Pulled Pork Recipe to Feed a Crowd

If you need to feed a large group of people, this slow cooker pulled pork is truly the best! This pulled pork recipe to feed a crowd makes 24 servings. It results in tender puled pork that easily shreds with 2 forks. This meal requires very little prep work and then cooks all day for a ready to go dinner.

One of the best things about this meal is it is prepared without a BBQ sauce. That way you can repurpose it in sandwiches, enchiladas, nachos, and many more leftover pulled pork meals. It is a great “hands off” food. It cooks all day long, and the tender meat easily shreds with 2 forks.

You can eat it on its own or it makes for a delicious sandwich or a topping for salad or baked potatoes. I have prepared this recipe for birthday parties, pot lucks, church meals, family gatherings, and for our family to eat throughout the week. This pulled pork recipe to feed a crowd has always been a hit!

What is pork shoulder?

This pulled pork recipe calls for pork shoulder. To start with, it has several names. You may see it labeled one of these at your grocery store: Pork shoulder butt roast, Boston butt, blade roast, and pork butt. For a little pig anatomy lesson, pork shoulder is the top portion of the front leg of the hog. The name is a bit deceiving as it is not actually in the “butt” of a pig. Here is what my roast looked like when I purchased it from the store:

Should I use bone in or bone out pork shoulder?

Either one! I typically end up with a bone in because that is what my grocery store carries. Both end up with wonderful flavor!

Ingredients in slow cooker pulled pork

• Pork Shoulder (aka Pork Butt)
• 1 Tbsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
• Juice of 1 orange
  

How is pork shoulder best cooked?

Pork shoulder has a lot of fat and connective tissue, making it perfect to slow cook. The slow cooking allows the meat to break down and makes it so easy to pull apart. It is a perfect cut of meat for pulled pork!

How long to cook the meat?

This recipe calls for 8 lbs. of meat. This recipe truly makes a lot of meat!! For 8 lbs. of meat I cook it for 8-9 hours on high. Make sure your slow cooker is large enough for this recipe. You will need a 8 quart slow cooker. If you want to speed up cooking time a bit, cut your meat in half prior to placing it in the slow cooker. You will know the meat is done cooking when it reaches 190 degrees internally and can easily be pulled apart with 2 forks. It is really hard to “overcook” it.

8 lbs of pork shoulder: high for 8-9 hours

4 lbs. of pork shoulder: low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours

How to serve the pulled pork

• It goes great simply on sandwich or slider buns.
• Throw it on top of a salad or baked potato.
• Top it with your favorite BBQ sauce.
• Serve it with a side of coleslaw, baked beans, or potato salad.

How to prepare slow cooker pulled pork

• I prefer to start with trimming the excess fat off the pork shoulder. This is optional, but when you are shredding the pork at the end it will save you some time from pulling off large excess pieces of fat.
• Move meat into a separate bowl to pull apart with 2 forks. It is a large piece of meat and should easily fall apart into large pieces as you move it into a separate bowl
• Shred meat with 2 forks. You can spoon some of the excess liquid from the slow cooker over it if you like. Enjoy!

Combine all spices into a small bowl and mix together.

• Season all sides of the pork shoulder generously and place into slow cooker. Squeeze the juice from the orange on top. In case you were wondering – no, you do not need any liquid in here. The pulled pork will release a lot naturally while cooking!

Cook on high for 8-9 hours. Move to a separate container and shred with 2 forks.

Equipment needed

• 8 quart slow cooker
• Small bowl for spices
• Large bowl to shred pork shoulder in after cooking

Storage and reheating

The leftovers store well in the fridge up to 5 days or you can freeze for up to 3 months. I place the leftover meat in gallon sized freezer Ziploc bags. When ready to eat, I move it to the fridge overnight to thaw out. You can reheat on stovetop with some oil or butter in a skillet.