Slow-Cooked Pork Shoulder with Five-Spice Rub
Juicy pork shoulder slow-cooked to tender perfection with a fragrant five-spice seasoning, perfect for a comforting family dinner. This Chinese-inspired St. Patrick’s Day recipe, ready in about 495 minutes, pairs pork shoulder, five-spice powder, salt for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 450 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. 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.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs pork shoulder
- 2 tbsp five-spice powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 cloves, minced garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Combine 2 tbsp five-spice powder, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, and 4 minced garlic cloves in a small bowl. Rub this spice mixture all over the 3 lbs pork shoulder.
- Step 2: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork shoulder on all sides for 3-4 minutes until browned.
- Step 3: Transfer pork to a slow cooker. Mix 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp hoisin sauce, 1 tbsp honey, and 1 cup water; pour over pork.
- Step 4: Cook on low for 8 hours or until pork is fork-tender and shreds easily.
- Step 5: Remove pork from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Return shredded pork to the slow cooker, mixing with the juices before serving warm.









