Root Beer Pulled Pork

A slow cooker and a handful of ingredients are all you need to make Root Beer Pulled Pork. This tender fall-apart pork is begging to be piled onto buns and served with coleslaw! You’ll love this flavorful BBQ inspired meal.

In a hurry? Check out this Instant Pot Pulled Pork for a quicker pork recipe! Or try our Hawaiian inspired pulled pork which is delicious too!

Why this Recipe Works

Have you ever made pulled pork with root beer?

Cooking pork shoulder over several hours in a root beer marinade makes it unbelievably flavorful. The acid in the root beer helps break down the proteins in the meat resulting in an extra juicy, tender pulled pork!

• You only need FIVE ingredients (and that includes salt & pepper).
• Set it and forget it! After adding everything to the slow cooker, walk away while it cooks to perfection.
• This pork is so tender it falls apart on your fork.
• You can make this with any kind of barbecue sauce you like. There are endless variations, from sweet to spicy to extra tangy.

If you love shredded pork, be sure to try our pork ragu next!

Ingredient Notes

• Root Beer. Any brand of root beer works here. I use regular root beer for the sweetness, but diet root beer may be used as well.
• BBQ sauce. I typically use bottled sauce when making pulled pork. If you have a favorite homemade version, that would be delicious here too.
• Salt & Pepper. A little coarse kosher salt and some pepper add the perfect flavor!

Pork Shoulder. For this recipe, you’ll need boneless or bone-in pork shoulder. Shoulder is available in both bone-in and boneless cuts, either work for this slow cooker recipe.

Pork Butt vs. Pork Shoulder: Pork Butt (ironically it’s still from the shoulder) is also commonly used in pulled pork. However, it is a tougher cut of meat and needs a longer cooking time. Since we’ll be cooking this in the slow cooker you could opt for a pork butt.

Tips & Tricks

• Whisk together the marinade first. Add all the sauce ingredients and the root beer to the bottom of your slow cooker. Whisk them together before adding the pork so the meat gets evenly marinated.
• Shred with forks. After the pork is done cooking, remove it from the pot and shred it in a separate bowl. Then, add it back to the slow cooker to recombine with the marinade.
• Substitute. Use Coca-Cola instead of root beer for a similar flavor and texture!

Serving Suggestions

• Sandwiches. Layer pulled pork on toasted hamburger buns, Kaiser Rolls or sweet Hawaiian rolls. Top with onions, lettuce and all your favorite sandwich fixings.
• Mashed potatoes. This pulled pork is delicious ladled over mashed potatoes with a bit of extra BBQ sauce.
• Coleslaw. We always serve our pork with homemade coleslaw. Whether you like our traditional version or our KFC coleslaw, slop some on top of your sandwich!
• Pizza. Add this pork to a cheesy crust for a “Nashville style” pizza! Or use it on our Hawaiian Pizza instead of our Kalua Pork!
• Salads. Leftover pulled pork makes a simple lunchtime green salad more exciting. Toss with ranch dressing and other fresh veggies.

Recipe FAQs

More Pork Recipes

• Baked Pork Chops
• Instant Pot Pork Chops
• Breaded Pork Chops with Peaches
• Pesto Pork Tenderloin
• Balsamic Glazed Pork

SaveSaved Pin Print

Root Beer Pulled Pork Recipe

4.84 from 6 votes

By: Aimee

A slow cooker and a handful of ingredients are all you need to make Root Beer Pulled Pork. This tender fall-apart pork is begging to be piled onto buns and served with coleslaw! You'll love this flavorful BBQ inspired meal.

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours hours

Total Time: 8 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3 pound pork shoulder
• ▢ 12 ounce Root Beer
• ▢ 1 cup BBQ sauce any variety
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Save this Recipe?

Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe straight to your inbox!

Email *

Save Recipe

Instructions 

• In a slow cooker, whisk together the root beer, BBQ sauce, salt and pepper. Add pork shoulder. Heat on low for about 8 hours.
• Shred pork with two forks and return to sauce.
• Serve on a bun with additional BBQ sauce, if desired.

Notes

• Whisk together the marinade first. Add all the sauce ingredients and the root beer to the bottom of your slow cooker. Whisk them together before adding the pork so the meat gets evenly marinated.
• Shred with forks. After the pork is done cooking, remove it from the pot and shred it in a separate bowl. Then, add it back to the slow cooker to recombine with the marinade.
• Substitute. Use Coca-Cola instead of root beer for a similar flavor and texture!

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 102mg, Sodium: 428mg, Sugar: 11g

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!

A perfect easy weeknight meal! Prep this Slow cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork in the morning and it’s ready to serve by dinner time!