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Bowl full of baked sweet potatoes with flaked sea salt, apple slices, and apple cider pulled pork on top with a garnish of fresh parsley.
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Crockpot Apple Cider Pulled Pork

This easy slow cooker apple cider pulled pork lets a classic fall flavor shine in a savory way, and it's made from budget-friendly pork tenderloin.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 20 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: American
Keyword: slow cooker apple cider pulled pork
Servings: 8
Author: Monica Lensink

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Unwrap tenderloins and cut off any external silver skin, if desired.
    2 pork tenderloins
  • Combine Dijon, brown sugar, garlic powder, paprika, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Rub this mixture evenly on the top and sides of the tenderloins and place in the Crockpot.
    3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, kosher salt and black pepper
  • Pour cider around the outside.
    1 and 1/4 cups apple cider
  • Cook for 2-4 hours on high, or 4-6 hours on low, until the pork reaches 145°F in the center of the thickest part.
  • Remove the tenderloins to a cutting board and slice each into pieces 3-4 inches in length. Using two forks, pull each piece apart into bite-sized shreds.
  • If your slow cooker has a sauté function built in, turn it on while you shred the pork in order to thicken the sauce a bit and concentrate the flavors.
  • If your slow cooker does not have this function and you’d still like to thicken the sauce, you can either transfer the sauce to a saucepan and simmer to reduce it a bit, or stir a slurry of 1 Tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tablespoon cool water into the slow cooker set to high heat.
    1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and toss to coat. Serve right away, or keep warm and serve as desired over the next hour or two.

Notes

  1. Apple Cider: You are looking for the fresh-pressed cider available in the fall, not apple cider vinegar. I have not tested this recipe with apple juice but believe it would work, yielding a slightly less concentrated flavor.
  2. Keep Warm: Apple cider pulled pork keeps warm perfectly in the slow cooker. If starts to look the tiniest bit dry, just stir in an extra splash of apple cider.
  3. Storage/Reheating: This keeps well in the fridge for at least 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium heat.