Dr. Pepper Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
on Jul 25, 2019, Updated Jan 30, 2024
Dr. Pepper Slow Cooker Pulled Pork is so easy to make. With just a few minutes of prep and a couple of ingredients, you can have dinner in the Crock-Pot. The results are a delicious, flavorful, and tender pork butt that shreds perfectly for sandwiches. The addition of a simple Dr. Pepper infused BBQ sauce is one that everyone loves.
Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
During the summer months, I make this Dr. Pepper Slow Cooked Pulled Pork recipe often. Cooking with the slow cooker allows me to quickly prep our dinner early in the day with minimal effort and also keeps the house a bit cooler. Easy meals that cook in the Crock-Pot like my Slow Cooker Pot Roast or Slow Cooker Meatloaf are always so convenient.
When we have guests visiting for summer BBQ’s, we serve pulled pork sliders. Dr. Pepper Slow Cooker Pulled Pork is always a hit with our crowd. The recipe is always requested again and again.
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Cooking with different flavored sodas (you may call it Pop, lol) always gives the meat a great flavor base. One of my most popular recipes happens to be Instant Pot Ribs. I use Coca-Cola for that recipe.
A pork butt is the best for making pulled pork. A pork loin will not work as well as it is not as fatty — no reason to worry about all of the fat. During the slow cooking process, the fat is mostly rendered out. I promise the results will be a tasty, tender, fall-apart pork.
One of my go-to recipes is a Homemade Pork Rub. I use the rub so frequently for all of my pork recipes, including this Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork. It is simple to make with a perfect blend of spices that you most likely have on hand.
For the Dr. Pepper barbeque sauce, I flavor my favorite sauce with a Dr. Pepper reduction. It gives a basic sauce a bit more flavor and slightly thins the sauce making it perfect for pulled pork sandwiches. The sauce that I favor is a local favorite, Montgomery Inn. My sauce is a sweet and tangy version.
Ingredients to Make Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
- Pork Butt
- Homemade Pork Rub or your favorite seasonings
- Dr. Pepper
- Sweet and Tangy BBQ Sauce
How to Make Dr. Pepper Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
First, you will want to trim some of the access fat from the pork butt. I usually just trim off the larger chunks of fat.
Next, make my Quick Homemade Pork Rub Recipe. The rub requires basic spices.
For the next step, it’s best to heavily coat the pork butt with the rub.
Then add the pork to the Crock-Pot and add one 12 oz can of Dr. Pepper. I use my 6 qt slow cooker when making larger roasts. If you do not have as large of a cooker, purchase a bit small roast.
Let the pork cook on low for 10-12 hours. If you are looking to cook your pulled pork quicker, go ahead and set your cooker to high for 5-6 hours time. About an hour before the pork is finished cooking, I make a batch of Dr.Pepper reduction.
When the pork has finished cooking, drain as much of the liquid as possible.
Let the pork rest for a bit before attempting to shred. The meat is extremely hot.
Go ahead and add the meat back to the slow cooker before adding Dr. Pepper infused barbeque sauce.
Shredded pork is great for sandwiches, adding to nachos or even french fries. Serve sandwiches with a side of Homemade Coleslaw.
Dr Pepper Pulled Pork
Ingredients
PORK
- 3-4 lb Pork Butt
- Pork Rub or your favorite seasonings
- 12 oz Dr Pepper
SAUCE
- 12 oz Dr Pepper
- 1 1/2 cup Barbeque Sauce.
Instructions
- Trim off any thick caps of fat.
- Season pork with your rub on all sides. (You can see my Pork Rub Recipe)
- Place in slow cooker.
- Pour in one can of Dr Pepper.
- Cook on low 10-12 hours or on high 5-6 hours.
- Pour other can of Dr Pepper to small saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes until reduced to about 1/3 of original volume (about 4 oz).
- Add reduced Dr Pepper to Barbeque sauce and set aside.
- Transfer pork to platter.
- Discard liquid.
- Use 2 forks to shred pork.
- Return pork to slow cooker.
- Add sauce to pork and toss to coat.
- Stir well and reduce temperature to warm for serving.
Nutrition
I made it exactly per the recipe, except I didn’t have any Dr. Pepper on hand. So I used Coca-Cola original. It turned out amazingly good!
What brand of bbq sauce do you use? I’m a fan of sweet baby rays, but my father is more a fan of open pit. Does it matter what kind you use? Or is it just based on preference ?
Hi Jaden! Go ahead and use your favorite BBQ sauce. I used a Cincinnati favorite sauce (Montgomery Inn),
Thanks, sounds great. Got it cooking for NASCAR Sunday. Mixed BBQ sauce in beginning to get it all in the
This looks scrumptious! Yum! Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday.
I am the worlds worst cook, just clicked on this because it looks so good. Bet it tastes great.
This is so easy and great for a party.
This is delicious! I love it with chicken, too, but pork is definitely my favorite. So good on nachos, too!
I made this on Christmas morning but used beef instead of pork….i didn’t have all the spices for the rub, but had the majority and made enough to rub all over the roast…..I put in slow cooker at 5 a.m., woke up at 6:30 and the smell in my house was fantastic! I had a 3 pound roast, had butcher cut in 3 pieces, and it cooked on low for 9 hours….OMG!!!!It was fantastic and shredded so easily! I will definiThankstely use this recipe again…Thanks!
I have made this twice and my fiance LOVES it. He says it is the best pulled pork BBQ he has ever tasted. I used a 3.1 lb pork loin roast and seasoned well with a dry rub I bought at some trade show. I used 1 20 oz bottle of Dr Pepper and cooked on low for 1 hr and then turned to high for another 5.5 hrs. I used Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce. Thanks for sharing! I will continue to make this for years to come!
You make pulled pork out of Boston Butt, aka pork shoulder. Loin doesn’t have enough connective tissue to gelatinize.
I had never used a slow cooker before today and I decided to try this as my first recipe and oh my gosh!!! It was so easy and so delicious. Thank you!
Awesome!!!!!!!
About how many will this serve?
Amazing Recipe! I’m wondering about using diet Dr Pepper and sugar free sauce. Same results?
I always use diet dr pepper because that is what we have on hand. It comes out yummy. I have never tried sugar free sauce, Id make sure you like the taste of the sugar free bbq sauce before doing it on a whole pork roast. If you like the sauce then it will be fine in the recipe
Used my slow cooker for the first time today. This is incredible! Delicious and simple. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi is their a faster cook time for this ?
Can you used Diet Dr Pepper and sugar free BBQ sauce?
I was wondering does this reheat well? Its just my husband and I but we love pulled pork and have discovered that sometimes it doesn’t reheat well. Thanks in advance!
I think I can answer your question. I’ve not only reheated it, but have frozen it in quart size freezer bags.
Yes, it not only reheats well, but once shredded it also freezes well. I freeze leftovers in little freezer bags for future meals.
Wanted to know if we can use pork shoulder?
I used a pork shoulder once and I was so disappointed. Pork butt is cheaper and cooks up great. A little fattier than the loin but still delicious. Make sure and buy a bigger roast to allow for discarded bone and fat.
Hey It’s Deonna from the Child at Heart blog! I featured this recipe in my tribute to Dr. Pepper recipes. I am happy to share it and pinned it from your site to my Pinterest board all about Dr. Pepper. Thanks! Also following you now on Pinterest :)
Come check it out the post at
https://www.thechildatheartblog.com/2014/04/dr-pepper-recipes-desserts-main-dishes.html