A healthy recipe for BBQ pulled pork tenderloin made in the slow cooker. Makes a leaner BBQ pulled pork perfect for sandwiches or sliders. Perfect year-round recipe for an easy dinner.
Growing up in Texas, the first time I ever had pulled pork was in college on a trip to Memphis, TN. Inspired by the flavors, but with a little Texas flair, I adapted this recipe for weeknight home use. Not quite the same as eating smoked pulled pork in Memphis, but it's pretty good for a weeknight dinner. Plus it's easy to make, feeds at least six, and makes great use of pork tenderloin.
Healthy Recipe for Pulled Pork
By using a pork tenderloin to make BBQ pulled pork, it significantly reduces the total fat and calories in the dish. It's not quite as melt in your mouth as traditional pulled pork, but if you are looking for a healthier option, this makes a delicious, family-friendly dinner.
Pork tenderloin is the leanest cut of pork. A 3 oz. portion contains 2.98 grams of total fat per serving. A same size serving portion of pork roast contains approximately 16 grams of total fat.
Selecting a BBQ Sauce. Store-bought BBQ sauces vary greatly in their nutrition. If you have a special nutritional concern, read the labels, and choose one that best suits your needs. There are now many low and no sugar BBQ sauces available. Be sure you like the taste and flavor of the BBQ sauce you choose for your pulled pork.
Ingredients
- Vegetable Oil - For lightly oiling to crock-pot to make clean up easier. You can also use non-stick spray or slow cooker liners.
- BBQ Sauce - I use Sweet Baby Ray's in my pulled pork. Make sure you actually like the taste of whatever BBQ Sauce you decide to use!
- Apple Cider Vinegar - I use filtered ACV. I found that the unfiltered ACV results in a stronger vinegar flavor than desired. A substituted for the vinegar would be dill pickle juice.
- Chicken Broth
- Brown Sugar - Helps balance the acidity from the vinegar.
- Prepared Mustard - I use basic yellow mustard.
- Spices: Chili Powder, Minced Garlic, Onion Powder, Smoked Paprika. To reduce the spice (heat), chili powder can be omitted.
- Pork Tenderloin - 2.5 to 3 lbs. of pork tenderloin, with the silverskin removed. Other cuts of pork that will work with this recipe include - pork butt, picnic shoulder, and pork shoulder roast.
How To Make
Slow cook pork with sauce
Whisk together BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, chicken broth, brown sugar, prepared mustard and spices. Place pork tenderloin in the crock-pot. Pour liquid over the pork, turning to coat. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or until pork easily shreds.
Shred pork
Remove pork tenderloin from slow cooker. Shred pork tenderloin and cut into smaller pieces if desired. Add pork back to slow cooker on warm or add one to two cups of liquid from crock-pot to shredded pork. Stir in additional BBQ sauce as desired.
Serve
Serve pulled pork on a slider or brioche bun. Top with extra sauce, pickles and slaw if desired.
If you want crispy bits in your pulled pork, add extra BBQ sauce, place on a sheet pan and broil for around 3 minutes.
Serving and Storage
Serving: Serve BBQ Pulled Pork Tenderloin on a hamburger bun, brioche or Hawaiian roll. Also delicious scooped on top of a baked potato or sweet potato.
Sides: Serving suggestions for sides include coleslaw, baked beans, mustard potato salad, pickle spear, roasted red potatoes and creamy dill red potato salad.
Storage: Store leftover pulled pork in the fridge. Use within three to four days. Freeze in air-tight storage for up to three months.
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Tenderloin
Equipment
- 1 Slow-Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup BBQ Sauce
- ½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- ½ cup Chicken Broth
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Prepared Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoons Minced Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 2.5-3 pounds Pork Tenderloin , silver skin removed
Instructions
- Rub bottom and sides of slow cooker with oil or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, chicken broth, brown sugar, prepared mustard and dried spices.
- Place pork tenderloins in the slow cooker. Pour liquid mixture over tenderloin. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or until pork tenderloin easily shreds.
- Remove pork tenderloin from slow cooker. Shred pork tenderloin with two forks or cut into smaller pieces. Reduce heat to warm and add shredded pork back to the slow cooker. Or place shredded pork in a serving bowl and add 1-2 cups cooking liquid to it. Stir in additional BBQ sauce to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Texas Pulled Pork.
FAQ
Can I cook this on high in the slow cooker?
Yes you can, but due to the lean cut of pork used, for best results I recommend cooking this on LOW in the slow cooker.
Enjoy!
Alaine
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Donna McCarty says
Our family loves pulled pork, I decided to search for a recipe using pork tenderloin and found this one. I only had a 1lb 3oz tenderloin so I only prepared it with half of the ingredients. I cooked it on low for 5 hours. It was absolutely delicious. I am making it again this week. It is a keeper.
Alaine says
I am so glad to hear y'all enjoyed the pulled pork! Thank you for letting me know it worked to cut the recipe in half, that will be helpful for my readers 🙂
John says
Didn't it have too much of a vinegar taste?
Alaine says
Not in my opinion, I paired it with a sweeter BBQ sauce which helped balance it. I wouldn't recommend a vinegar based BBQ sauce though, because I think it would be too much of a vinegar taste. I also used filtered apple cider vinegar.
Alaine says
Hi - Whisk together BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, chicken broth, brown sugar, prepared mustard and spices and then pour over pork tenderloin.
Lorraine says
it was SOOOOO easy and delicious
Isaac says
Thanks, an excellent recipe. We love it!
Susan says
I made this barbecue as written, using a 2.3 pound tenderloin, omitting the chili powder. I used Kraft Barbecue sauce. It was excellent! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Cindy Webster says
This was fantastic and so much easier than the way I've made it in the past. This will be my go-to from now on!
Alaine says
Thank you! I'm glad y'all enjoyed it and that you found it much easier than other recipes you have tried. I am to make my recipes as easy as possible.
Eugie says
Love this recipe!
Our go to for tenderloin up here in NYC!
Alaine says
So cool, thank you!
EllenMarie says
Yummy in the tummy. I studded my tenderloin with garlic, and added the garlic powder. No vampires here. Tender, saucy, delish. Thank you for this easy, go-to recipe.
Will says
Just made this, it came out amazing! I've never cooked a tenderloin into pulled pork as it is such a lean cut of meat, but it came out absolutely perfect. I actually forgot to add the chicken broth (though I did add in a tsp or two of chicken bullion as I love the extra msg) and it still came out great. I was hesitant because I originally wanted to use the instant pot as a pressure cooker, but every recipe I was reading said not to do it with a tenderloin due to how lean it is. Saw this slow cooker recipe instead and am glad I gave it a go!
Alaine says
Awesome, happy to hear you enjoyed it! While it's not traditional, I think it's a great option. I think the ACV really helps tenderize the meat. It's helpful to know that it turned out without the chicken broth, will share that. Thank you!
Claire says
This recipe was easy and delicious!! I made w half the vinegar and next time I will try pickle juice instead The husband is sensitive to vinegar and he loved it
Alaine says
Thank you! So glad y'all enjoyed it 🙂
Marie says
This is the first recipe I have ever cooked in a slow cooker and it was fantastic! Absolutely delicious, tender, and so simple to make. Thank you!!!
Alaine says
Wow honored that you picked my recipe for your first time using a slow cooker! Thank you, glad you enjoyed the pulled pork!
Jessica says
My husband also isn’t a fan of vinegar. I replace 1/2 - all with lemon juice, works every time!
Bri says
So delicious just made it and will be saving this recipe for weekly recipes I use so good! I doubled recipe ingredients for I had like 7-9 lbs of meat but still very good I just did only 3/4 cup of vinegar because I get nervous using too much. But it didn’t even taste vinegary so good will make again thank you for the recipe!
Bruce Hilton says
Did you have to cook it longer because of the increased weight?
Victoria says
great recipe! Next time I'd add a little more heat.
Lorraine Poitrinal says
Hi there...
Wonderful recipie. I served it with cole slaw made at home and corn. We will be able to get 2 meals and a hearty lunch for the two of us out of this....but will be freezing some of the pork for a future meal....maybe tacos, just for something different.
I didnt have extra bbq sauce for the last step so I just cooked down some of the pan juices and it cooked down to bbq sauce consistency just beautifully.....
A tasty, tender and ohhhh so easy dish to make.
Thank you!
Lòrraine
Alaine says
Thank you Lorraine! I'm so glad y'all enjoyed it.
Terrie says
Very good! I did not make any substitutions and it turned out delicious! I served this with coleslaw and baked beans.
Alaine says
So happy to hear y'all enjoyed it, thank you!
Erin says
This recipe is absolutely amazing! So simple yet delicious! I made this early last week and my husband requested it again this week! Great for both of us to take to work and heat up also! We had the pulled pork on a toasted potato roll or by itself. Thank you for posting!
Alaine says
Thank you so much! Glad y'all enjoyed it, I think it makes the best leftovers!
Michael says
Love this recipe! I only had a 1.5 lb. tenderloin and no brown sugar but I made the recipe in the same proportions substituting coconut sugar for brown sugar—and wow! Fantastic! After pulling the pork, I only needed half of the thinner juice that it cooked in and added BBQ sauce to taste and texture.
Alaine says
Now I want to try it with coconut sugar too. Thanks for the rating and review!
Carolyn Donaghy says
Can I put in oven ?.
Alaine says
Hi Carolyn - I haven't tried it in the oven. Technically, it should work. I did some research and saw cooking times and temps from 275F-325F for ~2-3 hours. I will have to try it out myself. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out. Thanks!
Tamara says
Has anyone tried this with chicken yet instead of pork? If so do I need to tweak the recipe? The pork was DELICIOUS!! But I want to try chicken to feed a crowd on a budget!
Alaine says
Hi Tamara - I have made this with chicken breast and thighs. I'm still working out a recipe, but what I have done is reduced the vinegar in half, maybe even less. I thought the vinegar made the thighs too soft, but I like the flavor, so still trying to find a good balance. I find that chicken has a lot more liquid, so next time I'd leave out the chicken broth too. Hope that helps, thanks.
Melissa Perry says
Hi, I came across your recipe and with all the great reviews I am going to try it out for my family tomorrow. I have a 10lb tenderloin. Would you suggest doubling or tripling the recipe? Thanks in advance!
Alaine says
Hi! The recipe has a good amount of liquid - so I'm thinking to double the liquid ingredients (chicken broth, ACV, sugar, BBQ sauce) would be enough to cover the tenderloin.
You could start with doubling the spices and add more if you think it needs more flavor towards the end. The pork should be flavorful.
If you need extra liquid, you can add a little more chicken broth while cooking and extra BBQ sauce at the end. Hope that helps, thanks!
Averi says
Hi what kind of mustard should I use?
Alaine says
Hi - Just regular yellow mustard.
Tina M. says
My husband is a firefighter. Pulled pork is a staple in the firehouse. I took one look at the tenderloin I was preparing and said “there’s no way that’s going to work”. I pushed forward although I was a bit nervous that he would win the pulled pork battle. 6 hours later - I had a pot full of juicy, tender goodness. I am blown away and more importantly he was wrong!! He ate every last delicious bite. Can’t thank you enough. This is 100% a keeper!
Alaine says
Love this comment! Thank you!
Susan says
Wondering if I could add canned pineapple and juice to this recipe
Alaine says
If you add pineapple juice, since it is acidic, I think I would use it to replace the apple cider vinegar. Depending on your taste buds, you may want to adjust the spices such as the chili powder. I've never tried it with pineapple juice but now I'm inspired to try it.
Lynn Zimmerman says
I am not a cook and this was so easy!! I love Sweet Baby Ray’s too so I knew that this recipe was for me!! My house smelled so wonderful! This is the best!!
Felicia Mast says
I’ve made pulled pork in the crock pot before, but this recipe definitely tops them all! I didn’t have unfiltered ACV so I just swapped the measurements for the Brown Sugar and did 1/4 cup of ACV and 1/2 cup of Brown Sugar! I also forgot to add the garlic but it came out SO good! This will be saved for all my events to come! So so good!
eric greeson says
This sounds good I have a pork loin that is already flavored in package with BBQ Sause . What do you suggest ?? Thanks
Alaine says
If I just had a prepackaged tenderloin, I think I would use the liquid ingredients and wait on the spices and then adjust to taste. Now I haven't made this with a pork loin, just a tenderloin. And you may want to check the weight of the prepackaged one, I usually use 2-3 lbs. of tenderloin.
Bridge says
Great recipe for lean pulled pork! I used Stubbs original bbq sauce which has a strong vinegar taste so I omitted the vinegar all together. Being in Vermont, I used pure maple syrup instead of brown sugar … highly recommend!
Alaine says
The combo of the Stubbs BBQ Sauce and maple syrup sounds so good! I'm going to try that sometime. Glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you!
Donna G says
Perfect recipe for slow cooker barbecue. I followed the recipe except that I omitted the garlic. I received rave reviews from my dinner party guests. Thanks for this wonderful, easy recipe!
Alaine says
Thank you, Donna! Glad everyone enjoyed it.
Angie says
Do you think you could make this in a Dutch oven pot in the oven?
Alaine says
Yes, I do think it would work. Cooks I have worked with like to cook pork in the oven really low, like 250-275F. I am not sure how long it would take to be able to shred. I have cooked pork ribs low and slow and they take 4-6 hours.
Susi says
Can I cook it with a frozen tenderloin?
Alaine says
It would be best if you thawed it out first.
Susan Packwood says
I’ve. Made this before but want to cook the day beforehand.i thought I would shred tonight and refrigerate with juices tonight and pop in slow cooker tomorrow to warm. What do you think?
Alaine says
I think that would work great. You can always add a little extra sauce if you feel it needs it.
Lorraine Poitrinal says
Still loving this recipie....it's the only pulled pork recipie I use now.
My question is can I keep the shredded pork in the liquid on warm until ready to eat without drying it out? It seems like it would stay moist in the liquid left in the crock pot, but i haven't tried this yet.
Thank you for this recipie.
Lorraine
Lorraine says
Ok....I am going to answer my own question here--
I made the 2 tenderloins and shredded one and a half for the family dinner.
I shredded what was left and put it back in the pot with what juices were left, after taking some out for our meal and set the crock pot to warm. I went back later to put it away and OH My Gosh....it was even better !!!!! It got even more tender and more delicious.
I am going to do that next time i make this dish.
I'll shred it and let it sit in the juices for about a half hour.
Fantastic!
By the way, this fed 5 tonight, with seconds involved and there is enough for 3 or 4 more servings.
This is economical, easy and delicious!
L.
Alaine says
So glad to hear you are enjoying this recipe for your family! If you have time to let it sit, when you shred the pork it does absorb some of the liquid like you mentioned. I probably should add that for a recommendation on the recipe. I think it's one reason the leftovers are so good. Thanks for sharing!!
LA says
I am looking forward to cooking this recipe. Have tenderloins in the freezer and only know how to bake them at high temp 425 for 20 minutes. Anyway I like your instruction to oil the crock pot - we just learned that the ceramic crock washes up very nicely in the dishwasher. Just saying!
Sandra June says
I found this recipe to be easy and delicious !
The only thing I added was hickory liquid smoke ( about 10 -15 shakes) on top of the tenderloins before I added the bbq sauce mixture .
Everyone loved it and a guest actually thought I smoked the pork 1st .
Alaine says
Great addition for a smoky flavor, thank you for sharing and glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Rachel says
What is the calories in this recipe?
Vivian says
Made the recipe for guests this weekend. I made 6 lbs so doubled the recipe ingredients. Meat was nice and soft and pretty good, but for me it lacked in real taste. It was on the bland side. Not sure I'll do this recipe again unless I figure out how to give it more flavor. I think perhaps cooking it in more BBQ sauce (I used Stubb's Original BBQ Sauce - my favorite), and using less broth might make the difference I'm looking for.
Alaine says
A few ideas for next time from comments readers have sent me. For that much meat, some have doubled the liquid and tripled the spices. Since Stubb's is not sweet, others have left out the vinegar and increased the brown sugar. I think increasing the spices and sugar would help. Others like to add liquid smoke. Just some ideas if you make it again.
Sharon L Eddy says
This was so easy and so delicious! I served on baked sweet potatoes, wondering if anyone has any other non-traditional ways to serve to keep it relatively healthy?
Alaine says
For more healthy ways to eat this, I like to put some pulled pork in a bowl and top with a bit more BBQ sauce, coleslaw, pickled red onions or smoked jalapenos on top. I also sometimes put it in a corn tortilla with slaw or cilantro. Glad you enjoyed the pulled pork tenderloin, thank you!
Joanne says
Great looking recipe. However, I want to cook this in my dutch oven - I would 3 hours at 375? I do hope you see this asap as I am making this weekend! Thanks! first time I found your site. Happy I did.
Alaine says
Hi Joanne - Since the recipe uses a lean pork tenderloin, I think 375F would be too high and might dry out the meat. I would cook it at 300F for around 2 hours, but check it around the 90 minute mark and see if it shreds. Pork tenderloin starts to "shred" around 185-190F, so it doesn't need as long as a pork shoulder. Once it's fork tender and easily shreds, I would take it out of the oven immediately. I always like to mix in a little more BBQ sauce before serving.
One last tip: Since the Dutch oven lets a little more steam escape than a slow cooker, just keep an eye on the sauce. If it looks like it’s getting too thick or sticking to the bottom after an hour, add a splash of broth. I have made this in my dutch oven with success before, I would just pay attention to the meat temperature so it doesn't dry out. I hope you enjoy this lean pulled pork!
Alaine says
You can also cook it at 275F for 2 1/2 - 3 hours in the dutch oven.
Diane says
I made the recipe, and it was delicious, but I would like to either substitute the vinegar for apple juice, some other juice, or just leave it out? What do you think?
Alaine says
Hi Diane - Since the apple cider vinegar acts as a tenderizer to keep the lean pork tenderloin from getting tough during the cooking process, I definitely recommend replacing it with another acidic liquid rather than skipping it entirely.
Apple juice is a great swap—it adds a nice depth of flavor, but it is sweeter, so you may want to reduce the brown sugar a bit to balance it out. I haven't tried pineapple juice personally, but other readers have reported great results! I’d suggest replacing the vinegar with an equal amount of your chosen juice (1/2 cup) to ensure there’s enough liquid in the slow cooker to keep the pork juicy. Hope this helps, thank you!
Diane says
Looking forward to making the recipe again next week and will try the apple juice. Thank you so much for answering my question!
Alaine says
You're welcome! I made it last night with the pineapple juice in place of the vinegar. I omitted the brown sugar, it was delicious and tender too!