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–+ servings

Sweet Hawaiian Crock Pot Pulled Pork

Sweet Hawaiian Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Sweet Hawaiian Crock Pot Pulled Pork is the perfect way to feed a crowd. Coated in a homemade spice rub, then simmered in an finger-licking savory, sweet and spicy Hawaiian inspired sauce until tender. This slow cooker pulled pork is sweet, tender, delicious and incredibly easy to make.  
Heather
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes
Serving Size 10

Ingredients

  • 4-5 pound pork shoulder / pork butt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Wet Spice Rub

  • 3 tablespoons sesame seed oil
  • 3 tablespoons ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Slow Cooker Sauce

  • 2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry
  • 1/3 cup Asian sweet chili sauce
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Finishing Sauce

  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

Instructions

  • Start by spraying the inside of a large slow cooker vessel with non-stick spray.
  • Whisk together the ingredients for the spice rub. Remove your pork butt from its packaging, trim away any excess fat, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Using your hands, coat entire pork butt with the wet spice rub. 
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over High heat. Using tongs, sear pork on all sides until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes each side. Move pork to the slow cooker.
  • In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for the Hawaiian sauce. Pour over the pork in the slow cooker. Set your slow cooker to Low for 8-10 hours or High for 5-6 hours.
  • Once cooked, your slow cooker pulled pork should be fall apart tender and easily shred with a fork. Remove the pork from the slow cooker to a cutting board and shred. Carefully (it's HOT!!) pour the sauce from the slow cooker into a large vessel and then once the slow cooker is empty, return your pulled pork to it.
  • Add brown sugar and two cups of the reserved slow cooker sauce to a large skillet and whisk/simmer over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Pour sauce over shredded pork and toss until evenly coated. Serve immediately over rice with Pineapple Salsa, in tacos or as sliders.

Notes

  • Searing the meat is optional, but it brings a lot of extra flavor to the pulled pork so if you are able, go for it!
  • Sesame seed oil is often found in the Asian section of most grocery stores. If you are unable to grab it, use olive oil instead.
  • You can use bone in or boneless pork shoulder. Personally, I prefer bone in pork shoulder. If you do, simply remove the meat from the bone before you shred it.
  • Don’t rush the cooking time and don't lift the lid to your slow cooker. Cooking the pork for the extended time will give you the best results.