BBQ Baby Shower Pulled Pork (Printable)

Savory pulled pork slow-cooked in barbecue sauce, topped with crisp coleslaw on soft slider buns.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pork

01 - 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
02 - 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
03 - 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
06 - 0.5 teaspoon onion powder

→ Sauce

07 - 1.5 cups barbecue sauce
08 - 0.33 cup apple cider vinegar
09 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar
10 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

→ Sliders

11 - 16 slider buns
12 - 2 cups coleslaw mix
13 - 0.5 cup mayonnaise
14 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
15 - 1 teaspoon sugar
16 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
17 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

# How to Make It:

01 - Pat the pork dry and rub evenly with kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.
02 - Place the seasoned pork in a slow cooker. In a separate bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour the sauce mixture over the pork.
03 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on low setting for 6 hours or until the pork is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
04 - While the pork cooks, combine coleslaw mix, mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Toss well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
05 - Transfer the cooked pork to a large bowl and shred using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and toss with the cooking juices and sauce.
06 - Slice the slider buns horizontally. Place a portion of pulled pork on the bottom half of each bun, top with a spoonful of prepared coleslaw, and cover with the top bun half. Serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The slow cooker does almost all the work while you attend to everything else happening around your kitchen.
  • Tender, fall-apart pork that tastes like you've been tending a smoker all day, minus the actual smoke.
  • A crowd-friendly format that lets guests build their own, which always feels more celebratory than plated food.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the pork before seasoning—moisture prevents the rub from adhering, and you lose half your flavor work right there.
  • The slaw needs to be made ahead and chilled; serving warm slaw on warm pork creates a texture problem, but cold slaw stays crisp and cuts through the richness.
  • If your slow cooker runs hot, start checking the pork around the five-hour mark—some cookers cook faster than others, and overcooked pork becomes dry and stringy.
03 -
  • Toast your slider buns under the broiler for about a minute per side just before serving—it prevents them from getting soggy and adds a subtle richness that changes everything.
  • Make the slaw several hours ahead so the flavors meld and the cabbage softens just slightly; it's better cold and well-seasoned than freshly made and bland.
  • If you're cooking for a crowd, double this recipe without doubling the cooking time—a six-pound pork shoulder takes about the same six hours to cook as a three-pound one.
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