Pork shoulder is rubbed with a dry spice mix, cooked until tender, then tossed in BBQ sauce. Add some homemade coleslaw and buns and you have the perfect pulled pork sandwiches for a flavorful dinner or game day meal!

Pulled Pork Sandwich - With Coleslaw Ramekin in Background
Pulled pork sandwiches are such a classic crowd-pleaser. They’re great for a comfort-food dinner, game-day party, summer cookout, graduation parties, and about a hundred other occasions.

Since pork shoulder is pretty inexpensive, pulled pork is a great “bang for your buck” recipe. Add your favorite barbecue sauce, some hamburger buns, and a crunchy coleslaw, and you’ve got a low-effort main dish that everyone will love.

Why These Pulled Pork Sandwiches are so Good

A flavorful spice rub — Before cooking the pork, it gets rubbed with a dry spice mix. This goes beyond just seasoning the meat with salt and pepper; it adds an extra layer of flavor that makes the pork taste great on its own, before we even add any sauce!
Slow roasting the pork — Pork shoulder is a tough cut of meat with a lot of connective tissue. But when you cook it at a low temperature for several hours (aka “low and slow”), it becomes moist and tender, easily falling apart and shredding with forks or your hands.
Add the perfect BBQ sauce — I like to add my homemade sweet and spicy BBQ sauce to the flavorful pork for a balance of smoky, sweet, and spicy notes. Feel free to use your own favorite BBQ sauce, though! 
Finished with crunchy slaw and a homemade bun — If you ask me, the best way to finish a pulled pork sandwich is with homemade coleslaw and homemade hamburger buns. The crunchy texture and creamy coolness of the slaw perfectly complements the slow-roasted pork. And who doesn’t love a homemade burger bun?

Pork Shoulder with Spices Rubbed on Top

What to Look For When Buying Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder, also known as pork butt or Boston butt, is a relatively inexpensive cut of meat that you can find at almost any grocery store or butcher shop. It’s versatile, easy to cook, and can feed a crowd.

When buying a pork shoulder, look for one that has a nice, even layer of fat on the top — this is known as the “fat cap.” The meat itself should have a pinkish-red color and nice marbling throughout. 

Avoid pork shoulders that are pale in color or have dark spots in the fat. 

Most boneless pork shoulders weigh between 4-6 pounds, which is perfect for this recipe.

How to Make Pulled Pork in the Oven (Step-by-Step Overview)

Prep the pork

In a small bowl, stir together the spices for the rub. Sprinkle it evenly over all sides of the pork and rub it into the meat with your hands.

Use a sharp knife to cut a crosshatch pattern into the fat cap, then set the pork into a 9×13-inch baking dish with the fat cap facing up.

Cook the pork

Pour the beer or chicken stock into the bottom of the baking dish. Cover the pan with foil and cook in the oven at 225°F for 5 hours.

Halfway through cooking, uncover the pan and flip the meat over. Recover to finish cooking.

The pork is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 200°F. 

Pull the pork

Once the meat is done roasting, carefully transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Use two forks to shred the meat. You can also do this with your hands if you let the meat cool slightly first.

Add the BBQ sauce and stir to coat the shredded pork.

Make the sandwiches

At least 30 minutes before you plan to eat, stir the coleslaw ingredients together in a mixing bowl. If you aren’t sure where to start with a head of cabbage, be sure to check out my guide on how to cut cabbage.

Chill the slaw in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Add some of the pork to the bottom of a hamburger bun. Top with additional BBQ sauce if desired, then add some of the slaw. Add the top of the bun and enjoy!

Other Cooking Methods

If you don’t want to roast the pork shoulder for these pulled pork sandwiches in the oven, you’ve got some other cooking options.

For slow cooker pulled pork, place the rubbed pork shoulder in 6-quart slow cooker and add the beer or stock. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 200°F on an instant-read thermometer. Shred and finish the sandwiches as written.

If you have a smoker, you can follow my directions for making smoked pork butt and use that meat in these pulled pork sandwiches as well. 

Serving Suggestions

In my opinion, a cool, crunchy coleslaw is the ultimate pulled pork sandwich topping. But there are plenty of other options you can add in addition to or instead of slaw, such as:

As for sides, these pulled pork sandwiches are delicious alongside dishes like creamed corn, red potato salad, broccoli salad, or caprese pasta salad.

Other Uses for Pulled Pork

Of course this slow-roasted pork is incredible as a pulled pork sandwich, but that’s not the only way you can enjoy it! Some other ways to serve this pulled pork include:

  • Turn it into tacos. Use some different seasonings when cooking the pork and you could make these Asian pork tacos! 
  • Pile it onto nachos. Pour on some homemade nacho cheese sauce and your favorite toppings, such as jalapeños and fresh guacamole, and no one will be able to resist them.
  • Stir it into macaroni and cheese.
  • Add it to a grilled cheese sandwich.
  • Swap the hamburger buns for Hawaiian rolls and make pulled pork sliders.

Did you enjoy the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!

Pulled Pork Sandwich with Coleslaw

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
Pork shoulder is rubbed with a dry spice mix, cooked until tender, then tossed in BBQ sauce. Add some homemade cole slaw and a bun, and you have a hearty and delicious meal!
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Ingredients

For the Pork Sandwiches:

For the rub:

  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp whole fennel seed
  • 1 tbsp salt

For the cole slaw:

  • 1/2 head green cabbage shredded
  • 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
  • 4 carrots shredded
  • 2 tbsp mayo
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • salt and pepper

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
  • Stir to combine all the rub ingredients, then rub it all over the pork.
  • Place the pork in a 9×13 baking dish with the fat cap on top, and slice some criss crosses in the top.
  • Add the 1/2 cup of beer or chicken stock to the bottom of the pan. Cover the entire dish with foil and slow roast for 5 hours, turning the meat over halfway through.
  • Shred the pork with two forks (or with your hands, let the meat cool slightly first), then toss it in your favorite BBQ sauce. Serve the pulled pork with coleslaw in a hamburger bun. Enjoy!
  • To make the coleslaw: Toss all the ingredients together, and let it sit for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can meld.

Nutrition

Calories: 615kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 44g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 163mg, Sodium: 808mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: Fifteen Spatulas