Applesauce Pulled Pork Sandwiches (Printable)

Slow-cooked pork with applesauce and cider on soft buns for a sweet-savory twist on a beloved classic.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pork

01 - 3 lbs 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 thinly sliced onion and minced garlic in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
03 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together unsweetened applesauce, apple cider, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
04 - Position the seasoned pork on top of the onions in the slow cooker. Pour the applesauce mixture evenly over the pork.
05 - Cover the slow cooker 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 it using two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat.
07 - Skim excess fat from the cooking liquid in the slow cooker. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker and mix thoroughly with the sauce.
08 - Serve the warm pulled pork on sandwich buns. Top with coleslaw and additional applesauce or barbecue sauce if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The slow cooker does all the work while your house fills with the scent of apples and spices.
  • Sweet and savory flavors meld together in a way that feels both comforting and a little unexpected.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and taste even better the next day when the pork soaks up more sauce.
02 -
  • Do not skip patting the pork dry before seasoning, moisture prevents the spices from sticking and forming a flavorful crust.
  • If your slow cooker runs hot, check the pork after 7 hours to avoid it drying out.
  • Skimming the fat before stirring the pork back in makes a huge difference in how the sauce tastes and feels.
03 -
  • Let the pork rest in the sauce for at least 10 minutes after shredding so it absorbs all the flavor.
  • Toast your buns lightly in a skillet or under the broiler to keep them from getting soggy under all that saucy pork.
  • If you are short on time, you can cook this on high for 4 to 5 hours, but low and slow gives you the most tender, flavorful result.
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