Pineapple pulled pork is one of the best easy and healthy summer crock pot recipes you can make! Just dump the ingredients and go and you will have tender and delicious pork that you can serve on slider buns, in tacos, or in a salad for an easy summer meal.
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Just because it's almost summertime doesn't mean you have to store away your slow cooker until fall! Pineapple pulled pork is one of the best summer crock pot recipes you can make using your slow cooker.
Although this recipe has light and fresh flavors that are reminiscent of summer, this Hawaiian pineapple pulled pork recipe is a summer crock pot meal that can easily become a weeknight dinner your family will love all year round!
If you love pork, try another one of our citrus-flavored Asian-style pork recipes, air fryer pork tenderloin or pellet grilled pork tenderloin. This recipe is another great summer dinner that is great for hot summer days!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The best recipe for a crowd for summer picnics and holidays.
- Quick to make ahead and prep - no browning or searing required.
- Pineapple pulled pork can be made in a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or a Dutch oven.
- Great base for sandwiches, quesadillas, tacos, or quinoa bowls.
- Easy and light summer dinner (check out these other light and easy summer meals for more ideas and inspiration!)
- Kid-friendly!
- Simple meal idea for hot weather days - no oven!
- One pot makes for easy cleanup!
- Easy to freeze.
Ingedients & Substitutions
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
- Pork: Select a pork shoulder, butt, or Boston butt which can be found in the meat section or counter at your grocery store.
- Arrowroot: Used to thicken the sauce. Cornstarch may be substituted.
- Coconut sugar: May use honey or maple syrup instead.
How to Make This Recipe
Below are step-by-step instructions for how to cook this recipe. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cooking time and temperatures.
Step 1: Make the Sauce
In a bowl mix together the soy sauce, chicken broth, pineapple juice, ketchup, coconut sugar, minced garlic, and ground ginger.
Step 2
Prepare the pork by trimming much of the fat and cutting it into large chunks. Season meat with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray and set pork into the slow cooker.
Crock Pot Instructions
Pour sauce over pork and slow cook for 8 hours on low. See the final instructions for incorporating the bbq sauce and chopped pineapple after slow cooking.
Instant Pot Instructions
Follow all instructions for steps 1 through 2 until placed in the crock pot. Place seasoned pork into the Instant Pot with ½ of the sauce.
Cook on manual high for 40 minutes and then do a natural release for 10 minutes. Shred and add in the remaining sauce or serve it on the side.
This is the fastest way to make pineapple pulled pork.
Oven Instructions
Follow all instructions for steps 1 through 2 up until placed in the crock pot. Place pork and sauce into an oven-safe cooking dish. Roast at 300F for 6 hours or until pork has cooked thoroughly, is shreddable, and is 145F in the center.
Final Instructions - all cooking methods
Once the pork has cooked thoroughly and is 145F in the center as well as shreddable, move the pork to a large bowl and pull the meat using two forks.
Take half of the remaining sauce and place it into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Combine arrowroot with 3 tablespoons of water and set aside.
Once the sauce begins to boil, add in arrowroot mixture. Continue to boil until the sauce has a barbecue sauce consistency.
Add bbq sauce plus chopped pineapple to the bowl. Toss to combine and serve.
Serving, Freezing, Storage, And Reheating Tips
What to Serve with Pulled Pork
Serve the pineapple pulled pork with accompaniments such as coleslaw, pasta salad, or spinach quinoa salad for a light and fresh summer meal.
You can use this recipe as a base for tacos, salads, slider buns, or in a bowl.
Top with red cabbage and carrot slaw!
How to Freeze Leftovers
This pineapple pulled pork is a great summer crock pot meal for preparing healthy freezer meals all year round. Once the pork has completed cooking and is cool enough to transfer, you can begin to prepare it to be frozen.
I like to use freezer bags that help me to identify what the dish is as well as when it was made. Cooked pork shoulder can remain in the freezer for 6 to 8 months.
How to Store Leftovers
Cooked pineapple pulled pork can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days in an air-tight container.
Reheating Tips
The easiest quickest way to reheat pineapple pulled pork is by microwaving it in 60-second increments until heated through. You can also heat it on the stovetop or in the oven until heated through.
Other Expert Tips
- Make it paleo, Whole30, or keto-friendly: Substitute soy sauce for coconut aminos, coconut sugar for stevia, standard ketchup for Primal Kitchen ketchup, and pineapple and juice for guava and juice (keto only.)
- Texture tips for picky eaters: Feel free to omit the pineapple chunks if desired.
Recipe FAQs
One of the best things about using your slow cooker in the summer is that you do not have to turn on your oven on hot days and nights. It also saves time when you can dump a meal in the crock pot in the morning and you can leave all day without worrying about what's for dinner.
There are so many recipes that you can make in the crock pot that are healthy! Although this recipe is generally considered a summer crock pot recipe, you can make it any time of the year.
Refer to our entire catalog of healthy crock pot meals for more meal inspiration for your slow cooker.
Any kind of meat that can be slow-cooked or roasted is delicious in the crock pot. Chicken, ribs, and beef are all great meats to cook in the crock pot during the summer.
Pineapple juice is used in this summer crock pot recipe to give it an extra fresh taste, incredible texture, and juicy meat.
The juice gives pineapple pulled pork an acidic component, similar to using Dr. Pepper or Coke in other pulled pork recipes.
Citrus flavors like pineapple and mango as well as smoky or smoked flavors work really well with pineapple pulled pork. Depending on the cooking method you can really go down a variety of flavor paths, even using a dry rub or bbq sauce to make it super simple.
The 3-pound pork shoulder yields around 12 servings. Generally, aim for 4 ounces per person unless you are needing larger portion sizes.
Related Recipes
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Pineapple Pulled Pork (Summer Crock Pot Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lb boneless pork shoulder, Boston butt, or pork butt
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup pineapple chopped
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together the soy sauce, chicken broth, pineapple juice, ketchup, coconut sugar, minced garlic, and ground ginger.½ cup soy sauce, 1 ½ cups chicken broth, 1 cup pineapple juice, ¾ cup ketchup, ¼ cup coconut sugar, 2 tablespoon minced garlic, 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- Prepare the pork by trimming much of the fat and cutting it into large chunks. Season meat with salt and pepper. Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray and place the pork into the slow cooker. Pour sauce over pork and slow cook for 8 hours on low.3 lb boneless pork shoulder, Boston butt, or pork butt, salt and pepper
- Once the pork has cooked thoroughly and is 145F in the center as well as shreddable, move the pork to a large bowl and pull the meat using two forks. Continue to bbq sauce instructions to make the sauce.
BBQ Sauce Instructions
- Take half of the remaining sauce and place it into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Combine arrowroot with 3 tablespoon of water and set aside. Once the sauce begins to boil, add in arrowroot mixture. Continue to boil until the sauce has a barbecue sauce consistency.1 tablespoon arrowroot
- Add bbq sauce and chopped pineapple to the bowl. Toss to combine and serve.1 cup pineapple
Oven Instructions
- Follow all instructions for steps 1 through 2 regarding preparation up until placing in the crock pot. Place pork and sauce into an oven-safe cooking dish. Roast at 300F for 6 hours or until pork has cooked thoroughly, is shreddable and is 145F in the center. Follow bbq sauce instructions for sauce.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Follow all instructions for steps 1 through 2 regarding preparation until placing in the crock pot. Place seasoned pork into the Instant Pot with ½ of the sauce.Cook on manual high for 40 minutes and then do a natural release for 10 minutes. Shred pork then follow bbq sauce instructions for sauce. Add in the remaining sauce or serve it on the side.
Notes
- Make it paleo, Whole30, or keto-friendly: Substitute soy sauce for coconut aminos, coconut sugar for stevia, standard ketchup for Primal Kitchen ketchup, and pineapple and juice for guava and juice (keto only.)
- Texture tips for picky eaters: Feel free to omit the pineapple chunks if desired.
- Storage: Cooked shredded pork can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days in an air-tight container.
- Reheating: Microwave it in 60-second increments until heated through. You can also heat it on the stove top or in the oven
- Freezing: Allow meat to cool then transfer to freezer-safe containers and freezer for 6 months.
Adrienne
These look delicious. Adding to my menu for next week
mommafitpgh@gmail.com
awesome!! hope you love them 🙂