Pineapple pulled pork is one of the best healthy and easy summer crockpot 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 during warmer months.
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Just because it's almost summertime doesn't mean you have to store away your slow cooker until fall! Slow cooker meals are great in the summer.
Pineapple pulled pork is one of the best summer crock pot recipes you can make using your slow cooker - serve it with a cold Arnold Palmer!
Although this recipe has light and fresh flavors that are perfect for warm months, 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!
Be sure to add a delicious summer dessert recipe to this perfect summer meal! I like easy peach cobbler or nectarine cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Why You'll Love This Slow-Cooker Recipe for Summer
These are the top 10 reasons to make this recipe:
- The best easy recipe for a crowd! Make a big batch for a summer cookout, picnic, summer barbecues, and holidays.
- Quick to make ahead - no browning or searing required and just a few minutes of prep time.
- Pineapple pulled pork can be made in a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or a Dutch oven.
- Great way to make meat for sandwiches, quesadillas, tacos, or quinoa bowls.
- Easy meal and light summer dinner (check out these other light and easy summer meals for more ideas and inspiration!)
- A kid-friendly meal the whole family will love!
- Simple meal idea for hot weather days - no hot oven and no hot stove during summer heat!
- One pot makes for easy clean up!
- Easy to freeze.
- Healthy pulled pork recipe with simple ingredients.
Main Ingredients & 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.
Select a pork shoulder roast, pork butt, or Boston butt which can be found in the meat section or counter at your grocery store.
Arrowroot is used to thicken the sauce. Cornstarch may be substituted.
Coconut sugar sweetens the homemade BBQ sauce. Use honey, brown sugar, or maple syrup instead.
Chicken broth, ketchup, soy sauce or hoisin sauce, garlic, and ginger create the base for the BBQ sauce.
Use balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar in place of soy sauce if desired.
Sweet pineapple gives the recipe delicious fresh flavor and sweetness. You could also use pineapple salsa.
How to Make This Recipe
Below are step-by-step instructions for how to cook this recipe with the best results. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cooking time and temperatures.
Step 1: Make the Homemade Pineapple BBQ Sauce
In a bowl mix together the soy sauce, chicken broth, pineapple juice, ketchup, coconut sugar, minced garlic, and ground ginger.
Step 2: Trim the Meat
Prepare the pork by trimming much of the fat and cutting it into large chunks. Season meat with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Place Meat into Cooking Dish
Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray and place pork roast chunks 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 or Pressure Cooker Instructions
To make a fast pulled pork recipe, follow all instructions for steps 1 through 2 until placed in the crock pot. Place the 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.
Oven Instructions
Follow all instructions for steps 1 through 2 up until placed in the crock pot. You do not have to cut the meat into pieces when making this recipe in the oven.
Place the 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. Cooking time varies depending on the size of the meat.
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 the 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
To eat pulled pork without bread, serve the pineapple pulled pork with side dishes such as coleslaw, Italian pasta salad, green beans, sliced sweet potatoes, fresh corn on the grill, fresh fruits, or spinach quinoa salad for a light and fresh summer meal.
You can use this shredded pork recipe as a base for tacos, salads, slider buns, or in a bowl with white rice.
The best bread for a pulled pork sandwich is a soft sandwich bun. We like pork sandwiches on Hawaiian rolls.
Top with this coleslaw recipe for pulled pork and fresh herbs like cilantro, chives, or chopped green onions!
Can You Freeze Pulled Pork?
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 Long Is Pulled Pork Good For?
Cooked pineapple pulled pork can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days in an air-tight container.
What Is the Best Way to Reheat Pulled Pork?
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.
If you are serving it the next day, add more BBQ sauce or chicken broth before reheating.
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 large chunks of pineapple if desired.
- Make it the easy way! 3 ingredient Hawaiian pulled pork can be made using pork, BBQ sauce, and pineapple. The best store bought BBQ sauce for pulled pork is Sweet Baby Ray's.
- For a smoky flavor, add some liquid smoke to the BBQ sauce.
- Add chopped bell peppers for added veggies and fiber.
Recipe FAQs
One of the best things about making summer crockpot meals 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 index 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 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 or smoky or smoked flavors work well with pineapple pulled pork.
Depending on the cooking method, you can use many delicious flavors. A dry rub or BBQ sauce makes it super simple.
The 3-pound pork shoulder yields around 12 servings. Generally, aim for 4 ounces per person unless you need larger portion sizes.
Pulled pork can be overcooked, especially in a slow cooker. Once you notice the meat beginning to pull apart, begin monitoring it for doneness.
Pulled pork is done when it pulls apart easily and the meat has moisture. Avoid overcooking the pulled pork and use ample BBQ sauce and liquid to keep it moist.
More Favorite Recipes for Summer!
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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 the arrowroot mixture. Continue to boil until the sauce has a barbecue sauce consistency.1 tablespoon arrowroot
- Add the 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. Do not cut the meat into chunks, just trim it of excess fat. 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 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 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.
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Adrienne says
These look delicious. Adding to my menu for next week
mommafitpgh@gmail.com says
awesome!! hope you love them 🙂