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Close up of a slow-cooker BBQ pulled pork bowls white rice and coleslaw with chopped cilantro on top with a fork and white and grey tea towel on white background.

Slow-Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Bowls

Author: Stephanie Kay

These BBQ pulled pork bowls are easy to make and full of flavor. Enjoy them as a crowd-pleasing dinner or a fun meal prep idea.

  • Author: Stephanie Kay
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 hours
  • Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Slow Cooker
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Ingredients

Pulled Pork:

Coleslaw:

Bowls:

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, add the smoked paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, mustard powder, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, add the water, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce, and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
  3. Place the pork shoulder on a cutting board, sprinkle the spice mixture all over it, using your hands to rub it into the pork, and ensuring it’s well covered on all sides.
  4. In a cast-iron skillet or pan on medium-high heat, warm the olive oil, then add the pork shoulder roast and cook for 2-3 minutes per side until browned. If your slow cooker has a removable stove-safe insert, you can do this directly in the insert on the stove.
  5. Add the seared pork shoulder to the slow cooker, add the diced onion, scattering it around the pork shoulder, and pour in the tomato paste mixture.
  6. Cover the slow cooker with a lid and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 10-12 hours until the pork is tender and can easily be pulled apart with two forks.
  7. Once cooked, transfer the pork shoulder to a cutting board and, using two forks, shred the pork into small pieces. At this point, you can remove any chunks of excess fat from the pork, if desired.
  8. Transfer the remaining liquid from the slow cooker to a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 5-10 minutes until the liquid has reduced by at least half and thickened significantly. If your slow cooker has a removable stove-safe insert, you can do this directly in the insert on the stove.
  9. Once complete, return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, tossing it in the reduced BBQ sauce, then taste the pulled pork and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
  10. When there are 20 minutes of cooking time left on the pulled pork, prepare other ingredients for the bowls.
  11. In a large pot, combine the rice with 8 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and allow to cook covered for 15 minutes, or as per package directions, until it can be fluffed with a fork.
  12. In a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise and apple cider vinegar, whisk until well combined, then add the shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, and chopped cilantro, and toss until well coated. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
  13. When all of the ingredients are ready, assemble the bowls with a layer of cooked rice, BBQ pulled pork, and coleslaw.
  14. Any leftover pulled pork and rice can be cooled and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months, and the coleslaw can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Notes

To Use a Bone-In Pork Shoulder: Use a 6-8 pound bone-in pork shoulder.

To Use BBQ Sauce: Omit the BBQ sauce ingredients (water, tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and spices), skip steps #1-3, and add 1 1/2 cups of BBQ sauce in step #5 instead.

To Use Onion Powder: Swap the onion for 1 teaspoon of onion powder and add it to the sauce in step #1.

To Use Garlic Cloves: Swap the garlic powder for 2 minced garlic cloves and add them in step #5 with the diced onion.

To Use Coleslaw Mix: Swap the cabbage, carrots, and cilantro for 2 cups of coleslaw mix.

To Use Brown Rice: Swap the white rice for equal parts brown rice and increase the cooking time to 40 minutes in step #10.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kaynutrition.com/slow-cooker-bbq-pulled-pork-bowls/