Healthy Crock Pot Pulled Pork
This post contains affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
This Healthy Crockpot Pulled Pork recipe is a perfect easy, filling weeknight dinner. Made in the slow cooker with only a few ingredients, it’s low in fat, packed with protein, and paleo / Whole30 approved!
Warning: You’re going to want to eat this Healthy Crockpot Pulled Pork for dinner almost EVERY week once you try it!
Partially because it’s one of the easiest recipes ever, but also because it’s super delicious! This healthy pulled pork only requires 10 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time.
The crockpot does the rest of the work for you to make the tastiest pulled pork with minimal effort and maximum flavor!
A few months ago I was in a total dinner rut!
I was so bored with everything that I was finding on Pinterest, totally sick of all my favorite recipes that I had found and saved over the years… and just plain didn’t want to cook.
If you’re looking for other slow cooker recipes – check out our slow cooker pot roast, slow cooker baby back ribs, or these Paleo Crockpot Recipes.
Then this pulled pork came into my life, and it has hands down been my favorite thing to make for dinner. Mostly because it requires so little work, which is perfect!
P.S. – If you love crockpot recipes, check out our crockpot whole chicken or these Healthy Crockpot Recipes!
What makes this pulled pork healthy?
- Low fat – Traditionally pulled pork is made with pork shoulder or pork butt which is higher in fat. We use pork tenderloins in this recipe which are much leaner! If you do want a pulled pork shoulder recipe, we love this Pulled Pork Shoulder.
- High Protein – This recipe is pure protein! 41g per serving!
- Low sugar BBQ sauce – We recommend you use a low or no sugar BBQ sauce to keep this low carb. So many BBQ sauces are high in sugar and honestly.. you don’t need all that sugar!
It’s also paleo, whole30 friendly, gluten free, sugar free, and dairy free. Most importantly it’s DELICIOUS. Cause that’s what really matters, right?
Ingredients for Healthy Crockpot Pulled Pork:
To make pulled pork you’ll need:
- pork tenderloins
- olive oil
- paprika, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder, cinnamon, ground ginger
- chicken broth
- BBQ sauce
I really love topping this with this BBQ sauce. It’s paleo/Whole30 friendly, but it also tastes amazing! I hate when BBQ spices are too sweet, or too smoky. This is another good BBQ sauce brand, and we also like this one, or our homemade bbq sauce!
How to make healthy crockpot pulled pork:
Cooking healthy pulled pork is very easy. The key is the spices!
- Whisk together your olive oil+ spices.
- Marinate your pork tenderloin. When you’re ready to cook. Put it in the crockpot with chicken stock. Allow it to cook low + slow.
- When it’s cooked, shred with forks or a mixer. Toss with barbecue sauce & enjoy!
Do you need to use pork tenderloins for this?
I prefer to use pork tenderloins in this recipe because they tend to be less fatty and very lean. You could also use a pork shoulder or pork butt if you prefer!
Want more slow cooker recipes? Get our 40 best crock pot recipes in a printable ebook for less than $11!
Substitutions for healthy pulled pork:
This recipe is pretty straight forward but there are a few substitutions you can easily make!
Pork – You can use pork shoulder or butt for this recipe, but i prefer the pork tenderloins because they are so lean. Chicken will also work with this recipe!
Liquid Smoke – You can add 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke to the marinade if you’re looking for that smoky flavor!
Chicken – If you don’t eat pork, check out this Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken!
Spices – Feel free to change up the spices in this recipe or use your favorite BBQ rub
Oil – Avocado oil will work in this recipe in place of olive oil.
Instant Pot: You can also make this recipe in the instant pot. See below for instructions in the recipe!
BBQ Sauce: Any BBQ sauce will work great on this pulled pork but make sure to read your ingredients if you’re strict paleo/whole30 .
Can you make pulled pork in the instant pot?
Yes you totally can! This pulled pork is much better if you make it in the crockpot, but you can make it in the instant pot. Follow all the instructions for marinating. When you’re ready to cook – get instant pot to Sealing, Pressure Cook for 18 minutes.
When the instant pot is done, allow the pressure to naturally release for at least 15 minutes, then quick release. It’s better if you can naturally release the pressure completely because it keeps the pork super tender.
Do you need to use barbecue sauce in this recipe?
You could leave the barbecue sauce off this recipe, but I love adding a low/no sugar BBQ sauce to it for extra flavor and to keep it moist.
Just be careful with the barbecue sauce you use because many of them have tons of added sugars and funky ingredients.
Pulled Pork FAQ:
Yes, you need to put liquid in the slow cooker for pulled pork. The liquid helps to essentially steam the pork which results in juicy, flavorful pulled pork.
The best cut of meat for pulled pork is pork butt or pork shoulder, but I like to use pork tenderloins because they are lean and low in fat.
The best cut of pork for pulled pork is pork shoulder or butt. The fat helps the meat get super tender. However, we love to use pork tenderloin for pulled pork. Pork chops will also work!
Absolutely! Pork loin or pork tenderloins can make great pulled pork. The key is cooking them low an slow because they are a leaner cut of meat.
How to Store Pulled Pork
Storing: This will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. We like these containers for freezing. Make sure to thaw the pork completely before enjoying.
Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave, toaster oven or on the stove in a lightly greased pan.
Why is my crock pot pulled pork tough?
Your crockpot pulled pork might be tough because you didn’t cook it for long enough. Pork really needs 6-8 hours (or longer depending on the cut) to make sure that the meat breaks down. Try to keep your crockpot set on low vs the high setting to avoid getting tough pulled pork.
How do you keep pulled pork moist in a crock pot?
To keep pulled pork moist in the crockpot make sure there is enough liquid and avoid using the high heat setting. You can always add more liquid and the pork will soak up the juices. Beef or chicken broth will add the most flavor.
Serving Suggestions
We love to serve this recipe with Crispy Roasted Potatoes and Healthy Green Beans Almondine. You can also serve them on a slider, or with some of our other veggie side dishes
Healthy Crockpot Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs pork tenderloin (approximately 2 medium pork tenderloins)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce
Instructions
Crockpot Instructions:
- Clean off ‘silver skin’ from pork tenderloin. (This is optional, but recommended to keep it lean)
- In a bowl, whisk together olive oil + spices. Marinate pork in olive oil + spices overnight if possible in a ziploc bag, otherwise place tenderloins in crockpot and cover with oil/spice marinade. Make sure all areas of the pork have some marinade on them.
- Pour chicken stock on top of marinated tenderloins.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours in the crockpot or high for 4-6 hours.
- When finished cooking, use tongs or a fork to pull the tenderloins apart (it will fall apart!). Allow the juices to soak into the pulled pork.
- Toss with your favorite barbecue sauce + enjoy!
Instant Pot Instructions:
- We recommend making this recipe in the crockpot, not the instant pot. It's much better when cooked low and slow.
- Clean off 'silver skin' from pork tenderloin. (This is optional, but recommended to keep it lean). Cut pork tenderloin into 5-6 inch sections. You can leave the tenderloins whole, but it will take longer to come to pressure.
- In a bowl, whisk together olive oil + spices. Marinate pork in olive oil + spices overnight if possible in a ziploc bag, otherwise place tenderloins in instant pot and cover with oil/spice marinade. Make sure all areas of the pork have some marinade on them.
- Pour chicken stock on top of marinated tenderloins. **Important Note** Add an extra cup of chicken stock or water. The instant pot requires more liquid.
- Set instant pot to Sealing, Pressure Cook for 18 minutes. When instant pot is done, allow the pressure to naturally release for at least 15 minutes, then quick release.
- When finished cooking, use tongs or a fork to pull the tenderloins apart (it will fall apart!). Allow the juices to soak into the pulled pork.
- Toss with your favorite barbecue sauce + enjoy!
Video
Notes
- I prefer to use pork tenderloins in this recipe because they tend to be less fatty and very lean. You could also use a pork shoulder or pork butt if you prefer!
- You can marinate this pork ahead of time for up to 24 hours for even more flavor
I am personally a terrible cook and I’m always looking for easy recipes that my fiancé will love. This recipe was so easy to follow and super simple to make! Everyone that I have made it for has said it was delicious!
Thank you so much, Sara!! Glad you enjoyed it!
This was so good! I was a little nervous when I saw cinnamon i included, but it really helps give the pork good flavor. And the addition of chicken broth helped keep the meat super moist and tasty. I will definitely be keeping this in the rotation!
So happy you liked it, Jennifer!
So delicious and super easy!
Thanks, Rebecca! So glad you liked it!
So easy and delicious! Easy week night dinner for my family. Going to make this again!
So happy you liked it, Justine!
If you are able to share it, can you please tell me which crockpot you use. I find that the one I use runs really hot. It seems to cook everything in half of the time that is stated. I do have an instant pot, and I use it all of the time. But, I would really like to try this recipe in the crockpot. Thank you.
The crockpot I use is linked throughout the blog post – just scroll up above and click on the word crockpot. Hope that helps!
Made the pork in my instant pot. So easy to put together and it came out tender and easy to shred.
Yum! So glad you liked it, Adrienne!
I did not add the BBQ sauce when done. We ended up having them as pulled pork sandwiches and added the sauce we wanted last night with a salad and tonight we had “pork carnitas” with some lime sauce and added salsa, cheese, lettuce and tomato – one crockpot, 2 different meals! Both were delicious!!
Thanks, Julie! So happy you liked it! Great idea for serving it 🙂
Absolutely love how easy this recipe is to follow! I also love the tip to use pork tenderloins instead of the pork butt because it is a lot less fatty.
Thanks, Yanhel! Glad you liked it!!
I have tried the pull pork recipe in the crockpot. LOVED it. My husband said don’t loose this recipe.
So glad you both liked it, Michelle! Thank you!
This recipe is literally SO easy. I sometimes bulk prep this (I’ll get a few packages of pork tenderloin at Costco) and keep in the freezer for “emergency” dinners. This recipe is also so versatile you can put it on loaded baked potatoes, nachos, leave as-is — it goes with anything! We love this recipe!
So glad you like it, Abby! We love it on nachos 😉
Love a easy and delicious crock pot recipe! I have made this multiple times and its always enjoyed by family and friends!
This is the second recipe from your website that I have made this week, and we really enjoyed this one. I made it in the slow cooker, and I used pork butt just because it was on sale this week at my local supermarket. This blend of spices works very well and smelled great while in the slow cooker. I had a lot of meat juices after six hours on low even after I returned the shredded pork to the crock pot to soak up the juices. Next time, I will drain off some of the meat juices before I stir in the barbecue sauce. That way I can prevent the burger sandwich buns from getting soggy when I spoon out the shredded pork onto the buns. I look forward to trying this with the pork tenderloin. Your recipes have inspired me to finally get an Instant Pot. I ordered an Instant Pot Duo Crisp during Prime Days, and I can’t wait to try some of your recipes in it.
Glad you liked the pulled pork!! Enjoy the instant pot – you can find all of our instant pot recipes here
The best pulled pork I have ever made! Forgot to marinate it but it was still delicious!!! All the flavors go so well together! It was a hit with my family!
Thank you so much, Melissa! We often skip marinating (only because of the timing!) and it still comes out great!
Followed directions to the T (except for bbq. Used a different brand) and it turned out perfectly! Loved the rub and it made the house smell mouthwatering! I used 2.5lb pork loin and trimmed any fat. Cooked in the slow cooker on high for 1 hour and then low for 4 more. It easily fell apart. I did make one mistake though. I was lazy and put the meat in the stand mixer to shred. It was so tender, it sort of made a pulled pork paste. Like the consistency of tuna salad. Lol. This was on me. I should have fork shredded. It was so tender, I would have been done in a minute. But. I didn’t get any complaints and the flavor was awesome. Highly recommend.!
So glad you liked it, Lindsay! When I shred it in the stand mixer I only shred it for maybe 5 seconds.. I leave it in bigger chunks 🙂 Hope this helps!
After marinading over night, would you recommend including the marinade in the crock pot, or discarding the leftover marinade?
I place everything in the crockpot – but that’s up to you!
This was so easy to make and tastes great!
This is my go to pulled pork recipe! So easy to make and so good! I’ve brought this pulled pork to so many family events and pot luck at work! People actually ask me to make it anytime a pot luck is mentioned at work.
Love hearing that, Kirsten! Thank you so much!
This pulled pork was perfections. The flavor was amazing! It was tender I didn’t even need to add Bbq sauce it was that good.
Thank you so much, Marina! I really appreciate it!
This was delicious and oh so easy. I will definitely be adding it to the rotation, hubby couldn’t get enough!
So glad you liked it, Aysia! Thank you so much!
I love making this on a Sunday and having it for lunch for the whole week. Simple, yet delicious and can be paired with just about anything.
Thank you!! Glad you enjoyed!
Made this recipe with chicken for dinner tonight! LOVE how easy it is. Thanks for another great recipe!
So glad you liked it, Hannah!!
I made this recipe a few nights ago. It was a great hit with my picky husband and son. They both enjoyed the pork plain with only the cooking juices. I added some bbq sauce. I made some minor modifications to the spice measurements because my tenderloin was only 1.5 pounds. I also added an extra 1/2 cup of chicken broth two hours before it was done so the pork wouldn’t be dry. It was really yummy, I plan to make it again in the future.
Thank you so much, Michelle! So glad you all liked it!
This was so delicious and easy to make – I loved it and cannot wait to make it again!
So glad you liked it, Lauren! Thank you so much!
Perfect for quarantine. Made house smell amazing and taste top notch. Will definitely keep in rotation.
So glad you liked it! It’s our favorite meal!
Made this today and it was so tender! We marinated it overnight then cooked it in the crockpot as instructed. Then I shredded it and let it sit in the juices on warm until time to eat. Topped it with BBQ sauce and an onion bun (no diet restrictions in our house), and it definitely hit the spot! The marinade gave just enough flavor without overpowering or competing with flavor of sauce. Thanks, Liz!
So glad you liked it, Joni! That sounds delicious on an onion bun.