This BBQ Pulled Pork Loin is a simple, quick dinner to prep and cooks all day without any fuss.
With just a handful of ingredients and a slow cooker, you can make tender, flavorful pulled pork using a pork loin. Plus, since it’s mostly hands-off cooking, it’s perfect to let cook all day and come back to delicious barbecue pork.
This pulled pork is wonderful piled onto buns as pulled pork sandwiches, or served alongside pork and beans. The only ingredients you’ll need are the pork loin roast, BBQ sauce, an onion, some garlic powder, chicken stock (or water), and salt. There are more details about using a pork loin to make pulled pork below, or you can click here to jump down to the recipe.
Can I Make Pulled Pork With A Pork Loin?
Yes! You can absolutely make pulled pork with a pork loin. (Keep in mind we aren’t talking about pork tenderloin. These cuts of pork need different cooking times and are not interchangeable, read about the differences here.)
Of course, it’s also very popular to use a pork shoulder roast or pork butt for pulled pork. You can find instructions for those pulled pork recipes, both for the crock pot and oven, if that’s your preferred cut of meat. And if you’d instead like to do an oven-roasted pork loin, here’s a juicy and delicious recipe.
Tips For Tender Slow Cooked Pork Loin
Start by cutting the pork loin into quarters. This helps it to cook more evenly, ensuring that it’s tender at the end of the long cook time.
Unlike a pork butt, the pork loin muscle does not contain a lot of fat or connective tissue, so it needs a thick sauce to stay moist and tender. While a pork butt can be served with or without a sauce and still remain tender, a slow cooked pork loin cannot, and can sometimes feel chewy or dry. The sauce solves that.
The onion adds a lot of flavor and sweetness to the sauce, but also adds moisture. One large onion is all that should be added to keep the BBQ sauce from becoming too thin. If adding more than one onion, you should omit the chicken stock. You can use your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce or try one of mine – Basic Barbecue Sauce or Sweet and Smoky BBQ Sauce.
For any pieces of pork not touching the liquid, the Maillard reaction will take place, browning the top of the pork and lending some caramelized flavor to the dish. Yum! So no need to worry about the pork not being completely covered.
How Long Does Pork Loin Cook In The Slow Cooker?
For tender pulled pork loin in your CrockPot or slow cooker, cook on high for 6 hours. If you prefer a longer cook time, you can cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
Other Ways To Make Pulled Pork Loin
The recipe below is done in the slow cooker. If you’d like to instead do it in the oven, you absolutely can. This recipe for Pork Loin Carnitas is actually exactly what you need. You’ll simply omit the orange, lime, and peppers (or leave them in) and then add 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce to the stock before cooking.
If you’d instead like to make your pulled pork loin in the Instant Pot, go ahead and follow the instructions for this Instant Pot Pork Loin. You’ll add 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce to the chicken broth/water but don’t change anything else. Except…
For both the oven version and the Instant Pot version, after the meat is cooked to at least 145F but ideally 160F for this one, remove it from the pot and let it rest, then shred it with two forks. Meanwhile, while it rests, simmer the liquid to thicken it a little bit. Taste it. If it’s good, you can mix some into your pulled pork. If the liquid is bland, add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and/or more BBQ sauce.
What To Serve With BBQ Pulled Pork Loin
Serve over cornbread, Texas toast, or on hamburger buns for pulled pork sandwiches. Complete the meal with potato salad and coleslaw and it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!
Print
BBQ Pulled Pork Loin Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entrée
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
DESCRIPTION
The slow cooker creates tender, juicy pulled pork loin with little effort.
Serve on buns or over cornbread.
Listen to learn how to make this recipe, along with some great tips from Christine:
Ingredients
- 1 (2 and ½ lb.) pork loin, cut into quarters
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 cup barbeque sauce
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 large onion, sliced
Instructions
- In the base of the slow cooker add pork. Sprinkle salt and garlic powder on top of pork.
- Add barbeque sauce, chicken stock, and onion. Stir to combine.
- Cover slow cooker, set temperature to high. Cook 6 hours.*
- Remove cover. Using the tines of two forks, shred pork.
- Stir to combine with sauce. Serve warm.
Notes
*To cook on a “low” setting, increase cook time to 8 to 10 hours.
Beth says
This was incredible! So easy and so good.
★★★★★
Christine Pittman says
Thank you, Beth! Glad it worked well for you.
Dawn says
This has become a family favorite! Thank you!
★★★★★
Sue says
Can the barbecue pulled pork loin recipe be made in the instant pot. Your instant pot pulled pork recipe is made with pork shoulder, but I have a pork loin I would like to use. What would the time be in an instant pot?
Thanks
Christine Pittman says
Sue, actually, if I was going to do this in the slow cooker, I’d follow the times here – https://cookthestory.com/instant-pot-pork-loin/ – but I’d add 3/4 cup BBQ sauce to the chicken broth. That will add extra flavor, but also, the extra liquid will increase the cooking time in the Instant Pot just a little bit, which should get you closer to a pulled pork texture. Once the roast is cooked, remove it from the liquid and then taste that liquid. If it tastes good as is, mix some of it with your pulled pork loin. If it needs more BBQ sauce or more seasoning, add that to the liquid before mixing it with the pork.
Harry S says
Hi, I’m trying your recipe for the first time! I am using a Dutch oven, so what oven temp do you recommend and should internal temperature of the pork reach the same as you would with a pork butt ( 190-200 degrees at which the collagen and connective tissue melts)?
Christine Pittman says
Harry, the above recipe is cooked in a slow cooker (also called a CrockPot) on High for 6 hours. If you’d like to do it in a Dutch Oven in the oven, head over to this recipe, which is for Pork Loin Carnitas done in the oven – https://cookthestory.com/pork-loin-carnitas/ For that recipe, the pork loin is first seared in the Dutch oven. Then liquid and seasonings are added and the Dutch oven is covered and put into a 350F oven for 2-3 hours until the pork can be pulled apart with a fork. The internal temperature must reach at least 145F to be safe to eat. I hope that helps.
Kristin Clark says
If I triple the recipe for 12 people, should I still use just 1 large onion and use 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock? (Tripled)
Christine Pittman says
I would go ahead and triple everything, but if you prefer less onion, I’d go with 2. Enjoy, Kristin!
Tom W. says
I stumbled across this page because I had a pork loin and not a pork shoulder and I wanted pulled pork.
I tried this recipe and it was fantastic! I love the idea of using bottled barbecue sauce so I can try different variations (last night I used Stubbs Sweat Heat). My son absolutely loved it. He had 4 sandwiches… in one sitting!
This recipe is going into regular rotation. (With stars this time. Doh! My bad).
★★★★★
Tom W. says
I stumbled across this page because I had a pork loin and not a pork shoulder and I wanted pulled pork.
I tried this recipe and it was fantastic! I love the idea of using bottled barbecue sauce so I can try different variations (last night I used Stubbs Sweat Heat). My son absolutely loved it. He had 4 sandwiches… in one sitting!
This recipe is going into regular rotation.
Christine Pittman says
That’s wonderful, Tom! Love to hear that you’ll be making it again.
Since you loved it, I’d really appreciate you adding a 5 star rating to your comment which will help others find this recipe too. Thanks!