Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork with Smoky BBQ Sauce and Pickled Slaw

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-05-22 · Updated 2026-05-22

Tender slow-cooked pork shoulder coated in a smoky barbecue sauce served with a tangy pickled cabbage slaw for contrast. This American-inspired pork recipe, ready in about 500 minutes, pairs pork shoulder, smoked paprika, brown sugar for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 550 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 smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 head, shredded yellow cabbage
• 1 large, grated carrot
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar for slaw
• 1 tbsp sugar for slaw
• 1/2 tsp salt for slaw
• 1/4 tsp black pepper for slaw
• 6 soft sandwich buns

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Rub 3 lbs pork shoulder all over with 2 tbsp smoked paprika, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp onion powder, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper.
2. Step 2: Place the pork shoulder in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours until very tender and shreddable.
3. Step 3: While pork cooks, whisk together 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, and 2 tbsp honey in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes until thickened into a smoky BBQ sauce.
4. Step 4: For the slaw, toss 1/2 head shredded yellow cabbage and 1 large grated carrot with 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Let sit for 30 minutes.
5. Step 5: When pork is done, shred with two forks and mix with half of the BBQ sauce.
6. Step 6: Serve pulled pork on 6 soft sandwich buns topped with pickled slaw and extra BBQ sauce on the side.