Applesauce Pulled Pork Sandwiches (Printable)

Slow-cooked pork shoulder with applesauce and apple cider, creating a sweet-savory sandwich with tender, flavorful meat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pork

01 - 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, trimmed
02 - 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
03 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Sauce

06 - 1½ cups unsweetened applesauce
07 - 1 cup apple cider
08 - ¼ cup brown sugar
09 - 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
10 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
11 - 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
12 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ To Serve

13 - 6 sandwich buns
14 - 1 cup coleslaw, optional
15 - Extra applesauce or barbecue sauce, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Pat the pork shoulder dry and season all sides evenly with kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and ground cinnamon.
02 - Place the sliced yellow onion and minced garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker to create an aromatic base.
03 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together unsweetened applesauce, apple cider, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar until smooth and well combined.
04 - Place the seasoned pork on top of the onions in the slow cooker and pour the applesauce mixture evenly over the pork.
05 - Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours, or until the pork is very tender and easily shreds with a fork.
06 - Remove the cooked pork from the slow cooker and shred using two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat.
07 - Skim excess fat from the cooking liquid, then return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and mix thoroughly with the sauce.
08 - Serve the pulled pork warm on sandwich buns and top with coleslaw and additional applesauce or barbecue sauce if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The applesauce keeps the pork unbelievably moist and adds a subtle sweetness that balances the savory spices without tasting like dessert.
  • Your slow cooker does all the work while you go about your day, and you come home to a dinner that tastes like you labored over it for hours.
  • It makes enough to feed a crowd or stock your freezer with ready-to-go lunches that reheat beautifully.
02 -
  • Do not use apple cider vinegar in place of apple cider, the acidity is too strong and will make the sauce sharp instead of fruity and mellow.
  • Trim visible fat before cooking, but leave some marbling, it melts into the sauce and keeps the pork from drying out during the long cook.
  • If your slow cooker runs hot, check the pork at 7 hours, overcooked pork can turn stringy and lose its tender pull-apart texture.
03 -
  • Sear the pork shoulder in a hot skillet before adding it to the slow cooker if you want a deeper, caramelized crust that adds extra flavor to the sauce.
  • Save some of the cooking liquid separately and use it to moisten the pork as you reheat leftovers, it brings back that just-cooked tenderness every time.
  • Let the pork rest for 10 minutes after shredding before mixing it back into the sauce, this keeps the meat from absorbing too much liquid and becoming mushy.
Go Back