This apple cider pulled pork is the ultimate fall comfort meal! It’s the perfect balance of sweet savory, and it’s slowly braised in a rich apple cider-infused braising liquid until perfectly fall-apart tender.
And believe it or not, it’s very easy to make! It’s a crowd-pleasing recipe that works for weekend dinners, meal prep, or easy entertaining.
If you love my apple cider pork roast, I think you’ll love my apple cider pulled pork version just as much! It’s so incredibly tender and the flavors are amazing! It’s slightly sweet from the apple cider braise and packed with lots of savory aromatic flavors.
The pork is seared until golden brown, then braised in the oven for three hours until it’s melt-in-your-mouth delicious. It’s so tender it shreds so effortlessly!
The apple cider pulled pork is perfect for piling high onto brioche buns topped with my apple slaw and a drizzle of apple cider BBQ sauce. And while it’s amazing on sandwiches, I also love it over mashed potatoes or on grain bowls.
Looking for more comforting roasts? Try my French Onion Pot Roast and Honey Balsamic Chuck Roast next!
Jump to:
Why I Love This Recipe
- Tender and flavorful. Apple cider as a braising liquid delivers on taste and texture.
- Great for meal prep. Cook once and enjoy the apple cider pulled pork leftovers throughout the week.
- Versatile. Make sandwiches, rice bowls, salads, wraps, and more!
- Freezes really well! This recipe makes a big batch, so freeze some for later.
Ingredient Notes
Below, I included a few notes from recipe testing that I hope you find helpful when shopping for ingredients!
- Pork shoulder: I use bone-in pork shoulder, which keeps everything extra flavorful and moist, but boneless works too. Trim the excess fat.
- Unfiltered apple cider: This is the popular fall beverage (not vinegar). If you can’t find it, pure pressed Simply Apple Juice works too.
- Apple cider vinegar: For acidity and balance.
- Onions and garlic: Cooking down the aromatics is the first step to building the flavors in the braising liquid.
- Thyme and rosemary: Then come the fresh herbs! You need minced for sauteing the onions, and also whole to be added at the end and infuse more flavor.
- Chicken broth: Use your favorite store bought brand, or homemade broth if you have it.
- Dijon mustard and maple syrup: Both of these pair nicely with pork. The dijon mustards add a tangy kick while the maple syrup adds that cozy fall-inspired sweetness.
- Honeycrisp apples: These have a nice balance between tartness and sweetness and hold their shape well. You can also use a mix of honeycrisp and granny smith.
- For the apple kale slaw: Kale, apples, carrots, apple cider vinegar, yogurt, maple syrup, and mustard.
- Apple cider BBQ sauce: I actually developed this apple-infused BBQ sauce recipe just for the apple cider pulled pork!
- Brioche buns for serving
Ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card down below, as always.
How to Make Apple Cider Pulled Pork
Prepping for this apple cider pulled pork recipe is quite straightforward. Let’s make it!
Step 1 | Season and sear the pork
Preheat the oven to 300 F. Cut the pork shoulder into 2 or 3 pieces – this adds more searing surface area (more flavor!) and allows the liquid to penetrate better so it stays extra moist.
Season with salt and pepper, heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and sear the pork undisturbed on all sides until a golden brown crust develops. Remove and set aside.
Step 2 | Cook aromatics and liquid
In the same pot, add more oil and cook the onions over medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened. Add a splash of broth to deglaze if needed. Then, add the garlic, minced thyme and rosemary, and cook until fragrant.
Pour in the apple cider, chicken broth, dijon mustard, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste, stir, and bring everything to a simmer.
Step 3 | Add apples and return pork
Add in half of the sliced apples. Transfer the seared pork back into the pot and arrange the rest of the apple slices, sprigs of thyme, and rosemary, around it, gently submerging them under the liquid.
The liquid should cover the pork should ¾ of the way up. If it’s not, add more broth or cider.
Step 4 | Braise in the oven and serve
Bring it back up to a low simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook in the preheated oven for 3 hours. When it’s ready and fall-apart tender, remove it from the oven and shred. Discard the bone and herb sprigs.
Meanwhile, make the apple slaw and, if using, the apple cider BBQ sauce. When ready, serve the apple cider pulled pork on brioche buns along with the slaw and sauce, or serve it any way you’d like.
Tips for Success
- Equipment: I use a large, oval-shaped 8-quart Dutch oven.
- Cutting the pork into 2 or 3 pieces allows for more searing surface area (more flavor!) and also helps keep the center of the pork extra moist and tender.
- Let the pork sear undisturbed on each side so they develop a nice, golden brown crust. It’s essential for flavor and to lock in the juices.
- Low and slow. It’s the way to go. Do not try and turn up the heat for it to cook faster. Slowly braising is key to ultra tender, fall-apart results.
- Make sure the pork is almost covered in the braising liquid. If not, add more broth or cider as needed.
- If you can’t find apple cider, use pure pressed Simply Apple Juice.
Make Ahead and Freezing
Make ahead: This apple cider pulled pork can be made fully and kept warm in the oven until you’re ready to serve it. You can also make it the day before and reheat when ready.
Meal prep: Serve with the slaw, mashed potatoes, or make grain bowls. Or anything you’d like!
Freezing: Let cool completely. Divide it into smaller portions using freezer bags or Souper Cubes. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, as long as it’s pork shoulder (fatty enough to stay moist) and not pork loin (too lean). I think bone-in keeps everything more moist and flavorful, but either way works.
Honeycrisp, fuji, granny smith, or gala are great options! Don’t use Red Delicious, they will turn into mush.
Ideally an 8-quart Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid.
Substitute with pure pressed Simply Apple Juice specifically. Don’t use the light color bottled apple juice.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
Sandwiches or sliders: Pile them high on brioche or slider buns, along with apple cider BBQ sauce and the slaw.
Grain bowls: Add the apple cider pulled pork to my Mediterranean Lentil Salad or Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls.
Mashed potatoes: Try my Fluffy Mashed Potatoes or my favorite Spinach Mashed Potatoes!
Other sides: Roasted Butternut Squash and Brussel Sprouts, Balsamic Brussels Sprouts.
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Apple Cider Pulled Pork
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 pounds bone-in pork shoulder - excess fat trimmed
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Olive oil - for searing
- 2 large yellow onions
- 6 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary
- 2 cups chicken broth - plus more as needed
- 2 ½ cups unfiltered apple cider - the fall beverage, see notes below
- 1 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 honeycrisp apples - sliced
- 6 fresh sprigs fresh rosemary and thyme
- 8 brioche buns - for serving
- Apple cider BBQ sauce - for serving
Apple kale slaw
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar - divided
- Olive oil - as needed
- 1 honeycrisp apples - cut into matchsticks
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Season pork shoulder generously with 2 teaspoons Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- In a large 8-quart Dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear pork on both sides until a nice golden brown crust forms. Remove from the pot. Tip: Let sear undisturbed on all sides so it gets a nice golden brown crust.
- Into the same pot, add more olive oil and cook the onions over medium heat for about 5-6 minutes until softened, adding a splash of broth to deglaze. Add garlic, minced thyme and minced rosemary, and cook for 2 more minutes. Tip: Use a wooden spoon to avoid scratching the pot.
- Stir in the chicken broth, unfiltered apple cider, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer.
- Add half of the sliced apples. Then add the seared pork back into the pot, and arrange the remaining apple slices and sprigs of thyme and rosemary around it, gently pushing them down under the liquid. The pork should be almost submerged in the braising liquid. If not, add more broth or cider.
- Bring back to a low simmer. Cover tightly with the lid, and braise in the oven for 3 hours until it’s fall-apart tender.
- When ready, remove from the oven and shred the pork with a fork. Discard the bone and the herb sprigs.
- Make the apple kale slaw: In a bowl, gently massage the kale with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and a few drizzles of olive oil. Then, add the remaining slaw ingredients and toss to combine.
- To serve, pile some pulled pork over brioche buns, drizzle with apple cider BBQ sauce (or your favorite sauce), and the prepared slaw. Enjoy!
Notes
- Apple cider: Use unfiltered apple cider (the fall beverage). If you can’t find it, substitute with pure pressed Simply Apple Juice (not the light color bottle apple juice).
- Use pork shoulder, bone-in or boneless. Don’t use pork loin, as it’s not fatty enough to stay tender.
- Sear undisturbed. This is the key to amazing flavor and to lock in moisture.
- How much braising liquid: If you use a 7 or 8 quart pot, this recipe should be enough to cover almost all the pork. If not, top it off with more broth or cider.
- Best apples: Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, or Gala (avoid Red Delicious).
- Make ahead: Cook fully, refrigerate with liquid, and reheat gently the next day.
- Storage and freezing: Refrigerate up to 4 days, or freeze cooled shredded pork for up to 3 months.
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