This succulent apple cider pork shoulder roast is the ultimate fall comfort food. It’s fall-apart tender and juicy! It’s made with pork shoulder roast slowly braised in sweet apple cider, savory broth, white wine, fresh herbs, and mustard.
This comforting fall-inspired dish needs a few hours in the Dutch oven, but I promise, the robust flavors of this meltingly tender apple cider pork shoulder roast is so worth the wait!
Today’s recipe, apple cider braised pork roast, much like my Dutch Oven Pot Roast and French Onion Pot Roast, is going to have a permanent spot on my dinner rotation this season!
This pork shoulder is braised in apple cider, broth, and mustard braising liquid in the oven for 3 hours until fall-apart tender. I finish it with sliced apples, which are cooked until tender for those ultimate fall flavors. It’s insanely delicious!
I love cooking with apple cider in the fall! Try my cozy Apple Pork Chops with Onions, Apple Cider Pulled Pork, or this spectacular Apple Cider Brined Pork Loin.
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Why I Love This Recipe
- Cozy fall flavors! I love cooking with apples, and this pork roast is just perfect for the season.
- It’s a showstopper when serving it to guests, but definitely easy enough for a cozy fall dinner with family on a Sunday night.
- Fall-apart tender and juicy: Apple cider braised pork shoulder roast simmers in liquid for hours, delivering the most tender, juicy meat.
- It’s a one pot meal, which means less cleanup and also streamlines the entire cooking process.
Ingredient Notes
You may have what you need in your pantry, but if not, everything can be found at your local grocery store. I have also included notes from recipe testing. Please see the recipe card down below for specific ingredient quantities.
- Pork shoulder: I use bone-in pork shoulder. This cut of pork usually comes with a layer of skin and fat, so you’ll want to remove as much of the excess fat as possible.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: Kosher salt is great for seasoning meat.
- Fresh thyme and rosemary: You can really taste the aromatic herbs here, so fresh is highly recommended.
- Sliced red onions and minced garlic are the aromatics. These add beautiful aromatic flavor to the braising liquid, and they’re extra delicious when caramelized first.
- White wine: This adds a depth of flavor and helps to deglaze the brown bits, but you can replace it with more chicken broth if you prefer.
- Chicken broth: Use a homemade or store-bought chicken broth. Regular or low-sodium is fine.
- Apple cider and apple cider vinegar: You need BOTH! The acidity in both tenderizes the pork, allowing the rustic apple flavors to penetrate deep into the meat.
- Honey mustard: Gives the dish some sweetness and tang.
- Apples: Use 2 honeycrisp apples, or 1 honeycrisp and 1 granny smith. It’s up to you! Granny Smith apples add tartness, while honeycrisps are sweet and firm.
How To Make Apple Cider Pork Roast
With minimal prep time, all that needs to be done is to season and sear the meat, sauté the aromatics, and then the rest of it is time spent in the oven. Here’s how it’s done!
Step 1 | Season and sear the pork shoulder
Use a sharp knife to carefully remove the layer of fat. Typically fat keeps meat moist and adds flavor, but in this case, the braising in such flavorful juices does a great job of this. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Let it sear undisturbed so that a beautiful brown crust is formed, before turning the meat to continue caramelizing on all sides.
Step 2 | Cook the aromatics
To the same Dutch oven, drizzle in a bit more oil and cook the onions for a few minutes. Then, add the garlic and fresh minced herbs for another minute or so until fragrant.
Step 3 | Add the liquid and braise
Pour in the white wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits. Then, add the broth, cider, vinegar, and honey mustard. Do a little taste test, and add any extra salt and pepper if necessary.
Bring the liquid to a simmer and transfer the seared pork shoulder back into the pot. The liquid should cover about half or ¾ of the pork. If there isn’t enough liquid, add more broth and cider.
Surround it with sprigs of thyme and rosemary, as well as bay leaves, ensuring as much of that is submerged until the liquid as possible. Cover the Dutch oven with the lid and braise in the oven for 2.5 to 3 hours until tender.
Step 4 | Add apples and continue cooking
Once the braised pork has been cooking for a few hours, remove the pot from the oven and grab your sliced apples. Gently push them under the liquid and cook the pork for another 30 to 45 minutes until the apples are soft and the meat is perfectly fall-apart tender.
Step 5 | Shred and serve
Remove the bones, and shred the pork into medium sized chunks for serving. The meat should be so tender that the meat will fall right off the bone. Serve it with the tender apples and your favorite sides. Try it with my Apple Cider BBQ Sauce!
Tips for Success
- Use a Dutch oven (7-8 quart) for best results. It does a great job searing for that golden brown crust and maximum flavor. It also retains heat really well, which yields an extra tender and juicy roast.
- Bone-in pork shoulder gives the roast extra flavor and keeps the center extra juicy and tender.
- Apple cider substitution: If you don’t come across apple cider anywhere, you can substitute it for the brand Simply brand pure apple juice.
- To substitute fresh minced herbs for dried herbs, the rule of thumb is that for every tablespoon of fresh herbs, you’ll need a teaspoon of dried herbs. In other words, it’s ⅓ of the amount of fresh.
Freezing Tips
This apple cider braised pork shoulder freezes nicely for up to 3 months. Once everything has completely cooled (liquid included), transfer it to an airtight and freezer-safe container or freezer bag.
Reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat either in the oven or a skillet on the stovetop. If you’re reheating a single serving, use the microwave for ease.
Recipe FAQs
It plays a key role in adding depth of flavor, adding a little bit of sweetness and tartness. Along with apple cider vinegar and mustard, it imparts acidity into the meat that helps to tenderize it. It’s as good as my Apple Cider Pulled Pork!
I would suggest about an 8-quart Dutch oven to fit a 5-pound pork shoulder.
You can substitute it for the brand Simply brand pure apple juice, which tends to be more concentrated and closer in taste to cider. Don’t use diluted bottled apple juice (usually the ones with amber color).
Sure, you can! You’re going to start by searing the pork first, and then add everything to the slow cooker. Cover it and cook it on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
We love apple cider braised pork roast served over spinach mashed potatoes, which soak up so much of the flavorful juices. We’ve had this dish with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and red skin mashed potatoes.
As for veggie sides, we love making my maple roasted acorn squash or roasted parmesan asparagus on the side.
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Apple Cider Pork Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 pounds bone-in pork shoulder - excess fat trimmed
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt - plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 large red onion - cut into thick slices
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 cup white wine - or chicken broth
- 2 cups chicken broth - plus more as needed
- 2 cups apple cider - not apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 fresh sprigs fresh rosemary and thyme
- 2 apples, unpeeled and sliced - 1 honeycrisp and 1 granny smith
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Season the pork shoulder with 2 teaspoons Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper generously. In a large 7-8 quart Dutch oven, heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the pork shoulder on all sides until browned and a crust formed. Remove from the pot. Tip: Let it sear undisturbed to get that beautiful caramelized sear.
- In the same Dutch oven, add more oil and cook the sliced onions for 4 minutes over medium heat. Then, add the garlic and fresh minced thyme and rosemary for another 1 or 2 minutes until fragrant. Tip: If the pot is browning too fast, add a splash of broth.
- Deglaze with white wine, scraping any brown bits with a wooden spoon. Then, add chicken broth, apple cider, honey mustard, apple cider vinegar, minced thyme and rosemary, and the bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
- Then add the seared pork back into the pot, and arrange the whole sprigs of thyme and rosemary around it, gently pushing them under the liquid. The pork should be about halfway or 3/4 covered in the braising liquid. If not, add more broth or cider.
- Bring back to a low simmer. Then, cover with the lid tightly and braise in the preheated oven for 2.5 to 3 hours until tender.
- Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and add the sliced apples, gently pushing them under the braising liquid. Return to the oven for another 30 to 45 minutes until fall-apart tender and the apples are softened.
- Shred the meat (I like big chunks) and discard the bones. Serve with mashed potatoes or your favorite sides. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use a 7-8 quart Dutch oven.
- For this recipe, you need apple cider (the fall beverage) and apple cider vinegar.
- Preferably, use bone-in pork shoulder. The bone keeps it extra moist and flavorful.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave oven.
- Freezing: Let everything cool down and transfer to an airtight and freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat as needed.
- Apple cider: Apple cider is best, but you can also use concentrated Simply Juice apple juice. Don’t use the translucent apple juice that’s amber in color (too diluted).
- Honey mustard: Dijon mustard plus 1-2 teaspoons of honey or to taste.
- Fresh herbs: If using dried, use about 1/3 of the amount of fresh herbs, and omit the fresh herb sprigs at the end.
Patrice says
First time I ever made a pork shoulder and this was delicious. Very flavorful dish with minimal effort. I did have an abundance of tasty liquid left in the Dutch oven after cooking and I’m trying to come up with a use…it seems a waste to discard. Served it with smashed green beans and potatoes. This is a keeper!
John Abrahms says
If using dried herbs – how much thyme and rosemary. 1 teaspoon each?