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Make the perfect Carolina pulled pork with this easy and delicious recipe. Impress your friends and family with this mouth-watering dish, complete with a step-by-step video tutorial.
Want to make the best pulled pork from your own kitchen? The key to making this Carolina pulled pork recipe is the brine. You’re actually going to start this recipe two days ahead of time with the brine, and it takes time to make tender, juicy pulled pork in the oven. So plan your schedule accordingly, and get ready for the best pulled pork of your life!
Make a batch of our very best macaroni salad and toss together a fresh fruit salad, and it’s party time!!
Table of Contents
- Watch How This Pulled Pork Recipe is Made…
- Creating the Best Pulled Pork Recipe
- Carolina Pulled Pork Ingredients
- What’s the Best Pork for Pulled Pork?
- How to Make Pulled Pork in the Oven
- How Long to Cook Pulled Pork
- Can I Make Pulled Pork on a Smoker?
- Can I Make This Pulled Pork Recipe in the Slow Cooker?
- How to Prep Carolina Pulled Pork in Advance
- Tips to Making the Best Pulled Pork
- What to Serve with Carolina Pulled Pork
- Storing and Reheating
- More PORK DINNER RECIPES You Must Try:
- World’s Best Carolina Pulled Pork Recipe
Watch How This Pulled Pork Recipe is Made…
Creating the Best Pulled Pork Recipe
When I think of BBQ, I can’t help but think of slow and low style, the Carolina way. In order to cook the best pulled pork, it’s essential that you plan ahead and spend some time prepping and cooking that delicious meat at those lower temperatures. This helps bring out all those flavors that melt in your mouth and allows that pork to literally fall apart. I know, we are all lazy and don’t want to, but trust me, this Carolina pulled pork recipe is so easy your dog could do it.
This recipe may seem like a process, but here’s the deal: you really just plop the pork in the fridge to marinate, and then transfer it to the oven. Although it takes a long time, you’re just going about your everyday life so it’s really not extra work on your part.
These idea for this pulled pork recipe come from watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Shout out to Guy, who gets to eat for a living! We occasionally watch his show on Netflix at night, and first of all, it makes us so hungry, but we also feel like we can totally guess when he doesn’t really enjoy something. We wish we could find out what he really thinks are the best and the worst of the places he has tried.
Anyway, I got a little off topic. Here are the secrets to the world’s best Carolina pulled pork.
Carolina Pulled Pork Ingredients
There are three main components to this pulled pork recipe: the brine, pulled pork rub, and the homemade BBQ sauce. Here is what you will need for each component:
- 5-8 Pound Pork Shoulder (or Butt)
Pulled Pork Brine
- Water
- Apple Cider
- Note that you’ll be using apple cider, NOT cider vinegar, in the pork shoulder brine. But many of our readers have missed that and added pure vinegar and so we had no choice but to try it since so many of you loved the results. Sure enough, it was great! So we prefer the juice but hey, vinegar is fun too! Apple cider adds a little more flavor without ever tasting like apple, and all you have to do is dump it in.
- Kosher Salt
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Dry Rub (see below)
- Bay Leaves
- Red Pepper Flakes
Pulled Pork Dry Rub
- Onion Powder
- Smoked Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Chili Powder
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Cayenne Pepper
- Dry Mustard
- Cumin
- Brown Sugar
Homemade BBQ Sauce
Of course, you’re welcome to use a store-bought sauce, but if you’re looking for the best pulled pork recipe ever, well, you need to use homemade barbecue sauce.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Brown Sugar
- Chili Powder
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt
The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
What’s the Best Pork for Pulled Pork?
To make the best pulled pork, you’ve got to start with the best cut of meat. Most barbecue restaurants use whole bone-in pork shoulders, but they’re rarely available in grocery stores. If you find a whole shoulder, use it. Otherwise, we recommend a Boston butt, which is half of the shoulder, the other half being the picnic shoulder.
How to Make Pulled Pork in the Oven
This pulled pork recipe looks lengthy, but each step of this recipe is incredibly easy. Here’s a quick overview of how to make pulled pork in the oven:
- Mix all the ingredients for the dry rub in a small bowl.
- Stir together the pork shoulder brine and let the pork soak in it for 12 to 24 hours.
- Remove the pork from the brine and place it in a large baking dish, then pat it dry with paper towels.
- Rub the pulled pork seasoning all over the meat, saving just a little of the dry rub for later.
- With the fat facing up, bake the pork at a low temperature until it registers 200ºF at the thickest part.
- Turn off the oven and let the pork rest for a couple hours.
- Take the pork out of the oven and remove the fat from the top. Then, shred the meat with two forks.
- Drain half the juices from the pork, then add the remaining dry rub and toss in the homemade bbq sauce.
- Serve with buns or hoagies to make pork sandwiches or just serve the meat plain with some coleslaw and all your favorite sides.
How Long to Cook Pulled Pork
If you’re southern, you know this isn’t just a secret but practically a law in the south — LOW AND SLOW. I always laugh when people tell me they can’t make bbq, “I let it cook for over an hour and it was dry and hard as a rock!”
BBQ is very relaxed, just like southerners. It wants to hang out all day, and while you may think you’re overcooking it, you’re not! Our pork cooks for at least 12 hours, sometimes more if it’s a bigger butt (I feel like there should be a joke in there). Do not rush it.
Can I Make Pulled Pork on a Smoker?
If you’d rather make smoked pulled pork instead of oven pulled pork, we recommend following our Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe. It gives step-by-step instructions on smoking pulled pork on a Traeger.
Can I Make This Pulled Pork Recipe in the Slow Cooker?
Yes this can be done in the slow cooker, but we’ve found that it doesn’t do it justice. It is also hard to fit the size of pork butt you need into a crock pot. If you decide to try it, it will cook for the same amount of time on low. Follow the brining instructions as written, and no need to add any liquid to the slow cooker. There’s enough juice in the pork to keep cooking properly.
How to Prep Carolina Pulled Pork in Advance
Reader Kate says:
“I’m heading up to my cabin and need a dinner for a large crowd a few hours after we arrive, wondering if I can cook the pork and then finish it off in the grill when we arrive? Or if it’s better to do all steps and then reheat it on arrival? Looks delish.”
Great question! We do this ALLLLLLL the time. Go ahead and make this pulled pork recipe, and then you have two choices. Pull it out of the oven and put it straight into the car and it will rest on the way to the cabin and be ready to eat two hours later.
Or make it, rest it, cool it and place in freezer bags, or to be honest, we use this Foodsaver and just suck the air out and freeze pork for use over the next three months. It’s super easy, and tastes perfectly fresh when we reheat. We just place it in the fridge to defrost and then reheat in a large pan with foil in a low oven or stove top with a little oil in the pan and a lid to keep the steam in so it’s juicy.
Tips to Making the Best Pulled Pork
The key thing to remember when making this pulled pork recipe is to let the meat rest after it’s finished cooking. I told you, it’s lazy. Letting it rest redistributes the juices, and because it’s big and cooked for a long time you’re going to want to let it rest longer — like an hour or even two — before shredding.
Perhaps the biggest secret of all, and one that I cannot claim as my own as this is where Triple D (Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives) comes in, is to sprinkle a little more of the rub onto the meat before serving. We noticed many bbq joints weren’t just slathering on the sauce, but actually sprinkling that dry rub all over the shredded meat and tossing to let it sink it. You won’t believe what a difference it makes!
You can also use another type of bbq sauce in this pulled pork recipe! Carrian likes a thick, sweet sauce or a Carolina vinegar bbq, and I love this Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce on my homemade pulled pork.
What to Serve with Carolina Pulled Pork
We recommend firing up the grill and making grilled corn to go with this Carolina pulled pork. It is so dang good every time! And just for pure comfort, add a side of Southern mac and cheese. A few other pulled pork sides we love are:
Storing and Reheating
Leftover pulled pork should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 3-4 days. This meat also stores great in the freezer. Let it cool completely and then place in ziploc bags (or better yet, use a Food Saver!). It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Use leftovers in pulled pork pizza or pulled pork nachos! If you want to just reheat it, turn on your oven and set the temperature to 250°F. Then, cover your meat with foil and put it into the oven when it’s ready. After you put it into your oven, let it heat for 30 minutes or until reaching an internal temperature of 165 °F.
Get ready for the juiciest and most flavorful pulled pork you’ll ever try! This recipe for Carolina pulled pork is a crowd-pleaser!
More PORK DINNER RECIPES You Must Try:
- Pork Chop and Rice Casserole
- Classic Pork Carnitas
- Copycat Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
- BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos
- Pineapple Braised Pork
- Classic Pork Roast (+ Pan Gravy)
- Grandpa’s BBQ Pulled Pork
- Pork Chops with Apple Chutney
- Country-Style Pork Ribs (in an Instant Pot)
- …All of our MAIN DISH recipes!
World’s Best Carolina Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 5-8 Pound Pork Butt, bone in and fat pad on top
For the Dry Rub
- 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika, heaping
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Pepper
- 2 teaspoons Cayenne Powder
- 2 teaspoons Dry Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Cumin
- 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
For the Brine
- 4 Cups Water
- 4 Cups Apple Cider
- 1/2 Cup Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Dry Rub, heaping
- 1 Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 Bay Leaves
For the BBQ Sauce (Optional)
- 1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 Cup White Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar, up to 1/3 Cup
- 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 2 Pinches Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- NOTE: This recipe should be started 2 days ahead of time as you need 24 hours in the fridge, 12-14 in the oven and 2 hours of resting.
Prepare the Dry Rub:
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a ziploc bag. Set aside.1 Tablespoon Onion Powder, 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika, 1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder, 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder, 1 ½ Tablespoon Kosher Salt, 1 Tablespoon Pepper, 2 teaspoons Cayenne Powder, 2 teaspoons Dry Mustard, 1 Tablespoon Cumin, 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
For the Brine:
- In a large stock pot, add the water, apple cider, salt, sugar, 3 tablespoons dry rub, pepper flakes and bay leaves.4 Cups Water, 4 Cups Apple Cider, 1/2 Cup Kosher Salt, 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, 3 Tablespoons Dry Rub, 2 Bay Leaves, 1 Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
- Rinse off the pork and add to the pot making sure it is completely covered in the brine and add the lid.5-8 Pound Pork Butt
- Place in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours.
For the Sauce:
- In a glass jar, add the ingredients and place the lid on then shake to combine. Set aside.1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/2 Cup White Vinegar, 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar, 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder, 2 Pinches Red Pepper Flakes, Salt
To Cook:
- Heat the oven to 225 degrees F.
- Remove the pork from the brine and place in a roasting dish or 9×13" baking pan as long as the sides don't touch the pan.
- Pat very dry with paper towels.
- Remove 2 tablespoons of the dry rub to another ziploc and set aside for after it is cooked.
- Rub the remaining seasoning all over the pork and in any cracks or flaps.
- With the fat facing up, place the pork in the oven with a meat thermometer.
- Bake for 12-14 hours or until 200 degrees F registers on the thickest part of the pork with a meat thermometer. *Remember to watch your oven, ours turns off automatically at 12 hours so I have to turn it back on.
- At this point you can turn off the oven and leave the pork in there to rest for two hours or if you have more baking to do place foil over the meat and allow to rest on the stove.
- Once the meat has rested, remove the fat from the top and using two forks, shred the meat and remove the bone.
- Drain half of the juices out and add the remaining dry rub to taste, toss to coat and drizzle a little vinegar sauce over everything.
- Serve immediately as is or on buns.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve been making this recipe for years and my family LOVES it! My husband wants me to make it for his office, which is a little over 20 people. How would you suggest doubling the recipe would change the cook time?
Hi Danielle! I’m so glad your family loves this recipe and it is such a good one to feed a big crowd! I actually double this recipe quite often and it honestly doesn’t change the cook time by much. You’ll probably want to double the brine and the dry rub ingredients. Just use two pork butts and follow the recipe as written. You can put them both in a large roasting pan or put each one in it’s own roasting pan. The cook time should be about the same. It may need an extra hour or so, but I would still start checking it after it has been in the oven for 12-14 hours. The resting time will the be the same. Enjoy!!
Well my dad and all of his family made the Worlds Best Pulled Pork!!! Although they never put on a dry rub, I do. There was not chili powder or cumin in the sauce-ever. I prefer the apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes about 1/4 c of brown sugar. Just mix it up no cooking. It is a liquid but when you pour it over the shredded pork pure yum!
My husband and I bought a Big Green Egg when they first came to market. I know it took anywhere from 17-23 hrs to be done. The “sweet spot” stage took the longest. We used oak and Pecan for smoking.
So after my husband died (not that he should have) I wanted Pulled pork but not wiling to babysit the Big Green Egg so I thought mmm low and slow in the oven. I put the rub on the day before and next night I put the pork shoulder in the granite roaster, set the oven to 220 and went to bed. When I got up the smell was wonderful. The workers who were doing some work on the house before selling, were salivating when coming in. Told them possibly will be ready for lunch. I had made coleslaw the night before. It was ready for their lunch and all said was the best Pulled pork they ever ate. It took 12 hours for the pork to be perfect.
This is the message to read today! Thank you so much for taking time to leave us a comment! I love cooking it overnight like that! You wake to the most amazing smelling house! I’m so glad this was a hit!
As a Chef from Canada I have to stand and applause this masterpiece!!!!! I have made this recipe to-the-tee (except I did mine on a smoker) for many of my friends and colleagues and they all agree hands down World’s Best! Kudos to my Southern neighbors (Canadian spelling ‘eh lol) and keep up the good work!
Thank you Eric! You have seriously made my week! We actually have a smoked version of this same recipe on the blog (https://ohsweetbasil.com/smoke-pulled-pork-on-a-traeger/) and I prefer the smoked version! It’s so good! Though the oven version is great to use in the winter months or if you don’t have a smoked. Thank you so much for taking time to leave us a comment!
Do you put this in the oven uncovered?
Yes. Enjoy!
I am catering for my church making this recipe. I just did a trial run here at home, soaked my pork for 24hrs, now has been in the oven 10hrs. It’s temperature is 195* my issue is there is NO juices in the bottom of the pan!! What should I do if anything?
Hi Robin…hmmmm it sounds like maybe the pork you are using is quite lean. The pork on it’s own should release a lot of juice. It should be fine though once it reaches 200 degrees. We usually toss some of the juices back into the pork after we shred it. If there isn’t any juices to add back in, just serve it with BBQ sauce people to add. It will be awesome!
Weird question but could I do this with chicken?
Hello! I supposed you could. You would probably only need about half the brine. It can still brine up to 24 hours and then the cooking time will be about 2 hours. It will shred very differently too. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out!
I’ve made this previously quite a few years ago but just wondering how is adjust cooking time for a boneless pork shoulder as I can’t get bone in anywhere 🙁
Hi Gemma! I have been finding the same thing lately too. They don’t have bone-in anywhere! It will take a little less time for a boneless pork shoulder to come to temperature. Start checking it a couple of hours earlier…maybe around 10 hours. Enjoy!
I’ve made this recipe multiple times and it’s always delicious! I freeze it in individually wrapped foil packets then in a Ziploc bag. Reheat from frozen in the microwave covered and at half heat. Just like fresh!
Thank you so much Ginny! And thank you for the tips storing and reheating it successfully!
This really is a good recipe. I have made several times after requests from my family. I would like to try the same basic recipe with beef brisket. Have you any advice on slow cooking brisket in oven?
Thank you so much Marjorie! I’m so glad you love this recipe as much as we do! We love brisket! In our smoked brisket post (https://ohsweetbasil.com/perfect-smoked-beef-brisket-recipe/) there is a section on how to cook it in the oven. The section it titled “Can You Smoke Brisket In The Oven?” I hope this helps!
Let me tell you beef brisket with this recipe is not a hit. Beef brisket uses Texan seasonings and a very different BBQ sauce. Google Texas beef brisket recipe. If a search comes up with Ward that to me is the best way to cook it.
We have a great smoked beef brisket recipe on the blog too: https://ohsweetbasil.com/perfect-smoked-beef-brisket-recipe/.
In a pinch and don’t have time to brine the pork. Will it affect it greatly? Can I do anything for about 8 hours before it has to go in the oven?
Hi Walter! You could definitely brine it for the 8 hours before. Any time in the brine is better than no brine. The flavor will be a little different and it won’t be as moist.
Can I make this in a crockpot? If so…how long?
Hey Carol! Yes this can be done in the slow cooker, but we’ve found that it doesn’t do it justice. It is also hard to fit the size of pork butt you need into a crock pot. If you decide to try it, it will cook for the same amount of time on low. Follow the brining instructions as written, and no need to add any liquid to the slow cooker. There’s enough juice in the pork to keep cooking properly.