Super juicy, smoky, tangy-and-sweet pulled pork that is just bursting with flavor and moisture thanks to Cherry Coke and barbecue sauce! The EASIEST recipe because your Crock-Pot does all the work! Perfect for Memorial Day, Father's Day, barbecues, potlucks, game day events, and more.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time5 hourshrs
Additional Time15 minutesmins
Total Time5 hourshrs25 minutesmins
Course: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cherry Coke pulled pork, Coke pulled pork Crockpot, Crockpot Coke pulled pork, pulled pork in a Crockpot with Coke, pulled pork in Coca-Cola, pulled pork in slow cooker with Coke, pulled pork with Coke, slow cooked pulled pork with Coke
Servings: 10
Calories: 739kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
¼cuplight brown sugarpacked
1tablespoononion powder
1tablespoongarlic powder
1tablespoonsalt
2teaspoonsliquid smokeoptional but recommended
1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
4 to 5poundpork butt or pork shoulderbone-in or boneless*
12ouncesCherry Coca Cola
1cupSweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauceor your favorite
Instructions
To a small bowl, add the brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, liquid smoke, pepper, and stir to combine.
Place the pork in a large 6 to 7-quart slow cooker with the fat cap up. Tip - This acts as a natural basting device and keeps the pork super moist and flavorful.
Evenly press the spice rub mixture evenly over all sides of the pork using clean hands.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 5 to 6 hours on HIGH or for 8 to 10 hours on LOW. Tips - Start checking for doneness about 1 hour earlier than the recommended cooking time. As mentioned in the blog post, there are a wide range of internal temperatures listed online for when pork is done, but the best clue for doneness is that when you insert a fork into the pork, that it inserts with very little resistance and you can see the pork is ready to easily just pull or fall apart. You can also insert a digital thermometer. I do this first, check to see that it's about 170F, and from there, go by the visual clues of it looking and feeling like it's ready to easily shred.
Allow the pork to rest on a cutting board for about 15 minutes.
Reserve the cooking juices and liquid that's in the bottom of the slow cooker. Tips - There will be about 1 to 2 cups, but if there is a lot more, you can potentially discard some of it (I don't) but reserve at least 1 to 2 cups (or to taste) because you will swirl the shredded pork around in it.**
Shred the pork with 2 forks, or just pull it apart with your fingers.
Place the shredded pork back into the slow cooker and stir it around so it absorbs the juices before serving as desired in sliders, sandwiches, tacos, etc. Alternatively, you can add additional straight barbecue sauce, as desired - either more as a drizzle/garnish, or stir the shredded pork around in some barbecue sauce.
Leftover pulled pork will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Reheat leftovers gently in the microwave. Tip - Check out my Pulled Pork Sliders and my Pulled Pork Tacos recipes for great ways to use your pulled pork. In those recipes I used "plain" Slow Cooker Pulled Pork but this Cherry Cola Pulled Pork will also be great.
Notes
*Pork Butt vs. Pork Shoulder - For this recipe, you can use either pork butt OR pork shoulder. However, I am partial to pork butt because of the fat cap. I put this on top while the cherry cola pulled pork is slow cooking and it acts as a natural basting device!** I don't remove the cooking juices nor strain the fat after slow cooking because it's full of flavor. Whatever is in my slow cooker, I let it remain there and then mix the shredded pork in with that. We love super juicy meat. However, if you are concerned about excess juice, remove it as you see fit. And if you are concerned about fat, you can chill the cooking juices in a container in the fridge, the fat will harden and rise to the top, and you can discard some of it, and then mix it with shredded pork as desired.