In the heat of the summer, pulled pork reigns supreme as the ultimate cookout food! Sure, you could make pulled pork in an oven or stovetop, but we prefer the real deal flavor of using a smoker. AKA: smoked Boston butt! We’re sharing our recipe for the best ever Pulled Pork Sliders — smaller portions, and a fantastic way to easily feed a large crew! — topped with our favorite traditional coleslaw recipe and plenty of Carolina gold sauce.
Here’s why we love these sliders and smoked Boston butt so much:
- Texture! Low and slow! The bark locks in moisture and flavor, leaving the pork unbelievably juicy and tender.
- Flavor! Slightly sweet, smoky, with just a hint of spice! The mop sauce — made from apple cider vinegar and beer — adds so much flavor!
- Makes feeding a group easy! A 4 ½ lb boneless pork shoulder will easily make 3 dozen sliders. Talk about enough food for a crowd!
- Hands off cooking! Use our simple mop sauce to baste the pork shoulder every 30-45 minutes, but other than that you can go about your day and let the smoker do its thing.
- Make ahead-friendly! Make this pulled pork recipe the day before, then simply reheat to serve. It’s just as good — if not better — the next day!
- Freezer-friendly too! Make a full portion now, eat fresh for a few days, then freeze remaining pulled pork to be enjoyed as sliders later!
*This post was sponsored by the National Pork Board. All opinions are my own. I only support and promote brands that I believe in and use in my own kitchen – I hope you’ll check them out! Thank you for supporting the brands that make Well Seasoned possible.
Ingredients For Pulled Pork Sliders
First, you’ll need a boneless pork shoulder. You can easily scale up or down the recipe based on the weight of the pork shoulder. Here, we’re using a 4 ½ lb roast. This is easily enough for 3 dozen sliders.
For the spice rub:
- Brown sugar
- Paprika
- Kosher salt
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Dry mustard
- Cayenne pepper
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the mop sauce — that’s what we’re mopping the pork shoulder with throughout the smoking process — you’ll need equal parts apple cider vinegar and beer. You won’t believe how much flavor this adds to the pulled pork!
How To Make Pulled Pork
- Make the rub blend: Combine brown sugar, paprika, Kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, and black pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Apply dry rub. Pat the pork shoulder dry with a paper towel. Using gloved hands, apply and rub the blend all over the pork, being sure to work it into all crevices. Cover with plastic wrap, the refrigerate for 8-12 hours.
- Bring to room temperature. Allow the pork to come to sit out at room temperature for 1-2 hours before smoking.
- Preheat the smoker. Set the smoker to 225F and preheat for 15 minutes.
- Make the mop sauce. Before you begin smoking the meat, combine 1 cup apple cider vinegar and 1 cup of a light colored beer in a bowl, then whisk to combine.
- Smoke the pork butt. Place the rubbed pork butt directly on the grates of the smoker. Insert a temperature probe into the roast, then set the probe to 190F. This will take about 8-12 hours total (for ~4 ½ lb boneless pork shoulder — see note below about the ‘stall’). Lightly baste the pork shoulder with the mop sauce every 30-45 minutes.
Push Through The Stall!
A quick — but important! — note about the stall when cooking pulled pork. Once the pork butt hits an internal temperature of ~160-165F, it will stall. What does this mean? Essentially, the pork was cooking the pork at a steady climb for hours, but now it’s hit a bit of a wall. It can take hours to push through this phase and begin to see the internal temp of the pork rise again. Be patient, keep mopping the pork, and know that you will push through. Instructions continued below!
- Rest the meat. Once the internal temp of the pork has reached 190-205F, remove from the smoker and transfer to a cutting board. Loosely tent the pork butt with aluminum foil, then allow the meat to rest for 30-60 minutes. (Trust us, it’s way too hot to handle, and the juices need to redistribute).
- Pull the pork. About 30 minutes before you’re set to eat, pull the meat. You can do this with 2 forks, 2 claws, or with gloved hands, but make sure to pull the meat in a large mixing bowl or over a large pan with rimmed sides to help catch the natural juices. Again, the meat is way too hot to handle with bare hands, so be careful. If you want, you can discard big chunks of fat, but most people just finely shred them and toss with remaining pulled pork.
- Serve immediately! The smoked Boston butt can be served immediately or tossed with Carolina gold sauce. Serve on slider buns with our classic coleslaw recipe!
Coleslaw For Pulled Pork
To keep things simple, use a 14 oz bagged chopped cabbage mix (it’s a blend of green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots) to make coleslaw for pulled pork. You can’t beat the texture of the thinly sliced cabbage! To this, add ½ a red onion, ¾ cup mayonnaise, 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, ½ tsp Kosher salt, and a couple pinches of black pepper.
To make our classic coleslaw: combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then use tongs to thoroughly toss. Refrigerate until needed, at least 1 hour. This slaw is so good! If you like to pile it high on sliders and sandwiches, we recommend doubling the recipe!
We recommend making this at least 1 hour before serving, as its best enjoyed cold. If you don’t have time, nothing bad will happen — serve it at room temperature! But after 1-2 hours you’ll notice the texture of the cabbage changes (in a good way) and breaks down a bit from the vinegar. It’s seriously the best coleslaw!
Tips For The Best Pulled Pork
- Dry rub the night before! If you don’t want to use a dry rub, you should still pat the pork down with a paper towel, then season generously on all sides with Kosher salt. Refrigerate at least 8-12 hours for the salt to absorb into the pork butt. It’s really important that you plan ahead!
- Allow the meat to come to room temperature. If you place cold pork on a hot grill, the cook time will take longer and you’re more likely to have an unevenly cooked piece of meat. Take the time to let it sit out at room temperature before going on the smoker.
- Push through the stall! If your meat stalls out around 160F (check temp!), be patient. The end goal is an internal temperature of 190-205F. This is where the magic happens, so just keep cooking the meat and chugging along!
- Keep the natural pork juices! When pulling the pork, be sure to keep the natural juices that runout of the meat and add them back to the pork. This is very flavorful and will help to keep the pork super moist.
Best Side Dishes
- Simple sides like grilled corn, fresh watermelon, macaroni salad, or potato salad are great!
- Chips or french fries are never a bad idea!
- Cast iron skillet cornbread, biscuits, or hush puppies!
- Baked beans, duh!
But of course the only mandatory side for pulled pork sliders is our perfect coleslaw recipe! We love the way the slaw cuts through the richness of the pork. It’s a classic combination for a reason!
FAQs About Pulled Pork Sliders
- How long will pulled pork keep? Cooked pulled pork should be used within 3-4 days.
- Can you freeze pulled pork? Absolutely! Pulled pork reheats beautifully and is very freezer-friendly. Freeze the pulled pork in sealed, airtight, freezer-safe containers, large gallon Ziplock bags (lay them flat so they freeze in an even layer), or vacuum-sealed bags. Frozen pulled pork will keep for 6 months.
- How do you reheat pulled pork? Two options: place the meat in a large skillet, then heat over medium-high until warm throughout. The natural juices and fat will render, keeping the pork moist without adding any additional fat, such as oil. You can add Carolina gold BBQ sauce directly to the pan to add more moisture, or serve on the side. Or place the pulled pork in an oven preheated to 350F, then reheat covered for ~15-20 min. This will create a crispy exterior, but the skillet method will keep pork juicier.
- Can I use another cut of pork? We recommend sticking with pork shoulder (also referred to as Boston butt), but of course it’s fine to use bone-in too!
- How many regular size pulled pork sandwiches will this make? Imagine 2-3 pulled pork sliders per person (especially with sides available) — if you serve them as larger format, this will yield 12-15 standard sized sandwiches.
- Can you freeze coleslaw? Only if the coleslaw doesn’t have mayonnaise. Our coleslaw dressing uses both mayonnaise and vinegar, so we do not recommend freezing.
Impossibly juicy, full of flavor, and irresistibly delicious! You will absolutely love this pulled pork recipe and have sliders on the menu all year round. Be sure to have plenty of Carolina gold sauce on standby, the perfect condiment for any and all smoked Boston butt! Now get out there, fire up your smokers, and make the best ever pulled pork sliders!!
If you make these Pulled Pork Sliders, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
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More grilled and smoked recipes to try!
- Smoked St Louis Ribs
- Grilled Spatchcock Chicken
- Grilled Jalapeño Poppers
- Smoked Leg of Lamb
- Grilled Lobster Tails and Clams
Pulled Pork Sliders Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the pulled pork
- 4-5 lb boneless pork shoulder also labeled as Boston butt
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp dry mustard
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp white pepper
For the mop sauce
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup beer we recommend a light beer
For serving
- 3 packs slider buns
- Carolina gold BBQ sauce or other BBQ sauce
- Pickles optional
- Coleslaw optional
For classic coleslaw
- 14 oz bagged coleslaw mix
- ½ medium red onion very thinly sliced
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Make the rub blend: Combine 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp paprika, 2 tsp Kosher salt, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp dry mustard, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, and ½ tsp black pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Apply dry rub. Pat the pork shoulder dry with a paper towel. Using gloved hands, apply and rub the blend all over the pork, being sure to work it into all crevices. Cover with plastic wrap, the refrigerate for 8-12 hours.
- Bring to room temperature. Allow the pork to come to sit out at room temperature for 1-2 hours before smoking.
- Preheat the smoker. Set the smoker to 225F and preheat for 15 minutes.
- Make the mop sauce. Before you begin smoking the meat, combine 1 cup apple cider vinegar and 1 cup of a light colored beer in a bowl, then whisk to combine.
- Smoke the pork butt. Place the rubbed pork butt directly on the grates of the smoker. Insert a temperature probe into the roast, then set the probe to 190F. This will take about 8-12 hours total (for ~4 ½ lb boneless pork shoulder — see note below about the 'stall'). Lightly baste the pork shoulder with the mop sauce every 30-45 minutes.
- Make the coleslaw. Place bagged coleslaw mix in a large bowl, then add ½ a thinly sliced red onion, ¾ cup mayonnaise, 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, ½ tsp Kosher salt, and a couple pinches of black pepper. Use tongs to thoroughly toss. Refrigerate until needed, at least 1 hour.
- Rest the meat. Once the internal temperature of the pork has reached 190-205F, remove from the smoker and transfer to a cutting board. Loosely tent the pork butt with aluminum foil, then allow the meat to rest for 30-60 minutes. (Trust us, it's way too hot to handle, and the juices need to redistribute).
- Pull the pork. About 30 minutes before you're set to eat, pull the meat. You can do this with 2 forks, 2 claws, or with gloved hands, but make sure to pull the meat in a large mixing bowl or over a large pan with rimmed sides to help catch the natural juices. Again, the meat is way too hot to handle with bare hands, so be careful. If you want, you can discard big chunks of fat, but most people just finely shred them and toss with remaining pulled pork.
- Serve immediately! The pulled pork can be served immediately or tossed with Carolina gold sauce. Serve on slider buns with our classic coleslaw recipe!
Notes
- Nutrition facts include pulled pork, slider buns, and coleslaw. They do not include bbq sauce.
- Dry rub the night before! If you don’t want to use a dry rub, you should still pat the pork down with a paper towel, then season generously on all sides with Kosher salt. Refrigerate at least 8-12 hours for the salt to absorb into the pork butt.
- Allow the meat to come to room temperature for at least 1 hour before cooking.
- Push through the stall! If your meat stalls out around 160F (check temp!), be patient. The end goal is an internal temperature of 190-205F.
- Keep the natural pork juices! When pulling the pork, be sure to keep the natural juices that runout of the meat and add them back to the pork. This is very flavorful and will help to keep the pork super moist.
Greetings, I’m looking forward to making your recipe this weekend. I did notice that you have this listed as GF and DF. You may need to specify that for it to, indeed be, GF, GF beer would need to be used in your mop sauce. Just a note from a celiac family. 🙂
Brianna, you are such a gem for pointing this out, THANK YOU! I’m sure this info would be hugely helpful to a ton of people. I went in and made note of that in the post and the intro paragraph. Thank you so much or taking the time, much appreciated! xo, Ari
Hello! I just found your recipe and I am really excited to try it. We don’t have a smoker so would I be able to make this in a crock pot instead?
Hi Sidney! I don’t use a slow cooker for this recipe, but I’m sure you can. If you want to use my rub, I’d look up a recipe with a method for cooking pork butt in a slow cooker and follow their cook times. Enjoy! xo, Ari