Pulled Pork Bowl (Printable)

Tender slow-cooked pork over fluffy rice with tangy coleslaw and smoky BBQ drizzle.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pork

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
07 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
08 - 1 cup chicken broth
09 - 0.5 cup barbecue 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 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
16 - 1 teaspoon honey
17 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Garnishes

18 - Sliced green onions (optional)
19 - Fresh cilantro (optional)

# How-To:

01 - In a small bowl, combine salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground cumin. Rub the spice mixture thoroughly over all surfaces of the pork shoulder.
02 - 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 shreds easily with forks.
03 - Remove cooked pork from slow cooker and shred using two forks. Return shredded pork to slow cooker, stir in 0.5 cup barbecue sauce, and keep warm on low setting.
04 - In a large bowl, combine shredded green cabbage, red cabbage, and grated carrot. In a separate small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper until smooth.
05 - Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss thoroughly to coat all vegetables evenly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
06 - Divide cooked rice or grain equally among four bowls. Top each with generous portions of pulled pork and coleslaw. Drizzle with additional barbecue sauce and garnish with green onions or cilantro as desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The pork practically cooks itself while you go about your day, then falls apart with barely a touch.
  • It's endlessly customizable—swap the rice, change the coleslaw, use whatever toppings you have hiding in your fridge.
  • One recipe feeds four people generously, and leftovers only get better the next day.
02 -
  • If your pork isn't completely tender after eight hours, give it another hour on low rather than cranking up the heat—slow and steady is the whole point.
  • Make the coleslaw at least thirty minutes before serving, or even the day before; it gets better as it sits and the vegetables soften slightly.
03 -
  • Don't skip the step of whisking the dressing separately; it emulsifies properly and coats the vegetables more evenly than just throwing ingredients together.
  • If your slow cooker runs hot, start checking the pork at the six-hour mark; some cookers finish the job faster than others, and overcooked pork becomes stringy and loses moisture.
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