Moonshine Crock Pot Pulled Pork

Moonshine Crock Pot Pulled Pork is tender, juicy, and full of flavor from our famous moonshine marinade! It’s also insanely EASY to make, and perfect for summer BBQ season!

If you’re building up your summertime crock pot recipes, check out my Easy London Broil Crock Pot Recipe, Crockpot BBQ Chicken Thighs, and BBQ Slow Cooker Pork Loin & Sweet Potatoes!

Moonshine Crock Pot Pulled Pork

Moonshine Crock Pot Pulled Pork is one of my family’s summertime favorites, with tender and juicy pork shredded in a marinade of moonshine, lemon juice, and spices. It goes perfectly with gluten free hamburger buns and topped with my homemade coleslaw. Plus all you need to make this is the crock pot, so you can set it and forget it, and you don’t have to turn on the hot oven in this summer heat!

What is the best cut of meat for pulled pork?

I was always taught to use pork shoulder (aka pork butt) to make pulled pork, or boneless pork loin. It has the perfect balance of fat and protein, plus it goes on sale all the time. You can also use a lean cut of boneless roast if you’re trying to lower the fat in your recipe, but it might not shred quite as easily. If you use bone-in, it can help with flavor overall, but it’ll be more work to shred.

Do you put water in a crock pot when cooking pulled pork?

You don’t have to add any water in the crock pot when cooking pulled pork. The pork will release a lot of liquid naturally as it cooks. Plus for this recipe, we’re adding some of our moonshine marinade for flavor, so it’ll get some liquid from that, too.

I’ve seen recipes where they remove the liquid, then add it back later. Personally, I just go ahead and shred everything together. If you think there’s too much liquid, you can strain some of it out, but I haven’t had that problem.

Tips for Making Crock Pot Pulled Pork

• You want to cook your crock pot pulled pork low and slow. I’ve tried this on the high setting a few times, and it’s still good but if you want that really fork-tender, juicy result, then you want to give it the full 8 hours on low.
• I like to use moonshine for my crock pot pulled pork, but you can use any liquor you’d prefer and just swap it into this recipe. Or, leave the liquor out entirely if you want to and just use my dry pork rub.
• Sear the pork in a skillet on all sides beforehand to help lock in the juices while it’s cooking. If you forget to do this step, it’s not a big deal, but I recommend it if you have the time.
• Let the pork rest before shredding it. This gives it a chance to pull up some of its juices, just like steak.
• Use an electric hand mixer to shred your crock pot pulled pork fast! Pro Tip: Don’t do this if you have one of those crock pot liner bags in the pot. I know this from experience, the mixer will get caught in the bag and fling your dinner up to the top shelf of your cabinet.
• If you’re not using the hand mixer to shred the pork, try out a liner bag, because you don’t have to worry about washing out the pot when you’re done!
• You can make crock pot pulled pork ahead of time and freeze, sealed tightly, for 2-3 months. Reserve some of the sauce separately, or make some extra marinade when you reheat it, just in case the meat dried out a little bit. I also recommend defrosting it in the refrigerator the night before you’re serving.
• You can also make this recipe by replacing my moonshine marinade with my gluten free BBQ sauce or gluten free honey BBQ sauce!

How long does it take to reheat pulled pork in the crock pot?

Ok, so here’s where your “warm” setting comes in handy. Add your pork to the slow cooker on warm for about 2 hours before you’re ready to eat. Or, set it on low if your cooker doesn’t have “warm”.

How do you know when crock pot pulled pork is done?

Your crock pot pulled pork is done when the pork shreds easily with a fork, and when a meat thermometer measures an internal temperature of 190F. This will take about 8 hours in the crock pot on the low setting.

Can you overcook pork in the slow cooker?

Pulled pork can definitely be overcooked in any medium, including the slow cooker. I’ve had this happen before, where I forgot to time it properly and the slow cooker went for an extra hour or so. It will turn out too mushy. So set a timer! If your pot doesn’t automatically go to “warm” when the time is up, try setting the timer on your oven, instead.

Also keep in mind that a larger roast will take longer, and a smaller roast won’t take quite as long. A 6-8 lb roast will take about 8 hours.

What to Serve With Moonshine Slow Cooker Pulled Pork:

• Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
• Crispy Air Fryer French Fries
• Baked Potato Bar
• Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
• Simple Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
• Amish Broccoli Salad with Craisins

 

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