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Easy Chipotle Sweet Pulled Pork Recipe

Easy Chipotle Sweet Pulled Pork

Tender pork shoulder slow-cooked with chipotle chiles in adobo, brown sugar, citrus, vinegar, and warm spices. The finished meat is tossed with its concentrated cooking juices for a sweet, smoky, slightly spicy dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 8 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pork
  • 3½–4 lb Boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
  • 1½ tsp Kosher salt
  • ½ tsp Freshly ground black pepper
Aromatics
  • 1 Medium yellow onion, sliced
  • 4 Garlic cloves, minced
Sauce
  • 2–3 chiles Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
  • 2 tbsp Adobo sauce from the can
  • ½ cup Packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup Low-sodium chicken stock
  • ¼ cup Apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup Orange juice
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Spices
  • 1 tsp Ground cumin
  • 1 tsp Smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp Dried oregano

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Trim thick, hard pieces of surface fat from the pork, leaving a thin layer. Pat the pork dry and season all over with the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  2. Place the sliced onion and minced garlic in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Arrange the seasoned pork shoulder on top of the aromatics.
  3. Stir together the minced chipotle chiles, adobo sauce, brown sugar, chicken stock, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, smoked paprika, and dried oregano. Pour this mixture over the pork.
  4. Cover and cook on Low for 8–10 hours, or on High for 4–5 hours. The pork is ready when it is very tender and pulls apart easily with a fork.
  5. Transfer the pork to a tray and let it rest for 10 minutes. Shred it with two forks, discarding large pieces of fat and connective tissue.
  6. Return the shredded pork to the cooking juices and toss thoroughly. Taste and adjust with salt, vinegar, or additional brown sugar as needed.

Notes

For a thicker, more concentrated sauce, reduce the cooking juices in a saucepan before tossing them with the pork. For crisp browned edges, spread the sauced pork on a sheet pan and briefly broil it. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat gently with a spoonful of the reserved juices.