What if I told you that you can make healthy pulled pork, from scratch, with simple ingredients, in a slow cooker, while you do something else for whole 10 hours, and it’s gonna be saucy, smoky and delicious?! Just minus the sodium, sugar and preservatives.
And what if I also told you that super easy healthy coleslaw with Greek yogurt is included?!
MY LATEST RECIPESAnd what if I told you it is a healthy freezer and make ahead meal?!
Are you in? Here is the recipe then.
How to Make Healthy Pulled Pork
Liquid Smoke: Please don’t be intimidated by this ingredient and don’t give up on the recipe. It is a common item you can find in many grocery stores. Think of a store (possibly more fancy and expensive than your GO-TO) that carries a large variety of foods, possibly ethnic and imported, and check out their condiments aisle. Or Amazon never fails.
Liquid smoke costs $4-5 a bottle and lasts you a lifetime in a fridge. You will use it for years making healthy versions of BBQ sauce, pulled pork and BBQ chicken.
1. I used a pork shoulder with bone in (boneless is fine). Trim meat of any visible fat.
2. In a large slow cooker, add tomato sauce, applesauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
3. Place meat on top and spoon some sauce over it. Cover and cook on Low for 10 hours.
4. Remove meat onto a cutting board and turn up heat to High.
In slow cooker, slowly add flour while whisking until completely dissolved, cover and cook for 20 minutes. While sauce is cooking to thicken, shred meat with 2 forks (hands) discarding bones (if any), tough tissues and fat. Add shredded meat to the sauce and stir.
I highly-highly recommend to make my super easy healthy coleslaw to go with pulled pork. As easy as opening a store bought bag of cabbage and mixing it with yogurt dressing that is creamy without mayo.
Serve on a whole grain/wheat bun (brioche buns were used for a pretty picture effect to make you swoon). Or with quinoa (brown rice) for a wholesome meal. Or with cauliflower mashed potatoes for a low carb dinner. See, sky is the limit.
Looking for more meaty slow cooker mains recipes? Check out slow cooker balsamic pot roast and slow cooker whole chicken and pasta.
PrintHealthy Pulled Pork
Healthy Pulled Pork Recipe made from scratch with simple ingredients, in slow cooker, served in a sandwich with healthy coleslaw.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 hours 20 minutes
- Total Time: 10 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 servings
Ingredients
- 4-5 lbs pork shoulder or butt roast
- 14 oz can tomato sauce*
- 3/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 tsp liquid smoke**
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder or flakes
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp whole wheat flour
Instructions
- Trim meat of any visible fat. In a large slow cooker, add tomato sauce, applesauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; whisk to combine. Place meat on top and spoon some sauce over it. Cover and cook on Low for 10 hours.
- Remove meat onto a cutting board and turn up heat to High. In slow cooker, slowly add flour while whisking until completely dissolved, cover and cook for 20 minutes. While sauce is cooking to thicken, shred meat with 2 forks (hands) discarding bones (if any), tough tissues and fat.
- Add shredded meat to the sauce, stir and serve on a whole grain/wheat bun topped with my super easy healthy coleslaw.
Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
Freeze: In a large Ziploc bag, add all ingredients (except flour), release out air as much as possible, seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and cook as per instructions + 1 hour.
Make Ahead: In a large Ziploc bag, add all ingredients (except flour) and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Cook as per instructions.
Notes
*I used low sodium, so if yours is not, add less salt to taste. **You can find liquid smoke in a condiment aisle of many grocery stores, or on Amazon.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
This was great. I actually did this in Instant Pot, because I didn’t have my act together to do it in the morning. I put on slow cook and “normal” setting for 2 hours, “More” setting for 2 hours and then normal for last hour. 5 hours total. Super yummy. I bet it would be even better with slow cook x 10 hours as you said, but this worked for us.
TY for all of the great recipes.
★★★★★
I think Instant Pot slow cook function is good enough. I have heard it’s a bit slower than actual slow cooker, so I’m happy it worked for you.
I forgot to note that I substituted the tomato sauce with fire roasted crushed tomatoes- which definitely boosted the flavor level!
I bet they did. Anything smoked or grilled always adds such a nice flavour!
This was absolutely delicious!!! I don’t like bbq sauce, so the liquid smoke substitute was perfect. It gave the pork amazing flavor without the heaviness of bbq sauce.
★★★★★
My pleasure!
This pulled pork was amazing! You would never know it’s healthy. Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi, making this out of a cabin at a family reunion. I don’t want to bring all the ingredients in their bottles out to the lake. Would you recommend making the sauce and bringing the pork and putting them together there? Or could I dump it all (minus the flour) in a gallon ziplock and take it to the lake like that?
Yes, both ways work. Doesn’t matter which one. Have fun!!!
Hi, I made this for dinner last night for my family. It’s hard to eat clean and have it also satisfy picky kids and adults too. It was good stuff, and I’ll definitely make it again. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Jeff. Glad this healthy crock pot pulled pork worked for everyone. North American picky eaters are hard to please, I agree. I watch my kids’ friends and it is honestly a nightmare what these kids don’t eat. The only way to convert them is for parents to put their foot down, buckle up and survive a storm of screams for a bit, and then it will be all unicorns and rainbows for the rest of the life.:)