Caramelized Onion & Apple Pork Shoulder

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-03 · Updated 2026-04-03

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are drafted and published.

A fall-apart tender pork shoulder braised with sweet onions, tart apples, and aromatic spices in the slow cooker. Perfect for cozy weeknights. This American-inspired slow-cooker recipe (gluten free), ready in about 500 minutes, pairs pork shoulder, yellow onion, Honeycrisp apple for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 520 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with rice, quinoa, or a quick salad. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 20 min Cook: 480 min Serves 6 American cuisine 520 cal/serving

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Ingredients

3 lbs pork shoulder
2 large, thinly sliced yellow onion
2 medium, thinly sliced Honeycrisp apple
1 cup apple cider
2 tbsp dijon mustard
4 cloves, minced garlic
2 tbsp, chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

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Instructions

Step 1: Pat the pork shoulder dry with paper towels, then season both sides evenly with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
Step 2: Place the sliced onions in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker, then arrange the pork shoulder on top. Scatter the sliced apples evenly over the pork.
Step 3: Whisk together 1 cup apple cider, 2 tbsp dijon mustard, and 4 minced garlic cloves in a small bowl, then pour the mixture over the pork and apples.
Step 4: Sprinkle 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme over everything, then cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours until the pork pulls apart easily with a fork.
Step 5: Carefully transfer the pork to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan, discarding solids, and simmer over medium heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes until slightly thickened and glossy.