Easy Coca Cola Pulled Pork is a slow cooker pork recipe made with pork shoulder and a can of cola. Great for sandwiches, tacos and more!
Making pulled pork for dinner has never been easier than with this delicious Slow Cooker Recipe. Unlike my Oven Pulled Pork, you don’t need to marinate it in dry spices or make time for roasting. Instead, you can pop it in the crock pot before work and dinner is ready to go when you get home! For more tasty crock pot pork recipes, try my Dr Pepper Pulled Pork and Pork Carnitas too!
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Sabrina’s Coca Cola Pulled Pork Recipe
There are lots of ways to make a pulled pork, but this soda and crock pot method just comes out so flavorful with almost no work! With just 3 ingredients, plus salt and pepper, and a slow cooker, you can have tender melt-in-your-mouth shredded pork ready for you when you get home.
My Slow Cooker Coca Cola Pulled Pork is a dump and go crockpot dinner recipe with one extra step. Before you set and forget this Coca Cola Pulled Pork, you want to sear it first. Searing the seasoned pork before slow cooking locks in the juices so you get fall apart, tender pork every time without loading it up with sauces.
Ingredients
- Pork Shoulder: A boneless pork shoulder is perfect for slow cooking because it has enough fat to keep the meat juicy while it slow cooks plus it’s easy to shred since there are no bones. 4 pounds of pork roast should yield about 10-12 good sized portions.
- Cola: The can of cola in this Coca Cola Pulled Pork is a magic ingredient. Not only does the dark soda add a subtle caramel flavor to the pork, the acid in the soda helps tenderize the meat. You can also use root beer or Dr. Pepper.
- Oil: I always try to sear my roasts before I pop them into the slow cooker. The oil adds a little extra fat to this leaner cut of meat and locks in the juices.
- Salt and Pepper: The only seasonings you need for this easy recipe are salt and pepper to help highly the natural pork flavors.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Slow Cooker: You’ll need a 6 quart crockpot to fit the 4 pounds of pork shoulder easily without overcrowding the cooker.
- Dutch Oven: The high sides of a dutch oven keep you from splashing hot oil all over when you turn the meat.
- Strainer: Use a fat separator or a mesh strainer to get the excess fat pieces out of the cooking liquid.
How to Make
Time needed: 8 hours and 30 minutes.
- Sear the Meat
Heat the oil in a large dutch oven. Season the pork on all sides with salt and pepper, then add the roast to the hot skillet. Sear the pork for 4-5 minutes on each side.
- Add to Slow Cooker
Place the seared pork roast in the slow cooker with the fat cap, or the thickest fatty layer, facing upwards. Pour the can of cola over the pork.
- Cook the Pork
Cover the slow cooker with the lid, making sure it fits snugly. Cook on low heat for 8-9 hours. You can also cook on high for 4-5 hours.
- Strain the Fat
Transfer the cooked pork to a plate. Strain the fat from the remaining liquid, either using a mesh strainer or fat separator and large bowl.
- Shred and Serve
Return the pork and the cooking liquid back to the slow cooker. Shred the meat with two large forks. Enjoy as a sandwich filling, with a side of mashed potatoes, etc!
Can this be made ahead of time?
You can absolutely cook the pork fully and then reheat it later. The cooking liquid keeps it moist for days. However, once you sear the pork, you need to cook it all the way through, so that step cannot be done in advance.
Nutritional Facts
Tips Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Cook the Pork Fat Side Up
Placing the fat cap side up lets the fat run down as the roast tenderizes in the cola, making the pork unbelievably juicy and flavorful with just the one ingredient.
- Sear the Meat First
The secret to getting extra juicy pork in a crock pot is to sear the meat first before adding it to the cooker. Searing the meat first locks in all those juices which keep the pork moist during the long cooking time. It also adds a delicious flavor to the meat.
How to Serve Pulled Pork
Sandwiches: Pulled Coca Cola Pork Sandwiches are a go-to way to serve shredded pork. All you need are a bag of buns, BBQ sauce, and Cole Slaw and you’ve got a quick and easy dinner.
Country Dinner: Serve Slow Cooker Coca Cola Pulled Pork over Mashed Potatoes or Mac and Cheese and with a side of Green Beans for a classic hearty, country dinner made in no time.
How to Store
Store: Slow Cooker Coca Cola Pulled Pork can be kept covered on warm setting for up to 4 hours and at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Cool pork completely before storing in an airtight container. Refrigerate Coca Cola Pulled Pork for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Reheat the pork in the slow cooker or in a skillet, covered, with the cooking liquid until it’s hot. Add some broth or BBQ sauce if it’s dry.
Freeze: Place cooled Coca Cola Pulled Pork in a sealed container or freezer safe storage bag and freeze for up to 3 months. If using a storage bag, lay flat and freeze for 1-2 hours so it is easier to store. Thaw overnight in the freezer before reheating.
More Ideas for Pulled Pork Shoulder
- Pizza: Load up Pizza Dough with Pizza Sauce, mozzarella cheese, Coca Cola Pork, and all your favorite toppings. Save time and use a frozen cheese pizza!
- Burritos or Tacos: Coca Cola Pulled Pork is a great taco or burrito filling. Simmer in a skillet with Taco Seasoning and ¼ cup water for about 5 minutes to get that zesty taco flavor.
- Casserole: Swap in Coca Cola Pulled Pork for the meat in any of our easy casserole recipes, like BBQ Beef Cornbread Casserole or Tater Tot Casserole.
Instant Pot Coca Cola Pulled Pork
- Add oil to pressure cooker pot and turn on Saute Function.
- Once oil is shimmering, sear seasoned pork on both sides for 3-4 minutes.
- Set meat aside and turn off Instant Pot.
- Deglaze Instant Pot with ¼ cup chicken broth, scraping off any browned bits on the bottom and sides of pot.
- Add the seared pork back to pot and pour cola over meat.
- Seal lid and pressure valve, then set to Manual High Pressure for 90 minutes.
- Let pressure release naturally before removing lid. Shred pork and serve.
Frequent Questions
Approximately ⅓ pound of pulled pork is a serving, so count on 2-3 servings per pound of boneless pork shoulder to be on the safe side. For this 4 pound pork shoulder recipe, I made about 10 hearty servings with a little bit of leftovers.
Use any canned soda you have on hand for Coca Cola Pulled Pork like Dr. Pepper, Sprite, root beer, or even ginger beer. You just don’t want to use seltzer water or naturally carbonated “soda”, because you need the syrup and acid to break down the meat and add flavor.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 pound pork shoulder , boneless
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 12 ounces Coca-Cola
Instructions
- Add oil to a large dutch oven on high heat.
- Season pork with salt and pepper.
- Sear pork on all sides until well browned, about 4-5 minutes on each side.
- Place seared pork into slow cooker, fattiest side up.
- Pour soda over the pork.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.
- Remove pork from slow cooker.
- Pour remaining liquid in a fat separator and remove excess fat.
- Place liquid back into slow cooker with pork and shred with two forks.
- Serve over mashed potatoes or in sandwiches.
Nutrition
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Variations
Meat: You can use chuck roast, pork loin roast, or top round instead of pork shoulder roast in this recipe. You want to stick with 3-4 pounds of meat so it doesn’t dry out with the long cooking time without being too big for the crockpot.
BBQ Sauce: Once you shred your pork, you can add 1-2 cups of your favorite Barbecue Sauce for BBQ Coca Cola Pulled Pork. Cook an additional 30 minutes covered to let the BBQ sauce flavor absorb into the pork.
Pineapple: Sweet fruits like pineapple or apples are an easy way to add flavor to your Coca Cola Pulled Pork. Pour in canned pineapple chunks with the syrup or add roughly chop fresh apples around the pork roast before cooking.
