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Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork

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The BEST pulled pork! Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork with an incredible thick, sweet and tangy honey balsamic sauce! Easy crockpot dinner. Includes step by step recipe video.

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Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork: Incredible thick, sweet and tangy honey balsamic sauce over slow-cooked pulled pork -- my absolute favorite way to do pulled pork! Perfect crockpot meal for summer or a busy weeknight! www.thereciperebel.com

So I like to think I’ve come a little ways since my days of quickly snapping a picture of my supper for the blog before diving in. But I have to admit, the though of photographing a big hunk of brown meat makes me a little nervous.

It didn’t help that I laid down on the couch when the girls went for a nap and opened my eyes at 5:00.

Luckily, I didn’t have much work to do on this incredible pulled pork.

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Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork:Incredible thick, sweet and tangy honey balsamic sauce over slow-cooked pulled pork -- my absolute favorite way to do pulled pork! Perfect crockpot meal for summer or a busy weeknight! www.thereciperebel.com

It’s always a little interesting trying to get some photos of something we’re eating for supper before it’s totally cold and unappetizing, especially as I’m rushing and trying to make it look like I didn’t just sleep until 5:00pm when the hubs gets home from work.

Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork:Incredible thick, sweet and tangy honey balsamic sauce over slow-cooked pulled pork -- my absolute favorite way to do pulled pork! Perfect crockpot meal for summer or a busy weeknight! www.thereciperebel.com

“Girl, go and start cleaning up your toys!”

“I can’t mom, I have to take pictures!”

Things get a little crowded in our dining room as we’re both maneuvering around the toys on the floor, trying to get a good shot of our supper in between periods of dark cloudiness and too-bright sunshine.

Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork:Incredible thick, sweet and tangy honey balsamic sauce over slow-cooked pulled pork -- my absolute favorite way to do pulled pork! Perfect crockpot meal for summer or a busy weeknight! www.thereciperebel.com

Anyway. We made it.

Am I the only one out there who can’t stand the smell of balsamic vinegar? That is some powerful stuff. It makes my head hurt a little bit.

When I make this honey balsamic sauce, I think the exact same thing: “That sauce smells potent — how can it actually taste good?!”

The truth? It’s incredible. INCREDIBLE.

Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork:Incredible thick, sweet and tangy honey balsamic sauce over slow-cooked pulled pork -- my absolute favorite way to do pulled pork! Perfect crockpot meal for summer or a busy weeknight! www.thereciperebel.com

This is my favourite pulled pork recipe out there.

Ever.

In the world.

It is so easy just to throw a roast in the slow cooker in the morning, and then when suppertime rolls around the only thing you have to do is make the sauce. I mean, you could make a side to serve with it, but we don’t.

When this pulled pork is on the table, I don’t need anything else getting in my way. Just some fresh buns and allllll that dark, drippy sauce!

Try it. Maybe it’ll be your favourite pulled pork, too!

Looking for more slow cooker pork recipes? Try this Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin!

*Post and photos updated May 28, 2015

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Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork

Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork is a new take on pulled pork that is sweet and sour! This dark, thick syrup-like sauce is incredible -- a must-try!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 280kcal
Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

  • 3 lb boneless pork roast
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tsp seasoned salt
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • a pinch of black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tsp minced garlic

Instructions

  • Add the roast to a slow cooker. Top with water, seasoned salt and garlic powder. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until falling apart.
  • Just before your roast is ready, add the rest of the ingredients (vinegar through garlic) to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
  • Boil over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, until thick and syrupy.
  • Drain juices from pork. Shred your pork and stir in half of the prepared sauce. Serve the rest of the sauce alongside the pork with buns.

Nutrition (this is an estimate)

Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork
Amount Per Serving
Calories 280 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 71mg 24%
Sodium 809mg 34%
Potassium 570mg 16%
Total Carbohydrates 31g 10%
Sugars 29g
Protein 25g 50%
Vitamin A 2.2%
Vitamin C 1.8%
Calcium 3%
Iron 6.7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel -- I love to see what you're making!

 

Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 10 servings
Honey Balsamic Pulled Pork Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 10 hours 20 mins Total time: 10 hours 25 mins Serves: roughly 12 sandwiches, depending on the size of roast and buns A new take on pulled pork that is sweet and sour! This dark, thick syrup-like sauce is incredible — a must-try!
Ingredients
  • 3-4lb boneless pork roast
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tsp seasoned salt
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • a pinch of black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
Instructions
  1. Add the roast to a slow cooker. Top with water, seasoned salt and garlic powder. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until falling apart.
  2. Just before your roast is ready, add the rest of the ingredients (vinegar through garlic) to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
  3. Boil over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, until thick and syrupy.
  4. Drain juices from pork. Shred your pork and stir in half of the prepared sauce. Serve the rest of the sauce alongside the pork with buns.

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Comments

  1. What seasoned salt do you use? I’m also struggling to get hold of red pepper flakes, can I just leave them out?

    Reply

    • I use Lawry’s seasoning salt. Sometimes red pepper flakes are called red chilis or something of that sort — you can definitely leave them out and add in something else for a bit of heat if you want it!

      Reply

  5. This looks great! Thanks for sharing. I’m making it now. This might be a dumb question, but what do you use the extra sauce for after you split it in half? Do you think I could just halve the sauce recipe and pour all of it on the pork?

    Reply

  6. So I’m looking for a pulled pork recipe that I can use to serve 25-30 people and cook it in my roaster. I’m not sure how much meat to cook so I’m sure I have enough. Plus I am wondering if this recipe will be ok in my roaster instead of a slow cooker. Thank you!

    Reply

    • I honestly can’t say I’ve made pulled pork in a roaster — the slow cooker just gets it so tender! If it was me I would probably cook a few roasts in the slow cooker, then transfer to a roaster with the sauce and reheat on a low temperature. I think a good average is 1/4-1/3 lb of meat per person, depending on what else you’re serving.

      Reply

  7. Thanks for sharing! It may be a tad too sweet for my taste but I may try brushing it on some chicken wings I’m also grilling tonight. Thanks!

    Reply

  8. Hi Ashley,
    I’m going to try this for supper tomorrow. I usually have a creamy dressing coleslaw with pulled pork. Do you think this will be ok with this recipe as well? If so, do you have a good recipe for that as well? 🙂

    Reply

  9. Oh my goodness. I just made this and followed the recipe almost exactly, EXCEPT I used pork tenderloin rather than pork roast, cooked it in an electric pressure cooker rather than a slow cooker, and added 1 cup of chicken broth instead of 1 1/2 cup water. I actually sprinkled the garlic powder and seasoned salt over the pork tenderloin and laid it in the pressure cooker after I poured in the chicken broth in (so the seasoning would not get rinsed off). I then pressure cooked it for 50 minutes and let the pressure release slowly rather than a quick release. While the pressure was releasing naturally, I made the sauce exactly as directed. Then, I shredded the pork tenderloin with 2 forks and poured half the sauce over it and mixed it well and used the remainder for . IT IS DELICIOUS!!! IT IS DEFINITELY KEEPER! SIMPLY DELISH! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, Ashley!

    Reply

    • I am so happy to hear that! I’ve only had my pressure cooker a few months so I haven’t made this in there yet, but I’m definitely going to try now!

      Reply

  10. I can’t stand balsamic vinegar so almost didn’t try this. Wow! It is so good! I couldn’t decide what to do with a pork roast I made in the crock pot a few days ago. I am not a fan of barbecue sauce and didn’t care for the pork plain. This was soooooo good. I saved to my Pinterest “tried and liked it”. It is definitely a keeper.

    Reply

    • Thanks Ilse! I’m not sure that I would. The slow cooker makes the pork so, so tender. Do you have a pressure cooker of any kind? That would also make some pretty tender pork. Chicken would also be good with the sauce and a little easier to make without a slow cooker.

      Reply

  12. I have made this several times and I thought I left a comment but I guess not. I am terrible at remembering recipes so I always have to come back here. Anyway, I wanted to add that this pulled pork is KILLA as a pizza topping! I always have sauce remaining so I ladle a little bit of that onto the dough in place of sauce. Add whatever else you think may be good; we add a mild cheese, caramelized onions and it’s amazing. Please do not ever delete this recipe from the internets, as I would probably cry. LOL Just kidding, I am going to print it out this time!

    Reply

  14. Hi Ashley,
    thank You very much for Your advice! I think I will start with a 6 qt.
    I am looking forward very much to trying Your recipe 🙂

    Reply

  15. Hi Ashley,

    this recipe sounds delicious! Would You tell me how large Your crockpot is? Because I am about to buy one. I need one for a large family (maybe 8 liters) and I am wondering if I can use it for smaller amounts for, let´s say, 2 people, too, with a smaller amount of ingredients.

    Reply

    • Hi Julia! I actually have a 2.5qt, a 4qt and a 6qt. For this recipe I always use my 6qt and it’s a great size! I think the 6qt would be big enough to feed most large families, but I really love having a variety of sizes for options. I would maybe start with a 6qt (or 8, depending on how many servings you want to make at once!) and then add another to your collection if you need.

      Reply

  16. Hi! I’m just wondering if it would be okay to leave it in the crock pot for closer to 11 hours instead of 10. I leave for work at around 7:15am and don’t get home until around 6:10/6:15pm.

    Reply

    • Hi Rachel — sorry I just saw this! You can absolutely leave it longer. There are a few ways to help adjust cooking time. If your slow cooker is generally cooler (meaning, you usually find you have to add time to most slow cooker recipes), then the extra hour won’t matter. If your slow cooker is hotter (meaning you usually find recipes are done sooner than the recipe calls for), you can add the roast frozen to the slow cooker and it won’t dry out if it’s left for longer. I’ve done this lots when I worked away from home and it worked so perfectly! If you have a cooler slow cooker I wouldn’t recommend a frozen roast though. It all just depends! I hope that helps!

      Reply

    • You could but I never really recommend that with a big chunk of meat like a roast. I would break it down into smaller pieces and try cooking on high for half as much time.

      Reply

  19. I made this yesterday and it was absolutely delicious! My husband said it was restaurant worthy!!! This is now my favorite pulled pork recipe. Goodbye barbecue sauce!!!

    Reply

    • I think it should work fine! It will definitely have a noticeable maple flavor as the honey is a main component, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing!

      Reply

  21. in your directions section there is a mispelling. It says ” at the pork to the slow cooker” should at be Add?

    Reply

  22. Can I just make the sauce and a pour over the pork to cook in all day instead of making at the end? And maybe eliminate the water so the sauce is not diluted? I want to make this while I am working….and don’t really want that extra step at the end. Thank you! Looks wonderful….making today!

    Reply

  23. About to serve this to the fam. Smells so good! I’m sure everyone will love it. I’m writing this instead of making a side salad. I love how much sauce this makes.

    PS. In the recipe you’re missing the timing (step 2) for when to start the sauce but it’s easy to figure out.

    Reply

  24. I am a HUGE fan of pulled pork but it never occurred to me to actually try making it myself…until now!
    WOW this came out phenomenal!

    Thank you so much!

    Reply

  26. Ah the art of multi-tasking! 😉 Well it certainly paid off because those photos are incredible. Only you could make a hunk of brown meat look so incredibly appetizing! I’ve bookmarked this to try!

    Reply

  27. i made this last night and we loved it so much that I will be making it again this weekend to take to a July 4th party. Do you know about how many people it will serve?

    Reply

  28. This sounds so delicious and so easy! Throw it all in a slow cooker. Perfect as the weather is getting cold down here so I can spend the day snuggled up on the sofa and then serve a dinner that seems like I have been slaving for hours. 😉

    Thanks for sharing

    Reply

  30. I love the smell of balsamic – but, it’s wonderful how unappealing flavors and smells can mix and become something so desirable! These photos rock! And I don’t even eat a ton of pork – but I wanna dig right in!

    Reply

  31. I used to be so scared of pulled pork, but I got hooked when I went to college and they would have big pig roasts and pulled pork sandwiches! It is so good! And your sauce sounds perfect! Haha, a nap on the couch sounds way better than taking photographs right now! I’m glad you got them finished though and they look awesome 🙂

    Reply

  32. Hi Ashley! This looks amazing! I love balsamic reductions and my friend in AR just sent me a really nice quart of honey, so I’m in! I think if I were to add a side it would be creamy coleslaw – just the South in me!

    Reply

    • Sorry — yes, I would definitely drain the meat juices before adding the sauce so it’s not diluted!

      Reply

  34. Can’t believe someone else doesn’t like the smell. My husband said that it was in my head. I have, however, gotten past it long enough to try it in a peach cobbler recipe several years ago. It does something divine to food that I had to admit.

    Reply

    • Haha, thanks Jess! I like it IN stuff, but boiling it for 20 minutes makes my head hurt a little 🙂

      Reply

  38. I love the simplicity of slow cooker meals! It just makes life sooo much easier! And I am totally with you on the balsamic vinegar! I love it with some fresh tomato and mozzarella but if I am going to make a balsamic reduction I usually pull the hot plate out of the pantry and plug it up outside so the whole house doesn’t smell like vinegar!

    Reply

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