Pulled Pork Bowl with BBQ (Printable)

Slow-cooked pork shoulder with spices, served over rice with crisp coleslaw and smoky BBQ drizzle for a satisfying meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pork

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - 0.5 tsp black pepper
04 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
05 - 0.5 tsp garlic powder
06 - 0.5 tsp onion powder
07 - 0.5 tsp ground cumin
08 - 1 cup chicken broth
09 - 0.5 cup BBQ sauce, plus extra for serving

→ Rice or Grain

10 - 2 cups cooked white rice, brown rice, or quinoa

→ Coleslaw

11 - 2 cups shredded green cabbage
12 - 1 cup shredded red cabbage
13 - 1 medium carrot, grated
14 - 0.25 cup mayonnaise
15 - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
16 - 1 tsp honey
17 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Garnishes

18 - Sliced green onions, optional
19 - Fresh cilantro, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Combine salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture thoroughly over the pork shoulder. Place seasoned pork in slow cooker and add chicken broth. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours until pork is very tender and easily shreds.
02 - Remove cooked pork from slow cooker and shred using two forks until completely pulled. Return shredded pork to slow cooker and stir in 0.5 cup BBQ sauce. Keep warm on low setting.
03 - Combine shredded green cabbage, shredded red cabbage, and grated carrot in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper until smooth. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate until serving time.
04 - Divide cooked rice evenly among four serving bowls. Top each portion with generous amounts of pulled pork and coleslaw. Drizzle with additional BBQ sauce and garnish with green onions or cilantro if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The pork practically cooks itself in the slow cooker while you live your life, then comes together into something that tastes like you actually tried hard.
  • It's customizable in all the right ways—switch up your grains, adjust the coleslaw tang, or skip toppings based on what you've got on hand.
  • Leftovers stay delicious for days, making it perfect for meal prep or unexpected dinner guests.
02 -
  • Eight hours is the magic number for this cut—anything less and you'll have chewy pork, anything more and you risk it falling apart into mush before you even get it shredded.
  • Make your coleslaw dressing separate from the vegetables so you can adjust the balance of tang and creaminess to your taste before committing to it.
03 -
  • Don't waste that liquid left in the slow cooker—it's liquid gold for gravy or thinning out extra BBQ sauce if you need more for serving.
  • Make your coleslaw a day ahead if you can; it gets better as it sits and the flavors deepen, plus it frees up mental energy on serving day.
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