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The most tender and delicious Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Shoulder made with fennel seeds, preserved lemon and fresh herbs. This pork could not be easier to make and tastes incredible. Serve it with olive oil potatoes and veggies or on a focaccia sandwich with homemade salsa verde.
Here it comes, our first ever slow cooker recipe and it’s pretty perfect if I do say so myself. This slow cooker pulled pork shoulder has all the flavours of a classic Italian porchetta but in pulled pork form and it’s seriously delicious!
The best thing about it is that it takes about 10 minutes to prepare and then you set it and forget it. Make this in the morning and it’ll be ready for dinner with literally zero effort involved.
The seasonings
I chose seasonings that I absolutely love in a classic porchetta, fennel, lemon, oregano, thyme and garlic. The herbs are rubbed all over the pork shoulder with a little olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. It’s really important to season with salt to enhance all the delicious flavours.
In Italy, we’d sometimes get preserved lemon in our porchetta sandwiches and they were always my favourite so I added it in here. Be careful though they’re really strong and fragrant so you just need a little and although you can also use fresh lemon I find it too acidic for this recipe.
How to lock in flavour
Ok, so an IMPORTANT step to making the very best slow cooker pulled pork shoulder is to sear the meat before adding it to the slow cooker. Why? because searing locks in a ton of delicious flavour and created the most delicious crust on the outside.
The slow cooker will give you the most beautiful and tender meat on the inside but you really need to sear it on a skillet or frying pan for the best results and it only takes 5 minutes.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Shoulder – Step By Step
If your pork shoulder has the fatty skin on make sure to remove it first. Rub all the herbs and salt all over the pork shoulder on all sides (photo 1 & 2).
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan on a high/medium heat. Brown the pork on all sides (roughly 30 seconds each side). Add it to the slow cooker (photos 3 – 5).
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Add the wine to the pan to deglaze and scrape any brown bits with a wooden spoon then pour it over the pork in the slow cooker. You won’t need to cook the wine for more than 1 minute in the pan.
Add the peeled, whole garlic cloves to the slow cooker, cover and set on low for 10 hours (photos 6-8).
After 10 hours, turn the slow cooker off remove the pork to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Serve with sides of choice or in sandwiches.
Serving suggestions
I love to serve this pulled pork on sandwiches made with homemade rosemary focaccia and salsa verde it’s super simple but one of the best things you’ll ever eat. Another great way to serve this is with roasted potatoes, grilled veggies or with a fresh salad.
P.S If you have leftovers my Leftover Pulled Pork Ragu is super easy and tastes incredible, perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner!
Top tips and recipe FAQs
- You can easily adapt this recipe with your favorite herbs and spices.
- Don’t skip the searing of the meat as it locks in a lot of flavour.
To make this recipe alcohol free you can replace the wine with chicken stock.
Leftover meat can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days or can be frozen in suitable containers/bag for up to 3 months. If freezing I recommend shredding it first.
More Italian recipes you might like
- Veal Saltimbocca with Prosciutto and Sage
- Classic Beef Lasagne with Spinach Pasta
- Classic Beef Carpaccio
- Italian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Simple Saffron Risotto
If you’ve tried this Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Shoulder or any other recipe on the blog don’t forget to let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW US on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more recipe ideas and behind the scenes content!
Step By Step Photos Above
Most of our recipes come with step by step photos, helpful tips and tricks to make it perfectly first time and even video!
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Shoulder
Ingredients
- 2.8 lbs pork shoulder, skin removed (1.3kg)
- 3/4 cup white wine, (200ml)
- 6 garlic cloves, whole
- 2 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp preserved lemon peel
- 1 tsp chilli flakes, red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp oregano, dried
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, fienly chopped
- 2 tbsp sea salt flakes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- If your pork shoulder has the fatty skin on make sure to remove it first. Rub all the herbs and salt all over the pork shoulder on all sides.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan on a high/medium heat. Brown the pork on all sides (roughly 30 seconds each side). Add it to the slow cooker.
- Add the wine to the pan to deglaze and scrape any brown bits with a wooden spoon then pour it over the pork in the slow cooker. You won’t need to cook the wine for more than 1 minute in the pan.
- Add the peeled, whole garlic cloves and chilli flakes to the slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 10 hours.
- After 10 hours, turn the slow cooker off remove the pork to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Serve with sides of choice or in sandwiches. *see serving suggestions in notes.
Video
Notes
- You can easily adapt this recipe with your favorite herbs and spices.
- Don’t skip the searing of the meat as it locks in a lot of flavour.
- Leftover meat can be stored in the fridge or freezer. If freezing I recommend shredding it first.
- If you don’t want to use wine (although it gives the best flavour) you can use stock.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What kind of white wine works best in this recipe?
Hi Monica, Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, Passerina or Soave would be good options!
i’m planning to use your delicious sounding pork shoulder recipe (and maybe the polenta fries too). for the pork — is 10 hrs on HIGH correct — or is that 10 hours on low? thanks
Hi Pat, I’m so happy you spotted that it’s definitely 10 hours on low. I’m changing the instructions now, thank you!
I will be making this pulled pork recipe next week! Do you have the recipe for Salsa Verde? Thank you!
Hi Rossella, I don’t have a recipe on the site yet but if you google Italian salsa verde you should get a good one. Hope you enjoy!
I love your step-by-step shots! I am adding this to my must make dinner list to try very soon!
Thanks so much Jessica so happy you find them helpful!
This is such a flavorful pork shoulder. My family will love this.
I love slow cooker recipe but what I love even more is slow cooker sandwich recipes! This looks so good, the perfect meal for busy nights.
Thanks so much Sharon, I totally agree!
I really can’t wait to try it again! Really delish!
Thanks Toni, so happy you enjoyed it!
We love pork in our house – can’t wait to make this one!! Thank you!
Hope you love it, thanks so much Tawnie!