Sweet Peas and Saffron

meal prep recipes for busy people

Slow Cooker Maple Pulled Pork

by 51 Comments

Jump to Recipe

Slow cooker maple pulled pork has deliciously subtle maple flavors, a touch of spice from chili powder, and tangy apple cider vinegar. With only 6 ingredients, you can get it on to cook in 10 minutes or less. I’m sharing three recipes that you can use your pork in, making this perfect for meal prep!

One of the most efficient ways to meal prep is to bulk cook a batch of protein, then use it up in multiple meals through the week. I’m showing you how to cook this slow cooker maple pulled pork, and you can use your leftovers in maple pork tacos with brussels sprouts slaw, maple pork and butternut squash burritos and fall burrito bowls with sweet potatoes!

bowl of slow cooker maple pulled pork with two forks

Maple pulled pork is slightly different than traditional pulled pork; with subtle maple flavors, a touch of chili powder, and tangy apple cider vinegar. It isn’t overly ‘saucy’ (if you want a saucy pulled pork check out my Crock Pot Pulled Pork), but it is simple and delicious.

6 simple ingredients makes this easy to get into the slow cooker, and it makes a big batch, meaning you can have a head start on multiple dinners!

Reasons you’ll ♡ slow cooker maple pulled pork

  • it’s simple to prepare and you can get it cooking quickly
  • it makes a big batch and works as the base for multiple dinners
  • it’s fridge and freezer friendly

bowl of slow cooker maple pulled pork with steam rising off

The best cut of pork

The slow cooker presents the perfect opportunity to cook cheap, tough cuts of meat. A long simmering time is required to break down tough collagen fibres in these cuts of meat, and you are rewarded with juicy and tender pork.

Pork shoulder is a great choice as it has plenty of connective tissues and fats. You can use boneless or bone-in pork shoulder, though I prefer boneless as it makes the shredding step even easier.

Pork shoulder comes in two cuts: boston butt and pork picnic. Typically the pork butt is recommended as it is more even in size, however I have successfully used a pork picnic to make pulled pork, and we all enjoyed it!

Ingredients required

Maple pulled pork is simplicity at it’s best. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • maple syrup- sweetens the pork slightly and adds cooking liquid to help cook the pork through
  • apple cider vinegar- adds a tangy flavor contrast to the sweet maple syrup, while providing additional cooking liquid
  • onion- adds extra dimension to the pulled pork, but can be omitted
  • chili powder- not to be confused with pure powdered chilis, this is a chili spice blend. It adds a mild spice and extra flavor to the recipe
  • salt- enhances flavors of all ingredients and seasons the pork through while it cooks

two forks shredding the pulled pork

Recipe tips

  • the easiest way to shred the cooked pork: transfer cooked pork to a clean bowl, and use an electric hand mixer to shred it in seconds
  • do not discard the cooking liquid; toss the pork in it after shredding to keep it juicy and flavorful
  • crisp it up: spread the shredded pork on a baking sheet and cover with 1 cup of cooking liquid. Broil for 5-10 minutes, until crispy
  • I use this 6 quart slow cooker and highly recommend it
  • I have not tested this particular recipe in the Instant Pot but think it would work. I would try high pressure for 90 minutes followed by a 10 minute. natural pressure release. If you try, would you leave us a comment to let us know how it went for you?

Prep ahead for easy dinners

Slow cooker maple pulled pork is absolutely perfect for meal prep! Here are some tips to help:

  • reheat– store in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend reheating in a frying pan with some of the cooking liquid for 5-10 minutes until loosened up and warmed through
  • freezer– this recipe freezes great after cooking. Portion out in a meal prep container, reusable silicone bag, or heavy-duty freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
  • crockpot freezer– this recipe can work as a freezer crockpot meal: combine all ingredients in a meal prep container, reusable silicone bag, or heavy-duty freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to cook, thaw completely before dumping into the slow cooker and cooking on low for 8 hours.

pouring cooking liquid over the slow cooker pulled pork

How to use pulled pork

One batch of pulled pork can make between 4-8 cups, depending on the size of your pork shoulder. This means it’s a great protein to bulk cook and use in multiple meals through the week.

Here are some recipes you can use pulled pork in:

side angle view of bowl of maple pulled pork

More slow cooker recipes:

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Slow Cooker Maple Pulled Pork

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: dairy-free, gluten-free, pork, slow cooker
Calories: 276kcal
Author: Denise Bustard
Servings: 12
Slow cooker maple pulled pork has deliciously subtle maple flavors, a touch of spice from chili powder, and tangy apple cider vinegar. With only 6 ingredients, you can get it on to cook in 10 minutes or less. I'm sharing three recipes that you can use your pork in, making this perfect for meal prep!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time8 hrs
Total Time8 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients

  • 2-3 lb Pork Shoulder (boneless pork butt is a great option)
  • 1/2 onion (sliced)
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder

Instructions

  • Place onion slices on the bottom of slow cooker.
  • Place pork shoulder on top.
  • Whisk together the maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, salt and chili powder.
  • Pour over the pork.
  • Cook on low for 8 hours, or until pork is fall-apart tender.
  • Remove pork from slow cooker and place in a large bowl (reserve cooking liquid). Shred with two forks or an electric hand mixer. Toss with cooking liquid to taste (I used at least half of the cooking liquid).

Notes

storage
store in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend reheating in a frying pan with some of the cooking liquid for 5-10 minutes until loosened up and warmed through
freezer
this recipe freezes great after cooking. Portion out in a meal prep container, reusable silicone bag, or heavy-duty freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
crockpot freezer
this recipe can work as a freezer crockpot meal:
  1. combine all ingredients in a meal prep container, reusable silicone bag, or heavy-duty freezer bag.
  2. Freeze for up to 3 months.
  3. When you are ready to cook, thaw completely before dumping into the slow cooker and cooking on low for 8 hours.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/2 cup | Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 77mg | Sugar: 7g

Reader Interactions

About Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more. read more

This site contains affiliate links, meaning that if you make a purchase through them, we will receive a small commission.

FREE EMAIL COURSE

Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

Tips & strategies to get you prepping...fast!

Comments

  2. Denise

    Hi Missy! I see a lot of pork tenderloin recipes cook on low for 8 hours so I think you could do the same with this recipe. Good luck and I hope you enjoy the recipe!

    Reply

  4. Dee

    Hi Denise,
    Looking forward to making this! Here inAustralia, REAL maple syrup is hard to come by. Do you think I could sub honey? Perhaps using a bit less?
    Many thanks, Dee

    Reply

    • Denise

      Hi Quay! You could use either…I haven’t tried it with this recipe but I’m sure they’d be good. You’ll want to reduce the cook time to 4 hours high or 6 hours low. Good luck!

      Reply

    • Denise

      Hi Tara! I know, it does seem like a small amount of liquid, but it works! I cut the pork in half lengthwise so it is mostly (if not completely) immersed in the cooking liquid. I have a 5 qt crockpot in case that’s not mentioned above.

      Reply

  8. Robin

    Hi! The maple pulled pork sounds great, but I didn’t find the recipe for the pork. I only saw the paragraph mentioning which ingredients that you used. Can you share the amounts of each ingredient? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Denise

      Hi Robin, the recipe is right under after the burrito bowls photo. Scroll past the writing and the three photos for the left-overs, and it should be there. I hope you like it!

      Reply

  9. Amanda

    I love the simplicity of this! I have the same feelings about pulled pork. Sometimes it’s way too saucy, taking away from the tender pork. I can’t wait to try this!

    Reply

    • Denise

      I could never put my finger on what was putting me off pulled pork but it definitely had something to do with the sauce…I’m a strange, picky lady 😉 Hope you like them, Ashley!

      Reply

  19. marcie

    I love pulled pork, but don’t always want it slathered in BBQ sauce! I adore using maple syrup in cooking, so this sounds right up my alley. Can’t wait to see the other delicious recipes!

    Reply

  23. Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat.

    I seriously want to make this right this minute so we can have it for supper tonight. Unfortunately the only pork I have is frozen solid, so maybe later this week! 🙂 I’m with you on pulled pork usually being too saucy, I don’t like that either. I definitely need to try this one!

    Reply

    • Denise

      Aw, thanks Stacey! I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t enjoy really saucy pulled pork! (LOL that sounds funny now that I read that last sentence out loud… 😀 )

      Reply

  26. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

    Oh this pulled pork looks perfect, Denise! I’m kind of the opposite of you, I love pulled pork because of the amounts of sauce! But I’m especially loving that you flavored this with a maple sauce. Sounds perfect for the fall!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

logo

join the FREE lunch prep challenge →