Name: Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 490 min
Ingredients: 3 pounds pork shoulder roast; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon seasoned salt; pinch pepper; 12 ounces Dr. Pepper (1 can); 1 cup BBQ sauce; 8 Hamburger Buns

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Over the years, we have received so many kind comments (and some not-so-kind comments! Ha ha!) from our readers, but one that stands out to me still this day came after we had been blogging for only a short while. Our Facebook page was brand new and I was the one that was monitoring the comments when they came. Anyway, a sweet older gentleman left the following comment: “I just wanted to thank you girls for your easy slow cooker recipes. My wife is sick and cannot make dinner for us anymore and I recently had to go back to work after retiring to help pay the medical bills. Because of your recipes, I can throw dinner in the slow cooker before I go to work and have something ready to eat when I come home. Keep it up!”

This stood out to me for so many reasons – 1. a guy was reading our blog! And not just any guy, but an older gentleman. He was definitely the minority! 2. He was exactly the person we hoped our recipes would reach. Not once have we ever said that we are professional chefs or make gourmet food and we definitely aren’t experts at food photography; our focus is to help those busy working people who want recipes that they can make quickly and on a budget. 3. His comment was kind- it’s people like him that make me want to keep blogging!

So, if that gentleman is still reading our blog today- thank you for your kind comments from so long ago. I want you to know that I think about your comment often, especially when people choose to leave not-so-kind comments. And if you need another simple slow cooker recipe, don’t look any further. This one was a huge hit with my family! With only a handful of ingredients, it’s sweet and delicious and makes an amazing dinner!

Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Recipe

This Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork Recipe is delicious! With only a handful of ingredients, it’s sweet and delicious and makes an amazing dinner!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 10

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Ingredients

Equipment

Instructions

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.
Rub pork roast with garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt and pepper. Place roast in slow cooker.
Pour Dr. Pepper and BBQ sauce on top of roast.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6 hours.
Shred roast with two forks (it should fall apart easily) and serve on top of hamburger buns.

Notes

Other Cola soda will also work for this recipe

Nutrition

Calories: 355 kcal · Carbohydrates: 42 g · Protein: 25 g · Fat: 9 g · Saturated Fat: 3 g · Cholesterol: 70 mg · Sodium: 960 mg · Potassium: 498 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 19 g · Vitamin A: 87 IU · Vitamin C: 2 mg · Calcium: 102 mg · Iron: 3 mg

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course

Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.

Questions & Reviews

Amy G says:

The world is a much better place because of sweet older gentlemen! And this is the only way I ever make pulled pork. You don’t even need the spices because Dr. Pepper already has them!

One Cheap Utah Chick says:

Oh man that looks delicious! I will have to try that. My husband loves pork recipes and I have used and reused the same ones so much, so this will be a good change.

Natalie Messano says:

I love easy slow cooker recipes, especially for Sundays when I like to throw something in and have it ready after church. Thank you so much for what you do! You girls are amazing and I’m so glad I got to meet you at the BYBC14. I told my husband it was like meeting celebrities for me. 🙂

Cynthia Burrell says:

I have used Coke for a ham in the crock pot, but never Dr. Pepper for pulled pork. It looks and sounds delicious! Looking forward to trying this one!

Sandy T says:

Oh my goodness…what a sweet story! I hope the older gentleman is doing wonderful (and eating well)! This looks great. Can’t wait to try it, Thanks! Keep up the great work.

Jenn says:

That is so sweet. I hope all is well with his family? Your pork sounds super tasty.

Kristie says:

Love this! And who could ever say something unkind about you girls???

Camille says:

Thanks Jenn! You are so kind!

Cyd says:

Thanks Natalie! We are so glad you were able to come to our conference!
Cyd (mom of the Six Sisters)

Charlotte says:

Camille, This recipe looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it! Now that I’m retired I’m using my slow-cooker more than ever ( I’m so busy I don’t know how I had time to work), and our grown children and their families love pulled pork, so I think this will be a winner! 🙂 The story that you added is so beautiful, God Bless him and his wife!!!

Robert DeCuir says:

Camille,

I would like to say “thank you” to you and your sisters for taking the time in offering these recipes. As a single Dad supporting twin 13 year old daughters, the name of the cooking game all too often for us is a quality meal in a impossible time frame.

I would like to know your thoughts on using this recipe with thick cut pork chops instead. I can catch them on sale here in the Houston area far more often than a roast. Do you see a downside?

Thank you for your time and consideration, Bobby

Cyd says:

Hi Bobby, I’m the mom of the six sisters and answer a lot of the comments left for the girls. Thick cut pork chops should work great but the cooking time will be reduced. We used a 3 pound roast, so try to get around 3 pounds or so of pork chops and cook it most of the day on low. Then just come home and shred it. Should be pretty tasty!! Hope this helps and your girls are lucky to have a great dad!!

Tiffany says:

I was a little skeptical about this because I’m not a big fan of Dr. Pepper, but this was fantastic. We ate it on rolls with coleslaw and it was a huge hit.

Alyssa says:

This recipe sounds amazing! I was wanting to use it to feed a lot of people. Do you think it would be crazy to try & triple the recipe?

Cyd says:

If you triple this recipe, I would do it in separate slow cookers.

Kirstie says:

Hi there, I’ve really been wanting to try one of these “soda” pulled pork recipes. Can you reccommend a barbeque sauce to use? That is always my biggest hold back, I have no idea what kind of barbeque sauce tastses good. I like sweet, nothing spicy.

Cyd says:

We use all kinds of barbeque sauce. But one of our favorites it Sweet Baby Rays! Mmmmm! It comes in many flavors!

Stacie says:

I have mine in the crock pot now. I used tenderloin instead because they were on sale. I have seen many variations to this recipe. Do you return the shredded pork to the juices from the crock pot afterwards, or mix it with fresh bbq sauce when it’s all done? I am loving your site so far, thank you 🙂

Cyd says:

Hi Stacie, we have done this both ways. If you feel it needs more liquid after shredding, just add it back into the liquid it cooked in and use a slotted spoon to serve. Or you can add more bbq sauce and that will be a thicker sauce. Thanks so much for coming to our blog!

Porsche says:

I actually tried this recipe when my brother in law made some and gave me a taste, although he used brown sugar, and a little maple syrup to his. I’m making a weekly menu for next week and this is on it! We don’t eat much pork so I’m going to try this with chicken and make my BBQ sauce. Will also share on my Facebook recipe blog! All my moms there are always asking for slow cook recipes because most have 2+ kids, work, or just busy! So standing over a stove is the last thing most want to do!

Brittani says:

Could I use coke for this recipe or do I need to send the hubby to grab a dr. pepper? Thanks!

Mark says:

I made this yesterday for a quick dinner and it was a smash hit with everyone. I was pleased how flavorful the pork was and it wasn’t too sweet. Next time I make it, I’m going to serve it over rice with red beans on the side.

Allie H. says:

You can certainly do this with coke, root beer or dr. pepper. The real point is that the soda tenderizes the meat and adds flavor at the same time so that it falls apart and stays moist. My last try was garlic, paprika, lawry’s seasoning salt and chicken broth & cream of mushroom soup instead of coke and it worked the same…the chops came out in slabs and the second you laid them onto pasta or rice, they fell apart when you dug a fork into them. So, so good.

Cyd says:

Coke works great too!

Andrea says:

What are your favorite sides with dish?

Marci says:

I was wondering if you could use Diet Dr Pepper in this recipe? Thank you for all you do.

Leah says:

I was looking up recipes for the Dr Pepper pulled pork and most that I found have you wait to add the barbecue until after it was cooked and drained most the juice… is it really runny this way?… I personally like the fact that there is less work with this one bit I’m not sure which to try.

Cyd says:

It’s not that runny, just dish it out with a slotted spoon.

Lindsay says:

I was also wondering if this would come out a bit watery and it did when I tried it out a few days ago, but I just put the juices into a pot with some cornstarch to thicken and readded the sauce to the shredded pork. It was excellent, and I enjoyed it much more than I would with just straight bbq sauce. 🙂

Constance says:

I’m using dr pepper cherry because that’s what I have on hand, lol! We’ll see how it goes!

Molly Sexton says:

Could I use diet Dr. Pepper?

Cyd says:

We have not used Died Dr Pepper, but it should still work fine. The soda breaks down the pork to make it moist.

Patrick says:

No! The artificial sweeteners in diet sodas create a weird chemical smell/taste in the slow cooker.

The sugar in regular soda is necessary here.

Cherie says:

I love that you call it Dr. Pepper soda pop. I moved from Texas to New England and always call it soda pop, and of course people think I’m weird.

steve pruett says:

Great idea, everybody loves Dr Pepper in our family.
Do you think throw back sodas with real sugar would be better?
And are you saying to add the BBQ sauce in the beginning or when it’s pulled?
Thanks for this recipe! I’ve been looking for a good easy one for tailgating. (Go Chiefs!) Would this be OK to do on the grill with ribs?

Cyd says:

Add the BBQ sauce in the beginning of the cooking time with the Dr Pepper. You can always add more bbq sauce after shredding for desired flavor. And this would go great with ribs on the grill! 🙂

Missy says:

I love your blog! I really hate finding some recipe that looks delicious and then I look at the recipe. It has a ton of ingredients and some of which I have never heard of! Thank you so much for your recipes! This pulled pork looks perfect for Father’s Day!!

Connie says:

Have you made this in an Instant Pot?

Cyd says:

Not yet, but it would certainly work.

Join The Discussion

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Amy G says:

The world is a much better place because of sweet older gentlemen! And this is the only way I ever make pulled pork. You don’t even need the spices because Dr. Pepper already has them!
One Cheap Utah Chick says:

Oh man that looks delicious! I will have to try that. My husband loves pork recipes and I have used and reused the same ones so much, so this will be a good change.
Natalie Messano says:

I love easy slow cooker recipes, especially for Sundays when I like to throw something in and have it ready after church. Thank you so much for what you do! You girls are amazing and I’m so glad I got to meet you at the BYBC14. I told my husband it was like meeting celebrities for me. 🙂
Cynthia Burrell says:

I have used Coke for a ham in the crock pot, but never Dr. Pepper for pulled pork. It looks and sounds delicious! Looking forward to trying this one!
Sandy T says:

Oh my goodness…what a sweet story! I hope the older gentleman is doing wonderful (and eating well)! This looks great. Can’t wait to try it, Thanks! Keep up the great work.
Jenn says:

That is so sweet. I hope all is well with his family? Your pork sounds super tasty.
Kristie says:

Love this! And who could ever say something unkind about you girls???
Camille says:

Thanks Jenn! You are so kind!
Cyd says:

Thanks Natalie! We are so glad you were able to come to our conference!
Cyd (mom of the Six Sisters)
Charlotte says:

Camille, This recipe looks delicious, I can’t wait to try it! Now that I’m retired I’m using my slow-cooker more than ever ( I’m so busy I don’t know how I had time to work), and our grown children and their families love pulled pork, so I think this will be a winner! 🙂 The story that you added is so beautiful, God Bless him and his wife!!!
Robert DeCuir says:

Camille,

I would like to say “thank you” to you and your sisters for taking the time in offering these recipes. As a single Dad supporting twin 13 year old daughters, the name of the cooking game all too often for us is a quality meal in a impossible time frame.

I would like to know your thoughts on using this recipe with thick cut pork chops instead. I can catch them on sale here in the Houston area far more often than a roast. Do you see a downside?

Thank you for your time and consideration, Bobby
Cyd says:

Hi Bobby, I’m the mom of the six sisters and answer a lot of the comments left for the girls. Thick cut pork chops should work great but the cooking time will be reduced. We used a 3 pound roast, so try to get around 3 pounds or so of pork chops and cook it most of the day on low. Then just come home and shred it. Should be pretty tasty!! Hope this helps and your girls are lucky to have a great dad!!
Tiffany says:

I was a little skeptical about this because I’m not a big fan of Dr. Pepper, but this was fantastic. We ate it on rolls with coleslaw and it was a huge hit.
Alyssa says:

This recipe sounds amazing! I was wanting to use it to feed a lot of people. Do you think it would be crazy to try & triple the recipe?
Cyd says:

If you triple this recipe, I would do it in separate slow cookers.
Kirstie says:

Hi there, I’ve really been wanting to try one of these “soda” pulled pork recipes. Can you reccommend a barbeque sauce to use? That is always my biggest hold back, I have no idea what kind of barbeque sauce tastses good. I like sweet, nothing spicy.
Cyd says:

We use all kinds of barbeque sauce. But one of our favorites it Sweet Baby Rays! Mmmmm! It comes in many flavors!
Stacie says:

I have mine in the crock pot now. I used tenderloin instead because they were on sale. I have seen many variations to this recipe. Do you return the shredded pork to the juices from the crock pot afterwards, or mix it with fresh bbq sauce when it’s all done? I am loving your site so far, thank you 🙂
Cyd says:

Hi Stacie, we have done this both ways. If you feel it needs more liquid after shredding, just add it back into the liquid it cooked in and use a slotted spoon to serve. Or you can add more bbq sauce and that will be a thicker sauce. Thanks so much for coming to our blog!
Porsche says:

I actually tried this recipe when my brother in law made some and gave me a taste, although he used brown sugar, and a little maple syrup to his. I’m making a weekly menu for next week and this is on it! We don’t eat much pork so I’m going to try this with chicken and make my BBQ sauce. Will also share on my Facebook recipe blog! All my moms there are always asking for slow cook recipes because most have 2+ kids, work, or just busy! So standing over a stove is the last thing most want to do!
Brittani says:

Could I use coke for this recipe or do I need to send the hubby to grab a dr. pepper? Thanks!
Mark says:

I made this yesterday for a quick dinner and it was a smash hit with everyone. I was pleased how flavorful the pork was and it wasn’t too sweet. Next time I make it, I’m going to serve it over rice with red beans on the side.
Allie H. says:

You can certainly do this with coke, root beer or dr. pepper. The real point is that the soda tenderizes the meat and adds flavor at the same time so that it falls apart and stays moist. My last try was garlic, paprika, lawry’s seasoning salt and chicken broth & cream of mushroom soup instead of coke and it worked the same…the chops came out in slabs and the second you laid them onto pasta or rice, they fell apart when you dug a fork into them. So, so good.
Cyd says:

Coke works great too!
Andrea says:

What are your favorite sides with dish?
Marci says:

I was wondering if you could use Diet Dr Pepper in this recipe? Thank you for all you do.
Leah says:

I was looking up recipes for the Dr Pepper pulled pork and most that I found have you wait to add the barbecue until after it was cooked and drained most the juice… is it really runny this way?… I personally like the fact that there is less work with this one bit I’m not sure which to try.
Cyd says:

It’s not that runny, just dish it out with a slotted spoon.
Lindsay says:

I was also wondering if this would come out a bit watery and it did when I tried it out a few days ago, but I just put the juices into a pot with some cornstarch to thicken and readded the sauce to the shredded pork. It was excellent, and I enjoyed it much more than I would with just straight bbq sauce. 🙂
Constance says:

I’m using dr pepper cherry because that’s what I have on hand, lol! We’ll see how it goes!
Molly Sexton says:

Could I use diet Dr. Pepper?
Cyd says:

We have not used Died Dr Pepper, but it should still work fine. The soda breaks down the pork to make it moist.
Patrick says:

No! The artificial sweeteners in diet sodas create a weird chemical smell/taste in the slow cooker.

The sugar in regular soda is necessary here.
Cherie says:

I love that you call it Dr. Pepper soda pop. I moved from Texas to New England and always call it soda pop, and of course people think I’m weird.
steve pruett says:

Great idea, everybody loves Dr Pepper in our family.
Do you think throw back sodas with real sugar would be better?
And are you saying to add the BBQ sauce in the beginning or when it’s pulled?
Thanks for this recipe! I’ve been looking for a good easy one for tailgating. (Go Chiefs!) Would this be OK to do on the grill with ribs?
Cyd says:

Add the BBQ sauce in the beginning of the cooking time with the Dr Pepper. You can always add more bbq sauce after shredding for desired flavor. And this would go great with ribs on the grill! 🙂
Missy says:

I love your blog! I really hate finding some recipe that looks delicious and then I look at the recipe. It has a ton of ingredients and some of which I have never heard of! Thank you so much for your recipes! This pulled pork looks perfect for Father’s Day!!
Connie says:

Have you made this in an Instant Pot?
Cyd says:

Not yet, but it would certainly work.