Name: Slow Cooker Smoky BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 480 min
Total time: 490 min
Ingredients: 3 Tablespoons paprika; 1 Tablespoon salt; 1 Tablespoon pepper; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon dry mustard; ⅓ cup liquid smoke; 4 pounds pork shoulder butt roast ((or bone in)); 18 ounces BBQ Sauce (1 bottle); 12 Hamburger Buns

This simple crock pot pulled pork recipe is so easy to throw together but tastes like something you would order from a BBQ restaurant. The bbq pulled pork seriously falls apart when it's done cooking.

Slow Cooker Smoky BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I love easy dinner recipes I can throw in my slow cooker and this is one of my all-time favorites. This Slow Cooker Smoky BBQ Pulled Pork is the perfect combination of the savory and sweet coming together for a hearty meal.

If you’re wanting more tender juicy pork, try our Oven Roasted Pork Shoulder.

Ingredient Notes

Paprika
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Dry Mustard
Liquid Smoke
Pork Shoulder Butt Roast (boneless or bone in)
BBQ Sauce
Hamburger Buns

How to make Slow Cooker Smoky BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Spray the inside of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray (or use a slow cooker liner).
Combine paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, mustard and liquid smoke in a small bowl.
Rub all over the roast, covering all sides. (Optional: poke your roast with a large fork a couple of times to let the flavors really soak in).
Place lid on slow cooker and bake on low for 8-10 hours (or high 5-6 hours).
Shred meat when finished and add bottle of BBQ sauce.
Serve on buns.

Storing and Other Cooking Variations

Store any leftover pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

How to make Smoky BBQ Pulled Pork In Instant Pot:

Follow the exact directions as you would on the slow cooker recipe, but before you close the lid, add 1/2 cup of water or broth. This allows for steam to happen so the meat doesn’t dry out.
Close the lid, set it to sealing, then push manual. Set your timer for 30 minutes.
When the time is up, let it release on its own and then shred your pork and serve on your rolls.
Don’t rush it. Let it finish doing it’s thing and I promise you will get the best results.

Watch how to make Smoky Pulled Pork in the Instant Pot:

Freezer Meal Instructions

Place all ingredients except for BBQ sauce and buns in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal bag closed.
Place freezer bag into freezer and it will last 60-90 days.
When ready to use, spray inside of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and dump ingredients from bag into slow cooker.
Add 1 cup of chicken broth in with the frozen food.
Place the lid on top and cook for 8-10 hours on low heat (you can cook it for 5-6 hours on high heat, but it will not be as tender as cooking it low and slow).
Shred roast using 2 forks and follow the rest of the instructions as written.

Serving Suggestions

Close-up of a sandwich filled with smoky BBQ pulled pork on a soft bun, with another similar sandwich partially visible in the background.

Slow Cooker Smoky BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

5 from 7 votes

12 servings

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 10

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Ingredients

Equipment

Instructions

Spray the inside of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray (or use a slow cooker liner).
Combine paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, mustard and liquid smoke in a small bowl.
Rub all over the roast, covering all sides. (Optional: poke your roast with a large fork a couple of times to let the flavors really soak in).
Place lid on slow cooker and bake on low for 8-10 hours (or high 5-6 hours).
Shred meat when finished and add bottle of BBQ sauce.
Serve on buns.

Notes

For Freezer Meal Instructions and Instant Pot conversion check the recipe post.

Nutrition

Calories: 333 kcal · Carbohydrates: 40 g · Protein: 23 g · Fat: 9 g · Saturated Fat: 3 g · Cholesterol: 62 mg · Sodium: 1609 mg · Potassium: 487 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 17 g · Vitamin A: 178 IU · Vitamin C: 5 mg · Calcium: 106 mg · Iron: 3 mg

Cuisine: American

Cost: $10

Author: Steph Loaiza

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

Raysha says:

Yum!

http://lexmallabooks.com/?p=8

YoungChef says:

So delicious!!!!!! Made it minus liquid smoke/will try with next time.

YoungChef says:

Btw! I shredded the pork in my kitchen aid mixer/worked great!!!!

Jill ~ Jillify It says:

I'm going to try to make these! I think my family would love them! :)

Jill
www.jillifyit.com

Jessica says:

Where could I find liquid smoke? I looked for it in the grocery store but didnt have much luck. Thanks!

jazj10355 says:

I made this recipe today and it turned out fabulous. My husband and both kids LOVED it. Thats saying a lot for my picky eaters. Yummm!!!

Mallory Wagler says:

This comment has been removed by the author.

Shannon Ivy says:

I found it at Walmart with the bbq sauces on the top shelf. Little bottle for $1!

Debby says:

What a great recipe! Thanks for sharing it! My husband's comment was, "the only bad thing about it was that there wasn't enough left over!"

C says:

I wonder if I could use this same recipe but with chicken instead?

ladybug loves lilacs says:

I was wondering how many this recipe serves?
thanks!

Amy says:

So...you don't put any other liquid in for the while 8-hour cooking time? I always thought slow cookers needed liquid to cook properly.

Cyd says:

No other liquid, just what the recipe calls for. Liquid smoke and the other ingredients. Watch it carefully, could be done in seven hours if your roast is a little smaller.

Maria Robles says:

Hello ! Ilove your receipes.I live in Panama, and i don´t know what is Liquid smoke ? Can you helpme out ? thanks a lot ! blessings

Cyd says:

Liquid smoke is a concentrated seasoning used to give meat a smoky or woody taste. It is found on the store shelves by the BBQ sauce. It just adds a little smoky taste to your food. Just a little goes a long way.

Lauren Hilbert says:

I have this in my crock pot as we speak and it smells delicious!

Ken McBroom says:

Hi Six Sisters My name is Ken McBroom. I am an outdoor writer and have a deadline for my cooking column in a small print publication. The problem is the images I took of my pulled pork that I prepared for the Hoosier Outdoor Writers conference was lost in cyberspace and I found your great image of pulled pork sandwich and would love to use it in my article. You can leave your Six Sisters Stuff on the image for credit. Please feel free to contact me if this is a possibility. Thanks Ken McBroom

Cyd says:

All of our images are copyrighted. You would need to buy the rights to our picture if you want to use it.

Juicebox says:

Looks delicious in the picture, but unfortunately I am not much of a pork eater! :( anybody know if this recipe will work with chicken? If so, would any instructions need to change? Would love to try it!

Juicebox says:

wondering the same thing!

G.g. says:

Hi, does this work with pork loin too?

Cyd says:

Pork Loin will work great with this recipe too.

Rachael says:

This seems like a whole lot of spices and liquid smoke and I'm using a 6lber I normally use only a couple TBS of liquid smoke when cooking my other pork butt crock pot recipe (kalua pork). I thought maybe 3tsp not Tbs would be good. But I went ahead and followed your recipe as is any ways so we will see, it's in the crockpot as we speak!

Karen Burgess says:

I noticed that your written crock pot recipe says to add the bbq sauce after the pork is cooked but you said that the instant pot recipe is the same and the video shows that you put the sauce in at the beginning. I’m not sure which way to do it or if it matters. Help!!

Michelle says:

Hi just wondering if the liquid smoke makes a huge difference if I don't add it? I've never cooked with it before so any advice would be appreciated!

Cyd says:

We absolutely love Liquid Smoke. You don't need a lot, but it adds the perfect touch to any bbq or slow cooker meat dishes. It's a smoky flavor enhancer. It's found in most grocery stores. We use the Colgin brand. You can find it on Amazon too.

Kris says:

It actually doesn't matter! As long as you have enough liquid in the instant pot to let it pressurize!

Kris says:

YOU BET!!!

Linda Chiasson says:

Your video does not match r ingredients

Destiny says:

Question: my meat is frozen and I am asking how much additional time should I add to the IP for this recipe?

Cyd says:

This post we did will help you converting recipes into instant pot. https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/how-to-convert-recipes-into-instant-pot-recipes/

Betsy says:

Just found your recipe for slow cooker BBQ pork sandwiches and made it last week. It is seriously the best BBQ pork I have ever made! Thank you! My family loves it!

Marjorie Rhyno says:

Does liquid smoke have an expiry date?

Cyd says:

I'm sure it's good for a while. If it expires it would be somewhere on the bottle or the lid.

Melissa says:

Did you return the meat to the juices in the crockpot before adding barbecue sauce?

Cyd says:

We placed the shredded meat in a bowl and added the bbq sauce. You could add it back into the slow cooker, but if it's a lot of liquid, it may make your pulled pork sandwich too runny. You could drain some of the liquid and keep a little liquid to add some extra flavor.

JASMINE RATTS says:

What kind of bbq sauce. I really want the liquid smoke to come through and i feel a lot of bbq sauces will just mask and cover up the seasonings

Kristen says:

Which method do you prefer for this recipe...slow cooker or instant pot or does it make a difference? I’m throwing an afternoon football party and didn’t know if I could just throw it in the instant pot or needed to wake up early to get it in the slow cooker.

Cyd says:

Either way is delicious. You don't say how familiar you are with your Instant Pot. We love how tender and moist the instant pot makes our pork. It's totally up to you. Both ways are yummy!We also love this Dr Pepper Pulled Pork in the Instant pot. Here is the link if you ever want to try it. https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/instant-pot-dr-pepper-pulled-pork/ Have a terrific week.

Jenny says:

The video says to cook the pork for 60 minutes in the Instant Pot, but the written directions say 30 minutes. Which is correct? Thanks!

Cyd says:

You'll want to cook your pork for 60 minutes. If it's cut into small pieces you could cook it for 30 minutes.

Tina says:

Finally commenting, but I have made this four or five times since I first found it. I have never added the barbecue sauce, it's amazing without it!

ShanMac says:

My go to bbq pulled pork recipe! I’ve used it for years! Love it!

Jenn says:

You don't find that 1/3 cup liquid smoke is too much w/out BBQ sauce?

Carolyn Whitetail says:

I don't have regular Paparika but I do have smoked paparika. Can I use it in the place of the regular paparika?

Momma Cyd says:

Yes, smoked paprika will taste great in this recipe.

Cat says:

Can I prepare the whole thing inside the crockpot insert and then put it in the refrigerator overnight so that it’s just ready to pop into the crockpot cooker in the morning? Or would that change the flavor of the meat? Or would that just make the cooking time longer since the insert would be cold from the refrigerator? Trying to save a little time but it might not be worth it

Momma Cyd says:

I would prepare it in a bowl and then add it to your slow cooker in the morning. We have had slow cookers crack with extreme temperature changes. Slow cookers will crack due to drastic temperature changes. It has happened to us more than once!

Cat says:

Thank you! I will do that :-)

Linda Badgley says:

Have you made this in the oven? I need to make a lot for a gathering and wondering what the time and temperature would be for this recipe. It sounds great! Thanks.

Bobbi @ Six Sisters says:

We haven't tried making this in the oven, but I would recommend a temperature of 300 degrees F for 2-3 hours, checking half way through to add more liquid if needed.

Join The Discussion

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Raysha says:

Yum!

http://lexmallabooks.com/?p=8
YoungChef says:

So delicious!!!!!! Made it minus liquid smoke/will try with next time.
YoungChef says:

Btw! I shredded the pork in my kitchen aid mixer/worked great!!!!
Jill ~ Jillify It says:

I'm going to try to make these! I think my family would love them! :)

Jill
www.jillifyit.com
Jessica says:

Where could I find liquid smoke? I looked for it in the grocery store but didnt have much luck. Thanks!
jazj10355 says:

I made this recipe today and it turned out fabulous. My husband and both kids LOVED it. Thats saying a lot for my picky eaters. Yummm!!!
Mallory Wagler says:

This comment has been removed by the author.
Shannon Ivy says:

I found it at Walmart with the bbq sauces on the top shelf. Little bottle for $1!
Debby says:

What a great recipe! Thanks for sharing it! My husband's comment was, "the only bad thing about it was that there wasn't enough left over!"
C says:

I wonder if I could use this same recipe but with chicken instead?
ladybug loves lilacs says:

I was wondering how many this recipe serves?
thanks!
Amy says:

So...you don't put any other liquid in for the while 8-hour cooking time? I always thought slow cookers needed liquid to cook properly.
Cyd says:

No other liquid, just what the recipe calls for. Liquid smoke and the other ingredients. Watch it carefully, could be done in seven hours if your roast is a little smaller.
Maria Robles says:

Hello ! Ilove your receipes.I live in Panama, and i don´t know what is Liquid smoke ? Can you helpme out ? thanks a lot ! blessings
Cyd says:

Liquid smoke is a concentrated seasoning used to give meat a smoky or woody taste. It is found on the store shelves by the BBQ sauce. It just adds a little smoky taste to your food. Just a little goes a long way.
Lauren Hilbert says:

I have this in my crock pot as we speak and it smells delicious!
Ken McBroom says:

Hi Six Sisters My name is Ken McBroom. I am an outdoor writer and have a deadline for my cooking column in a small print publication. The problem is the images I took of my pulled pork that I prepared for the Hoosier Outdoor Writers conference was lost in cyberspace and I found your great image of pulled pork sandwich and would love to use it in my article. You can leave your Six Sisters Stuff on the image for credit. Please feel free to contact me if this is a possibility. Thanks Ken McBroom
Cyd says:

All of our images are copyrighted. You would need to buy the rights to our picture if you want to use it.
Juicebox says:

Looks delicious in the picture, but unfortunately I am not much of a pork eater! :( anybody know if this recipe will work with chicken? If so, would any instructions need to change? Would love to try it!
Juicebox says:

wondering the same thing!
G.g. says:

Hi, does this work with pork loin too?
Cyd says:

Pork Loin will work great with this recipe too.
Rachael says:

This seems like a whole lot of spices and liquid smoke and I'm using a 6lber I normally use only a couple TBS of liquid smoke when cooking my other pork butt crock pot recipe (kalua pork). I thought maybe 3tsp not Tbs would be good. But I went ahead and followed your recipe as is any ways so we will see, it's in the crockpot as we speak!
Karen Burgess says:

I noticed that your written crock pot recipe says to add the bbq sauce after the pork is cooked but you said that the instant pot recipe is the same and the video shows that you put the sauce in at the beginning. I’m not sure which way to do it or if it matters. Help!!
Michelle says:

Hi just wondering if the liquid smoke makes a huge difference if I don't add it? I've never cooked with it before so any advice would be appreciated!
Cyd says:

We absolutely love Liquid Smoke. You don't need a lot, but it adds the perfect touch to any bbq or slow cooker meat dishes. It's a smoky flavor enhancer. It's found in most grocery stores. We use the Colgin brand. You can find it on Amazon too.
Kris says:

It actually doesn't matter! As long as you have enough liquid in the instant pot to let it pressurize!
Kris says:

YOU BET!!!
Linda Chiasson says:

Your video does not match r ingredients
Destiny says:

Question: my meat is frozen and I am asking how much additional time should I add to the IP for this recipe?
Cyd says:

This post we did will help you converting recipes into instant pot. https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/how-to-convert-recipes-into-instant-pot-recipes/
Betsy says:

Just found your recipe for slow cooker BBQ pork sandwiches and made it last week. It is seriously the best BBQ pork I have ever made! Thank you! My family loves it!
Marjorie Rhyno says:

Does liquid smoke have an expiry date?
Cyd says:

I'm sure it's good for a while. If it expires it would be somewhere on the bottle or the lid.
Melissa says:

Did you return the meat to the juices in the crockpot before adding barbecue sauce?
Cyd says:

We placed the shredded meat in a bowl and added the bbq sauce. You could add it back into the slow cooker, but if it's a lot of liquid, it may make your pulled pork sandwich too runny. You could drain some of the liquid and keep a little liquid to add some extra flavor.
JASMINE RATTS says:

What kind of bbq sauce. I really want the liquid smoke to come through and i feel a lot of bbq sauces will just mask and cover up the seasonings
Kristen says:

Which method do you prefer for this recipe...slow cooker or instant pot or does it make a difference? I’m throwing an afternoon football party and didn’t know if I could just throw it in the instant pot or needed to wake up early to get it in the slow cooker.
Cyd says:

Either way is delicious. You don't say how familiar you are with your Instant Pot. We love how tender and moist the instant pot makes our pork. It's totally up to you. Both ways are yummy!We also love this Dr Pepper Pulled Pork in the Instant pot. Here is the link if you ever want to try it. https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/instant-pot-dr-pepper-pulled-pork/ Have a terrific week.
Jenny says:

The video says to cook the pork for 60 minutes in the Instant Pot, but the written directions say 30 minutes. Which is correct? Thanks!
Cyd says:

You'll want to cook your pork for 60 minutes. If it's cut into small pieces you could cook it for 30 minutes.
Tina says:

Finally commenting, but I have made this four or five times since I first found it. I have never added the barbecue sauce, it's amazing without it!
ShanMac says:

My go to bbq pulled pork recipe! I’ve used it for years! Love it!
Jenn says:

You don't find that 1/3 cup liquid smoke is too much w/out BBQ sauce?
Carolyn Whitetail says:

I don't have regular Paparika but I do have smoked paparika. Can I use it in the place of the regular paparika?
Momma Cyd says:

Yes, smoked paprika will taste great in this recipe.
Cat says:

Can I prepare the whole thing inside the crockpot insert and then put it in the refrigerator overnight so that it’s just ready to pop into the crockpot cooker in the morning? Or would that change the flavor of the meat? Or would that just make the cooking time longer since the insert would be cold from the refrigerator? Trying to save a little time but it might not be worth it
Momma Cyd says:

I would prepare it in a bowl and then add it to your slow cooker in the morning. We have had slow cookers crack with extreme temperature changes. Slow cookers will crack due to drastic temperature changes. It has happened to us more than once!
Cat says:

Thank you! I will do that :-)
Linda Badgley says:

Have you made this in the oven? I need to make a lot for a gathering and wondering what the time and temperature would be for this recipe. It sounds great! Thanks.
Bobbi @ Six Sisters says:

We haven't tried making this in the oven, but I would recommend a temperature of 300 degrees F for 2-3 hours, checking half way through to add more liquid if needed.