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Making a big batch of pulled pork is always a good idea. Whether you are hosting a game day party and need something delicious to feed a crowd or are just meal prepping for the week, this Apple Cider Vinegar Pulled Pork won’t disappoint.
Simple and delicious, I love the subtle tang that the apple cider vinegar gives this! It’s an alternative to the traditional super saucy, slightly sweet pulled pork that you often see at barbecue restaurants or as part of a Super Bowl spread. While I love that version too (and have even shared some recipes for it before!), I wanted to try something different.
If you are doing Whole30, you can serve this pulled pork on top of a salad with sliced avocado, onions, tomatoes, and radishes. You can also make a DIY burrito bowl and serve it over cauliflower rice with even more veggies.
If you aren’t Whole30, this recipe is great on slider buns, tucked into tacos, wrapped up for enchiladas, or stuffed into bell peppers—you name it!
ingredients:
- Bone-In Pork Shoulder
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Ground Cumin
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Yellow or White Onion
- Garlic Cloves
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
step-by-step:
step one: preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
step two: season the pork
Season all sides of the pork shoulder generously with salt, and pepper, and cumin.
step three: sear the pork
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. When hot, but not smoking, add the pork and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a plate and set aside.
step four: sauté the onions and garlic
Reduce the heat to low and add the onions, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes.
step five: cook the pork
Pour in the apple cider vinegar and chicken broth. Return the pork to the Dutch oven. Cover, place in the oven, and cook for 3 to 4 hours or until the pork is fork tender.
step six: shred and serve
Transfer the pork to a large cutting board or baking sheet. Use two forks to shred the meat, discarding the bones and any unnecessarily large hunks of fat. Place the shredded meat back into the Dutch oven and toss until it absorbs most of the sauce. Serve and enjoy!
recipe faqs:
Yes! If you are using a slow cooker, follow steps 1 through 3 as is. Then, arrange the sautéed onions and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker and top with the browned pork shoulder. Pour the apple cider vinegar and chicken broth around the pork. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.
You can use boneless pork shoulder or bone-in pork butt instead! If using a boneless cut, you may need to reduce the cook time a bit.
I hope y’all enjoy this Apple Cider Vinegar Pulled Pork for game day and beyond! Let me know what you think in the comments below.
looking for more game day recipes? try these!
Cuban-Inspired Pulled Pork with Mojo
Slow Cooker Italian Shredded Beef Sliders
Instant Pot Whole30 Pulled Pork
Apple Cider Vinegar Pulled Pork
Ingredients
- 4½ to 5 pounds bone-in pork shoulder
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow or white onion, sliced
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Season all sides of the pork shoulder generously with salt, and pepper, and cumin.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. When hot, but not smoking, add the pork and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the onions, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the apple cider vinegar and chicken broth. Return the pork to the Dutch oven. Cover, place in the oven, and cook for 3 to 4 hours or until the pork is fork tender.
- Transfer the pork to a large cutting board or baking sheet. Use two forks to shred the meat, discarding the bones and any unnecessarily large hunks of fat. Place the shredded meat back into the Dutch oven and toss until it absorbs most of the sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just here to say people (me) are still making this recipe often and my family raves about it everytime I bring it to a gathering! We do fresh made HEB tortillas, pickled red onion, cilantro, and lime.
Absolutely delish!
Making this tonight & I find the wording a little confusing. So if you do it in the crock pot, you just sear first & after the 6-8/8-10 in the crock pot, it’s done right? No need to also put in oven? So we skip from step 6 to 9, right?
Apologies, this is a very old recipe that is in need of some major reworking but glad it is still being made! That is correct; season then sear beef, saute garlic and onions, add all to slow cooker then jump to step 9!
Would you be willing to make suggestions on what to pair this with to make it a complete meal? Thanks!
I like to make a taco night out of it!! Serve in tortillas topped with chopped onions/cilantro and salsa verde!!
You can also make taco bowls- rice, pulled pork, greens, guac (think chipotle style)
This recipe needs a major makeover/refresher- but it’s absolutely delicious!! I’ll work on updating the blog post over the next month and getting new pictures/etc. Thanks for the reminder 😉
Hey Alex! Have you ever made this with Chicken? This recipe has been a staple of mine for a few years now, so obsessed!
I haven’t made it with chicken yet but i bet the flavor will still be wonderful— cook time would definitely be less though!
Thanks for this recipe. Made it today. It’s wonderful. I love Aleppo pepper so used that instead of cumin. This will be my “go to” recipe from now on. Plan to try with whatever spices I’m in the mood for.
So glad you enjoyed it!