe does not specify wheather the pineapple is to be fresh or canned

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      Either works, Lucy!

  2. Tina Reed says:

    5 stars
    Served as part of a Hawaiian themed BBQ for work. Everyone loved it! I used all of the liquid to make the sauce (using 1 TBSP of cornstarch for every cup of liquid when thickening) and added 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper before serving and it was perfect!

  3. Ryan says:

    5 stars
    I had the same problem as Alexis getting the sauce to thicken but it eventually did after roughly 20 minutes. However, it turned out amazing and everyone in the house enjoyed it! I paired with a Hawaiian style coleslaw that had pineapple and mango in it.

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Ryan!

  4. Alexis says:

    4 stars
    Everything was great! We had issues with the end making the broth the a syrupy consistency. The recipe calls for half the broth so we just eye balled it and it never got nice and thick. So was wondering if anyone has a solution or suggestion on how we can get it right for the next time. Thanks for any help.

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      So glad you enjoyed it, Alexis! Did you add the cornstarch and bring the mix to a rolling boil? It should thicken within 3 to 5 minutes if you do that.

      1. Alexis says:

        Yeah cornstarch and water. So not sure what we did wrong lol

      2. Kelly Senyei says:

        And it came to a rolling boil for several minutes?

      3. Alexis Richards says:

        Yes. Is there a measurement of the broth you have to use?

      4. Kelly Senyei says:

        Yep! It’s listed in the ingredients: 1 1/2 cups chicken stock.

      5. Bret says:

        Is the measurments right? I’m doing 2 9.5 lbs Pork Butts. thats 19 cups of liquid!

      6. Kelly Senyei says:

        Hi Bret! Doing 19 total pounds of pork butt would be roughly 5x this recipe, which is about 15 cups of liquid (not including ketchup, which is measured as a dry ingredient). Hope that helps!

    2. Jan says:

      3 stars
      Looked and tasted great at 1stโ€ฆ but we let it continue on low in the crockpot throughout the buffet lunch and it turned to mushโ€ฆ almost the consistency of refried beans. Perhaps adding the sauce right before serving is the key. And reheating in the microwave? Or I used fresh pineappleโ€ฆ maybe itโ€™s too acidic and I should have just used canned pineapple. Either way, the sandwich texture caused this to be a fail for us.

      1. Jessica says:

        This also happened to us! We are so disappointed โ˜น๏ธ

    3. Tina Reed says:

      Measure your liquid and use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for each cup of liquid.

  5. Elle says:

    5 stars
    The best pulled pork that i’ve ever tasted! I seared the pork first and your recipe did the rest. Thanks so much for sharing!

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Elle!

    2. Kerri Frederick says:

      5 stars
      I doubled this recipe for a 7# roast, added the pineapple at the time of cooking, and left out the ketchup (personal taste). It was amazing. I made it the day before so I had plenty of time to chill and skim the juice. I added a good deal of the juice back into the meat as I was serving it over rice. My grandson liked it so much I had to teach him how to make the dish.
      Menu: spinach strawberry salad with strawberry vinaigrette and feta, coconut rice, Hawaiian pulled pork and mango sorbet for dessert.

      1. Kelly Senyei says:

        I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, Kerri! And that your grandson enjoyed it as well!

  6. Kimberly M says:

    It’s in the crockpot now, I just turned it on, I hope it is as good as it sounds, I will update when it’s done and has been eaten, til then.

    1. Kelly Senyei says:

      Hope you enjoy the recipe, Kimberly!

  7. Mike Miller says:

    5 stars
    Looks like a great recipe for a potluck!

  8. Paulie Davis says:

    5 stars
    Husband says any way you slice it this is a home run. Also said he could happily eat himself sick it was so delicious. I loved it too!!! No changes needed; just make it!

    1. Janis B says:

      OMG!! This was the most amazing pulled pork I have ever made and I’ve made a lot! This was perfect as shown and it went great with my luau menu. I made Hawaiian cole slaw and put them on a brioche bun. Incredible!

      1. Kelly Senyei says:

        Love reading this, Janis! Thanks so much for sharing!

  9. Baker who Cooks says:

    4 stars
    This was a great dish. I think because I subbed ginger paste instead of fresh ginger and the reduction of salt (I used unsalted, store-bought stock), I lost some flavor. I will make this again and again though, the same way as I really liked it. I def feel like it would be amazing if I used all scratch ingredients instead of shortcuts. It’s perfect for us liw-sodium

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