If you’ve been following me for long, you know that I work full-time in San Francisco and usually don’t get home until 6:30 pm or so, which makes prepping and doing dinner for my family a challenge. We eat together as a family every night, so dinner prep needs to be quick and easy, without sacrificing quality or taste. This is why my slow cooker is one of my absolute favorite tools. Simply spend 15 minutes prepping everything before you walk out the door and when you return, dinner is ready. It’s the best!

One of our favorite meals is slow cooker pulled pork sliders. So much so, that we make this at least once every two weeks or so. I’ve also been known to throw this together for large group gatherings, family get-togethers, and anytime I’m on the hook for a main at a potluck. I guarantee you have all of the ingredients in your cupboard and this recipe is absolutely foolproof!

I use the All-Clad Gourmet Slow Cooker with All-in-One Browning (7 quarts). Yes, it’s pricey but given how much I use it, I have found it to be worth it. In addition to slow cooking, this machine will also brown, steam, sautés, and perfectly cooks rice. It is also programmable which means I can program it before leaving in the morning and it will turn itself on later in the day (if needed). It also has a 5-hour setting to keep food warm, which is great when schedules shift. While the reviews on Williams-Sonoma aren’t great, I haven’t had any problems with this slow cooker (knock wood). Looking for something under $100? I’ve heard great things about this Instant Pot. It’s smaller, slow cooks, and is also an instant pot. Win/win!

We serve these sliders on King’s Hawaiian Bread slider rolls - so incredibly good! But you can do these on hamburger buns, brioche rolls, whatever you like. We will also serve this over rice or salad. Use your imagination!

Let’s get cooking! While my recipe calls for a pork butt, I will also use a pork loin - whatever I happen to have in the freezer. The pork loin has a bit less fat and our local market frequently puts them on extreme sale (under $3 each), so I will stock up.

Ingredients

1 medium white onion, chopped

1/2 cup catsup

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 pounds pork butt or pork loin

12 slider buns

Instructions

1. Place the pork butt/loin in the slow cooker. I take mine right from the freezer but it can be thawed.

2. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and mix it with a spoon. Sometimes I don’t mix. You do you.

3. Set the slow cooker for 8 hours on low.

4. If I’m home, I will turn the pork over about 4 hours in but if not, this is not a big deal.

5. After 8 hours, remove the pork and set aside on a cutting board. If your family doesn’t care for chunky bits on onions, I use my immersion blender and pulse the sauce until smooth. Not necessary but my family won’t eat the onions if they can see them.

6. Toast the buns while you are shredding the pork.

7. Using two forks, shred the pork. You can also move the pork to a mixing bowl and use your mixer to shred the pork. Both ways work and are super easy.

8. Place the shredded pork into a serving bowl. Add the remaining sauce and stir to coat the pork.

9. Serve! We top with pickles, coleslaw, anything to add a bit of a crunch.