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Make the perfect Carolina pulled pork with this easy and delicious recipe. Impress your friends and family with this mouth-watering dish, complete with a step-by-step video tutorial.
Want to make the best pulled pork from your own kitchen? The key to making this Carolina pulled pork recipe is the brine. You’re actually going to start this recipe two days ahead of time with the brine, and it takes time to make tender, juicy pulled pork in the oven. So plan your schedule accordingly, and get ready for the best pulled pork of your life!
Make a batch of our very best macaroni salad and toss together a fresh fruit salad, and it’s party time!!
Table of Contents
- Watch How This Pulled Pork Recipe is Made…
- Creating the Best Pulled Pork Recipe
- Carolina Pulled Pork Ingredients
- What’s the Best Pork for Pulled Pork?
- How to Make Pulled Pork in the Oven
- How Long to Cook Pulled Pork
- Can I Make Pulled Pork on a Smoker?
- Can I Make This Pulled Pork Recipe in the Slow Cooker?
- How to Prep Carolina Pulled Pork in Advance
- Tips to Making the Best Pulled Pork
- What to Serve with Carolina Pulled Pork
- Storing and Reheating
- More PORK DINNER RECIPES You Must Try:
- World’s Best Carolina Pulled Pork Recipe
Watch How This Pulled Pork Recipe is Made…
Creating the Best Pulled Pork Recipe
When I think of BBQ, I can’t help but think of slow and low style, the Carolina way. In order to cook the best pulled pork, it’s essential that you plan ahead and spend some time prepping and cooking that delicious meat at those lower temperatures. This helps bring out all those flavors that melt in your mouth and allows that pork to literally fall apart. I know, we are all lazy and don’t want to, but trust me, this Carolina pulled pork recipe is so easy your dog could do it.
This recipe may seem like a process, but here’s the deal: you really just plop the pork in the fridge to marinate, and then transfer it to the oven. Although it takes a long time, you’re just going about your everyday life so it’s really not extra work on your part.
These idea for this pulled pork recipe come from watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Shout out to Guy, who gets to eat for a living! We occasionally watch his show on Netflix at night, and first of all, it makes us so hungry, but we also feel like we can totally guess when he doesn’t really enjoy something. We wish we could find out what he really thinks are the best and the worst of the places he has tried.
Anyway, I got a little off topic. Here are the secrets to the world’s best Carolina pulled pork.
Carolina Pulled Pork Ingredients
There are three main components to this pulled pork recipe: the brine, pulled pork rub, and the homemade BBQ sauce. Here is what you will need for each component:
- 5-8 Pound Pork Shoulder (or Butt)
Pulled Pork Brine
- Water
- Apple Cider
- Note that you’ll be using apple cider, NOT cider vinegar, in the pork shoulder brine. But many of our readers have missed that and added pure vinegar and so we had no choice but to try it since so many of you loved the results. Sure enough, it was great! So we prefer the juice but hey, vinegar is fun too! Apple cider adds a little more flavor without ever tasting like apple, and all you have to do is dump it in.
- Kosher Salt
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Dry Rub (see below)
- Bay Leaves
- Red Pepper Flakes
Pulled Pork Dry Rub
- Onion Powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Chili Powder
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Cayenne Pepper
- Dry Mustard
- Cumin
- Brown Sugar
Homemade BBQ Sauce
Of course, you’re welcome to use a store-bought sauce, but if you’re looking for the best pulled pork recipe ever, well, you need to use homemade barbecue sauce.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Brown Sugar
- Chili Powder
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt
The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
What’s the Best Pork for Pulled Pork?
To make the best pulled pork, you’ve got to start with the best cut of meat. Most barbecue restaurants use whole bone-in pork shoulders, but they’re rarely available in grocery stores. If you find a whole shoulder, use it. Otherwise, we recommend a Boston butt, which is half of the shoulder, the other half being the picnic shoulder.
How to Make Pulled Pork in the Oven
This pulled pork recipe looks lengthy, but each step of this recipe is incredibly easy. Here’s a quick overview of how to make pulled pork in the oven:
- Mix all the ingredients for the dry rub in a small bowl.
- Stir together the pork shoulder brine and let the pork soak in it for 12 to 24 hours.
- Remove the pork from the brine and place it in a large baking dish, then pat it dry with paper towels.
- Rub the pulled pork seasoning all over the meat, saving just a little of the dry rub for later.
- With the fat facing up, bake the pork at a low temperature until it registers 200ºF at the thickest part.
- Turn off the oven and let the pork rest for a couple hours.
- Take the pork out of the oven and remove the fat from the top. Then, shred the meat with two forks.
- Drain half the juices from the pork, then add the remaining dry rub and toss in the homemade bbq sauce.
- Serve with buns or hoagies to make pork sandwiches or just serve the meat plain with some coleslaw and all your favorite sides.
How Long to Cook Pulled Pork
If you’re southern, you know this isn’t just a secret but practically a law in the south — LOW AND SLOW. I always laugh when people tell me they can’t make bbq, “I let it cook for over an hour and it was dry and hard as a rock!”
BBQ is very relaxed, just like southerners. It wants to hang out all day, and while you may think you’re overcooking it, you’re not! Our pork cooks for at least 12 hours, sometimes more if it’s a bigger butt (I feel like there should be a joke in there). Do not rush it.
Can I Make Pulled Pork on a Smoker?
If you’d rather make smoked pulled pork instead of oven pulled pork, we recommend following our Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe. It gives step-by-step instructions on smoking pulled pork on a Traeger.
Can I Make This Pulled Pork Recipe in the Slow Cooker?
Yes this can be done in the slow cooker, but we’ve found that it doesn’t do it justice. It is also hard to fit the size of pork butt you need into a crock pot. If you decide to try it, it will cook for the same amount of time on low. Follow the brining instructions as written, and no need to add any liquid to the slow cooker. There’s enough juice in the pork to keep cooking properly.
How to Prep Carolina Pulled Pork in Advance
Reader Kate says:
“I’m heading up to my cabin and need a dinner for a large crowd a few hours after we arrive, wondering if I can cook the pork and then finish it off in the grill when we arrive? Or if it’s better to do all steps and then reheat it on arrival? Looks delish.”
Great question! We do this ALLLLLLL the time. Go ahead and make this pulled pork recipe, and then you have two choices. Pull it out of the oven and put it straight into the car and it will rest on the way to the cabin and be ready to eat two hours later.
Or make it, rest it, cool it and place in freezer bags, or to be honest, we use this Foodsaver and just suck the air out and freeze pork for use over the next three months. It’s super easy, and tastes perfectly fresh when we reheat. We just place it in the fridge to defrost and then reheat in a large pan with foil in a low oven or stove top with a little oil in the pan and a lid to keep the steam in so it’s juicy.
Tips to Making the Best Pulled Pork
The key thing to remember when making this pulled pork recipe is to let the meat rest after it’s finished cooking. I told you, it’s lazy. Letting it rest redistributes the juices, and because it’s big and cooked for a long time you’re going to want to let it rest longer — like an hour or even two — before shredding.
Perhaps the biggest secret of all, and one that I cannot claim as my own as this is where Triple D (Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives) comes in, is to sprinkle a little more of the rub onto the meat before serving. We noticed many bbq joints weren’t just slathering on the sauce, but actually sprinkling that dry rub all over the shredded meat and tossing to let it sink it. You won’t believe what a difference it makes!
You can also use another type of bbq sauce in this pulled pork recipe! Carrian likes a thick, sweet sauce or a Carolina vinegar bbq, and I love this Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce on my homemade pulled pork.
What to Serve with Carolina Pulled Pork
We recommend firing up the grill and making grilled corn to go with this Carolina pulled pork. It is so dang good every time! And just for pure comfort, add a side of Southern mac and cheese. A few other pulled pork sides we love are:
Storing and Reheating
Leftover pulled pork should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 3-4 days. This meat also stores great in the freezer. Let it cool completely and then place in ziploc bags (or better yet, use a Food Saver!). It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Use leftovers in pulled pork pizza or pulled pork nachos! If you want to just reheat it, turn on your oven and set the temperature to 250°F. Then, cover your meat with foil and put it into the oven when it’s ready. After you put it into your oven, let it heat for 30 minutes or until reaching an internal temperature of 165 °F.
Get ready for the juiciest and most flavorful pulled pork you’ll ever try! This recipe for Carolina pulled pork is a crowd-pleaser!
More PORK DINNER RECIPES You Must Try:
- Pork Chop and Rice Casserole
- Classic Pork Carnitas
- Copycat Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
- BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos
- Pineapple Braised Pork
- Classic Pork Roast (+ Pan Gravy)
- Grandpa’s BBQ Pulled Pork
- Pork Chops with Apple Chutney
- Country-Style Pork Ribs (in an Instant Pot)
- …All of our MAIN DISH recipes!
Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 5-8 Pound Pork Butt, bone in and fat pad on top
For the Dry Rub
- 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika, heaping
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Pepper
- 2 teaspoons Cayenne Powder
- 2 teaspoons Dry Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Cumin
- ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
For the Brine
- 4 Cups Water
- 4 Cups Apple Cider, or eliminate the water and use 8 cups of apple cider
- ½ Cup Kosher Salt
- ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Dry Rub, heaping
- 1 Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 Bay Leaves
For the BBQ Sauce (Optional)
- ½ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- ½ Cup White Vinegar
- ¼ Cup Brown Sugar, up to 1/3 Cup
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- 2 Pinches Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- NOTE: This recipe should be started 2 days ahead of time as you need 24 hours in the fridge, 12-14 in the oven and 2 hours of resting.
Prepare the Dry Rub:
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a ziploc bag. Set aside.1 Tablespoon Onion Powder, 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika, 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder, 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder, 1 ½ Tablespoon Kosher Salt, 1 Tablespoon Pepper, 2 teaspoons Cayenne Powder, 2 teaspoons Dry Mustard, 1 Tablespoon Cumin, ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
For the Brine
- In a large stock pot, add the water, apple cider, salt, sugar, 3 tablespoons dry rub, pepper flakes and bay leaves.4 Cups Water, 4 Cups Apple Cider, ½ Cup Kosher Salt, ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar, 3 Tablespoons Dry Rub, 2 Bay Leaves, 1 Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
- Rinse off the pork and add to the pot making sure it is completely covered in the brine and add the lid.5-8 Pound Pork Butt
- Place in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours.
For the Sauce
- In a glass jar, add the ingredients and place the lid on then shake to combine. Set aside.½ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar, ½ Cup White Vinegar, ¼ Cup Brown Sugar, ½ teaspoon Chili Powder, 2 Pinches Red Pepper Flakes, Salt
To Cook
- Heat the oven to 225 degrees F.
- Remove the pork from the brine and place in a roasting dish or 9×13" baking pan as long as the sides don't touch the pan.
- Pat very dry with paper towels.
- Remove 2 tablespoons of the dry rub to another ziploc and set aside for after it is cooked.
- Rub the remaining seasoning all over the pork and in any cracks or flaps.
- With the fat facing up, place the pork in the oven with a meat thermometer.
- Bake for 12-14 hours or until 200 degrees F registers on the thickest part of the pork with a meat thermometer. *Remember to watch your oven, ours turns off automatically at 12 hours so I have to turn it back on.
- At this point you can turn off the oven and leave the pork in there to rest for two hours or if you have more baking to do place foil over the meat and allow to rest on the stove.
- Once the meat has rested, remove the fat from the top and using two forks, shred the meat and remove the bone.
- Drain half of the juices out and add the remaining dry rub to taste, toss to coat and drizzle a little vinegar sauce over everything.
- Serve immediately as is or on buns.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What would you recommend as cooking time for doing a 12 pound shoulder or two 6 pound shoulders? I have to make this for about 16-20 people.
Also I made this last month and it was incredible! Such a good recipe! Thank you so much for sharing with all of us!
Technically, if you follow the recipe with an 8 pounder, that will feed 16-20 people. If you do two, just follow the same recipe and instructions. I haven’t tried a 12 pounder, so you’ll just have to test the internal temperature, but 14 hours should be plenty of time I think. Enjoy!!
Ok, I am reading through comments and cannot exactly find my answer. I have apple juice and apple cider vinegar. How much would I use of each to sub for 4 cups apple cider? HELP!
Hi Lori! You can use either one and just keep the same measurement – 4 cups. Apple cider vinegar will give you a little tangier flavor. Both will work great! Or you could do half of one and half of the other.
Just as an addendum to this comment… DO NOT BRINE IN VINEGAR!!!!! My husband made the brine up the last time we cooked a shoulder and I knew what he had done the moment I tasted the first bite. He misread the recipe and used apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider. The result was very, VERY mushy meat. It tasted ok but wasn’t nearly as appetizing. We ended up tossing more than half of it as our kids wouldn’t eat it.
We’ve had some readers that have really liked it brined in apple cider vinegar, but we prefer the apple cider. Thank you for the feedback!
I made this today. All I can say is it is AWESOME! Thank you.
Yay! We sure love it! Glad you enjoyed it!
I’m planning on making this tomorrow. It looks amazing! But, the recipe doesn’t say to cook it covered or uncovered. How should I cook it?
Hi Stephanie! It is cooked uncovered. Enjoy!
Thank you! One more question, sorry, i’ve never made this before. Should I baste it with something? The one you made looks amazing, i’m just worried it will dry out.
No basting needed! With the fat on top, it will stay plenty moist! Hope you enjoy it!
Hello! I made this recipe for my family for Christmas Eve and it put all my anxieties of cooking for family aside because it was AMAZING. Naturally, we heeded your warning of self-shutoff ovens and watched it closely for 8 hours and since it didn’t shut off we thought we were in the clear and went on a family drive. Well apparently it must have shut off shortly after we left and we were eagerly watching the thermometer which was staying right at about 175 degrees. It was getting too close to the serving time and I wanted time for it to rest so I took it out knowing it was passed the temperature at which pork is fully cooked. It was super moist, pulled apart beautifully, and no one got sick so I’m wondering why the 200 degree done mark? I am making this again (and doubling it) this weekend for a crowd of 15 so I figured I would ask the master! Thanks!
We have found that 200 degrees is when it shreds the best and is the most tender. It’s safe to eat at 160 degrees. Enjoy this weekend!!
This is hands down my keep going back to recipe. I have received so many compliments even from some family that comes up from the Carolina’s that it is fantastic. I’ve always made it in the crockpot and it comes out great, bone pulls itself out. I usually do a 13lb pork shoulder or if I have a party I have no choice but to make 2 because this is the first food item to go first. I don’t alter with the recipe other than just using the Apple Cider Vinegar vs the apple cider and I had a touch of liquid smoke.
Thank you Kristina! We love to hear it! It is always a hit anywhere we take it too! Now I’m craving it!
How long did you have it in the crockpot?
Has this been tried using a Big Green Egg? I´m trying it for the Super Bowl, any suggestions?
We haven’t tried it on a Big Green Egg, but we have tried it on the grill and in a smoker. The oven really is the best!
About the Big Green Egg:We’ve done NC pork BBQ in our Big Green Egg in CA, and it is perfect..
Thank you for the feedback!!
Before I found your great recipe, I already shopped and bought a large pork loin 🙁 but it is about 8lbs with what seems to be a fair amount of fat & marbling. How do you think this will work instead of a pork shoulder / Boston butt? Sounds like an amazing recipe and I’m looking forward to making it this weekend. Thank you!!
It will still pull apart and be delicious. It is a different cut so it will have a little different flavor.
Cheney’s- Do you have a reccomendation for making the worlds best carolina pulled pork in a crock pot or insta-pot? Will I get the same results? I want to make it so bad, but am reluctant to leave my oven on all day while I am away at work. I do have weekends off, but my event is planned for a wednesday night and I want it to be as fresh as possible Any pointers? Thanks in advance for your help!
Ok, leaving your oven on should be totally fine! They are programmed to shut off if anything crazy happens. You could do the crock pot, but it doesn’t do it justice at all. We haven’t tried it in the instant pot yet. Another problem with the crock pot and instant pot is they don’t usually fit the size of pork butt that you need. If you end up doing the crock pot, it will cook for the same amount of time.
Hello!
I made this last year and it turned out amazing. I am hoping to make it prior to a family vacation, freezing, and reheating in a oven/crockpot. Would you have any recommendations on reheating?
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!
Hey Will! Yes, there is a section in the post on reheating it. Check that out and if you have questions, let me know! So glad you enjoy it!
Just want to say that I made this in the crock pot the other day and it came out great. I make pulled pork in the crock pot a lot, and this was one of the best recipes I’ve used.
Our work schedules are kinda crazy, so I ended up brining the pork for 12 hours. Used apple cider vingar + water instead of the apple cider. Left it in the crock pot on low for 12 hours; bone basically removed itself for me. I saved some of the liquid and even popped it in the oven for a few minutes afterwards. Also added a little liquid smoke to this; overall it was a hit! The oven prob gives you that nice crust on the outside before you pull it, but it’s still delicious.
I’ll be making this again over the weekend for a pot luck, but this time I’ll probably use more vinegar in the brine (I only used 1c + 3 c water; I ended up adding more vinegar later cause I didn’t use this sauce). For reference, I used about a 7lb shoulder and it fit perfectly into my crock pot. I do tend to trim a lot of the fat off beforehand when I make it in there & if it is too big you can always trim and add to the sides (which I find can be necessary for a bigger piece of meat).
Thank you for this wonderful feedback!! Popping it in the oven after being in the crockpot is totally the key to getting that crusty exterior. Thank you again for leaving a comment!
Just a side note, and perhaps im getting into this conversation a little late. But i have prepared this recipe numerous times using all three methods (crock pot, intsant pot, oven). However, i have to advocate for the oven, as the best result. The crock pot comes in at 2nd, with the instant pot at 3. I want to try a smoker with this recipe when i get a chance. However part of the “science” of true barbeque is the process of caramelization (that may be spelled rong lol). In order for that process to occur, you need to allow steam to escape during the heating process. The oven/smoker is an open system, so the sugars caramelize real easy. The crock pot is a closed system, but not totally air tight (for example, my pot has a small hole for a probe, steam can escape). Some caramelization occurs, but not much. The instant pot allows for no caramelization being its a totally closed system, in part using the steam buildup to cook. Don’t get me wrong, the product you will get from the instant pot will be delicious, but not BBQ from a traditional sense.
I do use the instant pot to create the brine. I will cut up about 6 granny smith apples, a peeled and cut up lemon, a small can of crushed pineapple, kosher salt, the rub, and brown sugar, bay leaves, etc. Add water to the full mark, and pressure cook for 30 min. After the pressure is released, i mash the contents, and strain into the brining container. When the liquid is at room temp (or colder) i add the meat, then add enough water to cover the meat. It has worked phenomenally.
I hope this was more helpfull than long winded. I just love Bbq, and talking about it.
Thank you so much for this feedback!! You have given some excellent tips and you totally nailed it with the oven being the best! We do have a recipe for a smoker when you get a chance to try it!
https://ohsweetbasil.com/smoke-pulled-pork-on-a-traeger/
I really didn’t plan this right. My shoulder has been brined for 24 hours, but I can’t cook it until tomorrow. Can I leave it in the brine or should I remove it and wrap it in foil until tomorrow?
It can be left in the brine for another 8-10 hours and then just set it in a pan with plastic wrap, not foil. Enjoy!!