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!
I love cooking with apple cider in the fall! It adds a sweet and tart flavor profile, and it’s especially good with pork. If you haven’t yet, try my Apple Pork Chops with Onions!
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!
If you know me, you know that fall is my absolute favorite time of year! I always look forward to the changing leaves and breaking out the big Dutch oven for cooking hearty meals like Dutch Oven Chicken.
We love to serve this apple cider braised pork shoulder over Spinach Mashed Potatoes, but you can try my Creamy Mashed Potatoes as well. So good!
Why I love making this Apple Cider Braised Pork:
- 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.
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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.
Step-by-Step Tutorial
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 side.
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.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
We love apple cider braised pork roast served over mashed potatoes, which soak up so much of the flavorful juices. My go-to are these spinach mashed potatoes for those extra cozy feels.
We’ve had this dish with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and red skin mashed potatoes. They’re all equally fantastic! As for veggie sides, we love making my maple roasted acorn squash on the side.
If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, you can use them to make pulled pork sliders!
More to cook on fall weekends:
- Short Rib Ragu Pappardelle
- Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Shells
- Rigatoni Bolognese
- Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
- Chicken Broccoli Ziti
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.
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, along with the low and slow cooking, of course.
I would suggest about 7 to 8 quarts 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.
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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.
Lisa says
So tender and great flavors! Thank you!
Anya Kratsas says
Hi! I plan to make this for my family tomorrow. My roast is 8 lbs, would I increase the cooking time? Thanks in advance!
Tania says
Hi! I would cut the meat into 2 parts. That way, you won’t need to increase the cooking time, and it will be better for flavor and it will also turn out more tender.
Steph says
Hi, I was wondering which brand of honey mustard you use? There seems to be a variety of flavors between the different brands? Thank you!
Tania says
Hi! I use either Maille or French’s!
Ashley says
This is my second time making it. So tasty.
I have to many apples at home right now and I’ve been trying to find ways to use them besides sweets. The hardest part is honestly browning the meat because it’s so big and unwieldy but it was manageable! This was so so good I made it 2 weeks in a row. Such great flavor. Thank you!
Emily says
Would it mess up the recipe to add other veggies while the pork roasts in the oven? thinking carrots / celery.
Tania says
That would be totally fine! I’d add those about 1 or 1.5 hours before the cooking time is up, just so they don’t soften too much.
Kris says
Wondering if this would work with a boneless pork loin.
Tania says
Yes! You can cut the boneless pork loin into 3 pieces before searing for better flavor and to keep it juicy in the center (since the bone helps to keep it moist).
Naomi Gross says
My friends and I devoured this recipe for our Friendsgiving. We fought over leftovers!
Tania says
Thank you so much, Naomi!
Mary says
How would I go about making this on instantpot?
Eddie says
What do you do with all the liquid?
Tania says
I usually spoon it over mashed potatoes
Charlotte says
Amazing meal! Perfect for a fall cozy comfort meal. We paired with mashed potatoes and butternut squash! Wouldn’t change a thing.
Elizabeth Mink Gaudreau says
How can something so simple to cook taste so amazing? Literally I cut 1 onion and 1 apple! Perfect for the season, perfect for being added to our rotation!
Tania says
Right? So easy and delicious. Thanks for trying our recipe!
Stav says
Hello! Love this recipe . I wqs wondering how you would convert it to crock pot ? I borrowed a Dutch oven to make it but don’t own one
Tania says
Yes, you can sear the pork in a large skillet or pan first. Then, cook the onions, garlic, and minced herbs and deglaze with white wine in the same skillet – this will really maximize flavors. Transfer the seared pork, plus the cooked onions and garlic into the slow cooker. Then, add everything else (except apples), combine and cook for 8 hours on low. The apples can go in 1 hour before the cook time is up.
Megan Purington says
I’m going to try and adapt this recipe for my crock pot as I don’t have a dutch oven big enough for my pork shoulder. Smells delicious!!
Beth says
Made this tonight and it was so good! Paired with the spinach mashed potatoes as suggested – amazing combination! Will definitely make again. Thank you!
Tania says
Thank you for your kind words, Beth! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!